Elisabeth wrote a fabulous post about how her thoughts are formed by actually seeing words and text in her mind's eye. The script and style she sees are based on the person in question and the feelings expressed. What a fascinating way to think! I began pondering this in my own case, as my roommate once asked me a very similar question about how I think of time in a day or a year for example. She had a friend who put things in mental boxes to organize them. My initial analysis of my thoughts was that I see things in movie-like clips. If I think of a friend, I see her in a setting doing something, like talking on the phone or walking through city streets. Sometimes the image is quick and faded, and before I know it, has skipped to the next thought already. If I think of time, for example, that I have to meet someone at 15:10 under the Stockmann clock, I see the entrance of the store from an eagle-eye view with the black and white rotating clock above me as my friend walks toward me. But these moments of time don't seem to be arranged in any linear order, they just fade in and fade out impressionistically. I think. :)
But further wandering thoughts on the subject made me realize that the moving pictures are secondary to the dialogue involved. I think in terms of conversations, real or imaginary. How "I" relate to the "other" or "you" is through conversations that I have with myself, God or others in my mind. Often the conversation is born from writing someone a letter in my mind, making up stories, recalling things that have been said, or describing a scene I'm seeing. The images and feelings I get are then tied to these conversations. I have a verbal-visual memory, you could say. You could also say that my thoughts revolve around words, communicatively rather than textually. I'm sure I could extrapolate more, but it will take more time than I can give at the moment. It fascinates me to realize that we all have entirely different ways of thinking and sketching the world.
So what's yours?
6 comments:
I don't understand much at all until I see things visually. For example, I am convinced that if I ever get into an accident while driving, it will be the GPS that you can blaim. I don't get instructions in spoken words; rather, I have to see the map. At the same time, I imagine future through dialogue. Like, when I'm thinking about seeing you at 3.10 pm (so Finnish!) under the Stockmann clock, I'm already a step ahead imagining the words that we're about to say. But while words matter, I still see your smile clear as a picture.
I really meant to comment the 3.10 pm Stockmann meeting, which I find so curiously Finnish, but got carried away. I used to meet my friends at the Ateneum steps.
beautiful.
and you know what's interesting-
i can remember a time
when i thought primarily
in conversations,
imaginary,
like things that i wished
i would've said in the moment,
or things i hoped to say later.
and i didn't realize until
reading this
that i almost never do that
anymore.
also
i absolutely love your
mark twain headline.
My mind always makes up conversations, writes letters, sometimes songs...
But something similar to this - I see things in colors. Whatever word you say, it will bring a color to my mind. When I was younger I thought everyone had that... For example - weekdays. I always think of these colors when you say the word:
Monday - red
Tuesday - orange
Wednesday - baby pink
Thursday - brown
Friday - dark blue
Sat&Sun - white (Saturday more like ecrie, I guess)
Karoliina, i know what you mean about maps! It's much easier to see it! Hahaha, and yes, I also find it very "classic" to meet under STockmann's clock. Never used Ateneum as a stop, but occasionally the kivimiehet at the train station serve as a meeting place!
elisabeth, yes, Mr. Twain's words remind me of certain essences of life! I wonder what causes our ways of thinking to change. age maybe?
essy, wow! i never knew you think in colors! do you associate people's voices with colors? interesting choice of colors. are feelings associated with them?
When I think of the ones I know, I picture their faces with smiles on them - if I don't remember them smiling, I have a hard time remembering them at all - strange. ec
ec, yes strange. but a smile is a great way to remember anyone!
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