What is an internal monologue? Whether you refer to your internal voice as your inner dialogue, self-talk, internal speech, or stream of consciousness, an internal monologue is the voice inside your head that you can “hear” when you think.
Also known as internal dialogue, inner monologue is a voice inside your head. It occurs due to certain brain mechanisms that make you hear yourself talk without actually speaking. This “little voice in your head” is a common occurrence, but not everyone experiences it.
Subvocalization, or silent speech, is the internal speech typically made when reading; it provides the sound of the word as it is read. This is a natural process when reading and it helps the mind to access meanings to comprehend and remember what is read, potentially reducing cognitive load.
It is the voice of our subconscious mind, where all of our emotional information and memory is stored. The subconscious mind governs the vast majority of our conscious thoughts, most of which are negative and recurring. What is your subconscious voice telling you, on repeat?
Hearing voices may be a symptom of a mental illness. A doctor may diagnose you 'psychosis' or 'bipolar disorder'. But you can hear voices without having a mental health diagnosis. Research shows that many people hear voices or experience other types of hallucinations.
It sounds relatively normal—but does everyone have an inner monologue? While individual internal experiences are difficult to study, “Research suggests that not everyone possesses [an internal monologue],” says Sari Chait, Ph. D., a clinical psychologist at the Behavioral Health and Wellness Center in Newton, MA.
Repeating entire conversations in your head is a type of rumination. It's how your mind attempts to self-soothe. The more you replay the details of a conversation, the more you may feel you can interpret what happened. You may also find that this helps you plan for a future outcome.
Psychology professor Russell Hurlburt estimates 30 to 50 percent of people have an inner monologue narrating their thoughts throughout the day.
For example, Hurlburt estimates that between 30% and 50% of people frequently experience an inner monologue.
In simple terms, head voice is what you will use once you get past the comfortable range of your speaking voice. In other words, the head voice is what you hear when singers are on their higher register.
A person who was born deaf has only ever known communication through the form of signs and images, like British or American Sign Language, so it is very likely that a deaf person will communicate internally the way they do externally. Interestingly, some deaf people have learned to speak through vocal training.
Chances are, you are reading this first sentence and hearing your own voice talking in your head. According to a new study, internal speech makes use of a system that is mostly employed for processing external speech, which is why we can “hear” our inner voice.
Those that do not have an internal monologue may instead visualize their thoughts. This is called "sensory awareness."
There is a connection between a person's inner monologue and intelligence. It is more likely for adults with developed verbal skills and a higher IQ to have a wordier inner voice than children with less language development and lower IQ. However, some people access their internal monologue visually rather than audibly.
Yes, plural, multiple voices. It's not just one. It is quite normal to have many “voices” in your head.
Sometimes hearing voices can be upsetting or distressing. They may say hurtful or frightening things. However, some people's voices may be neutral or more positive.
Distract yourself from your voices
Or if you don't have time to listen to them. Here are some different things you could try: Focus on what's around you. Try listing 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
Making a few random noises for 20-30 seconds will often get your self-talk to calm down. Try making the sound of a clock tick-tocking, a motor revving up, or a plane taking off. Interrupting your internal dialogue with noises that don't mean anything will break your train of thought and get you out of your head.
Do you talk to yourself? Rest assured, the habit is completely within the norm — and can even be beneficial. “Yes, research shows that talking to yourself is not at all 'crazy' and that, in fact, it is a normal human behavior,” clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, Ph. D.
Primarily though, most completely deaf people think in sign language. Similar to how an “inner voice” of a hearing person is experienced in one's own voice, a completely deaf person sees or, more aptly, feels themselves signing in their head as they “talk” in their heads.
We can “hear” our internal monologue without speaking
Corollary discharge is a predictive signal generated by the brain that helps us better understand our environment and surroundings. This unique signal is also used as part of our auditory system, assisting in processing information and speech.