Hearing yourself speak without actually speaking or hearing any sound waves from your outward voice is a phenomenon known as "inner speech" or "subvocalization." It is the silent process of verbally articulating thoughts in your mind, without any actual vocalization or audible sound production.
Inner speech is a common and natural cognitive process that most people experience throughout the day. It occurs automatically as you think, process information, plan, or engage in mental activities. Here's how it works:
Neural Activation: When you think or mentally articulate something, the brain activates similar neural pathways as if you were actually speaking out loud. The motor regions of the brain involved in speech production are triggered, but the signal doesn't reach the vocal cords to produce audible sound.
Auditory Feedback Loop: When you speak aloud, your brain receives auditory feedback from your vocal cords, which helps you monitor and adjust your speech. During inner speech, the same feedback loop is activated, but since there are no sound waves from the outward voice, the auditory feedback is more subtle and internal.
Mental Simulation: The brain can internally simulate the experience of speaking, including the perception of hearing your own voice. It's like mentally rehearsing or "hearing" the words without them being spoken aloud.
Subconscious Process: Inner speech is often an automatic and subconscious process. While you can consciously focus on it at times, it typically occurs naturally as part of your thought process.
Inner speech serves several functions, such as aiding in problem-solving, organizing thoughts, memory recall, planning, and self-regulation. For many people, it's an integral part of their mental processes, and they may not even be fully aware of it happening.
It's important to note that while inner speech is a common phenomenon, its intensity and prevalence can vary among individuals. Some people may experience more vivid and pronounced inner speech, while others might have a less prominent inner verbal experience.