My regular thinking occurs when I'm listening to lectures, listening to people talk, radio and reading. When I'm at school listening to a professor talk I start to pick up on key words he/she's discussing and digest them into words I can better manipulate and regurgitate -forming new concepts of my own. When I'm really bored in class I start staring at people and think to myself ,  "I wonder if the teacher ever gave anal," "I wonder if that girl across the classroom ever did anal ... I bet she did," or stuff like , " geesh that kid has fucked up teeth, I wonder if he ever brushes them." Yes, those are all self discussions I have in my head when I'm thinking. On the radio, when I'm driving I always review commercials in my head. I would say stuff like, "boy, that was pretty clever I wonder how they ... etc" or " GOD FUCKING DAMMIT that commercial was so annoying. Why did they think that commercial would  appeal to ... etc". Get this, I do try to picture how radio show hosts look! Althugh it's not dominate, I do visually think. I'm not gonna claim my word thinking is absolutely dominant.

My hardcore "word" thinking occurs when I'm trying to solve problems. Mostly when I'm doing homework. I literally have to map out my word processes on a sheet of paper so I don't forget them. It's associated with figures and visuals, but for the most part my brain keeps asking questions (I form questions in my head a lot [scientific method is fascinating]) and finding solutions. I assess myself by giving myself feedback in the form of words.

When I'm playing games or watching television , just random thoughts like about graphics and dialog, accents, thinking through the plot etc run through my head ... and the occasional, "I wonder if she does anal?"

You don't udnerstand this? "Quite delightful to hear someone taking some notice of the welsh.  I've lived in North Wales all my life." lol no iechyd da is good health.

Yeah, your case is more like in the movies, lol. I just usually picture those things. Or I just know, for a lack of a better word. Just read one of my previous posts, I explained there.

Iechyd da to you then!

@bolded: lol I just saw your reply to moza - Is that what you thought it was like? XD

@second paragraph: You can't stop yourself from thinking of something. The more you try not to, the more you end up thinking of it. Are you telling me that not a single word popped into your head while thinking about tomorrow's breakfast? (lol starting to get hungry) - How about now after I've mentioned the idea of thoughts/images corresponding to words?

I agree with the last part, it is pretty hard to describe. It's even harder to know for sure since you can't control what you do and don't think about. It's practically impossible to observe/examine your own toughts since once you start trying to report your thought process to yourself, you auotomatically start producing false results because you immediately remember the thoughts regarding the the matter, leading you to think about things differently than you would otherwise

Troll whisperer.

I'm sure you're familiar with the scientific method. The steps involve a high level of cognitive skills that requires a lot of wording. Hypothesis, testings, results ... all things that you would need to formulate in words to share the results. All that visual theories, abstract thoughts need to be proven and broken down into words eventually.

While I respect those who are high visual learners, I believe it's in everyone's interest to formulate and improve  the way they think. It's the same reason graphs and figures are provided in various levels of school for people who are not that strong in that area of thinking.

You are a very clever poster, and I enjoy your ideas and opinions very much. I can only imagine how smart(er) you would be if you can hone your thinking abilities by ... well thinking out of the box. Just like I strive to improve on visual learning.

Best test is what is the word that comes out when a hot chick passes you in the street?
the language it's in is the one you're currently thinking in at the time. (spontaneous reaction)

I do that in 2 languages, same as swearing...

The language I used the most the last few hours, it is like speaking language X whole the time and then someone comes to you and speaks language Y and gives you a bit trouble to speak cause your brain needs to get used again to the other language...How older you get how harder it gets to switch from language to the other and how more time your brain gets used to it :).

No, I didn't think any word... When I'm reading what you say I just assimilate the info. Yes, the idea pops in my head, but I don't hear a word in my mind, besides the ones I'm reading. Maybe I imagine myself doing what you do as an example, but that's it.

I don't need to formulate words for that, I would just search for the answer in my mind. You're implying deaf-mute people (who were born that way) can't formulate, and we both know that's not true. Reasoning can be done otherwise.

Actually, a spoken language is a way to convey ideas, but it doesn't expand the number of possibilities, it actually limits them because they are confined in a spoken language. That's why some concepts are hard to describe and why a perfect translation between languages is impossible, something's gonna get lost. There's always that something that just can't be described because spoken/written language is limiting our brain.

Don't know, for me a concept is as good as 1,000 words, I just can't describe it any other way :-/