This is a question seeking factual answers, not opinions. It can probably only be answered on an individual basis because no one can be really sure what someone else is thinking, not even me. 
Here goes;
Often when I see someone being quiet and “staring off into space” I’ll ask What’s on your mind" or “What are you thinking about”, and he/she will reply “nothing”. And get irritated if I press.
I used to assume they were just saying that because they didn’t to talk about whatever they were thinking. Now I’m not so sure. I bever say “nothing” when asked that question, but I’m never not thinking about something. There’s always something on my mind. Often more than one thing, which is usually when I get quiet and SOIS. Right now I’m thinking about typing this correctly, whether I really always think about stuff, whether or not all of you always think about something, and if some will think this is some kind of a test of character. It isn’t.
So can anyone say, or admit, that sometimes their mind is blank. Has there ever been any research to test, using brain activity measurement instruments, if at sometimes the only activity is the autonomic stuff?
“if at sometimes” should read “if that sometimes”. Sorry. Still awkward, huh?
I’m frequent space-starer myself. Although I agree that you can never really have an “empty” mind, when in such a trance, you can come pretty close to thinking about nothing. There’s not much thought going on other than “I’m sitting here staring into space”.
You probably don’t want to know what they were thinking.
I can only speak for myself when I say that I’m always thinking about *something. *But whether I’ll readily divulge some of my thoughts is another matter entirely.
I’m almost always actively thinking about something when I’m staring into space, but it is usually either not worth taking the time to explain, or is it something important and private that I don’t wish to share.
I take it to another level also. I personally spend plenty of time around the office just playing computer games, so it appears that I am doing nothing productive. Meanwhile, the mindless solitaire games give my hands something to do while I am deep in thought about something very important. The result is that I am doing better work while I appear to be goofing off than I am when I appear to be working.
My mind is blank for about 6-7 hours a day if I’m lucky. I call it sleep.
Honestly though, I do stare off into space a lot and, while it isn’t “nothing” per se, it’s often close enough that we say nothing. Other times it’s like Rotorhead said; too private to share.
Once, I was just kinda sitting there and it occured to me that, “Whoa, I wasn’t thinking about anything at all right there!” It only lasted a few seconds, and it’s the only time I can be sure I’ve done it. I wasn’t trying to do it or anything, it just happened. (I feel like I’ve done it a few times when I’ve been trying to fall asleep, but I can’t be sure.) So yeah, I think it’s possible to not be actively thinking, but whenever someone asks what I’m thinking and I say, “Nothing,” I wasn’t actually thinking about nothing.
Also, sometimes if I’m really, really getting into a videogame or something similar, I start working on instinct–it’s like my fingers are doing stuff without my brain telling them exactly what to do. I believe this could be called “the zone.” Anyway, I’ve found that if I start thinking about anything else, or even start thinking about what my fingers are doing, it screws me up, so I try to not think about anything… although now that I’m typing this out, I think this is more of a zen-like focus, clearing my mind of all distracting thoughts, more than it is thinking about nothing at all.
I’m with those who’ve said that there is never really nothing in their consciousness. Sometimes my reflective moments are given towards a trajectory of thought akin to the flight path of a raquetball made of Flubber[sub]©[/sub]. Lots of free association and all that. Other times I take off on a tangent and stick with a story line for a bit. I’m not a writer, so I never write them down, but I conjure up tales. Or, I must think through a problem, and that requires some quiet time.
I suspect, though, that the OP is inquiring about the first headstate I described, when my mind’s activities might be compared to those of a police scanner. If queried and I deign to respond, I can always jump back a thought or two and find something non-controversial to reveal if I care not to divulge that I was actually contemplating the curvature of our receptionist at the time.
But there’s never nothing going on. I lived with some TM* sorts while in college who claimed to achieve the “The number you dialed is not connected or is no longer in service” or, I guess, dial-tone state and I always had to ask them, “Why? You need some stress just to go on living!”
Hope that helps with your question, mangeorge.
[sub]*Transcendental Meditation[/sub]
When I’m throwing a pot or blowing glass or doing anything physically creative like that, I never think in words. My mind is extremely active, but I am not dialoging, I am simply paying very close attention to lots of things at the same time and reacting to the changing circumstances. Same deal when race driving. No internal dialog, just paying close attention to what is happening and reacting to it. I believe I once read an article that called this the “flow” experience and said it was part of what makes fun things fun. You are completely in the moment.
I’ll be the first to admit I can get pretty close to nothing without much effort. It’s not quite the same as zazen, which I’ve practiced in the past–that’s a more “alert” nothing and takes more effort. Certainly there is brain activity going on–I’m still more or less aware of my surroundings–but my eyes are focused on a spot on the wall, and there is no internal dialog going on. Of course, it’s also possible for me to be lost in thought (often free association), but when someone comes along and asks me what I’m thinking to so completely lose the train of thought that I honestly couldn’t tell them what I was thinking without spending quite a few seconds reconstructing it.
Is it really that uncommon to spend time without thinking? I probably spend a lot of time like that each day without meaning to, although I can easliy spend several hours thinking quite actively as well.
I’m with Alan Smithee. I can easily think of “nothing.” No, I am not saying there are not brain processes going on. I still see and hear stimuli, but nothing is consciously being voluntarily processed. I am just idling. I do this a great deal.
I have had this discussion with other people. Most of the time the people that seem the most surprised at this fact are women. Several men I know also say they think about nothing frequently.
If you ask me what I’m thinking of, and I say, “Nothing,” I’m lying. I used to try to think of “nothing” while meditating, but I could never do it. I’m always thinking of something or other.
I read a quote once that said “There are only two times when the human brain comes to a full stop: when waiting at a red light, and while waiting for a PC to boot.” Too true - both times are just mental dead zones for me. That said, I rarely am ever thinking of absolutely nothing, but I’ve definitely had my moments. They seem to strike most frequently when I’m looking in the cupboard for something. Seriously; I will suddenly find myself standing in front of the cupboards, staring blankly inside, and realize that I’ve been absolutely zoned out for a few moments. Odd.
If I say “nothing” it means “nothing I’m going to share, mind your own business.”
Why it’s none of your business falls into three catogories: a. It’s too personal. b. I could explain it, but we’d both regret the long drawn out summation of mundanities c. it was a daydream I’m not going to share
I can’t think of nothing, that’s when stupid things start to occur to me, and like the basis for this thread, and um, this one, oh wait, and this one too . The less I try to think of nothing, the less likely I am to be taken away to the nut hatch, I reckon.
See, you were actively trying to think about nothing. One cannot actually think about nothing, it’s a contradiction.
I think that people’s brains just go into a “trickle” mode, where thought is abstract, disjointed, meaningless and srbitrary. Sleep is an excellent example of such thinking, hence daydreaming.
People who say that they were thinking nothing, mean that they can’t remember what they were thinking. The thought was so unimportant that their mind erased it immedeately, it was just filling space.
Thoughts in these states are often not perceived in the same way that concious thought is. You can visualize and verbalize things in your head, but when your brain goes to low power, the thoughts aren’t given as much priority (hence the lack in structure and significance).
These are obviously just my perceptions, but they might make sense to someone.
“Thinking about nothing” is shorthand for “I wasn’t thinking at all”.
This seems like the right path. What does it mean to have non-concious thought? You figure that out, you know whethere SOISers are thinking or not.
On a side note, it’s always struck the number of human activities that if done well, lead to this state. Virtually any talent, when performed really well, puts the performer in “the zone”. What do you think about at orgasm – for many the mind goes blank. Meditative states? Personally, I fail to see what’s so weird about the concious brain turning off now and again. The amazing part is that it’s ever on at all.
Mangeorge wasn’t I married to you once?
About half the time when I answer “nothing” it’s literally true. I might be following the pattern of a wood-grain with my eyes, or sitting and zoning while listening to my feet complain. Am I thinking “oh look pattern pattern pattern round and round up around the curvy bit around back down little loop thingy pattern pattern pattern round and round up around the curvy bit around back down little loop thingy pattern pattern pattern”—no, I wouldn’t call that “thinking.” I also wouldn’t call it “thinking” to sit and simply be aware of the blood pulsing in my tired feet. I’m not literally thinking “gee, my feet are tired, I guess tonight I should just relax or something, maybe watch a DVD, like The Natural or something, maybe Bull Durham is out on DVD now, I should get that, not tonight, my feet hurt.”
Half of the remaining time, I’m thinking about something and it’s too stupid or pointless or private to mention. I’m certainly not thinking about the person who asked me “what are you thinking?” and that’s part of why I don’t share it. Especially, I must emphasize, while I’m in bed with a girlfriend. “What are you thinking?” is a loaded question if the answer is anything but sappy or romantic, in my experience. It was bad when I answered truthfully: “I was thinking about that set of stamps in my desk drawer and thinking I should stop by and get some more on the way in to work.” “What?” she’d say. “You weren’t thinking about me? You looked so romantic and you were thinking about stamps?”
Sometimes I’ll tell you what I’m thinking. But not always.
Hey! I thought that was just another of my daydreams.
So, what are you thinking about babe?