What are internal mental states?

Internal mental states are the feelings and thoughts inside your head that help you understand what’s going on around you.

Imagine you have a magic box inside your brain, not literally magic, but it works like one! This box holds everything you feel, think, or imagine. When you're happy, sad, excited, or confused, that's your internal mental state at work.

Think of the playground: when you see your favorite friend, you might jump for joy, that’s a happy internal mental state. If someone takes your toy, you might feel upset, that’s a sad internal mental state. Just like how different games make you feel different things, your brain uses these feelings to help you know what to do next.

Your mind is like a weather report: it tells you if you're going to be calm and quiet (like a sunny day) or stormy and loud (like a rainy day). These internal mental states help you decide whether to run, hide, laugh, or cry, all without needing anyone else to tell you what to do!