Why do I often look up while thinking?

Not many might know this, but most psychologists believe that people use either vision, hearing or touching when they seek a mental solution to something. An image, sound or feeling from the past, or a new one we construct always helps as when we are thinking. For example, when someone tries to recall the number of degrees in the angle formed by the hands of a clock at 10 o'clock, they might first try to picture the visual image of the face of a clock then focus in on the 10 and 12, and then focus in on the big hand pointing to the 12 and the little hand to the 10 (30 degrees). In any case, a visual image is utilised which is based on the sense of sight. Neurolinguists have come up with theories that eye movements indicate what sense is being relied upon in any given thought. In fact, there are seven of these. When the eyes move:   - up-right" indicates visually remembered images   - up-left" indicates visually constructing new images   - straight ahead" indicates auditory remembered sounds or words   - down-right" indicates auditory sounds or words   - down-left" indicates kinesthetic feelings which can include smell and taste   - straight ahead" indicates that information is being accessed If this theory is correct, we sometimes look up when we think to draw upon either and old or a new visual

Back