Mental Voice

[CoryJames]

If I were to read for 2 hours or so, then put down the book and try to remember the act of reading, I come to realize that apart from the first few sentences, I wasn't even seeing text but living the story visually inside my head. It is weird.

 

[Dormouse]

I don't read much anymore, especially books written in first person, because the main characters voice would tangle up the cogs in my brain and I would think in their voice for the next few days.

 

[Jesse]

It occurred to me while reading the various forums I frequent that I have a mental forum voice when reading your posts. This voice is sing-song and generally happy with lots of sarcasm. Quite different than my internal voice. Anyone else read forums in this way or am I just weird?

 

[Mary]

I have a different voice for everyone on the forum.
Actually, I've talked to people online, then met them irl, and they sound exactly the same as they did in my head.

 

[Jesse]

I have met people IRL and they still sound the same in my head. Some particular people sound different but it's rare.

 

[Terrier.z]

Interesting discussion. For me, I mainly have conversations in my head when I'm not engaged with interacting with others. Less a conversation then a monologue of unfiltered gushing that helps me sort out my thoughts and opinions. However, it is punctuated by a more cynical voice with snide comments that bring my thought-train back to contend with the laws of reality.

The same thing as mentioned earlier happens to me when I read. Interruptions really screw up the whole process of reading. Also, if I daydream the same thing happens and later on I can't recall what I had been seeing during that time.

Some people have mentioned that they think in pictures. What is that like? Every time I try to not use words in my thinking I can't resist the urge. They just slip in.

 

[gnome]

The pessimist: tells me that what I'm going to do is probably a bad idea; reminds me of all the bad things that could result from doing something; has two oft repeated motto's: "better safe than sorry" and "better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it." Lives by Murphy's Law. This bastard is probably the biggest source of my anxiety and social awkwardness.

If I could get that pessimistic son of a bitch out of my head I would have gone so much farther by now in life. He's a real mother fucker. I sometimes shut him up with alcohol. Other times with benzodiazepines.

 

[nexion]

When you think, do you have multiple voices who argue from different perspectives?)

Yes. One is the voice of absolute certainty of mostly everything, the other doubt of almost everything. I don't usually get far. Maybe there's one other as well, which normally appears alone, and it always has something to say about how it is impossible to know.

 

[gruesomebrat]

There seems to be another voice that I have recently been introduced to, but I don't want to hear him again, that was when I was depressed, he wasn't pleasant to have in my head. When he was around the others were gone, leaving my voice and his, and he refuted everything I thought of, making it all seem worthless.

The whole thread describes my own experiences with my mental voices really well, but this voice, the depressed "You're worthless" voice, is something that I've fought with on far too many occasions.
The scary thing is that I can actually place the voice as being from someone in my past, who I'm not sure ever voiced an opinion that I was worthless, but it always seemed that that was what he thought of me. It gets confusing when the voices in your head sound the same as someone you know in person, though, or when you 'preview' a conversation with someone so you can figure out what you want to say to them. I find that every once in a while, I'll be actually talking to someone that I've had a mental conversation with, and make reference to something that I had said in the earlier 'conversation', only to have them look at me like I'm completely out of my tree.

If I were to read for 2 hours or so, then put down the book and try to remember the act of reading, I come to realize that apart from the first few sentences, I wasn't even seeing text but living the story visually inside my head. It is weird.

Not weird at all, Cory. In fact, this is the only way that I can truly get into a book. I am capable of reading the individual words on a page, but there's no fun in it. The problem I always had was trying to explain what happens to me when I'm reading. I've had a number of people ask me how a) I can get so deep into a book, that the real world doesn't affect me (ie. people talking to me don't exist), and b) how I can read so fast. The only way that I could ever explain it was to compare books to the wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia, but there were people who still didn't get it. After Avatar came out, I was able to reference that movie (when viewed in 3D) as being similar to what I experience when reading. That sort of 'alternate reality' has always been, to me at least, the only way to class a book as good. Any book that doesn't plunge me into an alternate reality has not done its job.

 

[nyaneko]

One voice -- different tones. But sometimes this voice splits -- when I'm feeling particularly conflicted about something, one voice will take one tone and the other a different tone -- and then those may split too.

When I read, I hear it in my head in a tone of voice not dissimilar to mine, but more masculine.

Strange.

You prefer someone wiser and more mature to be your mentor? Or another part of you is actually wiser and more mature to persuade you into the 'right' decisions?






Used to have that... Commonly conversation between two 'me's' and sometimes three... usually to solve problems or find out what the inner me and feeling and hence what precautions to take.

now i just talk to myself... getting more normal


dissociative identity disorder???

 

[xevos]

speaking of voices can u have more than on train of thought at a time i can easly(for an example) think of math problems and theories and at the same time analize myself with out slowing down, breaking my chain of thought or anything it just flows like a regular thought

 

[Magnetosphere]

I can't think with a single voice, a fact that irritates me greatly. Every time I try to ponder something, every time I try to concentrate, my mind is split between a multitude of different voices, all of which belong to me, but, at the same time, feel rather out of my control. It's hard for me to tell if I've generated any of the thoughts I think, because many seem to come from nowhere.

When I try to figure out problems, I typically have a neutral voice arguing the point of view that I consciously prefer - this, I would have to identify as being "me", albeit in a very basic sense. Aside from that single voice, my unconscious mind selects for me one or two other people, who generally relevant to whatever is being debated. For example, if it's something related to human behavior or psychology, I might be ranting on and on to a psychologist I had to visit when I was younger, with him occasionally butting in to point out a contradiction or inconsistency. If I'm dissecting the state-of-mind of a friend, I'll either be talking to them or an entity I'll christen "The Invisible Man" - I don't have a visual identifier for this being, all I know is that I'm not consciously producing the arguments and thoughts it brings to light. This "voice" is the most helpful, because it feels more like I'm talking with myself.

The only across-the-board similarity is that the other conversational player, not counting "me", is always cast in the role of devil's advocate.

Normally I keep these conversations in my head, but I really do like to vocalize them. I've been considering buying a broken Bluetooth headset, for the sole purpose of being able to mull things over with myself in public without looking like a total lunatic.

Eh, it's entertaining, I guess. Sometimes I'll find myself swearing at myself, other times I'll be frustrated with the stupidity of a person that seems separate from "me", but really is me. Occasionally, I'll become aware of the sheer incongruity and insanity of these thought processes, saying to myself, "You know, this has all got to stop. I am sick of you acting this way!"

Then I'll realize that I'm not referring to myself in first person, laugh a little, and shrug it off.

 

[Taniwha]

One voice, that can change tone and pitch. Often it likes to argue with me, I have to tell it to STFU.

 

[Jesse]

On reading I start of with thinking about the words I read but after a bit it just flows into a stream of consciousness. This stream involves some pictures but it's mostly emotion mixed with pace. What is wierd about this stream is I have a second stream that is much more analytical thinking about where the story is going, what the author was trying to achieve in certain spots and so on. It would be cool if this was how I experienced life but no it's just one boring stream.

 

[kora]

Mine is several different voices, I've called them alter-ego's and as an artist (not a very accomplished one) have had loads of fun drawing them , I often feel like my thoughts aren't actually my own if that makes sense; more like I' m sitting inside my head and thoughts happen TO me rather than from me..

 

[kora]

Scrap what I just wrote, Auburns' post was PERFECT, we are identical.

 

[CLOfriendOSE]

It really depends. Usually I have one "voice" if I have a voice a all. It may argue with itself, but it's restricted to language. Usually this thought-type occurs when in class/discussions/etc (when communicating in language is preferable).

Most times I think in scenes. If I think to myself "I need to print this paper before class", I usually have a little scene of me going to the library and printing the paper to go with it.

Usually visual thought it my "thoughtform" of choice. Language is...dominating, imperialistic, etc...and I don't like being bound to it. The more languages I studied the less attractive linguistic communication became.

 

[Roran]

I've got three, which I call:
The Kid: Naive, emotional.
The Teen: Impulsive, does stupid shit if unchecked.
The Adult: Tries to keep the other two from fucking up too badly.

Sample though sequence:
Teen: I really want to kick that door open.
Adult: No. We'll look like idiots for the sake of a moment of fun.

Usually works like this, the kid or the teen says something kinda dumb and the adult is there to keep things in line.
Also, Auburn's post is spot on.

 

[Mello]

I think in a monotone voice and speak in a monotone voice.

I guess that means I'm just constantly talking to myself in my head.

 

[eagor]

one voice that usually takes the forms of people i've met depending on what im thinking.

 

[KMaki]

When actively thinking about something: My own voice describing what I'm thinking
When actively doing something: a short, staticly repeating musical pattern constantly.
These also overlap. Right now, writing this post, I hear the words AS I'm typing them, not so that I hear a sentence and then write that. Also, a variation of the Sanitarium opening riff is playing on endless loop.

Speculating on possibilities: I think the voice is my rational self grokking what my irrational is thinking. AND I think the musical pattern is a distraction, or then some kind of safety pool, into which excess energy is directed into.

 

[IdeasNotTheProblem]

Two voices! That's crazy! I have only one voice in my head. My thoughts are gener- "huh?"... hold on, excuse me for a sec. "what is it?....Yes, I'm writing the post....right now...how's it a bad idea?...it is not insensitive.....I know it's a serious condition......oh come on, they won't be offended......well so what! nobody reads this crap anyway!....Haven't you read some of the posts on other threads?....Yeah, that one was way worse...... Besides, they're all pretty smart here, they'll know I'm just being funny......You don't know that.....well someone might think it's funny?.....oh, you don't think this is funny?......of course you don't think it's funny! You never think anything I say is funny......OK, I'll add that part at the end but i'm leaving the rest.......you know what? i don't care what they think of me. SO SHUT UP!"

Ahem, I in fact do have two voices in my head. One voice comes up with things to say, while the other is ever criticizing of how I say it, if it will make any sense or if it could be interpreted wrong, offensive, vulgar, funny, and so on....It can be frustrating at times, but as long as I keep it check, it's a good thing to have.

"hey!, give that back! what are doing?........Oh, I get it, you think if you have the mouse than I can't click the "post reply" button..... Well guess what genius? Its an f-ing Laptop!, I don't need the mouse, see this little pad next to the keyboard? what do you think that is? hahaha YOU LOSE BUDDY"

 

[Mello]

You're so judgemental of yourself.

My second voice is judgemental of others.

 

[IdeasNotTheProblem]

Haha well i exaggerate, but still, you're absolutely right. Imagine though, when I'm on a job site where people say the dumbest, most disrespectful shit on a daily basis without giving it the least of bit thought. First its like "dude, that's awful, how could you say that?" and then "seriously dude, how can you say that?" I want to blurt out all the "dumb ass" shit that pops in to my head too. Just something else I need to work on I guess.

HA! i miss spelled "dumb ass" but the spell checker fixed it for me.

 

[Mello]

Haha well i exaggerate, but still, you're absolutely right. Imagine though, when I'm on a job site where people say the dumbest, most disrespectful shit on a daily basis without giving it the least of bit thought. First its like "dude, that's awful, how could you say that?" and then "seriously dude, how can you say that?" I want to blurt out all the "dumb ass" shit that pops in to my head too. Just something else I need to work on I guess.

HA! i miss spelled "dumb ass" but the spell checker fixed it for me.

You should just say what you feel and see how they react.

Haha.

 

[IdeasNotTheProblem]

I'll give it a go. Maybe wait until they're up on the scaffold then let er rip.

 

[HDINTP]

Yes, lot of voices and lot of argues but i find it funny. It also causes lot of problems. I also think it depends on how much do i sleep. Sometimes it overwhelms me.