Thought Process

[Xzengrim]

How does your thought process work?

I was reading an article about this, and they said that one of the theories was that people think in either words, or ideas; and then beyond that they tend to think in either linears or parallels.

Some people hear words going through their heads, and that is how their thoughts come to them. Strung together as words. Others think in thoughts, which are like bursts of concepts or ideas, but are without explicit expression in the head. Words string out like a ticker-tape of thoughts and ideas just sort of evolving as the brain "speaks" them out, where ideas are like beads on a string, one after another as they are realized.

Aside from that, they said that people think in linear or parallel. Linear thought is thought that goes one way, and thinks ideas one at a time. Ideas are modified over time as they come and go, creating a single stream of consciousness. Parallels are multiple trains of thought that may go in different directions or pay attention to different things.

I myself think in words, and in parallels. The effect is rather like there are three voices talking continuously within my head about whatever I am experiencing at the moment. My sister says she thinks in thoughts, on a linear basis.

I hope you understand what I was trying to say there. How about you guys?

[MorganaFang]

How does your thought process work?

I was reading an article about this, and they said that one of the theories was that people think in either words, or ideas; and then beyond that they tend to think in either linears or parallels.

Some people hear words going through their heads, and that is how their thoughts come to them. Strung together as words. Others think in thoughts, which are like bursts of concepts or ideas, but are without explicit expression in the head. Words string out like a ticker-tape of thoughts and ideas just sort of evolving as the brain "speaks" them out, where ideas are like beads on a string, one after another as they are realized.

Aside from that, they said that people think in linear or parallel. Linear thought is thought that goes one way, and thinks ideas one at a time. Ideas are modified over time as they come and go, creating a single stream of consciousness. Parallels are multiple trains of thought that may go in different directions or pay attention to different things.

I myself think in words, and in parallels. The effect is rather like there are three voices talking continuously within my head about whatever I am experiencing at the moment. My sister says she thinks in thoughts, on a linear basis.

I hope you understand what I was trying to say there. How about you guys?

Really more of a psychology based post but hey, whatever...

Um by what you wrote I'm probably in between both. In tests similar to this kind of thing I've always tested as an abstract yet somewhat logical thinker. Thoughts appear randomly, yet if they really strick my appeal I continue to go through processes of analysis with that thought.

[Ronin]

That's very interesting. And ironically, now that you bring this up, I can't think of how I think! I can't remember if it's in words or in pictures. But I think I can answer your second part. I'm definitely parallel. Unless I'm doing something specific. Other than that the damn insides of my head are bouncing in one direction then another.

But concerning your first part, let me get back to you on that. I'll have to observe myself without realizing I'm observing to notice how ideas come in my head.

~Ronin

[DarkWolf]

All of the above. Sometimes I think visually, sometimes literally (words), sometimes audio (hearing my own voice in my head), and often a combination of the above. Or sometimes it is an idea, like you stated.

Sometimes I think linear on a subject and often I think parallel.

In other words, if I want to focus on something: I think from every angle, way, and angle, in every shape and form, I can. I can't focus like this much anymore, due to permanent headache.

[Klark]

Well, I constantly have my sidekick in my head, sometimes the little prick sings and won't stop, you know the whole song in your head thing, but mine's more like a jukebox. It constantly talks about all kinds of ideas, but it also acts like a narrator for a movie. I see everything like a movie in my head. Memories, ideas, possible futures, it all runs by like a movie. However it only grabs one line of thought at a time for this movie, I have other thoughts, the parallels, running along, forwards, backwards, sideways. I can be totally focused and think that I'm only thinking of this thing and a problem that I was trying to solve will pop up with the solution, showing me that I've been thinking about that too. My mind is a bloody mess.

[kaycee]

Both for me too. I guess it depends on where I am or what I'm doing. My most memorable thoughts are when I'm in bed trying to sleep. Sometimes my mind wonders and I can't even imagine why I think the things I do. I'll go from one thing to another sometimes in a split second. It's usualy visual rather than words.

Then again, during the day, my thoughts are totally different.
Music in my head drives me nutso. Sometimes I can't stop it and I'll begin to sort of think up a 'movie' type thought to go with it.
Also at times. I'll think in my head just like you know, hmm how people do on TV. Only when they're 'thinking' they're saying it out loud. UGH..this is hard to explain.

[LycanSpectre]

Depends on the thought. I think in words and paralells most of the time. However, when I think about something so huge that it would take forever to develop using words (like a pictre, or scenario, or a quick action), then I think in ideas and images.

[Xzengrim]

I think in parallels... usually three of them, like I said. I used to think they were the Id, ego, and superego and that I could hear them. The most Id-like one is basically wolfen and howls or growls as often as it talks. The other two are more human. One is very impulsive and creative, and the other one contradicts just about everything it says. The result of the interaction between the three is usually my response to things.

The other problem (not that it's really a problem) that I have is that my thoughts go at a bout twenty billion miles an hour. I think there might be something wrong with my brain, because sometimes I think so fast that I just start pacing all day... unable to actually do anything because I have so many ideas about what to do. I wonder about people too. I'll be talking to someone, and by the time they're halfway through a sentance, I already know how it's going to end and now I'm bored. So I start wondering where this person came from today, and what I can see about their appearance that might give me clues about how they live, and why they're saying the things they are, and what do they really think about me, and what could compell them to lie about something like that. Can I trust them? What are the psychological motives behind their train of thought? How can I test them? What makes them do the things they do?

I think I'm a little schizo.. because I always have the feeling that people are watching me or looking over my shoulder. I used to worry about people reading my thoughts too... but I think I'm better about that now. I used to lose stuff, too, and then think that for some reason I had hidden it, like, inside the TV or something. So I ended up taking the appliances apart a couple times.

At any rate, I asked my brother, and he says he thinks in linear thoughts... and also that he has a color and taste associated with every possible thing he thinks of. Even things that shouldn't really have a taste. This makes sense to me, because he is extremely lazy and the only things he's really capable of are playing videogames and eating. It sounds mean, but it's true. Colors and tastes are important parts of his world.

[Ronin]

I think I'm a little schizo.. because I always have the feeling that people are watching me or looking over my shoulder. Yeah, I used to feel that way when I was younger. I didn't like walking through food courts because I felt like everyone was watching me or something. But now I just don't give a fuck and I stare just as hard back if I catch someone staring at me.

Anyway, I remembered how I think and it's definitely in images and visual cues. It's almost like I envision what I want to happen, or when I have an idea I see it playing out in my head first. But when I wrote my story *cough*http://www.werewolf.com/vb/showthread.php?t=352 5*cough (http://www.werewolf.com/vb/showthread.php?t=352 5*<i>cough</i>)*, it was a combination of visual and "text." But still more visual since I would see the story playing out in my head and then simply add the accompayning text to describe how I was seeing it play out.

~Ronin

[Hellcat]

It depends on what I'm thinking about, if I'm thinking about the things i have to do today, or what shopping I need the thoughts generally come as the voice in my head speaking. If there's something specific I have to do and I'm not sure of the outcome, the whole thought process is images, mostly abstract. If my brain isn't focused on doing something constructive, I seem to switch on to screen saver mode- this is when I my mind wonders of into fantasy land and thoughts are vivid images, and some of them can be a bit morbid- usually some kind of nasty scenario in which I have to get out of- this is when parrallel thought kicks in and I spew out several different images of how I might handle the situation I've given myself, then do a re-run on the best method. It's annoying when this happens because all of a sudden I'll feel like i'm being watched, and I am- the dog is staring at me as I wonder aimlessly around about the house, her eyes follow me around until I suddenly become aware that she is there, and at the same time I become aware that I've been pacing in an out of the kitchen for the last 10 minutes or so, during which time I've misplaced my lighter, my coffee has somehow moved from the kitchen into the living room and I don't remember picking it up, and I've put the biscuit wrapper in the sink instead of in the bin. Needless to say i usually feel a bit stupid when I wake up from these day dreams :D

[MoC]

I think on parallels.

When I'm talking to someone, what they say starts as the trunk of a tree, and a billion and two conversations spring forth like roots. What they might say, what I might... Until they say something I didn't expect, which starts the whole process over again.

Even when I'm just thinking, I have to think on parallels. I can't think of one thing at one time. I can be thinking of serial monogamy in English while I'm also thinking on the spread of HIV in Africa(In French). Both are related, so their paths cross, only to bounce on to other tangents.

- MoC