No Internal Monologue/Commentary?

[Djmac1031]

Oh god I only wish my internal dialog would shut the fuck up sometimes.

I need white noise and / or ambient music just to fall asleep anymore.

 

[AG31]

I struggle with this at night as well. What I do is use my Kindle to access YouTube, where I can find A LOT of background noise video's, some that play for ten or more hours. (not that I ever sleep that long). There are also story telling video's that are supposed to help a person fall asleep. My favorite video is the sound of a train traveling over its tracks while its raining. (be careful not to get the ones with blowing horns...WTH?)

I have a pair of panasonic clip on earphones that are unobtrusive. I sleep on my back though. Sleeping on the side of your head would get painful. But then, if there is anyone esle in the room with you, they might enjoy the background sound as well, so no need for the earphones. You might need speakers though, which probably are an easy purchase on Amazon.

The only problem is that unless you're a member, YouTube can interrupt with commercials. I find that the membership cost is worth it though.

Another technique for shutting off the internal dialogue while trying to fall asleep is to turn the TV to Forensic Files just low enough that it's hard to understand. The narrator has a wonderfully soporific voice.

 

[OddLove]

Another technique for shutting off the internal dialogue while trying to fall asleep is to turn the TV TO Forensic Files just low enough that it's hard to understand. The narrator has a wonderfully soporific voice.

I've seen every single episode of The Joy of Painting like ten times over now, so I might have to check out Forensic Files. I love Bob Ross, but sometimes I need a break.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I need documentaries that are at least somewhat interesting so when I'm not falling asleep I don't want to drive an ice pick through my ear, but not so interesting than I'll stay up and watch it with rapt attemption.

Really anything PBS will do at this point. They talk slow enough that the information is interesting, but it takes freaking donkey's years to say anything interesting.

 

[AG31]

They talk slow enough that the information is interesting

Yeah, but they're slowly speeding it up. :-(

 

[TheArsonist]

Yes, according to many people I've asked or listened discuss this topic, when they are not talking or listening, it's silent in their head. Which blows my mind.

To me the notion of a constant inner monologue sounds like a nightmare, like an intrusive thought or an earworm you can never get rid of. And asking how it's possible to think without verbalizing it internally is a bit like asking how you can possibly go about your day without constantly solving math problems or working out Tetris strategies or playing out erotic fantasies in your head non-stop. Stringing words together is one mental process, but there are lots of others, and they function just as well (if not better, like the centipede) without narrating them to yourself.

My stream of consciousness is kind of multimedia: it can include words and sentences, but it can also be sense impressions (images, sounds, flavors, emotional states, … ), actions, shapes, movements or abstract ideas and structures, depending on what my focus is.

Let's say I'm absorbed in a story idea I'm developing. I might be trying to flesh out the female MC by brainstorming possible occupations for her, with each idea flashing through my head as one or more half-visualized images, scenes or associations. For example: Something that keeps her outside, walking the streets (potential "street walker" joke there … or is it an actual possibility? – nah) … dog walker (visualizing) – no, too cutesy, romcom-y … beat cop (visualizing) – nope … tour guide (visualizing) – she's standing in the middle of a group of tourists, talking; tour guide patter, dumb jokes, crowd chuckles; is what she's saying accurate or BS? maybe she's interested in history; I've been on ghost tours, that could be sexy; how do tour guides dress? (visualizing) she's holding up her hand, having climbed on top of a bench to be seen by the whole group because she's so short (Oh, I guess she's short!); tourists can be idiots – it's frustrating, like herding cats or lemmings (possible conflict/plot development); lots of walking; (imagining/sense memory) – she's tired, her feet and throat are sore; it's raining (brr!) – she has a cold, her voice is gone, she sneezes in tourist's face (funny, build reader sympathy via misfortune) … OK, let's try another – meter maid …

I have to write it down as words to convey it in this post, but in reality it would be mostly non-verbal. Just now, for instance, I had the idea of a parking enforcement officer non-verbally first (the concept of a meter maid), and then had to remember the name for it in order to write it down. It's more like trying to fit together a hundred imaginary snapshots and links into an overall jigsaw design, figuring out which ones fit and which ones don't.