Thread has about run its course, so lets see what AI looking at much of our written information has to say. Reads like pretty much what I've already related and expected.
AI Overview: Google: what mental activities do not require language
Mental activities that do not require language are those that rely on non-verbal, visual, and sensorimotor processes
. Research in neuroscience has shown that regions of the brain responsible for language are silent during many complex thinking tasks, proving that language and thought are separate entities.
Examples of non-linguistic mental activities include:
Spatial and visual reasoning
Art and creative tasks: Drawing, painting, and sculpting all rely on visual and spatial thinking rather than words.
Mental rehearsal: A gymnast visualizing a floor routine or an architect mentally picturing a new building depends on visual and kinetic imagery, not language.
Navigating: Driving a car, navigating through a building, or judging the distance of objects requires spatial reasoning, not inner monologue.
Problem-solving and logic
Chess and strategy games: Playing chess, poker, or other strategy games requires reasoning and planning that can occur without verbal thought.
Solving puzzles: Logic puzzles, Sudoku, and building with blocks or Legos are often performed with visual and structural thought processes.
Tool use and invention: The process of inventing or designing a mechanical object can be a visual or image-based activity, often conceived before it can be described in words.
Sensory and emotional experiences
Processing sensations: Enjoying a delicious meal, feeling the exhaustion in your legs after a long hike, or experiencing a strong emotion can be deeply felt without being verbalized.
Non-verbal communication: Interpreting and expressing body language, facial expressions, and gestures involves understanding social cues without words.
Musical cognition: Composing or remembering a song is an auditory mental activity. A person who suffered a stroke, and as a result had aphasia, could still write music.
Physical and motor skills
Athletic activities: Many sports require split-second decisions and physical reactions that are much faster than verbal thought. Hitting a baseball or dribbling a basketball are examples.
Reflexive actions: Automatic or reflexive brain-based processes like sneezing are performed without language.
Memory and consciousness
Unsymbolized thinking: This is a type of thought that occurs without the use of either words or visual images. Many people engage in it, though they may not realize it because it is difficult to describe.
Recalling events: While we often use language to recount memories, the initial experience and retrieval of a memory can be a non-verbal process rich with images, sounds, and emotions.
