Do you think in words or pictures?

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Pictures for me in my thought process, but I can think OF words. Yeah, like what I'm doing now, when I'm replying.

Both, but primarily with words.

My ability to visualize is extremely sketchy.

I think in words, pictures, concepts, impressions, and music.

I think in words and pictures but mostly it's like a video and dependent on how much energy I put into my thoughts it may be that the video is in focus or not kind of like a picture.

Often I can be heard saying, I can see it, when I just can't seem to say it.
e.g. I can visualise a pen but can't think how to end the sentence, 'do you have a xxx'. This only happens when stressed, I tend to forget nouns when stressed.
Not sure if this is to do with my ADHD tendencies.

I think in images. I have words with the images, especially now that I am older, but if I cannot picture it, I cannot understand it usually and I tend to have odd mental connections in pictures. For example I saw someone who is on the spectrum drew a piece of a puzzle in deviant art, and called it "their puzzle piece" since all autistics are unique. Being an artist I was very intrigued by the idea and started wondering what my puzzle piece would look like well the image of puzzle and looking kinda meshed together and I ended up drawing this:

[img][800:768]http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/110/1/3/i_am_by_tempertempest-d62fc7v.jpg[/img]

I either think in words or...the actual CONCEPT of the thing. I don't often think in pictures, although sometimes when I'm reading or talking with someone I'll have a sudden picture pop in my head. Otherwise, it's either in actual words/sound of talking in my head, or it's neither a picture or a word. If someone says 'think of apple', I don't normally see a picture or the word...Instead, I think of what the apple is, etc.

I have to wonder about that as well, and if it's one reason why I have a hard time describing or putting verbally things into words. I get a concept or picture, all that information at once, and there's so much, that it's difficult to find all the different words, which takes time, to explain it. Then when I'm trying to explain it, I'm trying to think it, and my brain's going two ways at once, and I get stuck. Or I end up putting questions or explanations in a different syntax that ends up confusing the listener. I once had someone ask me, "Is English your second language?" "...No. I just suck at explaining things."

I get that, too! It's very frustrating.

me too!

I guess words with concepts and pictures.

This. I find that I think in connections and concepts most of the time, which I think is probably why I am able to work out an exam twice before most people in my classes can do it once.

I think in pictures/movies, shapes/patterns, words, and feelings. Not necessarily always in that exact order, but I'm understanding my way of thinking better, I think! Haha!
I MAY have Synesthesia, but am unsure about that. I can see lights in my visual field in response to thoughts or emotions, so I don't know for sure.....any takers on my "lights mystery"?

I have NLD and I have almost no visual recall. I think entirely in words. I can only get flashes of images of anything I want to see in my mind. I cannot see the details. It makes life exhausting for so many reasons.

Wow, I didn't even consider "thinking in concepts" and sensory thoughts. Thank you for all of the thoughtful responses! I have a lot to think about!

When I think in words, I think of it as fairly fast (although I suppose it's all relative), but actually speaking or writing those thoughts is a lot slower.

Neither.
I have a verbal stream of consciousness and some pictures, some concepts, but mostly in think in… I don’t know what to call it. “Chunking?” It’s more than an idiom. Sometimes a metaphore. Odd chunks of things that are too complicated to translate. What do you call things like “the last straw” – “a doubting Thomas” – “let them eat cake” – “cry wolf” – “something rotten in Denmark.” Stuff that has a long-winded story behind it, only mine are too frequent and too obscure. Just about everything I want to say is be packed with chunks of stuff that no one would have time for. So I keep it to myself.
I don’t know what “centrally plugged into” means, but at the same time it almost makes sense to me.
Wow, that one almost makes sense, too.
All at once, or “chunking?”

yes same ! !! And sometimes I start speaking super quickly because my mind is going too fast.