Getting rid of subvocalization?

[mdlm]

How do I get rid of the voice in my head that is constantly talking?

It makes it difficult to sleep, to pay attention to other people, to concentrate, to read a book, etc.

[Foggy]

Is it even possible to have thoughts without sub vocalizing? I was actually wondering about this recently too because I sub vocalize everything.

[Iggy K]

I sometimes just have thoughts/images running through my mind then they form a conclusion about something themselfes,so no sub vocalisation

[Talkofthatown919]

You have to learn to control it or be controlled by it. Start reading or researching about ways to. That will help trust me. Learn about self control

[Dreamline]

It would be easier to just change the messages it gives than to shut if off.....

Jennifer

[Ekb]

Intensive exercise - until you only hear pain.

[Steve Pavlina]

This has a lot to do with your physiology.

When I did polyphasic sleep for 5-1/2 months, subvocalization was reduced dramatically. More recently it also went down tremendously when I switched to eating raw foods.

I think subvocalization is caused by certain parts of the brain becoming overstimulated, resulting in endless mental chatter.

I don't recommend polyphasic sleep, but a more natural raw diet will eliminate many toxins from the diet that cause mental imbalances.

I like that my mind is much calmer and smoother when I eat a raw diet. It's more relaxing and less stressful, and it's much easier to concentrate without distraction.

Whatever you do, avoid anything with caffeine.

[Plays With Life]

You can use the volume knob in your mind. You know, the one just over there, on the Subvocalization Control Panel. Just turn it down to turn the volume down. Really, it's an NLP technique. You just visualize turning the volume down that way, and it actually happens. (when it works)

Cherry Plum (a bach flower remedy) might help with this.

[newmark]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Is it even possible to have thoughts without sub vocalizing? I was actually wondering about this recently too because I sub vocalize everything.

Yes, it is. Perhaps Steve's advice will work for you, although I drink tea with no adverse effects.
Apart from a healthy diet, exercise & meditation help me relax & focus my mind; without much or any 'mental chatter'.

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by mdlm

How do I get rid of the voice in my head that is constantly talking?

It makes it difficult to sleep, to pay attention to other people, to concentrate, to read a book, etc.

I have sort of the same issue. When I get tired of it, I sing a song in my head. This keeps "the voices" busy and lets me concentrate on whatever I am doing.

Or sometimes I start a conversation in my head.. about stupid things. This will also help me concentrate because I get tired of myself and my voices shut up.

Sometimes just commenting what I am doing will also help. Litterally, I am now typing the word typing I am now clicking submit.. etc.

Ok, maybe I am just crazy... but it works for me.

[Brutha]

I think subvocalization is caused by certain parts of the brain becoming overstimulated, resulting in endless mental chatter.

I would rather think that the other way around.
When the brain isn't enough stimulated through a diversity of inputs it does things like things like endless mental chatter to keep up a certain level of entropy.

Or do you have an argument why raw food should stimulate the brain less than cooked food?

[bluedragon]

I can think much faster without subvocalization. I used to believe that without subvocalizing, I could miss out on what was happening - as if the things that I did weren't actually happening if I didn't talk about them in my head.

But now after reading your thread, I realize that recently I haven't been subvocalizing much. I have been more in touch with my senses and my body.

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by mdlm

How do I get rid of the voice in my head that is constantly talking?

It makes it difficult to sleep, to pay attention to other people, to concentrate, to read a book, etc.

After reading Eckhart Tolle's books and much practice (emphasis on the practice), I learned to turn off subvoalisation. It's something I have to do, though, and if I don't keep it up, I get a bit rusty.

To do it, I just channel all of my attention into my body. It's like I tune into a subtle stream and begin doing things without needing to think about them. Thoughts can still arise or be triggered, but they're more experiential... in other words, they feel more like a feeling, and less like thinking (if that makes sense).

I don't recommend turning off subvocalisation. I think you'd have to alter your entire lifestyle to accommodate something like that.

It seems (although I could be wrong) that you're looking for the ability to focus more, not so much turn off subvocalisation. But there are many, many(!) reasons why you might have trouble focusing (your talent themes; your diet; your environment; your habits; your dominant vibration/emotional state; etc), so I don't have any suggestions for that.

What I would suggest is to get out into nature--the more natural, the better--and really tune-into the environment. Take your shoes and shocks off and feel the ground; smell the air; hear the sounds; see the sights. Really bask and take in everything around you, and just practice that every now and then.

I find nature to be so helpful in so many ways. I'm not sure if it'll help with your subvocalisation, but being in nature is almost always helpful in my experience. Perhaps just give it a try and see if it works!

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Brutha

Or do you have an argument why raw food should stimulate the brain less than cooked food?

I could write a book about it, but I'll just share some of the most obvious ones for now.

Raw vegan food stresses the body less. It digests more purely and causes fewer hormonal and chemical imbalances. Digestion of raw foods yields less chemical waste. Less waste means less stress and less damage at the cellular level. You body doesn't need to stimulate itself as much (such as with adrenaline and cortisol) when it doesn't have as much metabolic waste to clean up. Fewer stress chemicals are floating through the bloodstream, so the body and mind feel more relaxed.

Also, raw food contains fewer stimulants. A lot of non-raw food is loaded with excitotoxins such as MSG and artificial sweeteners. "Natural flavoring" is one of the most common disguised forms. Excitotoxins are believed to contribute to neurological and endocrine disorders. Google excitotoxicity to learn more about it. This is more an argument against processed food rather than cooked whole foods, but since most people eat a lot of processed foods, going raw eliminates those items as well.

Personal testing makes it fairly easy to see the difference too, but you need to go at least a few weeks to get past the initial detox. Initially the blood can become dirtier as more toxicity is released until a new equilibrium is achieved.

Remember that your brain is fed by your bloodstream, and the foods you ingest end up in the blood. This is fairly obvious if you drink alcohol. You feel the affects on your brain shortly thereafter. Well, if you eat complex foods that don't digest well, you'll end up with lots of toxic chemicals floating through your blood and the brain. The body has an enormous capacity for self-cleaning, but when toxicity is high, mental function is impaired.

When I eat cooked food, the effect is similar to having a shot of alcohol. My mind gets cloudier and doesn't function as well. Most people are so used to having a cloudy and cluttered mind, however, that they just consider it normal. They've never really experienced what a clear mind feels like.

[Brutha]

Personal testing makes it fairly easy to see the difference too, but you need to go at least a few weeks to get past the initial detox. Initially the blood can become dirtier as more toxicity is released until a new equilibrium is achieved.

That's a argument for why raw foot is more healthy.

I would think that there more interaction from natural substances with the bodies system and the body doesn't react effectively when it comes in contact with other substances.

[seeker5]

Meditate. When I meditate, I find my mind is calmer afterward.

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Brutha

That's a argument for why raw foot is more healthy.

I would think that there more interaction from natural substances with the bodies system and the body doesn't react effectively when it comes in contact with other substances.

As the body gets cleaner on the inside, it will gradually become less tolerant of toxins. It sets a new equilibrium for what what will trigger a detoxification reaction (i.e. acute illness like cold and flu symptoms).

As the body gets dirtier on the inside, it becomes increasingly tolerant of toxins and gradually succumbs to ever greater levels of impairment in order to deal with the toxic overload (i.e. chronic illness like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, etc).

If I were to eat a cheeseburger, I'd probably get very sick within a couple hours or less. My body would react as if it's been poisoned. But someone who's accustomed to that level of toxicity could eat cheeseburgers all week and might not feel much differently. Many raw foodists experience strong negative reactions when they eat cooked food because their bodies have set a new equilibrium, so the cooked food triggers an immune response.