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The Silent Mind

‘A totally blank, quiet, nothingness.’ This is how Justin describes the inside of his head. Psychologist Charles Fernyhough finds out what it’s like to have a ‘silent mind’.

‘Today I found out that not everyone has an interior monologue, and it’s ruined my day.’

A little while ago this blog post went viral, triggering an intense online debate.

Why do some people have loud, intrusive voices running in their head seemingly all the time, and others a totally ‘silent mind’? Psychologist and author Professor Charles Fernyhough finds out what it’s like to have no inner speech, and asks - why are we often totally wrong about what’s going on inside our own heads?

'Silent Mind' clip by Alan Watts courtesy of alanwatts.org

Produced by Olivia Humphreys
Sound Mixing: Mike Woolley
An Overcoat Media production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Wed 3 Aug 2022 11:00

Broadcasts

  • Mon 1 Aug 2022 20:00
  • Wed 3 Aug 2022 11:00