Psychologists have launched a study to find out why some people who hear voices in their head consider it a positive experience while others find it distressing.
The University of Manchester investigation – announced on World Hearing Voices Day (Thursday, 14th September) – comes after Dutch researchers found that many healthy members of the population there regularly hear voices.
Although hearing voices has traditionally been viewed as ‘abnormal’ and a symptom of mental illness, the Dutch findings suggest it is more widespread than previously thought, estimating that about 4% of the population could be affected.
Researcher Aylish Campbell said: “We know that many members of the general population hear voices but have never felt the need to access mental health services; some experts even claim that more people hear voices and don’t seek psychiatric help than those who do.
“In fact, many of those affected describe their voices as being a positive influence in their lives, comforting or inspiring them as they go about their daily business. We’re now keen to investigate why some people respond in this way while others are distressed and seek outside help.”
Although the voices heard by psychiatric patients and members of the general population seem to be of the same volume and frequency, the former group tend to interpret the voices as more distressing and negative.
The team believes that external factors such as a person’s life experiences and beliefs may be the key to these differences: for example, the presence of childhood trauma or negative beliefs about themselves could have an affect.
“If a person is struggling to overcome a trauma or views themselves as worthless or vulnerable, or other people as aggressive, they may be more likely to interpret their voices as harmful, hostile or powerful,” said Aylish.
“Conversely, a person who has had more positive life experiences and formed more healthy beliefs about themselves and other people might develop a more positive view of their voices.
“People being treated for hearing voices are usually given medication in an attempt to eliminate the problem. By investigating the factors influencing how voices are experienced we hope to contribute to the development of psychological therapies to help people better understand and cope with their voices.”
i’ve been hearing voices in my head since i was a child and it seems like they only come out at night and they tell me things that i dont want to hear and the more i try to egnore them the more aggresive they get so i dont know if i should just try to block em out or just let them say what they want and the sad part is they are right on the thing they tell me bit sometime i radther no know about em
I get those. I had it last night after months of nothing. It’s loud, strong, powerful and scary.
I use Ambien to put me to sleep. The voices may still be there but I zonk out and ignore them till I wake.
i see a normal moving picture of groups of people together at the inside of a school and hear their voices in my head but i never remember the words but its like seeing popural people just talking and laughing and making jokes with other people. i never see the images on purpose and it never bothered me. its like seeing a moving screen of just people talking and laughing and i hear the things they say. but this only happens when i close my eyes when im trying to sleep. im never asleep when i see the normal flashing images of people. it drifts off in my head a few times and im curious what it is
if you have information on this than thanks for the info
I can help!
Voices are demons bugging you because their uninvited and bored as hell.
Here are the steps required to stop the nonsense:
1) Ask God/Jesus to help you, ask for forgiveness and guidance
2) Check your PH and if its high alkaline bring it down a notch as demons have a tougher time communicating
3) Dont be startled and dont give them attention, they feed from this.
4) Go to a church and ask for a priest to pray for you, tends to speed up the messaging process sometimes.
They are real dont fool yourself…
This fella think hes calling God out…demons light up like a light in the sky
They also go in your head and speak to YOU and this little girls that believes is talking to some other god. look exactly at 1:12 just under her right ear you will see it fly out.
There’s some proof now deal with the reality! Cheers and God bless
PS dont do drugs/Pharmaceuticals!
This is interesting. The voices I hear are both comforting and distressing at the same time, so I don’t know what to make of that. Sadly the shrinks are about as much help as a broken teacup and the medication doesn’t help the voices. Hell, the medication seems to make everything worse! God, I wish I wasn’t alive sometimes.
dont take it the hard way
I ve experianced some voice hearing in the past but it wasnt discomforting or the opposite at all, i was saved by a car when i heard a voice in my head towards a direction and i jumped over that direction evading the car , wierd think is , i had my headphones on and couldnt hear a think and i also have a hearing problem but i heard that voice soooo loud and clear even though i couldnt make sence what it was saying . What are you going through?
i know the felling but gust remember that the voices are there for a reason, not bad but mabe if you talk to them it would be easier on life to know why they are there and tell them that your the one how runs your life not them
i have trouble with them all day and im in hairschool…….i just want it to stop….
She layed her head on the pillow curling under the crinkled sheet. She was fearful to close her eyes as the images would no doubt be there waiting in that black world.
“you can’t fall asleep so why even try? No one likes you and you are wasting your time waking up every morning. You should just get up and walk to the kitchen. There is a knife there, you know the one you sharpened to cut your tomato. Take that knife and plunge it in your chest and then you will feel better. I will be quite if you do that, I will never bother you again.”
She tried to think of all the things that were good in her life and of all the reasons why she had to live but the voice just wouldn’t allow her to think very long.
“Look at you, you are so pathetic. You can’t even think of a good reason to stay alive now can you. Oh what, you think he actually cares about you? Ha! He will leave you just like all the others and then all you will be left with is me. You know it and I know it, why not just give in and take that short walk to the kitchen?”
She closed her eyes and the clawed hand of a beast was reaching at her from the depths of the darkness. SHe tried hard to think of things that were pleasant to combat the evil but all the flowers she imagined wilted and dried up turning to fire then ash. All of the laughs of children on playgrounds morphed into screams. Her breathing started to race along with her thoughts. Panic set in. The back of her neck was leaking sweat and she rolled over in bed opening her eyes to stare out the window and up at the moon.
“I’m not going away, you know that.” The voice echoed to the back of her head. She slowly stood up adjusting her night gown and stretching her legs then silently walked down the hall way toward the kitchen.
if she trys hard anof and not lets him contrul her she can contrul him when he yells, yell back dont take no for a answer and remember there are people how love you no matter what your going throw
Hearing voices I think is just a normal thing. Because sometimes it happens to me. Especially if I am in a situation that I have to make a decision. There’s like a tiny voice inside my head telling me what to do. They said it’s my conscience. I don’t know if it’s right. Do you think I have to see a psychiatrist?
If you’re just thinking about a situation, this I think is normal. It happens to me when I’m thinking hard about something, and it’s definitely different from the actual voices I hear. I would only recommend for you to see a psychiatrist if you are feeling depressed for a long period of time.
i also heard a voice in my head once , when i didnt had any sleep for more than 24 hours , so i guess there are more
kinds of voices
well not necessarily. i say if the voice is positive, it’s gotta be a good thing. that is, if it’s say, congratulating you or giving you advice on how to keep out of trouble or harm. but if you’re like me and one day another voice comes out of nowhere and starts turning down everything the first voice says and they get into an argument and that starts to happen quite often, then i’d say yes haha
yea i get that but i always everynight hear my name getting called by this girl.. she’s quiet at one point of time and loud at others.. but it almost seems like she’s calling my name for help.. i get the thoughts that i need to save this girl but i don’t know how to reach her cause i know i can’t see her like i know she’s either in my head or she’s a spirit.. i jus need an answer to what this could be…
i have negative voices in my head saying i hate you and its creeping me out it only affects me at night.. i belive because of my life. family problems.. problems at school
any ideas though about sleep? I can’t silence the voices. So it’s so hard to fall asleep.
Start with your primary care doctor and get a sleeping pill like Ambien or lunesta ordered. Sometimes when you are able to have a good night’s sleep, the voices will go away during the day. If that does not work have a mental health eval by a psychiatrist. You may need a different med to control stress etc. to stop the taunting of the voices. Also if you focus on saying your prayers every night , this is very helpful too,