History Main / InnerThoughtsOutsiderPuzzlement

[[quoteright:300:[[WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kronk_dramatic.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Above is what Kronk sees; a dramatic [[GoodAngelBadAngel inner conflict between good and evil]].\\

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' has an episode where the Plantars get taken by some dangerous wildlife, causing Anne to have a stress-induced hallucination of Sprig for the remainder of the episode as she attempts to rescue them from being eaten. Interestingly enough, Anne is fully aware that she's just hallucinating, but thanks the hallucination for their guidance and help anyway, while the actual Sprig questions what she's doing.

Ofter revealed via CuttingBackToReality. Compare and contrast NotSoDire, (where an audience is misled by serious-sounding dialogue into believing that a situation is critically important when it's actually over a much more trivial matter) AntiClimaxCut, and ActingOutADaydream. Compare the various "[[TalkingIsAFreeAction x]] [[TransformationIsAFreeAction is a]] [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction free action]]" tropes, PlotTime, ImagineSpotting, and CaughtMonologuing. Can overlap with, or be a sort of meta FailedAttemptAtDrama.

-->'''Azai:''' Who are you listening too?

** In [[Recap/DragonBallZAbridgedCV3 the third "Cell vs." video]], (where BigBad Cell takes on the stars of various other series/franchises in the week before the heroes will formally face him in his tournament) as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XJKbvEPuFQ Cell fights Ryu and Ken]] from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', Ryu has to suddenly wrestle with [[TheDarkSide the Dark Hadou]]. From Ryu's point of view, we see a dark, evil energy enveloping him and trying to take control of his body. As he tries to avoid being taken over, we switch to Cell's point of view and see the scene as he does: all he sees is Ryu (who came off as a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} who was spouting {{Ice Cream Koan}}s when they first met) on his knees for no reason while twitching and mumbling to himself.

** In [[Recap/DragonBallZAbridgedE60Part3 part 3 of Episode 60]], Goku uses King Kai's telepathic abilities to contact Gohan from the afterlife and Gohan sees a vision of his father's face in the sky, smiling down at him. Gohan smiles back, and while he's doing so Krillin notices Gohan smiling at nothing. Not being privy to the communication Gohan and Goku are sharing, Krillin looks at around in confusion to try to figure out why Gohan is smiling.

* Humorously referenced in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' during the dual between Yami and Marik. Kaiba starts to give an dramatic inner monologue about it, only to get interrupted by Yami's inner monologue, and somehow they have a conversation. Yami is surprised that Kaiba also monologues, to which an irritated Kaiba asks what he ''thought'' was happening whenever he would "stare off into space not talking for like ten minutes". Yami just assumed that he was being really slow. Their conversation is then interrupted by ''[[CloudCuckoolander Tristan's]]'' inner monologue, and it turns out he thought both them were really slow.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In the third season special "Really Loud Music", Luna is torn between what she should write her song about so the whole world will adore it; it is that point she begins hearing and witnessing her family randomly bursting into musical numbers suiting their respective images (Lana singing a toilet jam, Lola singing a show tune, Lori and Leni doing a silly love ballad, and so forth). When she questions them about each song, they claim they weren't singing. Lisa points out Luna is actually hallucinating her family singing as a result of her uncertainty and her brain trying to find the right sound for her song.

** In the ''Cell vs.'' videos, (where BigBad Cell takes on the stars of various other series/franchises) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XJKbvEPuFQ when Cell fights Ryu and Ken]] from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', Ryu has to suddenly wrestle with [[TheDarkSide the Dark Hadou]]. From Ryu's point of view, we see a dark, evil energy enveloping him and trying to take control of his body. As he tries to avoid being taken over, we switch to Cell's point of view and see the scene as he does: all he sees is Ryu (who came off as a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} who was spouting {{Ice Cream Koan}}s when they first met) on his knees for no reason while twitching and mumbling to himself.
--->'''Ryu:''' The-the Dark Hadou! It's coming out! I... can't control it... it's going to overtake me!\\

* In the ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' related ''Cell vs.'' videos, (where BigBad Cell takes on the stars of various other series/franchises) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XJKbvEPuFQ when Cell fights Ryu and Ken]] from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', Ryu has to suddenly wrestle with [[TheDarkSide the Dark Hadou]]. From Ryu's point of view, we see a dark, evil energy enveloping him and trying to take control of his body. As he tries to avoid being taken over, we switch to Cell's point of view and see the scene as he does: all he sees is Ryu (who came off as a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} who was spouting {{Ice Cream Koan}}s when they first met) on his knees for no reason while twitching and mumbling to himself.
-->'''Ryu:''' The-the Dark Hadou! It's coming out! I... can't control it... it's going to overtake me!\\

** And in the series proper along with ''WebAnimation/DragonShortZ'', fans have pointed out the fact that Piccolo talking in his head or aloud to [[SharingABody Nail and Kami]] results in this, though only the latter outright lampshaded it.

* In the ''WebVideo/DragonballZAbridged'' related ''Cell vs.'' videos, (where BigBad Cell takes on the stars of various other series/franchises) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XJKbvEPuFQ when Cell fights Ryu and Ken]] from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', Ryu has to suddenly wrestle with [[TheDarkSide the Dark Hadou]]. From Ryu's point of view, we see a dark, evil energy enveloping him and trying to take control of his body. As he tries to avoid being taken over, we switch to Cell's point of view and see the scene as he does: all he sees is Ryu (who came off as a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} who was spouting {{Ice Cream Koan}}s when they first met) on his knees for no reason while twitching and mumbling to himself.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'' has the title character and her [[VisitByDivorcedDad visiting father]] in a taxi. Here we learn that as Pepper Ann daydreams, as she frequently does throughout the series, she apparently acts them out. Her father is apparently acting out his own daydream at the same time, causing the taxi driver to wonder what's in the water.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'' has the title character and her [[VisitByDivorcedDad visiting father]] in a taxi. As Pepper Ann daydreams, as she frequently does, she apparently acts out her daydreams. Her father is apparently acting out his own daydream at the same time, causing the taxi driver to wonder what's in the water.

* ''VideoGame/{{Maat}}'': From Chapter 2, after Dani's finished talking to the spirit she's hosting:

* In ''Fanfic/HalfPastAdventure'', this sometimes happens to [[ElsewhereFic OC protagonist]] Macy during her frequent [[ImagineSpot Imagine Spots]].

-->'''Hun:''' Why do you keep doing that?! Who are you talking to?! '''THERE'S NO ONE THERE!!!'''

[[folder: Literature]]

* In ''Fanfic/CatRa'', throughout the first season, the Sword of Protection would reliably force Catra to relive a pivotal childhood memory, no matter where she is or what she may be doing. While this is happening, she's simply standing completely still and staring off into space for minutes at a time, to the concern or confusion of everyone around her. Catra even uses this to her advantage in the season finale, pretending to do this while fighting Adora so she can sneak in a free hit.

Ofter revealed via CuttingBackToReality. Compare and contrast NotSoDire, (where an audience is misled by serious-sounding dialogue into believing that a situation is critically important when it's actually over a much more trivial matter) AntiClimaxCut, and ActingOutADaydream. Compare the various "[[TalkingIsAFreeAction x]] [[TransformationIsAFreeAction is a]] [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction free action]]" tropes, PlotTime, ImagineSpotting, and CaughtMonologuing. Can overlap with, or be a sort of meta FailedAttemptAtDrama. Often combined with CuttingBackToReality.

-->--''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0046.html #46]]

Compare and contrast NotSoDire, (where an audience is misled by serious-sounding dialogue into believing that a situation is critically important when it's actually over a much more trivial matter) AntiClimaxCut, and ActingOutADaydream. Compare the various "[[TalkingIsAFreeAction x]] [[TransformationIsAFreeAction is a]] [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction free action]]" tropes, PlotTime, ImagineSpotting, and CaughtMonologuing. Can overlap with, or be a sort of meta FailedAttemptAtDrama. Often combined with CuttingBackToReality.

* The {{Cloudcuckoolander}} main character of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', J.D., is horribly prone to going off into {{Imagine Spot}}s at the drop of a dime when his friends say something that his imagination can seize a hold of. As time goes by, the other characters realize this and increasingly are shown reacting in various ways to J.D. getting lost in his own imagination, such as trying to snap him out of it, making themselves comfortable until his imagine spot is over so they cand pick the conversation up again, or even invoking an ImagineSpot and then standing around and watching him in amusement. Later it is also deconstructed and PlayedForDrama when we find out that J.D. ''has'' hurt himself due to how abrupt these {{Imagine Spot}}s are, and he does ''not'' keep note of his surroundings when they happen, making him trip, crash or mishandle stuff and his friends ''have'' tried to make him stop.

Compare and contrast NotSoDire, (where an audience is misled by serious-sounding dialogue into believing that a situation is critically important when it's actually over a much more trivial matter) AntiClimaxCut, and ActingOutADaydream. Compare the various "[[TalkingIsAFreeAction x]] [[TransformationIsAFreeAction is a]] [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction free action]]" tropes, PlotTime, ImagineSpotting, and CaughtMonologuing. Can overlap with, or be a sort of meta FailedAttemptAtDrama.

* Just before the final fight of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'', DIO apparently kills and drains the blood of [[spoiler:Joseph]] right in front of Jotaro. In the midst of DIO's EvilGloating, Jotaro has a vision of [[spoiler:Joseph's]] spirit leaving his body, complete with some last minute advice. DIO eventually notices Jotaro staring up at nothing and asks what he's looking at. The English dub of the scene can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DykiR0Qmh-s here]].