Yes, I can hear words in my mind with my own inner voice and also the tone and the rhythm of words. Sometimes this hearing ability is very clear and it’s possible to hear words like the name of your cat’s best friend. It’s often more subtle than the images we perceive from animals. I’ve had 15 years training in the art of listening when I worked as a theatre stage manager and spent a lot of my time in silence, waiting for an actor’s line or director’s instruction.