Does the absence of sound change the way we think?
In short: While hearing people rely on an inner voice, the mental landscape of the deaf is often visual or tactile. This video explores the fascinating ways sign language and vocal language shape the internal monologue of those born completely deaf.
For individuals born completely deaf who learn sign language, the primary mode of thought is often through that sign language. Rather than hearing an inner voice, they may experience themselves signing or feeling the movements of signs within their minds. However, the brain's plasticity allows for complexity; those who undergo vocal training to speak may find themselves thinking in their learned vocal language, with the brain simulating how those words would sound.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How Do Deaf People Think?
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