How do you think?

Last night on the phone, I got into a discussion on how I think. I'm aware that I don't always think in words, that I'm just as likely to think in other modes such as music, visual imagry, intuitive and empathic sensing, emotive, etc. I tried to explain things and got frustrated by inadequate language to describe it. I used the term different focuses to access different modes of thinking.

Well, this morning, I was processing the phone conversation and I started to focus on this issue of thinking. And I made a discovery. I don't switch modes, but rather I am thinking in all the modes simultaneously. I simply don't notice because it comes naturally. I really do switch focus to pay attention to different modes. Furthermore, in those different modes, I will be thinking of different things!

I suspect that I am far from unique in this; but that most people think this way; at the very least global thinkers.

So, how do you think?

Well, everyone being burnt out from work could explain why no one felt up to exploring something so deep..... Perhaps an example would help.

While I was making breakfast this morning, for awhile, all I was focusing on was the task, no words needed. At some point during this, I became aware of a tune playing in my head and also started thinking in words of another topic altogether. But, my attention to the task at hand never waned. As always, in the background, I was aware of the emotions of others and all environmental cues I was picking up, both internal and external.

Gosh MC, I just don't think I have anything to add to this because you pretty much summed it up for me. Sometimes it scares me, how many different "thought processes" I have going on at the same time.

I use quotes around that because some of it, as you point out, isn't really a process of thought as much as it is a constant state of activity--images, scenarios, memories, speculation, "voices", etc. In fact, I think my dreams are probably LESS active than my average hour's worth of conscious/subconscious/unconscious thought.

It's actually a bit exhausting considering this question.

Ditto for me, Mel. I always think like this. I used to think that everyone did so but then discovered that wasn't the case. I figured I was at a distinct advantage and let it go at that. Of course when I'm not very alert, all bets are off!

So, might this be an hsp trait, or an INF trait? If everyone doesn't think like this, then why do we? hmmmmm

Yep, I think like this too.

oh to have someone articulate this makes it easier for me to now see how I think.......pretty much how you described it melodi |I think ......but then edie what you have said about hearing the words blnk slate makes sense to......It appears I am a complicated thinker and which is probably why I cannot articulate this...........it is just to much and overwhelms me so best just to do and be it............

Reading and speaking access the same modes of thinking; verbal. I find that I too can't do two thoughts of the same mode at the same time; they must be of separate modes.

Information coming to me in the same mode from more than one source just creates cacaphony; things don't register for me either.

I like the way you describe thinking in images; that is how it is for me too.

I'm contemplating this. If someone is talking to me, or if I am on the phone at the same time I am doing something else, it's pretty much a lost cause. I either make dumb mistakes in my work, or I miss details of what the person is saying. On the other hand it is very easy for me to maintain multiple IM conversations while doing more than one task at a time if it is all in writing, or nonverbal. I can switch quickly and easily between unrelated tasks and written conversations and 99% percent of the time I don't get details of one conversation mixed up with those of the others. By the same token I am able to keep up with a lot of details of individuals I read posts from online, and seldom get them mixed up with other persons. But everything is remembered as images. Words don't stick in my head very well. I have read that global thinkers don't tend to handle detail well. Maybe I don't know what they mean by the term 'detail'.

Being a global thinker can also be a disadvantage sometimes. When I am learning something new, I'm the type that needs to have a grasp of the whole system before I feel like I can accomplish anything with it. In the mean time I feel like I just look stupid, and ask questions that everyone else seems to just get on their own, but at some point, something clicks inside, and then I am running circles around everyone else. It can be annoying when I am given a task to do some module of a project, but they don't want to explain how this module fits into the whole. It is hard for me to just go do what I am told when I don't understand the why of what I am doing.

I think my thinking may have many things in common with edie's. The part about the blank slate. I call this my imagination, but to me its more like the hollow deck on 'Star Trek the Next Generation". It's spherical, in shape and huge inside, and I can create almost anything in there. I use that space when I do mind touch. When I am connected to another's soul, I create the feel of being hugged while I am connected empathically, and often the other person will co-experience the feel of the hug. I have other kindred friends who have used this technique with me also when I am feeling down, so I know it's nothing totally unique to me.

And alethia, I think the only reason I can describe how I think is because I have read many people's theories on how the mind thinks, and thus I primed my picture writing pump to draw out descriptions of how mine functions. Also I used to have a theory of sorts that if I could describe myself in a manner that would make me make sense to others, then they would accept me as is. I learned latter that this theory had a fallacy, but it was part of what motivated me to come up with descriptions for how things functioned inside.

Something about my thinking that I haven't found anyone who also experiences, except on a forum for Autistic persons, and one kindred friend who recently received an HFA diagnosis. I experience what seems to be my left brain and right brain functionality separately. Each kind of functions like a sub personality of sorts. The part that seems to have functionality of what is described as right brain, is very very very emotionally sensitive, and intuitive, and nonverbal. The other 'me' is verbal, and logical and finds it easier to think linearly. And the left brain me is the protector of the right brain me. I think it's more the part that shows on the outside. When people interface with me IRL, they meet my left, and when people communicate with me via written posts, and IM they meet a combination of both sides. There can be, and often is inner dialogue between these two. One asks a question verbally, and the other responds in image, or inner knowing. Left might say, "Did I turn off the stove?" and right responds with a mental image of my hand on the knob. Other times the right will ask, and the left replies in words, often speaking the response out loud, which can be embarrassing when I discover someone else is in earshot. Right brain me, has amazing, to me, access to many things, that I don't use enough I guess. Like left brain me might ask, "Where is he going?" and right brain returns a mental image of the car is looking for, or some other mental image it saw in his mind. Eeeek.

After I saw the movie Gladiator the first time, I saw it on the tube, I was deeply touched emotionally, and after it ended I ran into the kitchen because I was so emotionally overwhelmed that I needed to cry intensely. And while I was standing there crying my eyes out, the other me said, "You cannot do this here. What will you do if someone walks in on you? How will you ever explain it? Go to the bathroom and lock the door and wash your face. You can't act this way in public." I think my left brain picks up the admonitions that come from my wife and other sources, and uses them on me before they get a chance to. Things like, "Don't hold your hands that way, it makes you look effeminate", or most men act this way statements.

It was intersting to read through your post and many apsects about writing, tasking connected with me big time.........I have done a great deal of work on my left/right brain through kinieslogy so it makes much sense to me in this moment why I have tapped into areas that were simply out of reach to me...........oh and the intense crying I relate to that one especially of late where I had to feel deeply over certain healing apsects I chose to address....although I notice lately it is easier for me to let go in joyous moments in front of others but painful ones need space alone...........but thankfully the joy outweighs those at present....I tend not to think about what flows from me and simply put it out there.........but then there is another element flowing through me at present and that connects to standing in ones truth........so I guess bridging intentions with your natural capabilities can allow one to branch out to find new spaces............geez I am feeling that this left/right brain work has brought me home.......home into myself more so than I would have ever thought possible.........

Alethia wrote:It was intersting to read through your post and many apsects about writing, tasking connected with me big time.........I have done a great deal of work on my left/right brain through kinieslogy so it makes much sense to me in this moment why I have tapped into areas that were simply out of reach to me...........oh and the intense crying I relate to that one especially of late where I had to feel deeply over certain healing apsects I chose to address....although I notice lately it is easier for me to let go in joyous moments in front of others but painful ones need space alone...........but thankfully the joy outweighs those at present....I tend not to think about what flows from me and simply put it out there.........but then there is another element flowing through me at present and that connects to standing in ones truth........so I guess bridging intentions with your natural capabilities can allow one to branch out to find new spaces............geez I am feeling that this left/right brain work has brought me home.......home into myself more so than I would have ever thought possible.........

Ummm, do you mean kinesiology? Do you mind sharing what your resource is for this study you speak of? All my guessing has just been from self observation.

another typo.......ooops I really need to put into action others kind suggestions....I am working on that one...........Yes
"kinesiology" thats how you spell it and I should know that by now after all these years of engaging in it.....anyway I know that you are off to a wonderful concert so I will do this another time......when time is on my side...I hope you enjoy the concert tonight or I should be saying last night....

bwill, i wholely apeciate you description. mostly in part about around public. nice to hear that you and others have in mind the same i do about what is expected and how we realy feal and would act. though a dude your expected not i understand, though for some reason a girl i get treated the same. and girls are suposto have free raign on that"emotional" by steriotypical standards.i dont know why but seem to be treated more like a dude which dont mind, till i have a breake down and still got treated like a dude.
coincidently you talk of right and left brain and yesterday i too a play test on face book according to that im mostly left. now curious im going to see if there is a real test.
in describing i feal ya there too i have hard times with describing and has been learned and programed in to try to describe in a way "they" will understand but at most attemps its futile. the best thing i found out of everything i tryed to descripe, what works is how i see things. i tell them with an artistic eye i see everything in chapes and colors and more indepth details. seems to work but others subjects i come up short. lol

I wanted to add this because it is important to me, and I think it is common for INFP. The left brain tries to change me before others can say it because criticism tends to feel like rejection, and INFP can be hypersensitive feeling rejected.

bwill wrote:I wanted to add this because it is important to me, and I think it is common for INFP. The left brain tries to change me before others can say it because criticism tends to feel like rejection, and INFP can be hypersensitive feeling rejected.

Ohhh Amen to that! Decsribes me perfectly.

http://www.web-us.com/BRAIN/braindominance.htm




You responded as a right brained person to 12 questions, and you responded as a left brained person to 6questions. According to the Hemispheric Dominance test, you use your right brain the most. The summary briefly describes your dominance type. Remember, this only represents half of the picture. After you read the description, click on the link at the bottom of the page to find out how to use this information to improve your study strategies. Do not forget to print your results, if your instructor has requested you to do so
Type of Cognitive Processing
Brief Description

Holisitc Processing information from whole to part; sees the big picture first, not the details.
Random Processing information with out priority, jumps form one task to another.
Concrete Processes things that can be seen , or touched - real objects.
Intuitive Processes information based on whether or not it feels right know answer but not sure how it was derived.
Nonverbal Processes thought as illustrations.
Fantasy-Oriented Processes information with creativity; less focus on rules and regulations

not finding its entirely acurate but fun to try though

http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm

Thank you for taking the Creativity Test. The results show your brain dominance as being:


Left Brain Right Brain
33% 67%



You are more right-brained than left-brained. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. In addition to being known as right-brained, you are also known as a creative thinker who uses feeling and intuition to gather information. You retain this information through the use of images and patterns. You are able to visualize the "whole" picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the "whole" picture. Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering. The problem-solving techniques that you use involve free association, which is often very innovative and creative. The routes taken to arrive at your conclusions are completely opposite to what a left-brained person would be accustomed. You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music. Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist.


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Your left brain/right brain percentage was calculated by combining the individual scores of each half's sub-categories. They are as follows:

Your Left Brain Percentages

37% Linear (Your most dominant characteristic)
25% Logical
18% Sequential
7% Verbal
0% Symbolic
0% Reality-based (Your least dominant characteristic)


Your Right Brain Percentages

48% Fantasy-oriented (Your most dominant characteristic)
46% Concrete
34% Intuitive
32% Nonverbal
18% Holistic
17% Random (Your least dominant characteristic)

http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm

Your left brain/right brain percentage was calculated by combining the individual scores of each half's sub-categories. They are as follows:

Your Left Brain Percentages

43% Linear (Your most dominant characteristic)
34% Logical
31% Sequential
25% Symbolic
20% Verbal
20% Reality-based (Your least dominant characteristic)


Your Right Brain Percentages

53% Intuitive (Your most dominant characteristic)
32% Nonverbal
29% Fantasy-oriented
28% Concrete
24% Holistic
17% Random (

Hmmm. . . this test just didn't jive with me at all for some reason. Pretty much everything in my analysis was either contradictory between the left and the right or way, way off.

I've been looking for this thread for months....for those who are interested in this topic, here it is!

My primary thought is in abstract symbolic symbols which roughly equate to concepts. Interpretation into sensory or language format is a separate translation process that happens afterwards only when required. My senses provide both the raw sensory experience and the symbolic form.

Thinking is a process of combining these abstract forms in various ways to create new symbolic forms. While some brain functions calculate, most are in fact some form of pattern matching process.

For most things, the thinking process yields new symbolic information in a fairly consistent manner. However, the various processing centers often process information (symbols) not really meant for it. The unanticipatable results often are often gibberish but occasionally very creative.

Note that strictly speaking, memory storage and retrieval is a separate process from thinking.

My mind has a creative connection mode combining thinking and memory retrieval. It ‘tosses’ what is on the surface (usually something recent) into the storehouses of memory to see what connections ‘stick’. I can also hold a particular thought as the kernel for this process. This process is less random than it seems often yielding unexpected connections.

FYI: i am an INTx

Simple..I don't

I did the test yesterday... again... i'm almost 50/50 now, whereas before i was around 60/40 or 40/60... weird.

tezorian wrote:I did the test yesterday... again... i'm almost 50/50 now, whereas before i was around 60/40 or 40/60... weird.

What test was that Tez? This thread is different....the one I tried to find for us while in chat months ago. Read the OP.