I don't recall how we got onto this subject, but a couple of my friends and I were talking about what goes through our minds when we...think. I always think in words except when I'm daydreaming/fantasizing (as in I essentially talk to myself in my head) and I always assumed everyone else did the same, however most of my friends claim that they think purely in images and never do the whole internal monologue thing.

For example, instead of saying to yourself "hey, I think I'll order a pizza tonight" they claim to just imagine themselves ordering a pizza and eating it, no words spoken to themselves at all.

So I figured I'd ask how do you usually think?

Poll: How do you usually think?
(Vote): In words (I talk to myself in my head)
(Vote): In images (there's a movie/slideshow in my head all the time)
(Vote): It's about even.

crazie-penguin

United States1253 Posts

July 08 2008 01:44 GMT

I thought the same too, probably because in novels or creative writing whenever the characters "think" they basically talked to themselves.

Solarian

United States100 Posts

July 08 2008 01:45 GMT

I don't really think in either, I just kind of...form a thought, or something.

But if I had to explain how I think, I would explain it as closer to words than to images.

EDIT: If I'm thinking of a series of actions, the layout of an area, Starcraft, chess, or sex, I would describe my thoughts as images.

Romance_us

Seychelles1806 Posts

July 08 2008 01:46 GMT

Definitely images.

gotwater

United States179 Posts

July 08 2008 01:52 GMT

i think in words. even if im daydreaming or something, there is still some kind of dialog probably going on. probably has something to do with the fact that most people read in their heads and thus hear themselves sorta.

skyglow1

New Zealand3962 Posts

July 08 2008 01:57 GMT

Words. I like talking to myself ^_^

Chau

Canada408 Posts

July 08 2008 01:58 GMT

Words.

But daydreams and stuff all come out as images.
Heh, have you ever tried forcing yourself to think in images? Or in a different language? It's actually really hard...for me, at least.

micronesia

United States24755 Posts

July 08 2008 02:02 GMT

On July 08 2008 10:57 skyglow1 wrote:
Words. I like talking to myself ^_^

If I'm in deep thought I sometimes start mouthing what I'm thinking.

Dr.Dragoon

United States1241 Posts

July 08 2008 02:03 GMT

My class was talking about this one time in sociology for some reason that I don't recall. I thought it was odd to think of images, so I tried it myself. I ended up thinking in images while outling what I was thinking with words.

BloodyC0bbler

Canada7876 Posts

July 08 2008 02:08 GMT

#10

I talk to myself in my head and create the images, so i have a picture with captions basically, its fun

gotwater

United States179 Posts

July 08 2008 02:16 GMT

#11

On July 08 2008 10:58 Chau wrote:
Words.

But daydreams and stuff all come out as images.
Heh, have you ever tried forcing yourself to think in images? Or in a different language? It's actually really hard...for me, at least.

Yeah im ABC and when i try to think out words in Chinese, it gets really hard.

Xiberia

Sweden634 Posts

July 08 2008 02:24 GMT

#12

Both. I also think in English just about as often as i think in Swedish, strangely enough.

Showtime!

Canada2938 Posts

July 08 2008 02:30 GMT

#13

Toss up for me too; really hard to put my finger on it actually. Guess I have to lean towards images.

infinity21

Canada6683 Posts

July 08 2008 02:38 GMT

#14

On July 08 2008 11:02 micronesia wrote:

Show nested quote +

If I'm in deep thought I sometimes start mouthing what I'm thinking.

Yeah me too ^^;

masami.sc

United States445 Posts

July 08 2008 04:20 GMT

#15

I don't talk to myself a lot except when I'm playing sports. Sometimes when I'm playing I kind of yell at myself, but I heard that's kind of common? But otherwise, I usually think in images; there's constantly something playing in my head.

Titusmaster6

United States5937 Posts

July 08 2008 04:35 GMT

#16

I am a more visual orientated person so I think in images. It helps a lot in class when I'm bored, I just think about stuff and a movie just appears out of nowhere. But the people in my images are still talking so I am not sure if I am even or what.

Hypnosis

United States2061 Posts

July 08 2008 04:43 GMT

#17

did you picture a mozilla firefox flashing through the night when you decided to blog this?

I kinda think through everything that could possibly happen when i do something, so i end up fucking it up lol

Mastermind

Canada7096 Posts

July 08 2008 05:21 GMT

#18

I definately talk to myself.

ShaLLoW[baY]

Canada12499 Posts

July 08 2008 07:27 GMT

#19

I think in images; when I consider doing something I see myself doing it before I realize "hm, I want to do this!"

Divinek

Canada4045 Posts

July 08 2008 08:22 GMT

#20

I think 100% in images, which can back fire somtimes

evanthebouncy!

United States12796 Posts

July 08 2008 08:27 GMT

#21

Both, if just daily conundrums, words suffice, deeper things like math or games, image.
Also use alot of motions, not sure but my images ar enormally animated and move around.
Logic too, not in words though, just logic, I have no clue how am I gonna make it clear but I think in logics, not the word logic, just logic. Okay this is getting nowhere lolz.

Elvin_vn

Vietnam2038 Posts

July 08 2008 10:21 GMT

#22

i've always talked to my imaginary friends when no one's around
+ Show Spoiler +

since i was 5 years old
+ Show Spoiler +

j/k they're real
+ Show Spoiler +

i lied lol

h3r1n6

Iceland2039 Posts

July 08 2008 13:00 GMT

#23

When I need to think about something with a clear logical solution, I just sit there until some thought pops out and solves my problem. Has never failed me and talking to myself only makes that take longer.
When its something where you can evaluate, and different answers are all right, depending on how you argue, I talk to myself.
And when its about places and orientation I use images.

I guess all of them

Chill

Calgary25993 Posts

July 08 2008 14:02 GMT

#24

I'm a visual learner, and I solve problems using images and drawing pictures, but I still think in words.

Bockit

Sydney2287 Posts

July 08 2008 14:09 GMT

#25

This is all what I think atm.. I might have to get back to you on this

It's an interesting thought I've tried to work it out in the past but it's hard to tell.

I think in words, but if I'm daydreaming/reading fiction I swap to slideshow/movie.

Though in terms of ordering pizza, what'll happen is somnething will trigger my memories of pizza, experience the taste/smell/site mentally and then think to myself, I want pizza tonight.

ZerG~LegenD

Sweden1179 Posts

July 09 2008 11:44 GMT

#26

On July 08 2008 11:24 Xiberia wrote:
Both. I also think in English just about as often as i think in Swedish, strangely enough.

I do the same, I'd even go as far as claiming English to be the dominant language. I only switch to Swedish when I'm in need of a wider and more accurate vocabulary, like during problem solving.

kpcrew

Korea (South)1071 Posts

July 10 2008 06:08 GMT

#27

i only think in images when the situation calls for it

like when i see a hot chick i dont think "damn i want to bang that chick"
i just imagine it ^^

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