To think that everybody as a constant inner monologue running through their mind?!

[BeUpStanding]

I've just been told not everyone has a constant inner monologue running non-stop through their mind. Is that true?!

It's so fascinating to think how different our mental landscapes might be from other people's without realising. I've just remembered there was a thread on here ages ago (couple of years?) about whether you could see pictures in your mind... those of us that can were astonished to realise not everyone could, and vice versa. I think the OP was doing research for a psychology degree...

Anyway, do you constantly have a voice chattering away in your head, or is that another thing that people experience differently?

Always, I never shut up

DP doesn’t understand why I can’t enter a no thinking zone like he can ... no idea how he does it

o have this but I am an introvert and very quiet. i find It so hard to be myself when I first meet people so in my head I'll have excellent conversations with them whereas in reality all I could muster up was 'alrigtht?'
I think mine is because I'm desperately trying to be more talkative but I cant.
I also have music all the time and it's quite hard to switch off and sleep.
It helps sometimes though when I'm going through tough times or decisions theb I can go back to my monologue, kind of like a movie playing in my mind and switch off from whevers bothering me
Good god i sound insane! f
My DH on the other hand doesn't have anything going on in there and he doesn't understand how I do.

Having read this thread a few days ago, I have now realised I do this all the time :-/ I had no idea! I keep catching myself having conversations with people about stuff I'm thinking about. Usually it's a friend or colleague, and they're fairly ordinary conversations that I might end up having in real life - it's like I'm practicing.

When I'm cycling and when I'm in the bathroom seem to be the most common times. I'm slightly weirded out that I didn't realise I do it so much!

Sometimes but mostly I live in a maladaptive daydream world.

DD1 has non stop music - she finds it very difficult to concentrate. I have a "film" - usually I see myself as if I'm standing next to me - so at the moment i can see myself sitting at my desk typing. Sometimes, usually if I'm day dreaming I'll see a film of something else instead. It usually has a sound track - either conversation in a day dream or a narrator saying what I'm doing if its me.

The worst thing is that I still see me as a 30 year old so looking in the mirror often comes as an unpleasant shock!

Especially at night when I am trying to switch off and sleep!

I was at yoga last night. The instructor was teaching us to lie on our fronts, forehead on the floor and close down this inner monologue:
My brain: We've been lying here for ten minutes! What's he playing at? OMG, I bet he's got his dick out. I'd better check. But then he'll see I'm not concentrating... but that's exactly what he wants us to do. Who lies with their forehead on the floor for ten minutes? He's bound to have his dick out. I wonder if anyone else has seen his dick? And it went on and on and on like this.

Being able to control this constant monkey mind into only pure, kind and positive thoughts is our life lesson I'm sure!

It can be very wearing. I have no control over my thoughts - someone once described as 'playing tapes in my head'. Good to know it's not an unusual phenomena!

I kinda do

Entire fantasy world in my head most the time. Occasionally I forget the conversation is in my head.. ..

I do, but it's not constant. I run through what I've said, what I'm going to say, what I'm doing at that moment etc. Quite often I find my mouth is moving like I'm having a conversation and I'd not realised. When I was a lot younger I pretty much lived an alternative life parallel to my real life, but in my head/imagination .

I'm an over thinker and an over sharer.

I do

I think everyone does, but some people haven't noticed!

I used to have a constant inner monologue, sometimes different 'voices' having conversations or arguments... not mentally ill "voices", just my own thoughts chattering to each other.

However, I went through a period where I really challenged my inner noise, particularly the parts that were very criticising or downputting. Used to sort of shout "Stop it!" inside my head. All done in a bid to help improve my self-esteem/depression.

It worked. But I also have a very silent mind now. Rarely any 'voice' at all. Mostly snippets of music I like, occasionally sounds I enjoy like fire crackling, or rainfall. But no spontaneous voice or voices any more. I can still conjure them up if I want to, but I find it more peaceful by far now.

I have an internal monologue going on most of the time and it's no bother at all - unless I'm trying to sleep.

Then I'll toss and turn for a while before I settle. My late DH used to advise, 'try to think of nothing' but I find that impossible. How do you empty a brain to nothing? Can't be done.

i think lots of people have it.sometimes it comes anf goes.sometime the thoughts are random.sometimes horrific or you could feel guilt over those sweeping thoughts if you held onto them.
I think this is where suffers or anxiety and mental health disorders hold onto them.so the mental chatter becomes something they hear,feel interperat and cant let go of.that bad thought bout someone they feel bad over.or that silly comment you overplay.
like a bus station.lots of them coming through but you choose or your brain chooses which station to get on.get off.take notice of.
when really your brain is just processing things so you gotta let it come and go.let the buses come and go.and don't take your brain chatter as gospel.thoughts not facts and all that.

Hi Fascinated
No i only see the actual word that i'm thinking about.I see it written in my mind so to speak then it's gone
The brain is am amazing thing.!
I do have music constantly playing in my mind though, that can drive me daft !

I don't see pictures though I do see words (useful for spelling!). Not very visual in general, eg am crap at imagining what this room would look like in blue etc. Lots of music, on constant replay; not always stuff I like; I can tell it to "go away" push it out & shut the door but this needs practice and sometimes it sneaks back in. General inner commentary from various voices. Was often told off for daydreaming at school...

Unconnected (ish) odd thing, I am very short-sighted but always dream in clear focus

I didn’t realise before coming on Mumsnet that some people do not think in pictures

Went to uni with a guy who claimed not to have one. Everything that came into his head would immediately come out of his mouth. Not a good thing.

I’m like the computer with multiple tabs open. I sometimes annoy myself when I can’t shut up. And sometimes I’m so caught up in it that my lips start moving or I say something out loud. The realisation that I’m doing that usually makes it quieten down a bit!