Datasets:

david-ar
/

des-beep-corpus

participant string	participant_info string	sample_id string	sampling_day int64	context string	experience string	categories list	multiple_centers bool	notes string	source string
Melanie	Recent college graduate, dual major psychology/philosophy	1.1	1	Unwrapping heritage chair, found family tree document inside	Inner hearing a voice (not her own but familiar 'thought voice') saying in accelerated speech: 'How funny it is that I just received this chair and now I have to plan who is to inherit.' Simultaneously, a rosy-yellow glow throughout her head associated with the humor of the thought — a 360-degree luminance she regularl...	[ "inner_speaking", "feeling" ]	true	Russ classified as inner hearing rather than inner speaking. Voice was smoother, more modulated, lower pitch than her speaking voice. Speech felt compressed/faster than normal but not rushed.	Hurlburt & Schwitzgebel 2007, Describing Inner Experience?
Melanie	Recent college graduate, dual major psychology/philosophy	1.2	1	Walking between kitchen and dining room waiting for boyfriend to finish shower so she could start dinner	Inner speaking (more spoken than heard, ~80% on spokenness scale): 'You can think you're really busy but during those busy times there are still periods of empty time.' Hybrid between her own voice and the 'thought voice' from 1.1. Also visually aware of microwave and stove in front of her.	[ "inner_speaking", "sensory_awareness" ]	true	Unlike beep 1.1, this was more speaking than hearing. Same accelerated quality. She was more aware of surroundings than in 1.1.	Hurlburt & Schwitzgebel 2007, Describing Inner Experience?
Melanie	Recent college graduate, dual major psychology/philosophy	1.3	1	Having dinner with boyfriend, discussing country house and shed addition	Just finished saying aloud 'Oh, I remember the shed now.' Three things in awareness: (1) speaking aloud, with awareness of mouth closing at end of utterance, (2) feeling the musculature of the speaking act ending, and (3) a crystal-clear, detailed inner image of the inside of the shed — viewed from just inside the fron...	[ "inner_seeing", "sensory_awareness" ]	true	Image was a memory snapshot from the one time she visited. Equally clear across entire visual field, not focused on any one element. She could describe specific details like sleeve lengths of the jacket.	Hurlburt & Schwitzgebel 2007, Describing Inner Experience?
Melanie	Recent college graduate, dual major psychology/philosophy	1.4	1	Watching movie with boyfriend, screen frozen on MGM lion logo with cycling background colors	Two things in awareness: (1) hearing boyfriend Alex say 'Didn't the lion used to...' and understanding his question, and (2) paying particular visual attention to the green color of the screen background, which reminded her of the MGM Grand hotel. The greenness was absorbing — she was 'into' it in a way different from ...	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true	No inner speech or imagery. A perceptual experience — watching external world with particular attention to color quality.	Hurlburt & Schwitzgebel 2007, Describing Inner Experience?
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	1.1	1	Reading post about sibling intelligence comparisons on phone while on toilet	Inner voice comparing herself to brother regarding genetic vs environmental contributions to intelligence. Brother appeared as 'a swirl of lights.' Narration competed with visualization.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing" ]	true	Training day — interviewers noted difficulty distinguishing metaphor from literal description	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	1.2	1	Attending class on action potentials	Visualizing life's forward progression as 'wispy lights,' then inner voice narrating 'you can't go back in time.' Experience began as feeling, progressed to sensed connection, culminating in narration.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing", "feeling" ]	true	Training day sample	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	2.1	2	Speaking aloud 'OK. March tenth works' during scheduling conversation	Words spoken mostly on autopilot, not really experienced. Initial feeling of annoyance shifted to relief about confirming doctor's appointment.	[ "just_talking", "feeling" ]	false		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	2.2	2	Reading aloud from textbook	Reading in 'teacher-y voice' while simultaneously experiencing herself as learning taught material. Two separate experienced perspectives, with added meta-awareness of the dual awareness.	[ "inner_speaking", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true	First instance of 'sensing' phenomenon	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	2.3	2	Taking online quiz, reading aloud 'Results and Discussion'	Focused sensation while 'flipping through visual displays.'	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	false		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	3.1	3	Not specified	Innerly sees three nurses around a nurse's station with many more in the background. Foreground nurses displayed movement 'like reeds blowing in the wind,' with clear scrubs but translucent features.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	Characteristic 'reeds blowing in the wind' motion quality	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	3.2	3	Watching TV show about paranormal topics	Bodily relaxation sensation paired with allowing the state. Simultaneously contemplating hypothetical personal paranormal experiences.	[ "sensory_awareness", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	3.3	3	Watching TV show about ghost attachment	70% of experience: clearly seeing brother wrapped in velvety red blanket on couch, appearing sick. 30%: hearing TV dialogue about ghost attachment while comprehending its meaning.	[ "inner_seeing", "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	4.1	4	Driving vehicle	Not experiencing driving. Visualizing self performing Scottish folk song in philosophy class — singing and playing acoustic guitar from first-person perspective observing guitar in lap, overlaid with third-person view of engaged teacher and peers. Simultaneously feeling comforted/soothed by the song's message.	[ "inner_seeing", "feeling" ]	true	Multiple simultaneous visual perspectives; driving absent from awareness	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	4.2	4	Turning off windshield wipers; hearing NPR coronavirus story	Visualizing man in black suit with red tie chaotically running around conference room touching microphone after microphone. Scene had clear elements with 'wispy/ghost-like movement like reeds blowing in wind.' Residual awareness of wiper adjustment. Simultaneous agitation.	[ "inner_seeing", "feeling", "sensory_awareness" ]	true	Characteristic translucent motion quality	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	5.1	5	Reading about Epicurus's moral teachings for philosophy class	Reading with comprehension but 'with no experience of words.' Innerly viewing Epicurus in white toga teaching in his Garden. Epicurus rendered clearly; students appeared indeterminate.	[ "inner_seeing", "just_reading" ]	true	Reading without experiencing words — text comprehension happened but inner seeing dominated	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	5.2	5	Typing philosophy paper, saying aloud 'forced to reckon with my maker'	Experiencing typing and speaking synchronized. Simultaneously feeling 'deeply thoughtful,' encompassing sensory, feeling, and cognitive dimensions.	[ "feeling", "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	5.3	5	Experiencing stomach pain; attempting self-calming	Intense anxiety as 'whirlwind of emotion and catastrophic thoughts' (including concerns about liver failure and mortality) alongside doom sensation. Whirlwind described as 'horizontally swirling like an actual whirlwind except with no vertical motion.' Concurrent rational self-soothing process.	[ "feeling", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true	Multiple centers of gravity	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	6.1	6	Reading textbook aloud: 'made it possible to identify sleep states'	Reading occupied ~50% of experience. Simultaneously (~40%) viewing out-of-body visualization — self flying toward cottage from first-person perspective. Also (~10%) perceiving sleep-study laboratory visualization.	[ "inner_seeing", "inner_speaking" ]	true	Three simultaneous experiential threads	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	6.2	6	Silently reading text about chronotypes and circadian rhythms	Clearly visualizing elderly man with white hair watering plants in early morning garden, in color. Man viewed from left side holding hose in right hand. Image illustrated the text's content about older adults waking earlier.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	Representative of frequent while-reading imagery (9 of 11 reading samples showed visualization)	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	6.3	6	Watching paranormal TV show, sipping coffee	Pondering hypothetical personal paranormal experience. Possibly experiencing spooked sensation and coffee sensation, though confidence about direct apprehension remained low.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	false	Low confidence sample	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	7.1	7	Reading text	Innerly articulating 'went mad' in own voice while reading. Simultaneously visualizing young girl in professor's apartment scene in color and motion. Concurrent inner question: 'Do all poets really die young?' in own voice. Two simultaneous inner utterances.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing" ]	true	Two simultaneous inner speaking streams	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	7.2	7	Reading material about professor and student	Speaking words aloud while reading. Viewing professor seducing young student scene. Simultaneous feelings: disgust with innocence-loss, empathic recognition of professor's desperation, empathic perception of girl's fear.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing", "feeling" ]	true	Multiple simultaneous feelings	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	7.3	7	Reading same story	Speaking words in own voice during reading. Viewing professor entering building to copy girl's personal details. Simultaneously experiencing marveling at professor's obsession — combining feeling and cognitive aspects.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing", "feeling" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	8.1	8	Reading 'graduate students interested in neuroscience'	Speaking words aloud while reading. Simultaneously viewing entrance to UNLV library and surrounding trees, clear, detailed, and in color.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	8.2	8	Driving while listening to Scottish bagpipes	Visualizing soldier in traditional Celtic garb (dark kilt, belt, sword) on Scottish highland hill. Clearly rendered except undifferentiated face; green tall grass, hills, mountains visible. Concurrent unworded wondering about Celtic clan-era life. Driving absent from awareness.	[ "inner_seeing", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true	Driving again absent from awareness	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	8.3	8	Continuing to drive while listening to Scottish bagpipes	Visualizing self dressed in traditional Scottish attire (belt, tartan shawl, dress) as if living during Celtic clan times. Dual perspective: face viewed frontally and body viewed straight-on simultaneously — physically impossible viewpoint.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	Dual perspective — two impossible-in-reality viewpoints simultaneously	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	8.4	8	Texting with distressed neighbor about child discipline	Simultaneously seeing and hearing distressed neighbor. Face perceived clearly and accurately. Voice heard distinctly as upset but without differentiated words.	[ "inner_seeing", "feeling" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	8.5	8	Taking class notes (writing on autopilot)	Attempting to remember ear anatomy. Visualizing own previously-drawn ear illustration, rendered as colors only — purple, red, and black. Shape indeterminate.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	Low-clarity visual — colors without clear form	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	8.6	8	Driving home while daughter cries loudly in car seat from heat	Asking daughter to wait until pull-over possible. Two emotions: frustration (bodily tension and overwhelmed sensory experience) plus defeat/acceptance (recognizing helplessness about daughter's distress).	[ "feeling", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	9.1	9	Reading notes containing 'rapid reduction in depression'	Innerly hearing self articulate phrase while reading, triggering memory visualization of self and brother in car during dishonesty incident. Concurrent wondering about whether liars recognize deception — involving both cognizing and a 'bodily readiness' sensation.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	9.2	9	Reading text with 'mobile wanderer/nomadic exclusion'	Hearing and speaking words while reading. Rapid 'blip-like' visualization of nomad in sandy desert. Concurrent searching for descriptive language about land-disconnected individuals. Possible subtle full-body tingling.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	9.3	9	Searching online 'Where was Hitler born?' (result: Austria)	Predominantly (70%) wondering how individuals accomplish horrific acts. Feeling combines empathic perspective with mental-emotional space-clearing. Simultaneously (30%) visualizing green rolling hills representing Austria.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking", "inner_seeing", "feeling" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	9.4	9	Speaking aloud 'exilic' and typing into Google search	Primarily (80%) wanting dictionary definition with mild excitement ('mentally and physically perked up') anticipating answer. Simultaneously (10% each) speaking aloud and typing.	[ "feeling", "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	9.6	9	FaceTiming with daughter about homework	Mostly (60%) frustration and overwhelm — mental tension (90%) with slight physical tension (10%) as wound-up sensation. Simultaneously (40%) blurting 'Just come home! Just come home!'	[ "feeling", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	10.1	10	Two-year-old son reaching into scissors-containing drawer	Feeling 'patiently frustrated' — simultaneously frustrated and patient. Consciously choosing to emphasize patience over frustration. Experience 'folded back on herself' — noticing dual emotions while actively choosing.	[ "feeling", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true	Meta-awareness of own emotional state	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	10.2	10	Listening and singing along to guitar-learning song; searching for chords online	Singing more-or-less automatically with slight self-awareness. Feeling excited 'like on the edge of her seat waiting for search results.' Concurrent wondering about chord difficulty. Meta-awareness of noticing emotion and thinking.	[ "feeling", "unsymbolized_thinking", "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	10.3	10	Looking in freezer considering family food preferences	Primarily (90%) analytical thinking about which foods family will eat and donate to brother. Simultaneously visualizing brother's face. Also (10%) meta-awareness of daughter's cereal question and Lena's mindless sing-songy response.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	10.4	10	After phone call with agitated woman who said 'please hold'	Overcoming initial personal offense via inner 'soulful wisdom' suggesting charitable interpretation: 'Let's give her the benefit of the doubt. We can't always know what other people are feeling.' Meta-awareness commenting on her own reaction.	[ "inner_speaking", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	11.1	11	Contemplating house maintenance; friend discussing video; door stuck	Three concurrent experiences: (60%) unworded thinking about house upkeep, (30%) hearing friend's video discussion, (10%) speaking aloud 'fricken frack!' about stuck door.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking", "sensory_awareness", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	11.2	11	Reviewing daughter Milla's schoolwork	Experiencing pride and awe at Milla's talent. Realization that Milla developed artistic ability. 'Feeling and thinking seem inextricable.'	[ "feeling", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	11.3	11	Discussing closet reorganization with friend	Rapidly alternating mental visualizations (fractions of seconds each) of drawers in different organizational configurations. Speech occurred concurrently but was minority of experience.	[ "inner_seeing", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	11.4	11	Phone conversation with brother about consciousness, not attending to him	Two distinct simultaneous centers: (1) analytical thinking about how bodily injury impacts consciousness, (2) deeply empathic sensing of devastation experienced by severely injured person losing consciousness — entering into the 'what's-the-point, defeated feeling.' The analytical center 'senses' the empathic center's ...	[ "unsymbolized_thinking", "feeling" ]	true	Exemplar of the 'sensing' phenomenon. Lena used 'sense/sensing' 69+ times across nine days.	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Lena	University student, initially believed she had constant internal monologue	11.5	11	Phone conversation with brother about genetics	Upon hearing 'human DNA,' visualizing double helix in bluish tones against pinkish background. Each word or phrase triggering a separate visualization — systematic word-by-word illustration.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	Systematic illustrative imagery triggered by individual words	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, PMC8370856
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	1.1	1	Watching 'Survivor' TV show	Paying attention to the show, following along, with nothing else in direct experience.	[ "just_doing" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	1.2	1	Editing video about previous experience	Unsymbolized thinking: 'a dark, crazy, or otherwise juicy thought would have been better' — idea present without words, pictures, or symbols.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	1.5	1	Watching Domino's commercial	Innerly says in matter-of-fact tone: 'His parents should stop buying him pizza.'	[ "inner_speaking" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	1.6	1	Playing video game	Innerly sees word 'ya' while simultaneously saying/hearing 'I'm gonna text ya' in own voice.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	2.1	2	Studying medical textbook	70% innerly saying while reading 'embolic ischemia,' trying unsuccessfully to visualize it.	[ "inner_speaking" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	2.3	2	Waiting for printout after doctor communication	Innerly sees and hears the doctor say 'I'll do it but I'm going to discontinue care' — doctor visible but not detailed, speaking in Ryan's own voice.	[ "inner_seeing", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	2.5	2	Studying with eyes closed	Innerly sees the shape of the study-guide paragraph (about 3/4 down page) — shape and thickness only, no words or details.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	2.6	2	Considering response to doctor's curt message	Stream-of-consciousness thinking with multiple attempts. Innerly hears sarcastic: 'I really appreciate the generous amount of time you put into your response.' Feels angry energy in chest.	[ "inner_speaking", "feeling" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	3.4	3	Zoom lecture about lab test terminology	Imagines telling preceptor 'Bun...I mean B-U-N. Sorry, I'm working on that' while embarrassed. Sees hospital room as 'undifferentiated white space' and preceptor as 'merely a white coat.'	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing", "feeling" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	3.5	3	Eyes on EKG textbook picture but barely seeing it	Feels hungry as physical stomach sensation. Innerly sees grocery store parking lot clearly.	[ "sensory_awareness", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	4.6	4	Zoom lecture on carotenosis	Reminded of grandmother's leg lesion. Innerly sees grandmother's leg clearly and realistically. Innerly says to classmate Julia: 'Do you think this is AK?' as if texting her a picture.	[ "inner_seeing", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	5.6	5	Sitting quietly	Feels dull pain in upper back/neck area and is experientially exploring the pain, noticing sensations and their boundaries.	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	5.7	5	Sitting outside listening to music	Feels radiant heat of sun on right arm, simultaneously hears rhythm of music, and simultaneously hears loud plane overhead.	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	6.1	6	Watching podcast about someone claiming broken ribs	Thinking without words: 'some people are medically illiterate so you shouldn't trust what people report about medical issues.' Classic unsymbolized thinking.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	7.2	7	In turbulent airplane	Feels adrenaline/anxiety primarily as tightness/energy diffusely in chest. Innerly says 'This is out of your control' (attempting self-calm).	[ "feeling", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	9.3	9	Reading book	Innerly says in own voice as reads: 'My dream placed me at the center of Being itself.' Simultaneously innerly sees 'rust-colored, dark maroon-ish domey shape' understood as cathedral.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	9.6	9	Sees one TV remote where two should be	Feels the presence of the second remote to the right as if some radiating feeling/sense from the remote itself impacts Ryan's body.	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	false		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Ryan	PA student, believed in constant inner monologue	10.5	10	Group chat game: 'What sport more entertaining if players drunk?'	Innerly sees clearly a drunk 13-year-old Indian boy on spelling bee stage saying in slurred voice to mother: 'I didn't even want to do this, Mom!' Boy swaying/off-balance. Feels amused/joyful partly in chest.	[ "inner_seeing", "feeling", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt & Krumm, IEO Ryan Langdon
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	1.1	1	Dealing with bloody nose while talking	Muscle sensation below lower lip (70%), chest tightness (15%), head fullness (15%).	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	1.2	1	Speaking to someone	Tongue pressure sensation (60%), word 'Thurs' present (40%) but no auditory experience of it.	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	1.3	1	Reading	Word 'Dogwood' unfolding while reading (60%), non-symbolic thinking about family dynamics (40%).	[ "just_reading", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	2.1	2	Looking at sidewalk	Visual awareness of sunlight splotch on cement.	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	false		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	2.6	2	Listening to music	Inner hearing of Bach Brandenburg Concerto #2, first movement, at 5th beat of recorder solo.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	Inner hearing of specific musical passage	Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	3.4	3	Working on writing problem	Crystallization of writing solution — 'Aha, here's what to write!' without details present.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	false		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	4.2	4	Working at computer	Letters 'n't' present (80%), visual white circular region with fading edges as creation of mind (30%), blankness of thinking/planning.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	5.1	5	Eating strawberry	Tactile sensations only: coolness and squishiness of flesh, crunchiness of leaves. No taste in experience.	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	6.2	6	Outdoors	Inner chorus of multiple Sadies singing. Visual awareness of green lichen pattern on tree bark.	[ "inner_speaking", "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	6.3	6	Walking	Inner singing of 'Heartbeat' with consonant jumbles replacing unknown lyrics, sung at higher pitch than Sadie's capability.	[ "inner_speaking" ]	false		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	6.4	6	Gardening with trowel	Mostly nothing/waiting (80%), sharp pressure in right index finger from trowel (15%), idle soil vision (nearly 0%).	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	7.3	7	Birding through binoculars	Visual awareness of bird streaks through binoculars (50%), visual awareness of chest's lack of dots (50%).	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	8.1	8	Waiting	Blank mind/waiting for external event (70%), visual brightness of bread crumb (30%).	[ "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Sadie	Journalist, prosopagnosia, aphantasia, minimal inner monologue	8.2	8	Doing something mundane	Nothing/waiting experience (50%), inner singing of Adele song at higher pitch with sensed instrumental backing (50%).	[ "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Sadie Dingfelder
Amber	College senior	1.1	1	Making baked ziti, putting mozzarella on top	Words 'what's another few cents for the bigger bag' present but not heard, spoken, or seen. No direct experience of cooking action.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	false		Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	2.4	2	Video call journal club, someone said her point first	Panic ('Oh no! Shoot! What now?!') as entirely mental phenomenon plus eyes darting toward article. Two separate experiences.	[ "feeling", "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	2.5	2	Lab meeting about boxing study recruitment	Surprise as external sensation a few inches outside and above the back left of head, physically lifting face/neck. Possibly simultaneous cognitive recognition of interest without words.	[ "feeling" ]	true	Surprise experienced as spatially located outside the head	Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	4.1	4	Lab mate mentioned monitor height for neck pain	Three equal aspects: innerly seeing blurry first-person conversation memory; feeling neck pain/tension; unsymbolized thinking about coincidence. None particularly clear.	[ "inner_seeing", "sensory_awareness", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	5.2	5	Watching Law and Order SVU, Olivia's neck cut scene	Seeing a still image of Fin holding napkin despite actual scene being in motion. Creative seeing — experienced as watching TV but not matching reality.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	First clear example of 'creative seeing' — perception diverges from objective reality	Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	5.4	5	Reviewing PowerPoint about passive diffusion	Cognitively contemplating (~60%) relationship between diffusion and concentration gradients — inchoate, nonspecific. Simultaneously seeing (~40%) blurry red square without dots or text (creative seeing of actual slide).	[ "unsymbolized_thinking", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	6.4	6	Walking outside	Producing and innerly hearing Taylor Swift singing, slowed down so rhythm matched Amber's footsteps, with no pitch change.	[ "inner_speaking" ]	false	Inner singing tempo-locked to walking rhythm	Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	7.3	7	Reading, eyes returning to page after distraction	Simultaneously seeing and reading words 'few white lies' — more than just seeing, less than semantic understanding. Three words as single unit. Words understood as words but not semantically meaningful.	[ "just_reading" ]	false	Words without meaning — characteristic Amber phenomenon	Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	8.6	8	Eating baked potato, getting sour cream from container	Seeing (80%) fork lifting butter/sour cream underneath — still, exaggeratedly close-up (closer than reality), no background. Creative seeing. Simultaneously tasting (20%) baked potato.	[ "inner_seeing", "sensory_awareness" ]	true	Creative seeing: zoomed-in, still, no background	Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	9.3	9	Watching The Office with dad, eating ramen	Seeing (70%) dad as freeze-frame disrupted by ramen entering from bottom, chopsticks absent (creative seeing). Simultaneously (30%) bare word 'niece' with no semantic meaning.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	9.4	9	Walking to unplug iPad from charger	Seeing iPad against wall with four creative-seeing divergences from reality: sees four feet not two, straight not leaning, continuous wall not doorway edge, pink rectangle not curved edges.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false	Creative seeing documented with four specific divergences	Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Amber	College senior	10.6	10	Watching YouTube video about card game developer with creature animations	Seeing gold bug-like creature — nothing else visible (artist, creation process, background all obliterated). Creative seeing.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	false		Hurlburt & Kaneshiro, IEO Amber G.
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	1.3	1	Eye contact with young girl in parade	Internally heard himself say 'Aawwkward' plus feeling 'maybe it would have been better if he had smiled/waved.'	[ "inner_speaking", "feeling" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	1.6	1	Trying to recall Vietnamese salad name	Internally saw 'bits of purple and white' (cabbage/chicken) plus an incomplete syllable as placeholder for the salad name.	[ "inner_seeing", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	2.2	2	Discussing names for new car	Spoke aloud 'Billie' while simultaneously seeing 'Billie' printed in tall, large, italicized black letters on white background.	[ "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	2.3	2	Cleaning patio, seeking a rag	50% spoke aloud 'I'll use a rag I suppose' (interrupted mid-word), 50% innerly seeing black sock rag on closet shelf. Not visually experiencing external world despite walking through it.	[ "inner_speaking", "inner_seeing" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	3.4	3	Crossing street after locking bike	75% internally repeating bike combination '1-4-7; 1-4-7; 1-4-7' (transitioning from speaking to hearing own voice), 25% internally asking 'should I wear the beeper?' (questioning bank appropriateness).	[ "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	4.4	4	Having wine with partner overlooking valley	Directly apprehended thought 'could still ski' without words or symbols — as experienced skier observing familiar slopes.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	false	Classic unsymbolized thinking in a knowledgeable context	Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	5.4	5	Walking dog, looking at ground	Internally hearing instrumental portion of 'Come in Alone' as if from recording, while simultaneously seeing flat flashing and glowing pink patches (5-10% of left visual field, from album cover colors) superimposed on real-world view.	[ "inner_seeing", "sensory_awareness" ]	true	Inner hearing of music with synesthetic-like visual overlay	Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	6.3	6	Texting sister 'TMS'	Four simultaneous strands: (a) physically seeing 'TMS' on screen, (b) analytically thinking whether to explain (without words), (c) innerly speaking 'How' (actively, as if to someone), (d) innerly hearing 'am I going to explain...' (passive/heard quality). Speaking and hearing experienced as very different despite same...	[ "inner_speaking", "unsymbolized_thinking", "sensory_awareness" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	8.3	8	Reading Norwegian orange juice carton	Simultaneously (a) realizing understood English meaning of 'om dagen' without articulating 'per day,' and (b) realizing text was part of healthy-eating campaign — both directly present before consciousness without words.	[ "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	8.5	8	Heard sneeze-like sound from outside window	Internally hearing same sound but as words 'duck shoe!' — applying semantic meaning to external sound; re-hearing with altered semantic value.	[ "inner_speaking" ]	false	Remarkable: semantic reinterpretation of external sound	Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	9.1	9	Semi-asleep, vivid dream of bright red farm equipment	Shape kept changing as he circled it. Thinks without words or images: 'I can't get to the other side.'	[ "inner_seeing", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Phil	PhD, cognitive neuroscience writer	10.6	10	On patio removing sweater, glanced at neighbor	Innerly seeing himself from neighbor's perspective — head to toe in green shirt, patio and house in background. Plus internally saying something like 'think I'm weird.'	[ "inner_seeing", "inner_speaking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Phil Jaekl
Joe	Neuroscientist and writer, researching book The Quiet Mind	1.2	1	Writing about circadian rhythms, typed 'suprachiasmatic nucleus'	Wondered if term was too academic. Inner vision showed 'jargony' and 'dense' alternating on white page. Also saw the term on screen.	[ "inner_seeing", "unsymbolized_thinking" ]	true		Hurlburt, IEO Joe Jebelli

End of preview. Expand in Data Studio

DES Beep Corpus

A structured corpus of 195 beep-moment experience descriptions from Russell Hurlburt's Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) research — the most rigorous method ever developed for investigating the contents of inner experience.

What is DES?

Descriptive Experience Sampling asks participants to wear a beeper that sounds at random intervals throughout the day. At each beep, the participant freezes their experience and jots notes about whatever was in their awareness at the last undisturbed moment before the beep. The next day, a trained interviewer (Hurlburt) conducts an in-depth interview about each beep, carefully distinguishing what was directly apprehended from what was inferred, assumed, or retrospectively constructed.

The method has produced some of the most surprising findings in consciousness research: many people have no inner speech, imagery varies wildly between individuals, and most people's pre-study beliefs about their own inner experience turn out to be wrong.

Dataset Structure

Each entry represents a single beep moment:

Field	Type	Description
`participant`	string	Participant name or pseudonym
`participant_info`	string	Brief description of participant
`sample_id`	string	Beep identifier (e.g., "3.2" = day 3, beep 2)
`sampling_day`	int	Which day of sampling
`context`	string	What the person was doing externally
`experience`	string	Detailed description of inner experience at the moment of the beep
`categories`	list[string]	DES codebook categories (see below)
`multiple_centers`	bool	Whether multiple simultaneous experiences were present
`notes`	string	Additional methodological or interpretive notes
`source`	string	Publication or data source

DES Categories

From Hurlburt's codebook of the "five frequent phenomena":

inner_speaking — Words experienced as spoken or heard in one's own voice (or another voice)
inner_seeing — Visual imagery not from the eyes — mental images, visualizations, memories
unsymbolized_thinking — Thinking a specific, articulable thought without any words, images, or other symbols
feeling — An emotional experience directly apprehended (not inferred)
sensory_awareness — Heightened attention to a sensory experience (taste, touch, sound, color, etc.)

Additional categories used where the five frequent phenomena don't apply:

just_doing / just_talking / just_reading — Engaged in activity with nothing else in experience

Coverage

Participant	Samples	Source
Lena	39	Krumm & Hurlburt 2021 (PMC8370856) + IEO website
Mel	20	IEO website
Ryan	18	IEO website
Joe	14	IEO website
Sadie	14	IEO website
Michael (Pollan)	13	IEO website
Amber	12	IEO website
Kerry	12	IEO website
Phil	12	IEO website
Evan	10	IEO website
Gabriel	10	IEO website
Tristan	10	IEO website
Gualtiero	7	IEO website
Melanie	4	Describing Inner Experience? (MIT Press)

14 participants, 195 samples total.

Key Findings Visible in the Data

69% of samples involve multiple simultaneous experiences. Inner life is usually not one thing at a time.
Mel had zero inner speech and zero visual imagery across her entire sampling — her experience was dominated by bodily sensation or outright nothing.
Lena believed she had constant inner monologue but showed zero instances of it after her training day. She instead developed a "sensing" phenomenon — empathic multi-perspective experience.
Amber exhibits "creative seeing" — her visual perception routinely diverges from objective reality (still images during motion, simplified scenes, exaggerated close-ups).
Sadie (prosopagnosia/aphantasia) experiences partial words and letter fragments without semantics.
Gualtiero (philosopher of mind) had no inner speech across 8 sampling days and spontaneously spoke in made-up Italian.

Raw Data Sources

All data was extracted from publicly available published sources:

"The Case of Lena" — Krumm & Hurlburt 2021, Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences
- Paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8370856/
"Inner Experience Of..." (IEO) — Ongoing public DES investigations hosted at UNLV
- Main page: https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu/ieo/
- Each participant has a sampling page with interview transcripts (PDF), videos (YouTube), and condensed sample descriptions
- Participants: Ryan, Sadie, Olivia, Amber, Phil, Joe, Gabriel, Michael (Pollan), Mel, Kerry, Tristan, Gualtiero, Evan, Lena
"Describing Inner Experience? Proponent Meets Skeptic" — Hurlburt & Schwitzgebel 2007, MIT Press
- Companion site with full transcripts: https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu/mitwebsite/
- Participant: Melanie (pseudonym), 6 interview sessions, 17 beep moments

Limitations

Experience descriptions are extracted summaries, not verbatim transcripts. The full interview transcripts (available at the URLs above) contain much richer back-and-forth discussion about each beep.
Category assignments are editorial judgments based on Hurlburt's codebook, not always matching his exact classifications.
Not all beeps from each participant are included — some sessions had beeps that were skipped or deemed unreliable.
Olivia's sampling page lacked detailed descriptions, so she is not represented.
Only 4 of Melanie's 17 beep moments are included (from transcript 1).

Citation

If you use this dataset, please cite the original researchers:

@article{krumm2021lena,
  title={A complete, unabridged, "pre-registered" descriptive experience sampling investigation: The case of Lena},
  author={Krumm, Alek E and Hurlburt, Russell T},
  journal={Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences},
  volume={22},
  number={1},
  pages={267--319},
  year={2021},
  publisher={Springer}
}

@book{hurlburt2007describing,
  title={Describing Inner Experience? Proponent Meets Skeptic},
  author={Hurlburt, Russell T and Schwitzgebel, Eric},
  year={2007},
  publisher={MIT Press}
}

License

CC-BY-4.0. The underlying research data is publicly available from the sources listed above.

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