I'm curious: What does your "inner voice" sound like, to you?

[MTL]

Everyone will think I am crazy for asking this, probably,

but for many years it has occurred to me that when I make the conscious effort to "hear" a specific phrase,
in my mind, in my own mental voice, it is difficult.

I don't have any difficulty actually speaking, or responding quickly in a debate, moment-by-moment;

and it is not a struggle to know what it is I WANT to say;
the spontaneous composition of the thought is not the challenging part,

it is only when I specifically attempt the clear "mental vocalization" of that thought,
that it becomes difficult....like mentally rehearsing a speech you must give;
and saying it aloud is easier....like cheating.
It requires less effort.

The closest I cold come to describing it,
would be to say that it was like hearing a very weak radio signal of a talk show;
I'll hear parts of it clearly, but then the end of the sentence will fade out and be indistinct;

Strange to say, remembering someone else's voice, is not difficult at all.
and I can recall hearing my own ACTUAL voice saying things,

but my own "mental voice" is like a dream...I seem to have difficulty asserting my will to make it speak clearly.

I am willing to consider several possibilities:

1.  This is quite normal and many people will know what I'm talking about.

2.  It is a matter of mental discipline and concentration...possibly related to my tendency towards ADHD

...no doubt that some people will wonder what is wrong with me,
since they have no difficulty, "hearing" their thoughts in coherent sentence, in their heads, at will;

....and then  in other people, it may even be more pronounced,
and akin to reading silently but needing to move your lips...which I do not need to do.

3.  I would be interested to discover what a neurologist might say about it,
and if people with depression or migraines...both of which I suffer severely with,
are more prone to this issue.

4.  I'm sure it's exacerbated by stress and bad nerves

Does anyone know what I'm talking about??

[Reforged]

I have several. They argue constantly.
Am I joking? Thats still under discussion.

[Foxaèr]

My inner voice is non-stop. I suppose it has to do with me being more of an introvert than an extrovert. I understand my silent self better than anyone else for a reason.

[Angrboda]

I don't 'hear' my own internal voice. The words and sentences just pop into mind, without sound except a vague breathing overtone. Sentences bubble up from my subconscious fully formed. I hear something of an 'echo' of the words, but not the actual words themselves. What you describe sounds familiar.

[MTL]

I don't 'hear' my own internal voice.  The words and sentences just pop into mind, without sound except a vague breathing overtone.  Sentences bubble up from my subconscious fully formed.   I hear something of an 'echo' of the words, but not the actual words themselves.  What you describe sounds familiar.

What you describe is how I would say I THINK.

It is the same with reading words:  my eyes fall on a word and I can't help but read it.

but the words don't have a "sound" in my head unless I consciously try to give them one.

I read your post, for example, and understood it, very quickly;

but I would ask you to now go back, re-read your own post, mentally, to yourself,
but imagine your own voice enunciating the words,
and see if you "hear" it as clearly, or if it takes more effort, than mere reading and comprehension of words.

(You don't have to actually do this, obviously...I'm simply trying to illustrate the distinction of what I mean between the THOUGHT, versus the "mental vocalization" of that same thought).

[Thumpalumpacus]

My inner voice sounds like me, just a bit slower ... unless I'm upset, in which case the tumble becomes a useless waterfall.

[Foxaèr]

I just made a new discovery regarding my inner voice. My tongue moves within my closed mouth, which probably makes the inner voice stronger.

[MTL]

My inner voice sounds like me, just a bit slower ... unless I'm upset, in which case the tumble becomes a useless waterfall.

That's closer to what I'm talking about.

That's what I meant by it sounding like a very distant, weak radio signal that fades in and out.

[Whateverist]

Does anyone know what I'm talking about??

Yes and no.  I find it very easy to put a voice to a proposition mentally, but I spend my effort refraining from doing so.  I like my mental space quiet.  Doesn't mean I always succeed but when I notice I'm narrating for just myself I can usually switch to wordless mode pretty easily.

When I deliberately do it, my mental voice is my speaking voice.  But when I realize something without consciously choosing the phrasing, the voice can vary.  The most common 'other' voice is that of Loren Greene (the Ponderosa dad) who used to do a lot of voice overs for documentaries.

As for my preferences, I don't at all mind receiving 'voiced' realizations which I haven't consciously composed.  Kind of enjoy those actually.  But I like to think that language is for interpersonal communication, not the intrapersonal variety.  I find I write better when I stick to narration-less thinking.  Then the language just fits itself to what I'm realizing, as I realize it.

[Angrboda]

I read your post, for example, and understood it, very quickly;

but I would ask you to now go back, re-read your own post, mentally, to yourself,
but imagine your own voice enunciating the words,
and see if you "hear" it as clearly, or if it takes more effort, than mere reading and comprehension of words.

(You don't have to actually do this, obviously...I'm simply trying to illustrate the distinction of what I mean between the THOUGHT, versus the "mental vocalization" of that same thought).

No, it takes effort to hear it. It's so unfamiliar it doesn't come out as my voice but as I hear myself when I am speaking, which is different than how my voice sounds to others. I'm trying to "vocalize" the words in my mind, but it's difficult. It's easier if I do it in a goofy voice; someone else's voice. Right now, all my thoughts are vocalizing as the Charlie-In-The-Box from the island of misfit toys.