This. Subverbal thinking IS the switch. When you start to think in a language, or even dream in a language, that's when you know the switch has flipped.
When I was living in Spain I definitely started dreaming in Spanish (it's weird to describe... ) and I know foreign friends of mine have shared similar experiences where they started dreaming in English in the US.
Haven't flipped the switch on my Portuguese yet, but I'm trying..