There is constant dialogue going on in the annals of
my mind. My
inner voice is never silent for a great period of time except when I
sleep. As I type this, my inner voice sounds out words in my head, and pronounces them
silently as I see them appear on the screen. Sometimes the internal dialogue rambles, but most of the time I hear a distinct inner voice that I consider to be my
consciousness.
When I read, I look at a word and it is pronounced by my inner voice. My inner dialogue continues, either following the stream of words, or as so often happens, wandering off on a tangent until I remember all of a sudden that I was reading.
What would I be without my internal dialogue? With my inner voice gone. I have been told that some psychoactive drugs can cause this effect. I've also been told it's a scary thing. You are no longer you. For some people this may be an enjoyable experience, for others it may not. Regardless, I must admit that the idea of not being capable of considering, and having my actions done before I intend to do them scares me.
I presume that everyone else has an internal dialogue, or at least something similar, though I have never really asked anyone. It is one of those things that seems so absolute that you wouldn't think to wonder. But... who knows?