Why are voices in your head okay

Almost everyone catches themselves for this oddity from time to time. “So, it’s time to go home”, “We need to go for a snack”, “Where did the pencil go? I was just here!”,“How tired of everything!” - suddenly tells us a voice in my head. Although, it seems, he could have done without comments: why duplicate in words what you are already aware of?

Okay, the inner monologue is more or less understandable. However, it often happens that an internal “conversation with an intelligent person” develops into an external one: without noticing it, you suddenly start talking to yourself out loud, frightening others. “Quite wild, talking to himself,” - think or even openly tease colleagues and friends. "Maybe I'm losing my mind and this is some kind of mental disorder ?!" - without any jokes, your own voice in your head is frightened.

Stop. Don't be scared.

Life hacker found out why such monologues are absolutely normal and even useful.

Everyone has a voice in their heads

Do you know that it is impossible to read a text without saying it to yourself? If you don't believe me, try it. No matter how hard you try, the words you read will still be duplicated by a “voice in your head”. This is called subvocalization.

The reason is that visual and audio information is processed by the same parts of the brain. And they also take an active part in the thought process. When we see a written word, the brain reacts to it in the same way as if we heard it. This leads to the appearance of an inner voice reading the text. When we think, the situation repeats: our thoughts are automatically formed into an internal monologue, since the same neurons are involved in both processes.

Subvocalization is generally a very interesting phenomenon, which allows scientists to assume that it was speech that played an important role in the evolution of man to Homo sapiens: the more words our ancestors knew, the deeper their thought process was and the greater the need to create new words to expand the inner monologue. But now we are not talking about that.

The inner voice is inherent in every person and is so strong that on its basis researchers from the University of California at Berkeley are trying to create a medical prosthesis that would allow paralyzed people or those in a coma to "speak".

So talking to yourself is completely normal. They can be suppressed for a while - for example, speed reading enthusiasts recommend chewing gum or humming under their breath for this. But it will not be possible to completely get rid of the inner voice. Framed and clear phrases like "Should I go for a bun?" from time to time they will sound like this in your head.

Well, a bonus. Internal speech, be it reading or thinking, is usually accompanied by articulation: we barely noticeably move our lips and tongue, repeating words. In most cases, people at the same time "keep their mouths shut", limiting themselves to a mental monologue. But when self-control weakens for some reason (you are tired, confused, there are too many distractions around), the monologue starts to sound out loud.

And it turns out it's even useful!

Why talk to yourself

An inner voice speaking loudly is a convenient help in everyday life. Here are just a few ways to use it in practice.

1. It helps in the search

"Where are the keys?" - you are trying to remember out loud, and you are doing the right thing. American psychologists Gary Lupyan and Daniel Swingley, in an article for the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, called such phrases "self-directed speech." The essence of the phenomenon discovered by scientists is simple: when we utter a separate word or concept, the brain focuses on the thing that it means, clearly and distinctly represents it, and this makes it easier for us to visually search for the desired object.

So wander around in a supermarket window, muttering to himself, "Milk, milk, where is the milk?" or ask "Where did my phone go?" is a surefire way to find what you are looking for faster.

2. It helps to focus on what is important

Around us is full of information noise that scatters attention, not allowing us to focus on one thing. Unconscious speaking helps the brain to prioritize. You probably noticed: if it is noisy around, and you are trying to read, for example, an important business letter, it is easier for you to do this by moving your lips and even reading the text in a half whisper. This is it: subvocalization, which is necessary for the brain to concentrate on the most urgent task.

3. It improves memory

The best way to memorize text information is to read it aloud. That is why, in order to learn poetry, we recite them, and we repeat foreign words. Talking to ourselves, yeah

4. This allows you to regain self-control

Saying to yourself “Quiet. Calm down”, you can quickly and effectively pull yourself together. In the article “Talking to Oneself Is a Sign of Sanity,” American psychologist Linda Sapadin argues that our inner voice helps us to control our emotions. He plays the role of "adult" in the psychological triad "child-parent-adult", on which human behavior is largely based. And this "adult" can calm, support, motivate to achieve goals.

5. It boosts self-esteem

Self-talk is a good way to minimize psychological losses from external criticism. Remember the widespread mental "Fool himself" in response to someone's reproach - this is it. In addition, the inner voice can and praise. We rarely hear praise from others in adult life, and the internal "Well, what a fine fellow I am!", "Good job!" or, for example, "I look brilliant today!" make up for the lack of approval so necessary to maintain healthy self-esteem.

So, if you suddenly hear the inner "I", do not shut it up. It spoke to make your life easier. Keep up the conversation better.