Redefining the Distinction Between the Mind’s Ear and the Inner Voice

A fundamental distinction in auditory imagery is between the mind’s ear (imagery of sounds produced by external stimuli) and the inner voice (imagery of one’s own voice). Both the mind’s ear and the inner voice involve auditory information, and the inner voice has been suggested to also involve motor (articulatory) information. Empirical evidence bearing on the validity of the distinction of the mind’s ear and the inner voice, empirical issues and implications, and theoretical connections and consequences are discussed. A distinction between the mind’s ear and the inner voice based on the presence or absence of motor information is not supported, and it is suggested that the notion of the inner voice should be expanded to include all types of sound production by the individual. Auditory imagery in general incorporates non-auditory information (e.g. motor information of how the sound was produced, the visual appearance of the sound-producing stimulus) that is relevant to the sound being imaged, and this non-auditory information contributes to both the mind’s ear and the inner voice. The mind’s ear is proposed to involve a mapping of sound onto meaning, and the inner voice is proposed to involve a mapping of sound onto action.