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Trojans40's avatar

How many thoughts can you do at once?

Asked by Trojans40 (991points) April 30th, 2011

It can be general thoughts, to memory, to ideas of wonders.

But I am asking how many can you do at once comfortably, not with Red Bull and cough medicine. I always wonder this since I have 8 thoughts at once now and it still growing. Everything I create a new thought, I go through this mental reclamation that I showered in pain with.

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28 Answers

Pied_Pfeffer's avatar

Probably only one. There are times when it feels like two are more are going on at the same time, but I think it comes down to another thought quickly creeping in and taking over the lead role. For example, when driving on a familiar road, thoughts stray, and then I suddenly look up and have to refocus on where I am. It isn’t a matter of turning off the thought process of driving safely to the destination; one thought just takes a front seat for a moment. (Is this what you mean?)

Trojans40's avatar

To me, my thoughts are spread out like cards in the hand. Sometimes I would have one thought on a memory, 4 on ideas and questions of life, 1 on where I am going, 1 what I need to do, and my last one doing imagination stuff. The numbers for me never go down to 5 or 7, it always at 8 now. Walking in the Mall, to watching a movie, and even driving. Always 8 things at once in my mind, rather it be heavy thoughts, or a small-what-to-do list.

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ZEPHYRA's avatar

Thousands 24/7. My mind never stops. That is why I am constantly anxious, confused and unable to decide on anything!

MasterAir16's avatar

Your brain and my brain never sleep even though when you and I sleeps. If it does sleep then our brains will be never wake up again

Trojans40's avatar

@ZEPHYRA NO FUCKING SHIT? I CANT ORDER ANYTHING FROM (BLEEPING) McDonald IN 3 MINS. I TAKE ME 15 MINS TO ORDER ANYTHING because I will take the time and think every possible outcome, the price, the money in my wallet, is that healthy, do I really want that, will I eat all of it, how will I feel afterwards, does that make me go to the bathroom easily, does that taste better than that, what will I want to drink with that, is the cashier a hot girl or a nerdy boy, should I ask for dessert with my order, should I put my change into the donation box. All of this in 40 seconds. Now I am standing there for 15 minutes and the line is moving fast. What the hell you know what I mean?

@MasterAir16 Your experience does not equal mine. But it your experience and your brain, I have experience of when I am fighting, it still consistent with 8 thoughts all the way. Even my life on the line, 8 thoughts. On the bed relaxing, 8 thoughts. Playing Black Ops or Halo Reach, 8 thoughts. Checking out my Facebook status 8 thoughts. Typing this 8 thoughts.

Trojans40's avatar

@MasterAir16 when I sleep, I still think, but it only small thinking. memory mostly take my place while I sleep.

MasterAir16's avatar

@Trojans40 yeah i know, that my point as ‘brain never sleep’ dreams and thoughts and body movement… it never stop.

lillycoyote's avatar

Too many. One of my cognitive flaws. A friend once told my that my big problem was that I couldn’t think in a straight line, that I thought of everything at once. I had to agree; and had to agree that thinking of everything at once is not a necessarily a good thing.

YARNLADY's avatar

More than I can possibly express at any one time.

augustlan's avatar

Throw me in with the “too many” crowd. My brain never shuts up. I liken it to the inside of a pinball game, bouncing and binging every which way, all the damn time. Sigh.

SABOTEUR's avatar

God forbid!

I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to master the art of stilling my thoughts, not the other way around. I’m trying to escape the habitual habit of allowing thought to master me instead of me mastering thought.

I have enough to deal with with this seemingly endless loop of idle mind chatter.

I sure as heck don’t need any more.

dxs's avatar

I’m constantly thinking of things, if that answers your question.

BarnacleBill's avatar

I find I have to be doing something in order to concentrate on what’s going on in my head. Like right now, as I’m typing this, I’m processing how to approach developing a contact list for a non-profit start-up that I’m volunteering with. Most of my time on fluther is really spent working out problems in my head.

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

Been there before…I am happiest when I am focused on the task at hand.
Mindfulness is good. :)

LukeFonFabre's avatar

In generally, I don’t talk much because I tend to have many different thoughts in my mind, which cause me to able to think of many different sides and perspectives on one simple object. That is the what makes me harder to make a decision. It’s usually took me a long time to finally make a decision.

Lucky, it doesn’t took me a long time to order anything from McDonald because my stomach will get rid of stupid thoughts on my mind :D

faye's avatar

More than I could think of how to count. This is why I’ve had sleeping pills for years!

SABOTEUR's avatar

@LukeFonFabre McDonalds frustrates me to no end. Trying to decipher their menu gives me a headache. So, when I have the misfortune of having to go to McDonalds ( I have children) am hungry enough and I’m too lazy to go somewhere else, I order the same thing.

A hamburger.

Just a hamburger. The easiest, simplest thing to order, which frees me from “menu anxiety”.

Trojans40's avatar

@LukeFonFabre When i pick something random, they always screw up my order. lol. i tend to shut it down to 6 choices and roll a dice. and that my order. but only if I’m lucky to get it down to 6 choices.

@fave
sleeping pills? care to explain?

faye's avatar

@Trojans40 Because my brain doesn’t slow down to let me drift off to sleep.

everephebe's avatar

I laugh when people ask me, “What are you thinking about right now?”
How much time do you have for me to answer that? I was thinking about many, many things.

Trojans40's avatar

@everephebe You don’t know how many people walk away when I start explaining about what on my mind.

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blueiiznh's avatar

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609

Trojans40's avatar

@blueiiznh I like pie. Pecan my favorite.

mattbrowne's avatar

One conscious. Dozens of unconscious ones.

lookingforwhy's avatar

Everyone can do many thoughts at once except those other people who really have something wrong with them but the point is that many thoughts at once is pretty normal for me. I just don’t count my thoughts. Like right now, I’m thinking I’m suppose to do those things but I’m thinking of a random memory that just came up in my mind with what should I type here and what should I finish for my job tomorrow along with money issues. That’s what you mean?

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