To think it's impossible to have no thoughts or internal dialogue?

[IAteAllTheTomatoes]

Is it true that some people have nothing going on in their head? No thoughts, ideas, or internal dialogue?

I'm not being bitchy or talking about intelligence but I just always assumed your brain is thinking or you are silently talking to yourself? Like, will my parcel arrive today? What will I make for dinner later? Something anything? Future plans? Pondering on something in the news etc?

Someone told me yesterday there is nothing in their thoughts, except maybe music, until they are asked a question?

I would love to have no thoughts? It is possible?

I'm explaining this poorly but I suppose what I'm wondering is can people shut down their thinking and if so, how?

Me too but unfortunately mine continues when I sleep. I have vivid, cinematic dreams and my inner monologue continues throughout the dream. It’s no wonder I wake up tired. I get no peace and it’s so much worse when I’m under stress.

I suppose it is possible, but I can’t imagine it. I swing in the opposite direction - way, way too many thoughts, internal conversations, mass overthinking. Can’t even escape it when I sleep.

I have songs going around to stop my thoughts, if I need a break. I can blank my mind, but only take short breaks. I like living a fantasy life in my head. I went to meditation classes at a Buddhist centre, the techniques for sleep really helped during the menopause.

The only time my inner thoughts quieten down is when I'm experiencing the kind of "flow state" that you get when playing an instrument or singing. Sometimes that can be induced by listening to my favourite music. But generally day to day I have a multitude of simultaneous thought processes happening and lots of internal self talk. Not a narrating monologue, more of an internal discussion/conversation.

I have no internal monologue I don't ask myself questions I just think in concepts is the best way I can think to explain it.
I don't even picture things really well either, I can imagine something in context, but not just hovering in my brain. So if I want to picture an apple, I imagine a fruit bowl or supermarket shelves. If I get to focus on it it disappears.
So I'll get a brief feeling of what having a cup of tea would feel like now. And I think yes, I'll do that. My thoughts are a surprise to me!

I came home one day to this question from my husband, do you have an inner voice. My reply was,well yes obviously, who doesn't?
He had read somewhere about people not having inner voices/monologue.
I can't imagine it.

But I was also shocked to find out, from my uni WhatsApp group, that many people don't critically think. They just read something and that's the end of that. No more thoughts on the matter. Maybe these are the people with no inner voice 🤷🏻‍♀️

I've got sort of two internal monologues - one that's more conscious thought, like reading or thinking about what to write and the other is more a subconscious stream of natter like 'what's that noise, the wind smells like cows, maybe drink water' (all just while sat here). A few years ago I took Ashwagandha as a supplement to try and help with low level anxiety and it turned off the subconscious one completely. It was super creepy and really horrible. Whereas usually the subconscious stream would keep track of what tasks I'm doing and need to do I had to manually put effort into thinking of each word. Was not a fan!
Similarly but not quite - I always find it bizarre that some people can't picture images in their head at all. Like if you were to say 'picture a circle, make it red,
make it a ball, the ball is on a table in a room etc' they might get so far then not be able to visualise further, and some can't do it at all.

But how do you know what you’re about to say if you don’t think it before you say it? Like if you know you need to talk to someone about something, how do you know how to phrase it if you don’t try it out in your head first?

I don't really have a mental monologue during the day. I can't explain it really. I'm just focused on what I'm doing and my mind doesn't really drift from that. So while I'm driving I'm just thinking about the turns when I come to them but other than that it's quiet in my head. The odd thing sometimes pops into my head and I'll think about it for a while, but often not.

I find I can't be unoccupied because I don't have the monologue to distract me. I have to actively decide something to think about, and that's actually quite hard when nothing is prompting you.

I don't have mental pictures either, unsure if that's related. When I read a book, I don't visualise the action in my head. I still enjoy reading because I can emotionally connect with things, but I don't picture it. It means I do a lot of skim reading.

I have this theory that introverts are actually the ones with this internal monologue going on all the time and that’s why they need time away from actual people because they’re so mentally tired from all the internal chatter. Extroverts have less of that so need to voice any thoughts they have, and that’s why they’re chattier.
I’m a huge introvert but my brain never shuts up and it’s exhausting! I’d love to be able to go inside an empty brain for a day and get some peace 🤣

I have no words in my head. No internal monologue. All of my thoughts are images and feelings, which is really hard to explain. The only time there are words in my head is if I consciously put them there, so I can formulate or rehearse an conversation for example, or sing a song in my head. As for intelligence I'm no genius but I think I'm above average, I have a first in biomedical science. My eldest son is the same, and we are both autistic, which may or may not be relevant. My other 2 NT kids have a monologue.

I love that you had your dads voice as your inner monologue ❤️

Is your friend successful in her career? My brain is so busy I struggle to do revision or research on anything, I did terribly at school.

Nothing stops mine and it’s not just one conversation. It’s like a web browser with a dozen open windows, some playing music and some still uploading. It’s endless! And yes, it’s exhausting. Welcome to the world of inattentive adhd.

I have adhd and asd. The thoughts are on a par with a classroom of 30 hyper active primary school children.

You could be explaining me. Do you dream non stop throughout the night too?

Mine is like the meme, 'I have 20 open tabs in my brain and one of them is playing music'.

It's exhausting but I can't imagine not having any thoughts at all?! Like a PP said, how do you practice what you'll say to somebody? If I go in to a conversation without a practice run who knows what I'll come out with.

I think that rehearsing what you’re going to say beforehand is more a feature of anxiety than ordinary thought processes. With the exception of e.g. planned public speaking or an important meeting where you need to make sure you have everything you want to say ready be clear how you’re going to phrase it to reinforce it, most people don’t actively “think” about what they’re going to say or try it out in their heads.

This is me. No images. No inner dialogue. It's like a computer with the monitor switched off. No images, no sound. But there is definitely stuff going on there and data being processed! People tell me I'm intelligent. I can read and retain written info very well. I am terrible for remembering faces obviously.
I sometimes feel sad that I can't picture things (loved ones mainly) but I'm not sorry to have no inner voice, sounds like hell to me.

It's possible (and can beneficial) to shut down the internal monologue. Its a technique used in meditation, some kinds of prayer, and "Mindfulness".

I learned it in yoga /relaxation and meditation groups and find it immensely useful in circumstances that would otherwise be very stressful.

Sounds like heaven. I have intrusive thoughts that have me cringing or that make my toes curl. Silence would be lovely.

Have you tried meditation, training your mind to shut down all the open windows and focus on one (chosen)?

I've long been convinced that when holding a baby or animal, or touching a sick person, calm can be transmitted to them.

I've got the concept - it comes out in words. The translation happens live, as it were, and I don't need to think about how it's phrased/what the words are going to be beforehand.

I think a lot of this discussion comes down to the wording we each use, and how we interpret how other people describe things. A lot of people will say "nothing" if you ask what they're thinking about, because maybe they haven't got a major topic or concern that they're currently pondering, but they still have thoughts technically. Also how do we know we're even describing the same thing when we answer the question about having thoughts? When it comes down to it, it's like trying to describe colour and trying to work out whether we're all truly seeing the exact same thing.

Also, it's a common misconception that meditation, yoga and mindfulness are about clearing your mind of thoughts. Yes, you can achieve very peaceful and still, quiet mental state with meditation and yoga, but the actual goal of those practices is to "detach" from your thoughts and mental chatter. You can have as much going on in your head as normal, but it's about being able to be the observer of those thoughts and feelings, as opposed to identifying with them as your own self, and that distance is what brings the sense of peace. A quiet mind in itself can be a biproduct, but is not actually the goal of meditation as such. I think this is why so many people say they can't get to grips with meditation, because they're aiming for something incredibly difficult and not even necessary!