At last! It seems there's a perfectly logical explanation for what I feared was a split personality. All that inner dialog isn't totally abnormal after all.
I just finished a fascinating book, My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor. It's about a 37-year old Harvard trained brain scientist who has a massive stroke. Because of her training, she was able to observe and later articulate exactly what she experienced during her stroke and subsequent recovery.
Because I was anticipating a downer, I owned this book for months before I finally read it. But there's not an ounce of pity in the book. Instead she provides an amazing narrative of her experience and what she found helpful during her long (8-year) journey back to recovery.
The part that resonated most with me was her scientific explanation of the functions of the 2 hemispheres of our brain - how they interact and how very different they are. How each side is preoccupied with completely different things, has completely different capabilities, and values completely different things. Surprise! They don't always work in tandem. I've known this for a long time, but Jill The Brain Expert points out that the 2 sides of our brain are often in conflict. She goes on to explain how to manage the negative messages your brain creates and cultivate what works best for you.
I've always had 2 voices in my head. Two completely different natures, each trying to promote her own agenda. To the point where I've found myself physically twitching mid-stride when one side is saying "Go!" And the other is saying "Wait! Stop! Not yet! We need to think about this."
It turns out there's nothing wrong with my Gemini nature! We all have 2 competing halves - mine are just a bit louder.
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