There is a stream of thinking (or say consciousness) which doesn't involve any word.
We usually think in the most familiar language, but before our thoughts are expressed in the way, we already have its images in one below the language level. If I describe these thoughts in this level visually, they are like lightning. So, the speed of the currency could be as fast as light.
Most people don't recognize this currency clearly, but everybody knows its existence instinctively as we often use the expression, "It's difficult to say in words."
But if you can think in that "one below the language" level all the time and can express these thoughts in words clearly, you'll be a genius.
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So, Saku, I am still catching up with your earlier posts, a little at a time, when I have a moment to browse. As always I am struck with the depth of many of your thoughts. This post writes about something I too have thought about, and have rarely seen anyone else mention--that stream of thoughts, or really images or colors or whatever--beyond words--that seems always moving below the rational language forming of the mind. As far as thinking in one's first language and in learned foreign languages, one thing I have noticed my own mind does--much to my dismay sometimes, and the confusion of those around me--is when I am in a situation in which one of the foreign languages I know is needed, my mind seems to simply recognize "foreign language" as if all the languages I know a little are one language--so I get a mix of French and Spanish with a bit of other languages thrown in, unless I am very very careful. Of course, it probably makes me a natural speaker of Esperanto, that made up language (do you know about it? Back in--maybe the 30's or 40's, before either of us were born, even me, there was an attempt in the US and Europe to make up a "world language" that borrowed from many other languages. It was called Esperanto. I find I can sort of read it (there's enough similarity to Spanish and French) but I have never ever run into someone who used it really.
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