Dannydugster Posted July 10, 2016 Posted July 10, 2016 Is having imaginary conversations with real people in your mind normal? Today I thought about talking to someone, next thing I know I had had a full conversation with them in my mind. I realized what I was doing and thought it would be a good thing to ask a psychologist, next thing I had several lines of dialogue running with this constructed shrink inside my head. When I realized that, I laughed and thought about telling my brother with brought me into mental concord with him as well. I have done this sort of thing throughout my life, when I wanted to do something big, like start a club, I would imagine doing it, but never actually do it. This has happened many times over many different things, social situations mostly, but I have had fantasies of getting a certain career or moving somewhere. I'm just curious if this is a common phenomenon and if it is a good or bad thing,something to fight or something to cleave to, or something to question. I'm not sure if this is the right place for such questions, if they are at all relevant to anyone, if I should go somewhere else, or if it is just too ridiculous to even comment on, but I do hope for good feedback, I'm curious to see what you think.
dsayers Posted July 10, 2016 Posted July 10, 2016 As long as you know the difference between reality and fantasy, I don't see how anything that goes on in your mind can be inherently bad. Whether your mind is exploring different outcomes or just amusing itself, it sounds like it wouldn't be a waste of your time. The human imagination is why we've come as far as we have.
neeeel Posted July 10, 2016 Posted July 10, 2016 I would imagine everyone does this. I dont see how they dont. You carry the people you know, or who are important to you, around with you , in your head. In fact, you only relate to the people you carry around in your head, and not to the actual real people. But thats another thing. so yes, I often have conversations with people in my head, my therapist, my parents, my friends, Why would you fight it? Thats like fighting breathing. You can be aware of it, and acknowledge it, and let it be without attributing significance to it, if thats what you want.
Kevin Beal Posted July 10, 2016 Posted July 10, 2016 It happens every day to me, probably. The two most common scenarios are teaching something new I've been learning, and getting into arguments with irrational people. Visualization is an exercise people do on purpose to be more effective people. As I understand it, the brain treats it much like it would treat the real thing. Habits and experience are affected. 1
dsayers Posted July 10, 2016 Posted July 10, 2016 arguments with irrational people. Visualization is an exercise people do on purpose to be more effective people. As I understand it, the brain treats it much like it would treat the real thing. Habits and experience are affected. To add to this if I may: By visualizing arguments with irrational people, I get the benefits of protecting myself from their manipulation attempts without the nasty side effect of "wasting my time" actually talking with them directly. In my experience, it has lasting effects also. I remember when I first started thinking rationally, pursuing self-knowledge, and pushing back internally, a manipulator's attempts would weigh on me all day long. It really bothered me because it felt as if they had "succeeded" in their attempt by literally taking my day away from me. However, as I embraced these internal dialogues, the amount of time I spent on these attempts shored up really quickly. Now, the worst of times maybe gets about a half hour of my divided attention before I consider it processed. It also helps to have a support network you can share these dialogues with. To not only hone your own capabilities and build a bond with that person, but also to help not internalize it or dwell on it longer than is beneficial.
AccuTron Posted July 10, 2016 Posted July 10, 2016 ... Visualization is an exercise people do on purpose to be more effective people. As I understand it, the brain treats it much like it would treat the real thing.... This reminds me of something which at first seems off topic but maybe isn't. I read this years ago in Science News. A doctor someplace, maybe in the VA, had a patient with an apparently common problem. He had one lower leg amputated, and the remaining end of the leg plagued him with itching. Apparently nobody knew an effectively treatment. The solution was remarkably simple and effective: a mirror. I don't know how the doctor found out, somebody had to be the first to discover it. The patient sat upright and stood a big enough mirror between his legs, propped against the shortened leg, so that when he looked at it, he saw the reflected image of his intact leg. He then mentally ordered both of his legs to raise the lower leg. The shortened leg of course could not do so, but apparently the visual system of his brain saw the image of the other leg doing so, was fooled into thinking it was the missing leg moving, and this provided a neuro-confirmation that the order to raise the lower leg had indeed been carried out on both legs. This reduced and I think eliminated the itch in quick order. Apparently, part of the brain was waiting for confirmation that the order to move had been executed, sent back from the actual leg. I'm reminded of internet signals, where a packet goes one way, but a confirmation signal goes back the other way, to confirm the packet was intact. No confirmation, and the system has a problem. Apparently in the human brain, redundant confirmation is achieved by both kinesthetic and visual means, and only one working system may still give sufficient feedback. Without feedback, I guess the itch was the brain's inner modem repeatedly sending signals to the leg, or just a false sensation inside the brain because some neuro-chemical wasn't dissipating. This makes me wonder what else can be going on in our brains when we talk to ourselves. Probably a lot. 1
Wuzzums Posted July 10, 2016 Posted July 10, 2016 I'm told in your old age this habit will evolve into you having these conversations out loud. It's not pathological but when it will happen to me I'll make sure I'll have a webcam running and just say to people I'm vlog-ing. 1
Dannydugster Posted July 11, 2016 Author Posted July 11, 2016 It also helps to have a support network you can share these dialogues with. To not only hone your own capabilities and build a bond with that person, but also to help not internalize it or dwell on it longer than is beneficial.
Dannydugster Posted July 11, 2016 Author Posted July 11, 2016 It also helps to have a support network you can share these dialogues with. To not only hone your own capabilities and build a bond with that person, but also to help not internalize it or dwell on it longer than is beneficial.
Dannydugster Posted July 11, 2016 Author Posted July 11, 2016 Wait actually talk to people about my conversation s with them in my head?
dsayers Posted July 11, 2016 Posted July 11, 2016 Wait actually talk to people about my conversation s with them in my head? Sorry if what I was saying was ambiguous. I was talking about using an internal conversation to process a manipulator's attempt to manipulate you, and then sharing it with part of your support network. Somebody who is trying to manipulate you should be a separate set of people from those who are your support network.
DaVinci Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 I do this too. My major concern is that having conversations with someone in my head is me reliving some kind of trauma, or beating myself up in the absence of that person because I'm so accustomed to it. I've had to learn when the conversation is about me learning something, finding some insight into a relationship, or preparing for when I actually have to talk with someone who could be antagonistic towards me, and when I'm just being mean to myself.
thebeardslastcall Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 Everyone laughed at my joke. I was amused, but shame they never got to hear it.
AccuTron Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 I'm told in your old age this habit will evolve into you having these conversations out loud. It's not pathological but when it will happen to me I'll make sure I'll have a webcam running and just say to people I'm vlog-ing. Maybe sound cancelling gear, like some headphones do, will match the spoken voice and they/we will be perceived as just moving our lips.
Hannibal Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 Is having imaginary conversations with real people in your mind normal? Today I thought about talking to someone, next thing I know I had had a full conversation with them in my mind. I realized what I was doing and thought it would be a good thing to ask a psychologist, next thing I had several lines of dialogue running with this constructed shrink inside my head. When I realized that, I laughed and thought about telling my brother with brought me into mental concord with him as well. I have done this sort of thing throughout my life, when I wanted to do something big, like start a club, I would imagine doing it, but never actually do it. This has happened many times over many different things, social situations mostly, but I have had fantasies of getting a certain career or moving somewhere. I'm just curious if this is a common phenomenon and if it is a good or bad thing,something to fight or something to cleave to, or something to question. I'm not sure if this is the right place for such questions, if they are at all relevant to anyone, if I should go somewhere else, or if it is just too ridiculous to even comment on, but I do hope for good feedback, I'm curious to see what you think. Is this largely what people refer to when they talk about "building castles in the sky?". It's normal. Just don't lose yourself like DiCaprio's wife in 'Inception'!
MysterionMuffles Posted July 13, 2016 Posted July 13, 2016 What do you think authors of fiction are basically doing? But on paper. It's normal. Just don't lose yourself like DiCaprio's wife in 'Inception'! "Mal, goddamnit, don't do this! JAMES...and Phillipa are waiting for us!"
Toys4 Posted July 15, 2016 Posted July 15, 2016 I do this a lot to. Sometimes its not actual conversations but its like a release or a relief to vocalize what's on my mind mostly lingering frustrations in my mind. With me its because I don't open up a lot to people and I have very few people in my personal life that I connect well with. Sometimes I have these in mind conversations, they more tend to just come out when I'm at home, because that's were I feel the most comfortable.
jamcity Posted July 25, 2016 Posted July 25, 2016 Think about what you are thinking while you are thinking. It just sounds like you are beginning to think beyond stage one, using perspective even, this is your brain on reason.Still I think we need more information. The original post was not all that clear. Who was the person you were going to talk to. Anyone who has stressed about calling/texting/w/e a date has run through these what-if scenarios. It feels like the same anxiety before speaking in public. I am sure that stress was relevant to what happened as I am sure you have a fine imagination so this doesn't feel like deliberate day dreaming/idle entertainment.When I saw Self-Talk two definitions came into my mind so I need you to clarify this for me.Self-talk has been talked about in FDR I'm pretty sure, this article covers that concept of the power of positive thinking: http://www.dangerandplay.com/2014/05/18/frame-control-how-to-turn-your-problems-into-power/The other case I'm thinking about is when imagine someone we are missing. If it is a psychotic episode due to grievance I have no idea, am interested, but can't offer any help. That is a very different case than a mental exercise testing your knowledge- which to me feels the same as running math problems in my head.
Recommended Posts