Origin and speed of thoughts

Ever wonder why thoughts arise and how long it takes for thoughts to form. Also, ever wonder and marvel at how the brain translates the thoughts into a symbol, usually auditory (spoken words), visual ( written words or gestures or signs and knots) so you can communicate your thoughts to others. While beings other than humans usually rely only on one mode of communication, be it chemical (done by plants and insects) or auditory (birds and mammals, including marine mammals) or gestures (mammals) or combination of auditory and gestures (mammals), human beings get to the top of the food chain on this planet by virtue of the fact they are the masters of communication. Over time they have refined the art and science of communication. They now have overcome the space/time barrier. We can talk over great distances. We can read instantly what the other writes to us millions of miles away (Internet chat). You don't see a big group of chimps sit in rapt silence and listen to a chimp orator or singer. Nor do you see two chimps sit and talk non-stop with animation for hours. Nor do you witness a chimp completely absorbed in reading a book.

Back to the origin of thoughts. They don't come by themselves. They occur because of stimuli from the senses which then make connection with memories to deal with the fresh experiences and refine old memories or start new ones. They can also arise from memories. If too many thoughts arise from memories, they become part and parcel of obsessions which can or cannot be healthy. A mind cannot rest until the solution is found. The inability to control unhealthy thoughts is a sign of madness. A healthy mind is the one that can control one's irrational thoughts/impulses. Madness occurs when the thought controls the mind, not vice versa. Shakespeare was a supreme psychologist and a master of the English language. He wrote many penetrating things about the human mind/emotions/feelings/thoughts in a fresh, original way. That was why he is revered. He enriched the English language. A man's intelligence is displayed by how he uses language. Trite/worn-out expressions/cliches reflect lack of creativity. And creativity is nothing but the ability to see new connections. I recall when I came across "Shun it. It's where madness lies" and "Parting is such a sweet sorrow/That I would like to say it until tomorrow", I knew then Shakespeare was a genius. He could write comedies and tragedies and beautiful sonnets. If I live for a thousand years, I cannot write like him. A gift is a gift. However, I do know I have a gift of gab when I am in a certain mood. I can go from one liner to the next; I can construct fresh, dramatic sentences. And my friends look at me appreciably. Once in a while, somebody would say, "I haven't heard that before. Tell me, did you just come up with that by yourself or you borrowed it from somebody else?". I then look at the interlocutor and grin. I just know words turn me on as much as, if not more than, sex. Recently my mind has developed an interest in seeing how others use words. From there I have deduced quite accurately their character, even their intelligence. Nonsense is nonsense. It can never be a substitute for deprh, no matter the speaker/writer tries to inject crypticism/mysticism in what they say/write. Actually when a man tries to be proiund, he appears dishonest. Simplicity is usually the shortest route to understanding. Once we really understand anything, it becomes simple and clear to our mind and we would have no problem to explain/communicate to others. Understanding is just like love. Either you understand a subject/issue or you don't. Either you find yourself attracted and turned on by a woman or you don't. Your senses and your feelings would tell you. The first impression is usually the most reliable. One look, one hearing of the voice, a few words of exchanges, a few dinner dates, a vibration, and you would know. Don't ever go against your first impressions. Listen to your intuition, your sixth sense. It is your best friend, your protector.

Anyway, the speed at which thoughts are formed depends on the nature of the stimuli and how well the electrical impulses travel through synapses. I think an intelligent person is the one who has the electrical wiring in his brain in top condition. Thoughts fly in and out of the brain all day long, usually one at a time, although occasionally, especially in an emergency when a person's life is in danger, the brain and the body are flooded with chemicals. Thoughts would then come in starbursts and explosions, speeding on parallel tracks, jostling and fighting for supremacy and domination with a single purpose of keeping the body alive.

At night the electrical impulses are reset while we are asleep. Body and brain go ito repair and cleansing and growth, if you are still young enough. Dreams are important for mental health. If a person is kept awake when his brain gets into the dream state (rapid eye movement: REM phase), he will go crazy in short order. Dreams also speak to us if we know how to listen. They usually tell us of our deepest fears and longings. Some smart people go to bed every night looking forward to dreams. I used to have a recurring dream of a certain lost love and an absurd infatuation. Not anymore. I am wiser now. Now I dream of exams and close calls of death, of unspeakable violence and unbearable loneliness.

I am no cognitive scientist. I just blather nonsense to keep the demon at bay. What do I know about the human mind? After all, I have been deceived, swindled, cheated, and duped so many times that I think I am stupid and gullible despite all the books I have read. That proves that bookish knowledge has a certain limitation. I must learn to be more skeptical, more cynical, and less trusting because not everybody thinks and feels and looks at the world the same way I do. And my way is not necessarily the best way.