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The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
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Published on: June 12, 2020

Unsymbolized thinking.

Russell T Hurlburt1, Sarah A Akhter

  • 1University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Department of Psychology, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89054, USA. russ@unlv.nevada.edu

Consciousness and Cognition
|May 6, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Unsymbolized thinking, the experience of thought without words or images, is common yet often disbelieved. Recognizing this phenomenon is crucial for understanding consciousness and cognition.

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Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
06:45

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychology of Consciousness

Background:

  • Unsymbolized thinking is a frequently occurring yet poorly understood aspect of inner experience.
  • It is often mistakenly equated with incomplete inner speech or vague imagery.
  • Despite its prevalence, many doubt its existence, including experts in consciousness studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define and establish the existence of unsymbolized thinking.
  • To highlight its significance as a common feature of conscious experience.
  • To discuss the theoretical implications of unsymbolized thinking for understanding cognition.

Main Methods:

  • The abstract does not specify methods, but implies phenomenological description and potentially empirical investigation into subjective experience.

Main Results:

  • Unsymbolized thinking is a distinct phenomenon, separate from inner speech or imagery.
  • It ranks among the five most common features of inner experience.
  • Its existence challenges traditional views of thought as necessarily symbolic.

Conclusions:

  • Unsymbolized thinking is a valid and significant aspect of human consciousness.
  • Acknowledging its existence necessitates a re-evaluation of how thinking occurs.
  • This phenomenon has substantial theoretical implications for cognitive science and the study of consciousness.