What do people without MD think about?

[Elizabeth]

I don't know if this is the best place to ask this, since most people here have MD, but I was just wondering, what do people without MD think about when they are alone, like when they are walking by themselves or driving? I have been trying to stop daydreaming in those situations but I just don't understand what else to think about. I guess in those situations it is normal to daydream? 

I read something on another site where someone said they don't know how to watch videos/movies/listen to music without "talking" to some imaginary person about it after (i.e. daydreaming), and I totally have the same problem! So what do people without MD think about in those situations? I know everyone is different and not everyone thinks about the same things. Some "normal" people might even daydream in those situations, but not necessarily have MD. But in general, I wonder what people who do not daydream a lot think about when they are alone and see something they like. Do they feel an urge to share it with other people every time? Because I do, and I share it with my daydream characters. 

[Diane]

Wow I do the EXACT same thing!!!!! It's almost as if after every single thing I do, I consult these "imaginary people" about it all the time! I think non-MDers day dream as well, they are just able to recognize it and stop it without much thought to it, whereas MDers, like me, have more of a struggle with this.

[Soul Dreamer]

Interesting question :) I asked my little brother (who is the most normal person you will ever meet) and he says he thinks about his friends, soccer stuff, Xbox games, and movies he's watched mostly. My mum says she plans and fantasises about winning the lotto and going on holiday. I suspect everyone does that :)

A few of months ago when I'd stopped daydreaming for a while, I used to have this sarcastic mental commentary for everything going on around me. Lol, it was weird :)

I  have no idea what non MDers think about but I suppose it's different for everyone.

[Carly Cole]

i asked my sister once what she thinks/goes through her head when she's listening to a music and she just said she's thinking/imagining the music video or the ebook she's reading, she is normal.

[Dusty]

Whoa I was totally thinking about this last night while in the shower, or something similar. I was wondering how it's even possible for some people to not have romantic feelings for anyone for a period of time, either in a real relationship or some obsessive crush on a real or fictitious person. Come to think of it I've had basically constant obsessive crushes since late childhood so it's like I know no other way of being... :S

I was just thinking about it since I can NEVER seem to get over crushes until and unless I find a new one. I'll start thinking about them, realize it and try to stop and then my brain is just like: "well what else am I supposed to think about then?!!" xD. 

I am finding I get bored much more easily and often nowadays and need more outside "entertainment", but since I'm not so accustomed to seeking outside activities due to sitting around and DDing so much, I tend to sit around on the internet. I don't even know what normal people do all the time that is so entertaining that they are not tempted to DD, most other activities seem mundane to me in comparison :S. I guess they're very socially active and/or consumed in work or school for the vast majority of the time so their thoughts are usually occupied by logistical stuff. Not to mention the fact that people are so consumed by their Blackberries and mobile devices nowadays that mundane situations like riding the bus and waiting are now dominated by checking emails and blogs and such, rather that sitting around silently. I guess I just need to find real-life situations that actually captivate and excite me enough that I don't feel so bored and lazy all of the time and think about things I should stop thinking about...

[Elizabeth]

Again, I agree that it is not a unique brain function. I think people with MD just take a normal thing to the extreme. Many people here have elaborate fantasy worlds that occupy their thoughts almost constantly. And I agree that everyone is capable of doing this. There is nothing "special" about people who do. They just do it. But the fact of the matter is that most people do not. Most people do not spend hours or even all day sitting around thinking about fantasies and getting nothing else done as a result. That is what MD is. I think the reason why most people come to this forum, is because it affects their lives in a negative way (although, like you said, there are some people who don't mind it). I don't think most people believe in or even care about having some special "gift" or unique brain function. We just want to understand why it happens and, most importantly, most of us want to stop it. 

So going back to my original question, I know it is virtually impossible to answer since, like I said, people think about so many things. And I realize that it's normal to fantasize. I asked because I have an all consuming fantasy world and that is literally all I think about unless I am intensely occupied with something else. So I seriously do not know what people without imaginary fantasy worlds think about. Do you invent fake worlds and planets and people and think about them constantly? No, so then what do you think about?

And I totally agree with the idea of it being an addiction. So referring your analogy, it is easy to know what people who aren't TV addicts watch when they are not watching TV. You can observe that with your own eyes. But it is impossible to get into people's minds without asking them, so that is precisely why I asked this question.

[Elizabeth]

What does that have to do with the question, Rashomon? First of all, I agree with you. I don't think it is a "gift," although I respect people who think of it that way. I also don't think it is something some people are capable of and some are not. I am sure everyone is capable of it. I think it's just something some people do and some people don't. I also think it is a matter of degrees, like many other mental disorders (for lack of a better term): it is only a problem if it is excessive. I don't think your view is contrary to the basic tenets at all. I don't think many people view it as a special gift, in fact I think most people here hate it and want to stop it. That's why they're here.  Also, this is not a site for people who have maladaptive daydreams "sometimes," this is specifically for people who have it ALWAYS, or at least to a degree that it affects their lives or bothers them severly. That is why I asked this question. Many people here almost exclusively think about their daydreams and nothing else.

So, I was simply asking what people who do not daydream constantly think about. Most people here probably have a hard time understanding what else there is to think about besides daydreams. 

[Gianna Deloro]

Huh. I never thought about this before. What the heck do they think about? I'm guessing here, not entirely sure, but maybe, uh, life problems? Hahaha. I can't imagine what it's like for them when there's nothing around.

[Elizabeth]

I kind of want to ask somebody about it, but I don't think they will be able to answer. I mean, how do you answer the question, "What do you think about?" People think about so many things that they can't possibly summarize it all. I would have to ask a more specific question, like "what do you think about when you go to sleep?" or "what do you think about while you're driving?" Something like that. 

[Lisa p]

I love this post!  I've been trying so hard not to slip into my daydreaming world and this question has popped into my head regularly.  Without daydreaming I'm not sure what people wo MD think about...I'd love to know...

[Wish Upon A Wish]

Honestly, I haven't the slightest.

But this reminds me of a thing we did in English last year, I think we had to describe what "Sleep" (Or something) made us think of - One guy said, "monotony" because apparently it's really boring in the time between going to bed/going to sleep.

Yea, I was shocked when I heard that.

I think they generally have to keep themselves a bit busier, and then they just think about whatever they're doing.