@JilltheTooth I know you’re joking, but I’m serious about my answer. What you have to do is to pay attention. It also helps if you become aware of your inner editor. Then you can also watch what she is doing (that’s where things start getting complex as to how you can have more than one point of view at the same time).
The thing is, when you watch, you start to anticipate. You see something happen, and you expect this next thing to happen, and usually it does, and if you follow along, ignoring the inner editor (who is often also a censor), you can ratchet up your interest in your inner monologue.
The next thing is a bit trickier. That is—writing it down. So you kind of end up being three people. You are the thought track, and you are the editor, and then you are the recorder. The recorder is always saying, ‘Hold on. Wait a minute. Let me write this down.’
The editor is saying, ‘You can’t say that! What will people think? Let’s just pretend it’s too weird for publication or too boring. Yeah. That’s the ticket!’
Then the actual monologue you is ignoring all that (hopefully) and following it’s own train of thought as it winds endlessly forward. If the editor gets control, then the trip gets truncated and changed as the editor thinks necessary. The recorder can’t really get control, but she can slow things down, asking the other two to keep on repeating what they just thought.
In addition, try to notice the quieter aspects of your mind. Like when you shift in your chair. Why do you do this? Oh, your back is hurting. Or for a moment you notice the heater thingy humming along. And the filing cabinets are always in the corner of your eye, and this all has an impact on your thoughts—often in ways you don’t catch because paying attention to the traveler is hard enough, without seeing the side tracks your mind takes all the time.
But one thought always leads to another. Sometimes they might seem circular, but as soon as you notice this, it seems to break out of the circularity. But it’s always there. Always traveling and being edited and being noticed. Although sometimes the second two parts aren’t there and you are fully in the moment, being whatever it is that you are without criticizing yourself and without watching yourself.
That’s the best. Although it’s a pain if you want to remember what happened. You can’t do that without the recorder. But sometimes it is possible to allow the recorder just enough attention to catch some things while being the traveler (with no editor). Then you can recall it later and write it down, or however you record it.
It’s always there, if you pay attention. In fact, often it becomes too much and you can’t stop, and then you have to somehow grab yourself and bring the thought to an end. That’s what story tellers do. They define the beginning and the end of something that is continuous forever—or from the moment of first consciousness to the moment of last consciousness. But for all practical purposes, we experience that as forever.
I’ll shut up now.
And turn you over to @WillWorkForChocolate‘s reporter, who seems to be paying close attention…