Maryellen MacDonald

And there's also really fascinating research studying patients who have strokes and other kinds of illnesses that keep them from being able to talk anymore, where scientists are trying to turn brain waves into a computer voice talking, where the patient's talking in their head.

And there's also really fascinating research studying patients who have strokes and other kinds of illnesses that keep them from being able to talk anymore, where scientists are trying to turn brain waves into a computer voice talking, where the patient's talking in their head.

drives the electrical signal connected to this computerized voice so that the person who can't physically talk themselves anymore can generate some messages. And there's no way that that's going to work unless there's some talking in your head that is driving that system.

drives the electrical signal connected to this computerized voice so that the person who can't physically talk themselves anymore can generate some messages. And there's no way that that's going to work unless there's some talking in your head that is driving that system.

drives the electrical signal connected to this computerized voice so that the person who can't physically talk themselves anymore can generate some messages. And there's no way that that's going to work unless there's some talking in your head that is driving that system.

Right. So I would say you've identified two out of the three kinds of levels of talking to yourself. There's the possibly fleeting one in your head. There's the talking out loud to yourself that, as you say, sounds more... important and maybe lasting. And the third one that researchers have identified is writing it down in a journal, in a letter to yourself, in a letter to somebody else.

Right. So I would say you've identified two out of the three kinds of levels of talking to yourself. There's the possibly fleeting one in your head. There's the talking out loud to yourself that, as you say, sounds more... important and maybe lasting. And the third one that researchers have identified is writing it down in a journal, in a letter to yourself, in a letter to somebody else.

Right. So I would say you've identified two out of the three kinds of levels of talking to yourself. There's the possibly fleeting one in your head. There's the talking out loud to yourself that, as you say, sounds more... important and maybe lasting. And the third one that researchers have identified is writing it down in a journal, in a letter to yourself, in a letter to somebody else.

The act of writing is slower, more deliberative, and has even more of this sticky, long-lasting feeling. You can probably make your even talking in your head feeling more like talking out loud by really concentrating on it and trying to do it strongly, in a way.

The act of writing is slower, more deliberative, and has even more of this sticky, long-lasting feeling. You can probably make your even talking in your head feeling more like talking out loud by really concentrating on it and trying to do it strongly, in a way.

The act of writing is slower, more deliberative, and has even more of this sticky, long-lasting feeling. You can probably make your even talking in your head feeling more like talking out loud by really concentrating on it and trying to do it strongly, in a way.

And in fact, in sports psychology, athletes are coached to talk to themselves, usually in their head, but out loud if they feel like it, to boost their attention, squeeze out more focus, more determination, better performance in whatever athletic endeavor they're doing.

And in fact, in sports psychology, athletes are coached to talk to themselves, usually in their head, but out loud if they feel like it, to boost their attention, squeeze out more focus, more determination, better performance in whatever athletic endeavor they're doing.

And in fact, in sports psychology, athletes are coached to talk to themselves, usually in their head, but out loud if they feel like it, to boost their attention, squeeze out more focus, more determination, better performance in whatever athletic endeavor they're doing.

And the coaching helps them take that fleeting thought and be more deliberative about what it is that they're saying to themselves, because they don't really have the opportunity to stop and write it down in the middle of whatever athletic thing they're doing.

And the coaching helps them take that fleeting thought and be more deliberative about what it is that they're saying to themselves, because they don't really have the opportunity to stop and write it down in the middle of whatever athletic thing they're doing.

And the coaching helps them take that fleeting thought and be more deliberative about what it is that they're saying to themselves, because they don't really have the opportunity to stop and write it down in the middle of whatever athletic thing they're doing.

Yeah, most people do. And little electrodes put on people's mouths while they're reading for most people show just slight activation of, for example, your lips or your tongue as you're reading, even though you're not a person who's reading out loud.

Yeah, most people do. And little electrodes put on people's mouths while they're reading for most people show just slight activation of, for example, your lips or your tongue as you're reading, even though you're not a person who's reading out loud.

Yeah, most people do. And little electrodes put on people's mouths while they're reading for most people show just slight activation of, for example, your lips or your tongue as you're reading, even though you're not a person who's reading out loud.