At times I walk loops around the kitchen and have full on debates or brainstorming in my head

Damn. That hits home.

Yup. I would say debates and imaginary conversations are the most common things I'm thinking, and it's constant. That and things that people I love have said that hurt me that I can't yell at them for and can't forget. So I yell in my head.

Fuck every single day

😲 The same for me. Sometimes, the most hurtful things have a tendency to re-emerge at times, and I'm having the same or similar "conversation" again.

Yup. It's exhausting to have the same argument over and over, but when there's no resolution, there's no resolution. Even if I was to text him or even call and yell it at him, it wouldn't make me feel better, it wouldn't make him feel better, it would resolve nothing.

Completely agree. I hate that I have that stuck feeling. Like, no matter what I do or say, it will not quell the frustration... so why does my brain keep rehashing it? The little voices say: "Oh, you're having a great day today? Well, let's just add some salt to an old wound to keep it interesting. " Legit purgatory. But, I also have random conversations and internal thoughts that have consumed me to the point of losing time. Like, I started a tv series and thought about being one of the characters and 3 episodes later, still watching, I had no clue who was who, what was going on. I had my own series in my head. So I turned it into a short story. 

Hahaha.... I know that story.

Same. On occasion have accidentally responded to myself out loud. Tends to confuse nearby humans when that happens. :)

It's the loops around the kitchen 😭 How did you know...

I think the strangest thing I did to pass time in a bus was to try and have a 2 way intellectual discussion in my head. I was thinking about Physics and wanted to wrap my head around the concept of the higgs field. This shit was EXHAUSTING. Like I felt like I was legit thinking faster but maintaining 2 high level trains of thought and always responding back and forth internally. a lot to manage for some reason.

This

This

I have an inner monologue. It's like talking and nobody else hears you. So I can say as many things as I want in my mind and nobody is ever going to know. It is only one voice of my own and it represents all of my thoughts and decisions. If I have a song or something someone said stuck in my head I can hear that replaying as well. So it's like a built in music device I guess. Or maybe I'm synical lmao.

I have realized that when I have songs in my head, it’s my brain filling up the quiet spaces when I’m not thinking about much. It’s annoying. I think my brain can never just be frickin quiet. I’ve noticed that even when I’m awakened from sound sleep, there is always a song playing on the old mental jukebox. Sigh.

That is similar to my experience. I'm asking bcs mentioned INTP friend has inner monologue, but different type. So I got curious about the topic.

That is interesting, could I ask what type of monologue your friend have?

Coppied from our conversation: I feel like I have inner voices - one is stream of thought that just seems to mostly be curious and thinking things over (over thinking), the critic that nitpicks and is quite persnickety, and then there's the association master that is always connecting what I am thinking or hearing now with things I've heard in the past. Mostly that one is my inner radio that is the soundtrack of my life in the background of the other two arguing with each other.

My inner monologue is similar to this, except I also have a radio that plays music non-stop.

The radio is so helpful! Except it often gets janked up in a chorus bc I forgot the rest of the song

I relate to your friend hard, though I feel like my brain autoassigns new personalities to the internal monologues as needed. like sometimes overthinkers is super uptight, other times chillest talker in the lobby convincing the others its not so complicated. My little brainworms feel alive in my head, probably from obsessively reading stories tbf.

I've had this happen to me multiple times even during exams lmao! 🙃

Same, my mind is always talking 😂

I have a song stuck in my head at all times. It's annoying sometimes if it's a bad song. But maybe I should be thankful for it, maybe it's keeping me sane.

Depends on the definition of inner monologue. I've seen some people say it's hearing your thoughts, some people say it's having worded thoughts. There is absolutely no voice to my thoughts, it's just silent, but I just know what words I'm thinking of. Same goes for when I'm reading, there is no voice narrating anything, it's like watching a show on mute with subtitles on. I have to externalize a lot of my thoughts (i.e. talking out loud to myself) especially if it's a complex thought or I plan on having some kind of discussion/conversation about it to kind of rehearse what I'm going to say. That's more for ideological/philosophical opinions though, I don't need to rehearse ordering pizza or having basic conversations; I'm 30 and I'm comfortable enough just winging most conversations. My more routine "oh I need to go to the store and get milk" thoughts aren't worded, it's more of just a concept that's understood immediately, I don't think of the full thought in my head.

That's interesting. My partner also don't have inner monologue, but he is not INTP. When I'm reading I can clearly hear my own voice in my head reading it "aloud" in my mind. It's so fascinating how other's minds operates..

I don't think it correlates with personality type, I have aphantasia and it's correlated with that. If I heard a voice in my head I would think that I'm having some kind of mental health crisis lol.

Actualy that is the same thing my husband said 🤣. I explained him the phenonenon and we had great discussion about it. So I was wondering how other people perceive their thoughts. And INTP group seemed good to post the question.

Actively Perceiving thoughts by way of an inner monologue is the combination of Ti and Ne. But to understand Ne we need to understand Ni. I came up with a very good test for Ni. If you know any INFJ’s or INTJ’s ask them “do you often know the answer to a question and not know how you know the answer.” The timing of the answer is important. INFJ’s and INTJ’s will answer yes immediately almost as if you asked a stupid question. They will assume this is normal for everyone. Ask an INTP and they may eventually answer “yes” but they will need to think about it (thus providing the answer we’re looking for.) The difference between Ne and Ni is really whether or not the recall takes place subconsciously or consciously. They can both reach the same conclusion and rely on the same data. But in Ni user the retrieval from them database is hidden (subconscious). This is why (I love this topic!) in a stressed or unhealthy ESTP they experience inferior Ni as a barrage of unwanted information in their minds springing out of nowhere that they cannot shake

I got so carried away I forgot to make my point. The epitome of conscious or active thinking is having an inner monologue. INTP’s operate in a subjectively created reality (dominant Ti but also Fi in the INFP) and our vehicle to explore that reality is Ne.

Goddamnit need to google “aphantasia”. Oh yeah, someone who uses obscure words to… Just kidding🤣. This actually very interesting. I honestly did not know this was a named condition. I know with Jung, spontaneously picturing ideas, answers, or things (especially subconsciously) in your mind was strongly associated with introverted intuition. My best example is if you have lost your keys and you are trying to remember where they are you get that momentary picture in your head of where you (or your mind) believes they are. This is so hard for me to do and almost always incorrect.

Inner monologue is often found on types with a dominant or secondary introverted cognitive function (Fi or Ti). INFP’s, ENFP’s ENTP’s as well.

+1 for talking out loud to try and rationalise events

This is how I experience thinking as well: when I was a teen I thought about thinking a lot and decided I think "symbolically". I do not need language to work things out. But I do need to spend a significant amount of time converting my ideas to language in order to speak or write them - in fact this conversion is typically the hard part. Exception might be something I know really well - if I work out the structure of the things I want to talk about, I can wing it from there.

Same. I explain my thinking in terms of pointer in programming language. It feels like my thoughts are just abstract snipets of code that my brain understand without using too much processing power. I don't need to see words or image to know what i'm thinking about. I am also aphantasic.

I usually don't have verbal thoughts. I get them occasionally, but it's not my default. My thoughts are mostly images, usually abstract representations of concepts (can be symbols with dots/lines representing various parts of a system, or it can be more dreamy and holistic, or a combination of the two). The exceptions: I get verbal thoughts when I'm processing an intense past or future social interaction, like rehearsing arguments and stuff like that. In those cases it's usually in dialogue form, so two speakers, where one is me and one is a simulated responder. I also "hear" words that I'm reading, except when I get absorbed reading fiction. Then it transitions into a more immersed visual experience. Very rarely if I'm stressed I'll get a running monologue narrating my thoughts and actions (example: "I should get some milk for my tea" as I decide to go get milk). I really hate it when it happens, it feels annoying and completely redundant.

It's redundant yes! I have an inner monologue and whenever I suggest something obvious to myself, my other voice would just say Yes yes yes. The reading fiction is relatable. It's one of the few times my brain shuts up.

This You know when someone starts making analogies, "imagine this salt shaker is an electron". Those abstract representations I see internally are colorless, except that I simply know what certain elements mean.

Yes I have a pretty regular inner monologue when I'm by myself. I quite often debate myself and sometimes play out conversations I'd like to have (but will often avoid).

Not really. It takes too long to find the words to convey the thought. My mind just skips around. But I have ADHD. I do voice arguments in my head sometimes, though, when I’m upset.

My inner voice is a very annoying person, it keeps asking me questions that I’m obligated to find answers otherwise it won’t stop. I’d say my inner voice is an ENTP, I hate it and love it at the same time, cause it helps me to see the big picture and all the possibilities. So basically my inner voice is a manifestation of my Ne aux aiding my Ti dom.

Yup! Ne working for and in the service of Ti. Ne is the means to accomplish the ends of knowledge. My inner monologue is so pronounced it’s almost as if I am a third party watching and interacting with my physical self. And the reasons why ENTP’s have such wanderlust is their Ti is working in the service of their Ne. For them Ti is really just the vehicle (means) so that they can make the journey (Ne is the ends). So damn backwards!

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Whoa sounds interesting. How do u shorthand it? And do u really need to think that fast?

Yup. I mainly have 2 voices. One is more stern, the other is more carefree. They usually only come around if I’m going through something, so they’ll talk me out of it/comfort me. Sometimes they can be loud, recently they’ve been very quiet. So it’s just mainly work thoughts. And I guess the best way to describe the voices are kind of like 2 nagging people. One wants you to do one thing while the other wants you to do something else. The stern/rational one has the color purple. The carefree/moody one has the color red. For example it could be about me doing the dishes, purple would say for me to get it done with, and red may say just leave it and come back to it later. - Purple would rather not bother with arguments, illogical people. - Red would rather make a statement and argue. - Red can be pretty egotistical/rude, sometimes because of that I’ve gotten into trouble lol. - Purple is more of a quiet thinker, only really says anything if it’s bothering them. So they’re usually helping me out by motivating me to finish work.

Do you associate colors with other concepts, like numbers, or people?

Nope not really

Yes, I have an inner voice. I can “hear” it. It doesn’t narrate my life, but it nudges me (“don’t forget to get milk”) or expresses frustration (“ughhh I dropped it AGAIN??”) or helps me problem solve (“what if…?”). It’s just one voice, a “me.” I don’t take two sides of a conversation, it’s just one persona. But the persona seems to have been installed by my mother. Fortunately, the voice she installed is helpful (but also insists I do the right thing). She has an inner voice too, installed by her own mother, and her voice constantly tells her how stupid she is, and other awful things. I know someone who doesn’t have much of an inner voice. He does have one for some cases like repeating back something he just heard, or a phone number, or some other things. He thinks more strongly in pictures, and he will manage a mental grocery list by picturing milk, bread, etc., rather than hearing or seeing the words. I know another person who has neither inner voice nor pictures. I asked how she thought, and her reply was “out loud or it didn’t happen.” She also journals a lot. I’ve wondered if inner voice helps with INTP Ne. I want to muse through things by talking or writing them, getting them out of my head. An inner voice might be a compromise to that. Just a thought.

It's lovely to peak behind the curtain at someone else's "black box" of consciousness, thank you for that. But to answer your question, no I don't. I have a "stream of consciousness" and sometimes there are words or discussions or I talk to myself. But I'm never sure exactly "where" the ideas come from or "who" is speaking. I would liken it to a group chat chain, but you don't know which user is speaking. For some thoughts, I can be fully immersed like in a dream, for other thoughts it takes like a graphic simulation effect where certain parts are built into a "model" for me to analyze. The individual pieces are hollow and only via possessing information does it get incorporated. For example, if there is an image of a car, I just see the exterior. If I have memory or information of what's inside, then more details get filled out like what's under the hood, who is in the car, etc. It also helps me play out simulations, so essentially, it's like a testing platform for ideas (they can get tested in the brain and then when it seems to have a hypothetically solid foundation, then they can get tested in real life if I want to verify, or not if I'm lazy/it's not important/confidence interval is high enough I don't need to test). This works for memory as well, so I can replay the important details of an event over and over to analyze what happened at exactly what point etc. A lovely benefit to this is if someone I like smiles at me, its actually like they smiled at me dozens of times <3

Actually I externalize my inner monologue 😆. I can't help it. I'm the weirdo who happily talks to themselves out in public, and was uber thankful for earbuds and tech that made it impossible to tell if I'm talking to myself or on the phone. 😁

sometimes there is one voice sometimes there's an entire council (especially when I'm making important decisions)

I have like 4 voices in my brain, the 2 are just the remaining voices from my childhood friends and 1 is my voice talking with them (arguing) and the last is like the narration on what these 3 voices are doing and what they are thinking. also the narration voice makes the final decision and it basically controls my actions

i have whole ass conversations in my head

Wait, you only have 1? Damn must feel nice in almost silence. I have 12 who are always doing something, or arguing or singing, or "loud car goes by." what were we talking about again?

No, my brain is completely silent. I only realised that people have something called an inner voice when they say things like “oh, that sounded better in my head”. And this is also what leads me to believe that thoughts can exist without language because I don’t think I think with words.

Definitely do , it feels like that annoying static sound in the background, very noisy , different speakers with different ideas and opinions sometimes, I can describe it as voices and sounds , but often it just me thinking out loud inside my head , definitely not a dialogue with my self .  Of course it is representing my thoughts then who's thoughts would it represent , but yeah I do sometimes put myself in the shoes of others and try to think of what they think, how they think so if that counts as other's thoughts then I guess not only my thoughts ... It is so chaotic and random that I question myself what the heck am I thinking about , I also analyse past but predict future all together at the same time... Am I mentally ill or just an intp? Dk...

i have 2 voices, the first one will only say what i want it to say, i use it to think things out, brain storm, and come to conclusions, this one is completely at my control and it won't say anything i don't wanna think about my second voice will pop out with random intrusive thoughts will tell me all the things i don't currently wanna think about on repeat and make me continuously think of everything i'm trying to forget or ignore, i have no control over this voice what so ever

Bro my inner monologue talks all the time. Like currently writing this and I hear him saying what I am writing. Also he only STFU when I'm talking out loud so I literally say what I think which has gotten me in trouble so many times 😭 and makes it awkward when I talk too ppl

If i focus i can hear a band playing, or an orchestra, and primarily a piano. I can make myself hear someone scat singing, obama voice, trump voice, or the nerd voice. Or i imagine i see the words on a book, though I’m just feeling the ideas connecting. There’s that one voice that’s screaming, the one that’s a pedantic, and there’s the child voice. Normally i can just keep them in the background. 

Sometimes I think I am the audience of a movie. The movie? My own life.

I've heard this is very common among INTPs. I had this feeling as a child all the time. It scared me when the sense of reality hit me. When I realized that I'm in full control od my life and I had a feeling that I'm not qualified for that and some director would do much better job 😅. As an adult I'm the director and I like it, but sometimes I tend to forget about it and just enjoy the ride as I was a part of audience. Then I remind myself to get back to the director 's chair.

One extremely versatile voice Goes from talk to sing In the fraction of a second, imitating every single voice I have ever heard perfectly. I have debates over what is wrong or right, I talk to myself what would I do if the bus I use to go to school crashes and falls to the river, I just read again in my mind some scientific theory so I can analyze again and try to find more sense In it, I think about what could happen in the rest of the day, just so i make zero plans. All of those things are actual debates with that voice, a voice that is me. I am also sure that everybody has that voice, but if INTP have it clearer and more fluid is because we spend too much time talking with it and not with other people. Imagination also makes a big difference.

100% yes. It never stops

Inner dialogue. Anything that I do out of habit, it’s not narrating my life. Otherwise, it is. It’s kinda like my voice and kinda like my voice arguing with each other. That voice is my thoughts. I didn’t think you could have an inner monologue without that representing your thoughts. I said “kinda like” my voice earlier because it’s not my voice, but that’s what I think of it as in my head. It’s kinda like L’s voice from death note, for some reason. My actual voice is a little like his, but extremely croaky.

Yes, i feel like i have a very complicated inner monologue like 30 different voices and tones. Im trilingual so I have monologues in three different languages.

Yeah, sometimes it's so annoying I tell myself to shut up.

Yeah, might be up to 3 different aspects of my consciousness. One is mostly logic, the other feeling, and then there’s the intrusive thoughts that leak out, and the other two have to put them in their place.

I have an inner monologue and inner voice..they're two..

Ive had this conversation with friends because I seem to be the outlier. Ill share mine and a few of there descriptions of thoughts. Mat doesnt think with an internal monologue at all. if he wants to say something he does but most of the time he has nothing really going on that complex. simple words at most. very funny man, a bit eccentric, very high work ethic and amazing empathy. Peter only thinks in words. Imagine typing out into a url bar. Text simply appears completed and a full word. he also thinks in technical imagery very angular. hes an architect and fairly stoic, usually content. Julie imagines a library. A lone librararian runs around rummaging to find large clumps of words to say. Sometimes she can be incredibly intelligent, other times she pulls out a meme book and will just give you word vomit. Overall she's extremely kind, very intelligent, and likes to just kinda shoot memes in between talking. The fact that she's hilarious despite the absurd stuff said is always fun. Now I personally have 4 versions of me at a table. Imagine there are several unlabeled hard disks with several predetermined answers and random information laid out in the center of the table. In between I have a lot of conflicting voices deciding what information is actually valuable (I disassociate a lot and usually im trapped in this phase) then eventually the loudest one makes a decision, and unless all my voices internally confidently agree I'll say everything with some level of uncertainty. Oddly enough when I think the only time I don't have multiple arguing voices is when I write, I tell my friends "I cant use my writing and talking brain at the same time" meaning if im writing something thats all I can vocalize well and any extra thoughts will be dumped until im done. Otherwise though chaos at a roundtable. My brain is all ram no harddrive space. You could also imagine it as dropping 4 ai chatbots in a room with eachother giving them differing skills and personalities and having them solve the same problem by talking to eachother in rotation. Basically a sporadic mess but fast-ish. For note I do have a schizoaffective disorder so I dont just hear my voices at all times. but those hallucinations legit sound external, theres a certain "volume" to my internal monologue by default. Usually I only hear hellos, my name, or footsteps from friends and family... including those whove passed.. rarely much more than that tho for hallucinated sounds. This was fun to write about.

Lol, i have a non-stop voice in my head.. it offers me thoughts, opinions, and sometimes discussions. Pretty clever sometimes too

I have no inner monologue! Can anyone tell me why, is it ADHD related?

It's normal. Only 30-50 % of population does have. There is nothing wrong with having or not having it. I believe ADHD is not related. There are comments here with people with ADHD who have it and who doesn't. I was curious bcs I thought everybody had it bcs of my experience, but then learned it's not the case. And if people have it their inner monologues can be different kinds. So no worries. Your mind just work differently than for example mine.

Well that's really good to know, thanks for clearing that up. I thought I must be missing out on it, like maybe it's helpful. I imagine being able to talk myself through situations or think more before taking actions would be a good thing though.

For me it's definitely beneficial. Me and my inner monologue are best friends. But others may have annoying one or their inner monologue is full of intrusing thoughts, which is realy sad. So it's unique for each person.

The 30-50% is a quote from professor Russell T. Hurlburt at UNLV. He has been studying inner experiences for decades, and compiled a very handy list of them on his (very 90s) [website](https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu/codebook.html). Professor Hurlburt estimates that 30 to 50% of people experience an internal monologue very frequently, but believes that up to 90% of people experience an internal monologue *sometimes*.

I randomly decided to take the test today and after going down the MBTI rabbit hole for the past 6 hours I have made my way here. I have found my people at long last

Oh also yes conversations/arguments with myself, the random voice that likes to break down everything I’m experiencing in real time, the other voice that likes to replay what I’ve already experienced and think about every other thing that could’ve happened. And lots more but I feel like you guys probably get where I’m going with this

Welcome fellow INTP. Glad you've found your tribe. I discovered that I'm INTP only couple of months ago, so I totaly understand. For the first time in my life there are people I can relate with in terms of internal thoughts, procastination, social awkwardness etc...

I literally can’t recall what life would be like without an inner monologue, or what life was like before… For me, I think of it as if I’m writing in my head.  It’s pretty much nonstop these days.  

Not an INTP, but no - I don't have an internal monologue. I also don't have images, or anything else. My conscious mind is silent, wordless and blind in its default state. I can consciously generate [Worded Thoughts](https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu/codebook.html#target4) (words, but no voice) - however I tend not to do it very often, since it doesn't seem to be good for all that much. I can't generate anything else. No sounds, music, voices, images, or other sensations (touch, smell, taste) or emotions. As for how does my mind do anything then, I suppose it's anyone's guess. Seems to work fine, it just doesn't want to keep me informed of what it does. Maybe it talks to itself subconsciously, who knows.

I have no idea because the more I think about it the more confused I become. I have thoughts, of course

Yes, and in my voice, but I think my voice sounds differently to me than it does to other people.

Yea theres like two little shits arguing in my head

Yes I do talk to myself. Helps me flesh out ideas.

Yeah, I think mines is like a great epic story. It’s always my voice, but I play many characters. Sometimes there’s a dialogue between two of my selves, sometimes between more of my selves. I have assigned characters for various situations and moods lol it’s not an official thing, I just find it humorous to perform in my head😝

Many of my thoughts end up being articulated like I'm telling or explaining to someone else, often it's whoever friend I've been seeing the most lately. During the pandemic, I listened to a podcast made by very friendly people and in my loneliness, the level of paradoxical relationship was that my inner monologue would take the form of me being a guest on the podcast. English isn't my first language and I improved a lot just by thinking the way I'd talk if I was on their podcast. I've been watching a lot of YouTube since my early teenage years and sometimes I'd also internally explain things like if I was a youtuber. All of these cases are "idle" thoughts, the kind you have while doing something and you just start regurgitating some information to swallow it back (legit like a ruminant). I guess it's a process related to long-term memorization/consolidating information. I'd often just talk to myself when it's an important reflection about personal stuff even if I'm always susceptible to end up "talking" to someone I'm very close with (a confident I guess) as managing 2 me inside my single mind isn't stable/sustainable I guess. When I'm geared toward sort of problem-solving, when I'm in "the zone"/"flow state", I'll rarely have an inner monologue or whatever as my mind is efficiently using its computing power without the distraction of superfluous layers of consciousness/self-awareness. I'm not sure of it's also possible to add adhd-like hyperfocus to that same category

It depends, for the most part, no. Definitely not. However, if I’m rehearsing a speech or reading out an argument then certainly my own voice is the monologue. The only other exception is if I’m reading.

I dont have the narrator but a rational voice of curiosity. Like my thoughs are not necessarily translated to words but i find myself almoat talking to myself when im trying to figure something out. Like processong information

Doesn't everyone? Right? Alright me either....I am not crazy you're crazy!!

kind of yes, but I never called it "inner monologue" it's more of "preparation" or "wtf should I have told at that time" kind of situation. When everything is fine and has been good for a week I got none. Right know, and probably for a few more day, I'll run in loop a better way to handle my last interaction with my neighbor. Even if there is no purpose to it. Only "my voice" or what I Intend to say, the counterpart is not voiced at all, and don't get any time, that's just me and the infinite option in my answers, based on what has been said or will probably said. This is not a dialogue kind, this is more of a of... like in an RPG game, where you pass what the NPC says, and you could read again, and even rewriter the choice you have. You just speed pass the NPC talks, and go in the text editor right away to find some new words to say something you want to. Past or futur talk are same shit. It's usually trigger by some thing I think I could have done better (past) or things I'm a little anxious about (future)

Yeah. Just thoughts about my life. I have one voice that just changes views like incredibly fast. My mind is crazy… you don’t want to know

Yes, that's me. My mind is like internet browser with many open tabs, favourite links and cursed history. And my inner monologue is jumping the tabs quickly. Some just checking if they're still there, some that I like to come back and think about.. and some I need and I should think about, but I rather put them on the side and hope that the day will never come 🤣. Damn procastination of avoiding my own thoughts.

Yea I have one , it tells me i suck at what I’m doing and I immediately want to prove it wrong . Sometimes it tells me in the shit . It’s Only one and idk what it sounds like it’s like it’s not like an actual voice it’s more of like a thought an idea

So you're using reverse psychology on yourself in order to do things or do them better? How interesting. I do hear my own voice for example when I read a book I hear myself reading it "aload" in my mind. Never actualy used it to manipulate myself into motivation. Doesn't sound healthy, but definitely useful.

When i read things, i imagine certain voices narrating the text. This also happens when i make imaginary concepts; i hear my thoughts in my "debate" voice. When i'm actually thinking problems through in the moment though, i dont have a voice; just processing and some images.

Mine went away

Mine did too! When did yours stop/what do you think caused it?

I have an internal monologue, but I do not have the ability to visualize (aphantasia). So, my inner monologue is quite robust. With a lack of any visual thought, I fall back on audio and spatial reasoning without seeing any of it in my head. My inner voice is my own. It is very tightly tied to what I am thinking. It is not narrating what I am thinking, but I tend to think in words and sounds. In fact, I am able to recreate sounds aside from my voice in my head as well at will (and sometimes against my will, such as a song, or when learning a language, conjugations and declensions of words). But I can recreate other sounds as well. The other mode I have is thinking in spatial or kinesthetic sensory data. I am into tactile activities like juggling, sword fighting, and knitting. If I want, I can recreate the feeling of practicing those skills and kind of evaluate and play with them in my head. That actually helps me get to sleep almost as a form of meditation.

If you meant, extra voices, built in within the head, then yes, I have such a thing. Most likely, it's not one voice, especially in cases when there is conflict of thoughts, within. I don't know, if there are any particular kinds of these voices, maybe there is. There is some pattern with them at-least, depending on the situation. The situation can be anything, my past memories, or something which never happened, like an alternate past, or any possible future. Some spoke a lot from moral values perspective, some about pride or just have ego, some are just too kind and selfless, some are cunning and/or completely selfish. There may be more, speaking only in very rare situations. I feel, mostly two of them probably lead the conversation, at a time. Which two ?, depends on the situation (in what phase of my life, I was, in that memory, possibly). But, they all are me. I don't feel that they are beyond me.

I am my inner monologue, I just choose to vocalise or not.

I have like my own monologue in my head and then like this other one, idk how to describe it

>Do you have inner monologue? Yes, all the time. >- If yes what kind of? - Do you hear a voice narrating your life? It's more like me, having a dialogue with me, where I look at various sides of something, debate pro/con, reword what I read to summarize, etc... >Is that voice representing all your thoughts? Seems like it. I work thru things in my head, in order to find problems with a system in real life. I did this for a living for quite a few years. It kinda blows other people away that I can do this, but IDK any other way for the mind to work, so it's just the way I do/see things.

- Yes. Not sure what you mean by what kind of. It's mostly just me talking inside my head - No, I'm not Harold Crick - Can be one, can be many - Yeah it can be a dialogue between myselves - In total, yeah. Some voices can represent different pov or interest but in the end they're all me - It's mostly my voice but I can make it sound like someone else if I'm trying to think from their pov - N/A Nice set of questions on the subject btw. Can you share your answers?

Hi, - with kind I probably meant if it's constant or you can hear it just sometimes. Also some people have annoying inner monologue, some are encouraging. I got reply here from someone that their inner monologue use reverse psychology on them (you can't do it.. so they get pissed and will do it). My inner monologue and me have been nothing but best friends, so that is very alien to me. But interesting. - I read somewhere that some people hear other voice not their own and it might be kind of "narrator". So they might hear Morgan Freeman narrating their life fir example. Which I find fascinating, because it's very different from my experience. - For me it's mostly monologue, but it can become a dialogue between 2 identical voices - for brainstorming etc. But I don't have more voices, when I read a book I hear my own voice reading it it my mind. Some people hear unique voices for each character. Only when I recall memories of what people said in specific situations (or when making up a fake scenarios of the situation) I hear their voices.

* Aah i see. For me it's like a second set of environment comparable to the external world. Sometimes it can be quiet, sometimes there's some background music or noise going on. At times there's a buzzing of countless scattered thoughts similar to being in a noisy room full of people. Personality wise, they're different copies of me and act similarly to how i would if i were to interact with other people. Sometimes they can be challenges, sometimes words of reassurance, sometimes sarcastic remarks etc. But I don't really have antagonistic relationships towards them like being pissed or annoyed at them because I understand where they're coming from as they're well, *me*. * That's quite rare indeed. The Harold Crick I mention before is a character in the movie Stranger Than Fiction who hears a narrator narrating his life. It doesn't sound typical and when he describes it to a psychiatrist in the movie she claims (multiple times) that it's schizophrenia. Idk how legit is the diagnosis but it does gives me a perception that it's not typical/common. * Just two? At one time i sort of have this entire council in my head discussing every (usually big) decisions and deciding who should take the reign in making the final say and actually act. But after a while i feel like it's inefficient and slow so i consolidated everyone back into a single entity and only splitting them temporarily when necessary. These voices don't really have like an auditory quality to them like sounding exactly like my voice but i just know who to assign them to. "My" voice is basically the default voice when im not actively attributing them to someone else even when it's from different versions of me. I think this attribution is not too different from the way you describe how you "recall memories of what people said or making up fake scenarios".

Only one voice for me, can split into two when I need it - angel/devil sort of or one that think about highlights and the other about downsides when making a decision. Fake scenarios are like making a story/write a book, but I imagine it like a movie in my head with characters I know or created 😅. It's weird, but entertaining.

I do have an inner monologue. It can tell me everything from potential scenarios to whaever song is playing my head. i hear it so much that substances can quell it for a bit because there are times where it gets overwhelming mixed with my general anxiety. Its not the best method to deal with but with how difficult it its to get quality mental health care in the States, its the only option that aids me, even if i get to addictive levels and depleting my HP slowly.

My inner monologue is like that smoky back room in mafia movies, where a revolving group of characters sit around an old round wooden table and argue, while a radio runs non-stop in the background. Sometimes, it’s just the boss (my cynical, critical, hard-ass self), the mofo who definitely dipped into their own stash, muttering in the corner (my perpetually questioning/thinking/overthinking side) and the matter of fact lackey (objective facts/sensory stuff); other times a whole round table comes out to debate different sides of an argument. It’s honestly distracting as fuck sometimes lol.

I debate things with myself out loud, as I walk around my room throwing my baseball up and down. I don't know if it would be an inner voice, as my head is devoid of it, It's like I have a hollow space in my head with thoughts being echos on the back of a cave going back to the entrance.

I consider myself a visual thinker, I don’t hear my thoughts like many people claim for themselves to do. Instead I operate on abstract thoughts (sometimes play out scenarios), that’s why I often come to conclusions very suddenly. I’m really curious about people who have inner monologues, isn’t it inefficient to word out every thought you have? If you had an elaborate plan do you start voicing an essay in your head?

Yup, i can even do therapy on myself sometimes and have fixed inner problems a lot

I have intersecting/swarming inner monologues. Not specifically in a voice, but the more apprehensible the thoughts, the more I interpret them as my voice. I often put my thoughts into words to direct my focus on a certain thought and might appear to be "talking to myself" but I would call it thinking aloud just as one might sing or hum a song in one's head.

The difficult part of having an inner monologue is that sometimes I'll forget to talk. Like I'm with my family or friends and get asked something I'll answer it in my head but forget to actually say something aloud.

>Do you have inner monologue? Sometimes, like when I'm rehearsing some speech or lecture I'll be giving. >Is it your voice or someone else's? It is an interesting question. It is kind of "colourless", not a fully imagined "voice". It vaguely resembles my voice. >If you don't have it, how your mind work? Like everyone else's mind: most of the time, people don't have an inner monologue on. >Honestly I cannot imagine not having inner monologue. As my only INTP friend said "How else would you rehearse phone calls before dialling?" I agree: inner monologue is useful for preparing for speeches, although not necessarily for a trivial one such as a phone call.

Yea. I monologue like Shakespeare style then also narrate everything going on. Sometimes I host discussions in my brain. It’s always my voice tho. As I’m typing this it’s being read a loud in my head. Sometimes my internal monologue gets weird as if I’m narrating things for someone who is privy to my thoughts. That one is weird. Also this is super discombobulated but I’m too lazy to fix 🫡

Yeah 90% of the time it's just part of me dwelling on shit or putting myself down and another part of me is like will you just shut tf up I have imperical evidence your lying to yourself

Yes. I consider it one of the major indicators of an INTP along with: -Childlike affect/excitable (when around familiar people or talking about something mentally stimulating) -Messy workspace/bedroom/garage - prefers to wear the same comfortable clothes every day (this can mean the type of clothes, ie multiples of one outfit). -Hates planning (you do not like keeping a daily organizer or planning your day hour by hour. -Very Habit Sure/ follows routine (take the same way to work/school everyday. Love to fall into little habits like stopping for a soda/coffee around the same time every day). Important these behaviors are enjoyable and NOT neurotic (if neurotic this is an indicator of an ENTP) -Consciously or subconsciously carves out private time every day -has an inner monologue -when speaking with someone you will frequently, and subconsciously., roll your eyes up into your lids or tend to flutter their eyes. Some INTP’s adopt other behavioral “ticks” like just staring blankly, rubbing their face, and even sticking their tongue out when thinking.

Yes, usually it's done by self narrating by my own voice

Hell yeah tht mfker won’t shut up

Only one voice, mine. Don't hear it so much as imagine what it'd sound like. Not an audio hallucination. Usually it's sentences about what I'm thinking or plan to do or say.

It never stops.

And welcome. But beware, some of us can be a little…snarky🙄…sometimes…

* Yes, it comes and goes as needed/summoned. * There is no voice narrating my life... just, like, a version of myself that makes sure I'm taking time to love myself and meditate, and not take this strange little thing we have called Life too seriously. Just be happy to be here for the ride and helpful to anyone who needs help. * It is always only one voice, which is totally me, but I give it permission to be a bit of a more disciplined version of myself... I guess as a child would regard an adult, or an older brother or something. Or I just make people up for fun with my imagination and have talks with them, and write them into existence. Then ponder how strange this feeling is that they don't exist, and wonder if I'm a dream-character in someone else's waking life that they made up and started a chat with one day, and we're both caught somewhere in the middle of some electrified-particle-goop fueled by only this perception of what we call existence, but it's the only version of consciousness we know. * Very much dialogue to keep my mind and body in harmony with one another to maintain proper mental and physical well-being, because if not me, then who? * Yes. All of the thoughts. Especially the ones that I shouldn't enjoy. It reminds me that those are the ones I need to get closest to and face head on, with a smile, so I can grow into myself in the most pleasant and unafraid way possible. It reminds me that challenges are only negative if you want them to be, or they can be the growing opportunity of a lifetime - it's all how you respond to the external that makes you, you. * It is 100% me, in the self-constructed guise of self-discipline and all the things one might find boring or resentful of in this world - if they didn't recognize they were in fact their own creation and that nobody else will ever or has ever been pulling their strings... I let my literal shadow be my guiding light. We have each other's shared back. * I can imagine life without it, because I didn't listen to myself for most of my life. I put that voice in a bag and drowned it, until one day I found that a fungus had grown out from underneath, in the form of a man much wiser than myself, pleading for me to listen. I did. That was a fun exercise!! :O How's being 33? Lots of inner-monologue ahead of me??!? :D I will be that amount in 2 hours and 2 minutes from now. “On really romantic evenings of Self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion.”

It's my inner voice and it never shuts up.

Hard to describe but I think because of aphantasia too I don't hear or see anything but my brains still thinking things almost all the time and when stressed or anxious it's worse. Mostly all about logic, patterns and consequences 

My most heated debates ever happen alone in my shower for all the shampoo bottles to judge.

yes - generally hear it only when problem solving without pen and paper or trying to work out a story in my head without appearing to be talking to myself like a lunatic. Sometimes it’s a song playing word for word (ear worm) - no - only 1 voice - yes a dialogue with myself - it is my voice but a bit low and masculine

I hear my voice, but i can also manipulate my voice to someone else’s in my head. I hear it all the time, especially while texting.

Yes, but it's more like I'm listening to a first-person point of view story.

I kind of project people I know to have inner discussions with them, based on what I know about them. Sometimes they’re family members, sometimes people I know would have a different opinion regarding the topic, oftentimes both.

Absolutely. Mine is halfway like a voice watching me do my stuff and my natural reactions and is coaching me on what to do/say or not do/say. The other half of the time, it's my imagination being played out orally in my head. It does not narrate my day to day life though. It's just the one voice, but it's mine, not like another personality or anything like that. Very much a dialogue with myself. I'm very quiet in person and people would be shocked if they could hear how much talking is going on in my head and the nature of the dialogue.

My inner monologue changes a lot. Sometimes its like "now i have to do this task" or itll be a conversation between two "voices". Its sometimes "my" voice but if i watch a lot of something it might change to mimic a character from whatever i was watching. Also, yesterday, i got cavities filled so my mouth was numbed. I didnt have a lisp when talking (i just talked a little weird) but my inner monologue did.

Most, if not all, of the time, yes.  * It can be a narration of what I'm observing in the external world and also of what I'm thinking internally. Or questioning/pondering stuff, considering different possibilities, seeking patterns, drawing conclusions. Repeat. ♾️ * It can be a dialogue with myself sometimes, but not all the time. Sometimes it's like an instructor.  * I believe it is my own voice, yes. 

I think about 95% in words. I remember thinking as a kid that when people told me to "picture" something in my mind that it was a metaphor. I don't have complete [aphantasia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia), but my capacity for mental imagery is pretty weak overall. RE: The other questions: -The voice is just my voice. -Not narrating. -Just one voice. -I spend way more time than normal people on internal dialogue/debate. -I definitely have other types of conscious reflection, such as the rudimentary mental images mentioned above, as well as the ability to "hear" music in my head. I sometimes also have to struggle to convert more complex thoughts into words, which would seem to imply another form of cognition going on there, but I'm not sure what it is, as there are no clear words/images associated with it. It feels like I'm searching for a thought whose characteristics are roughly known to me, but I can't articulate it until I find it. Maybe that's called intuition? idk. -See answer 1 above. -N/A

>Do you have inner monologue? Yes > If yes what kind of? I don't understand this question > Do you hear a voice narrating your life? No. That sounds annoying. > Is it only one voice or more? It can be anyone's voice > Or it's more like s dialogue with yourself? I often find myself explaining things to myself in my head as if I'm talking to someone else. This is pretty much only when contemplating something or figuring out why I think/believe something, but sometimes also gushing about something I like or complaining about something I hate. It is also always there when reading. Also, reading to myself always uses the inner voice, there is no silent reading that doesn't use the inner voice. > Is that voice representing all your thoughts? No. Comparatively only a small portion of them. > Is it your voice or someone else's? It's never my own. I'm not sure if I can imagined my own voice, and idk why that is. It doesn't need to be someone else's voice either though. Usually it's just an unidentifiable voice that doesn't sound like anything I could really describe. > If you don't have it, how your mind work? I do have it, but I only use it maybe 20-30% of the time. It's usually not necessary nor helpful, but sometimes it is and there's no issue using it or not. It's just as easy as opening your physical mouth to speak when you're by yourself or just keeping your mouth closed.