Identify the language in your head?

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an ASD question: Do you think in colours, words, symbols, pictures, ?
I'm wondering what various ways people see the thoughts in their own heads.

Hopefully this doesn't lead to the same result I got when asking a girl what language she spoke inside her head when thinking to herself: english or french. I think it led to the end of our fruendship, and she never actually answered me besides...

Why would someone be offended by that question?

It really depends. When I'm thinking in terms of logic or songs or things I want to say, my thought process is the same as if I'm actually saying it, only I don't make any noise. That way, I recognize myself as saying it without saying it, if that makes any sense.

If I'm trying to picture something (I'm drawing something, for example), then I rarely ever can actually see something, and I certainly can't hold it in my head for very long. Instead, I am merely aware of its presence and the various things about it. For example, if I'm thinking of a particular character, then I'll know how tall he is and how wide his shoulders are and whatnot. Not the actual measurements, but more roughtly where they'd go, only without the actual picture.

My mind's "pictures" are kind of like illustrated concepts or principles captioned with word-thought not actually scribed.

Sometimes it's just a concept, without words, I just "know" what I need to do or where I need to go, not *quite* a picture, but more that than words, and sometimes there's more language to it (and it can be any of the 3 languages I know, most often English, but not always...I wouldn't be offended if someone asked me that).

What I find weird is that sometimes when I'm trying to solve a problem I can be sitting there mulling it over, either with words or not, out of the blue my mind will just sort of 'snap shut" on the solution, almost so I can feel it. I've never heard anyone else describe that....anyone have anything like that happen?

~Kate

I tend to think in sensory imagery, such as pictures/movies, sounds, smells, taste and tactile sensations. With more abstract concepts, it's more of a combination of words both "written" and "spoken" often with some sensory imagery thrown in. In very rare cases, when I have no concept of something, I'm unable to relate to it in words or sensory imagery, so there's a blank often followed by a mild headache.

It's a combination of images and words, depending on the situation.

I know what you both mean, I have no 'verbal' internal monologue but sometimes what's needed is just 'there' somehow, whether it's a complex expression in a database or a simple solution to a common everyday practicality. Something in my head just goes "Do THIS THING, it'll all work out."

This, but more to me like a movie or something. Thoughts come to me like a movie. Even logical abstract thoughts are very movie shape.

I actually asked a uh...adult worker french canadian worker which language she uhh...yea in lol

she said french.

Cool question!

Personally I think mostly in words & pictures, it depends on what I'm thinking about. If I'm trying to think about an event, where I need to go, how something works, and things of that nature, I tend to visualize. If I'm thinking about things I need to do, or reflecting on my own thoughts/feelings, I have a strong tendency toward words. When I'm thinking about something very deeply, to the point where I'm in a trance, I will at times think symbolically. The symbols are mostly visual and make sense to me when I experience them in thought, but are totally idiosyncratic and if I were to try explaining them, they would make no sense. Usually such symbols have some emotional significance.

How about you, OddFiction?

I process my thoughts like a narrator of my own internal movie theater.


Like with subtitles on foreign films. I must process each and every word fully in my mind (hence being visual and verbal)..........bloody exhausting if struggling with lots of issues. Consequently mini- meltdowns are common for me........then my internal movie-theatre has to close for a while.

I do a lot of script taking, and role-playing in my internal movie theatre, always re-playing old movies (interations and conversations with people) and working out new scenarios in future meetings........often there is great comedy and homour in these 'little fantacy' films in my head.

Ooh, I've just realised that when I think in song, the association is usually instant, and not subject to the usual slight delay with putting thoughts into words. It's like the song phrases are closely linked to a particular concept, and the words are more general, which makes sense.

As for language, English, with options on older forms of English and the grammar of other languages.

I don't think I have a language in my head. I don't think in words...probably why it was so hard to learn to speak.

I think in colours, images, words and emotions.