Can you think with ideas/concepts consistently? (See post.)

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Specifically, I mean can you have concepts or ideas in your head more often than not, possibly excepting shutdowns and the like?

Concepts and ideas can be represented by words, pictures, categories, something totally invisible with no linguistic or sensory symbols, etc. Symbols are ideas too. Most times, people have no clue how much ideas are there affecting them even in how they see their environment. If you can identify basic objects in your environment then you are thinking with ideas, because even simple abstractions such as "bed" or "toilet" are abstract ideas/concepts. Even most people with cognitive issues have ideas, they just have trouble juggling lots of them or other things like that.

Tough one. I wanted to say both. Almost like there are two simultaneous tracks. So I said I don't know.

That describes my thoughts exactly. No images, words, sounds, symbols of any kind. Just pure "concepts" that flow constantly.

Always. Using a mix of pure concepts, words, pictures and feelings-- whatever's most useful, fastest and easiest for the specific idea. (Pure concepts are quick, but for complicated or abstract ideas, I usually need words and the ones I use are almost always in English. Pictures kick in when I'm walking, feelings under certain specific circumstances. When I do use words, my wordless thought is often a step ahead, but hard to grasp or be sure of, with my words following behind to explain it more clearly and make it more tangible, as well as being required if I want to explain things to other people.)

Well, except for that one time. That was pretty awesome, NOT thinking, but it was just that one time.

I usually have ideas/concepts in my head, specifically because I spend most of my time reading - on the internet, offline, whatever.

When I am not doing things that require this attention, it's somewhat easy for me to zone out and lose track of ideas entirely. This also happens while I am doing the above. What I remember is that my sensory impressions just become uninterpretable (I remember them as a blur, mainly, but I know I don't see them as a blur at the time, I just don't know what they are).

I always lose ideas in shutdown. I know I can hear things like my fans or feel things like the blankets on my bed but I don't know what they are, although I recognize that they're familiar I don't think in what context.

When I hyperfocus on something, I don't think I lose ideas, but I lose direct thought. I'm sensing and reacting, but not actively thinking - I don't have any agnosia-like effects that I recall, but I don't attach language to what I'm doing - because my primary mode of thought is not in words, and I just stop "translating" and just "do."

I don't know, I might be thinking too much about some of these experiences. I think I have ideas/concepts most of the time. I think my connection to language is occasionally precarious, but my connection to concepts/ideas is stronger.

If the ongoing dialogue in my head shuts down for any reason - meds, extreme stress or fatigue,etc - I kinda freak out. Quite mind is kinda freaky.

More often than not, if I am intensely focused on something I will have 'brainstorms' on something else that may have occurred during the day or a problem of issue that hasn't been resolved yet. Imy brain constantly multitasks yet, if someone interrupts me while working on something it takes me up to half an hour to get back into my groove, especially if it's something I don't want to be doing (like work...).

All the time except in shutdown.
I think mainly in pure concepts; if I want to use words I have to translate.

A few days ago, I was startled awake by someone. It took about 5 to 10 seconds to realize that the blobs of color & texture in front of me was a person. I'm not sure if that's a sensory processing thing, or a conceptual thing, though. Those moments are brief and rare for me, in either case.

At times due to depression, I have felt my brain to be "flat-lined" in a way (no thoughts; not even feeling bad; just sort of existing), but I don't know if that's the same as what you mean.

I used to sprint about 8 miles up some hills on my bike (years ago), and by the time I'd get to the top of the highest one my mind would be clear of everything except the wind, my breathing, the vibrations from the road, the scenery going by, and so forth. (What was weird was that my ability to read/write (and other things) would be messed up for days afterwards. My doctor at the time called it "CFS," but I don't know about that, anymore.) But, again, I'm not sure if that's the same as what you mean.

There is a part of my brain I (think I) could turn off, that reminds me not to, say, lay down in the street to press my cheek against the warm asphalt on a sunny day. -- A part that reminds me that I am walking on a "road," and "cars" come by on "roads," and "cars" can hurt "pedestrians." I guess that's all conceptual, as I'm imagining being hurt by a car even if one isn't there.

I'm not sure I've ever "turned that off," though (since childhood, anyway), as it seems incredibly dangerous (if not due to cars, due to maybe doing weird things that might cause people to call the police). Not sure if that's related to what you mean, either, though.

So, I'm not sure. :s But I'd guess that I probably spend at more time in idea-land than not if I had to pick an answer other than "not sure."

Last edited by Apple_in_my_Eye on 13 Mar 2011, 9:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm not sure I understand the question...

Frequently when I'm talking to people I lose the ability to think well (sometimes completely), is that what you mean?

My thought patters are a jumbled mess, so I really have no idea. I suspect it's a combination of a few different ways of thinking.

I am idea oriented but have trouble with abstract thinking, especially when it comes to math.

I always have ideas. Not always in the same way or area, but they're always there.

Thinking a bit more on this: I do have trouble with abstract stuff beyond a moderate level (I think; it never feels 'native,' at any level). And stuff about rarely being able to keep up with people who are good at abstract argumentation is familiar ( <-- from another thread).

I'm not sure where my limits are with abstract thinking. I know I have difficulties with a lot of abstract concepts, to the point that I need to rework my way through processing the concept to make sense of it every single time I want to think or talk about it - there are some things that I do care enough to do this with, and other things I just don't bother with. Before I knew I was autistic, I tried pretty hard to hold onto these concepts on demand, and would work through them over and over, burning far too much cognitive energy on something that, honestly, led me to conclusions that I could probably find a different route to working out.

I tend to do better with things that relate directly to the real world in a concrete way - although I know that a lot of this is abstract as well, the closer to actually having a point in reality the easier it is to hold onto.

I used to think I was pretty damn good at abstract thought, but I've realized this was just me being clueless about how others actually think.

I do not understand. How can anyone think in anything other than concepts and ideas? What other kind of thinking is there?