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.”
it started when i was 17 i useto talk to myself and then i realized
that i was talking to voices and they would call me names and
tell me to kill my parents and kill myself so i go to gateway counseling
center in the bronx its a program and we have groups and i learn how
to live with my illness and hearing voices the groups help alot and
i feel better everyday if anyone wants to go to gateway the number
is 1-718-325-5021 this program helps me alot and i never want to leave until the voices are gone completely but what i would want people to know is that the voices are fake and we are real all we
have to do is ignore them and try to live our lives because there
not that powerful there just voices.
i hear voices but i know that its just me that hears them
no one can hear what i hear there is alot of people that
hear voices but no one else can hear what they hear
everyone has there own voices and there not really there
the voices are just are mind not working right there fake
and no one can tell us that there real because we know
its fake so we need to live our lives however we want to
and ignore the fake voices and wake up and realize we are in the real world.
i hear them, i never did before but when i started meditating they started to talk, i think its spirits or im nuts im continuing the meditations to see what happens
Last night I had fallen asleep while I was watching a documentary about the hubble space telescope. I had only dozed off for about 30 mins when I half-woke up and noticed the documentary was finished playing and the computer screen was blank. I felt like I had to pee then I heard this deep and gentle right above my bed say, “get up”. and suddenly I woke up fully and went to the bathroom. It was really odd to hear such a realistic voice and to feel a presence. Makes me wonder if there are spirits or inter-dimensional beings in our universe sometimes.. lol
well things like this happens at night you know, they try to say something like a message because when its close to midnight they have a bit of free will to send something to somebody. there might be some kind of pressure on your arm or hand like sombody holding you, and you finnaly realize you have to do something but what??? its a thing that some people have to deal with and figure out the problem and solve it. and im only 16 and I know this kind stuff…….
Well…I’ve been hearing voices for a long time…Most just say my name, Most different voices. But I also have dreams…I’ll dream about…Say a new house my family will move into and..Voila! It happens, Certain scenes, And people I invision.
I find myself quite odd for stating and having said dreams and visions, And the voices in my head…
E-mail me, If you have similar issues…?
Mjames97@rocketmail.com
i hear voices n the tell me stuff like i need to die,or its my time nobody willl notice im gone,or they tell me there her to kill me n they hold my body down on my bed n i cant move n sometimes it feels they stoping me from breathing,i worry tht im going crazy becuz wen im in my brother room for the night they tell me to get out of his room or i will suffer and im afraid to go to the bathroom at night becuz everymove i make i feel im being watchd yet noone can hear them but me
i’ve had similar issues with voices calling my name
I have had visions for as long as I can remember. They give me massive headaches. The recent ones…are really bad. If someone…anyone…has shared these experiances, please email me. Please! I believe that when the apocalypse comes, we, the gifted will survive. We all need to stick together! We have to survive. Please, anyone else that feels the same way email me at dspiegel531@hotmail.com
i hear voices calling my name when i’m sure i’m alone
Ahh I read most of these stories along here. the only one I have is that I can hear my mum going ”JAAAAAMES” when I have my headphones in. well annoying because I keep taking them out everytime! but that nothing compared to you lot, I dont hear voices…
The only this that made me think I’m schizophrenic is that I do get paranoid sometimes, expecially when walking on my own. Pretty much every time I walk down any road, I feel like I’m not walking propperly or my arms are moving strange or legs are too robotic…. that has pissed me off for years but knowone has ever commented on my walk, I’m most likely just normal, only worrying…
But once my mate said I run like a horse, as in galloping haha. that might have triggered it.
Hope you all get better anyway! (;
for all my life I’ve been hearing voices in my head, some good, some bad. But for the last year or so they have been really strong and always blurting things they know i hate and they feel less like me then they used to and I’m always paranoid that someone is reading my mind and most of the good voices are gone most of the time and now the bad voices even have faces and names and I’m not just weird like creative anymore now my mind is just plain creepy. and my thoughts are really creepy and disturb and annoy me.
I have been hearing everyone in my life calling me a whore; my husband, roomate, even my own mothers vioce. So you’re not alone. I really think that it’s just me saying those bad things to myself and manafesting it into thier voices, but it’s hard to wrap around that. That I am making these things happen in my head. I’m doing it to myself?
im the same way.
Chiara mine is mostly like urs its been happening for so long sometimes I feel like every one can read my thoughts when I’mout or by myself. I hate it plz let me know if yoi have found anything that helps!
I have a voice in my head that keeps calling my name, all day long it’s happened before but not like this, it’s getting crazy now. I know I am stressed out but I don’t know if hearing voices happens when your stressed. It’s so bad that I’m starting yell harshly at my three year old and I know that is not normal. A few months ago I felt something pull my hair and whisper “Got You” this is scaring me, I don’t know what to do because I don’t have health insurance to see a doctor.
damn thats gotta be scary i have really curly shaggy hair so it moves on its own randomly in the night nd it freaks me out too haha i start thinkin the house is hounted hha but its a brand new house so that cant be but i feel their is always something or someone watching me prob because when i was young a disturbed neighborhood kid brought a ladder and a mask and woke me up when i was sleeping scaring the shit outa me ha and scarred me but mine goes on all day so i dnt even want to leave the house even a trip to the drive thru window is terrible because of the anxiety that goes along with the voices if i take my xanax im good try nd find some of that!
Yet, i feel them on my head, with the voice saying “im dancing on your head” and then laughing. they also give me orgasms.
In reply to winter solstice-
I am not sure, of course, but I believe that spirits have to strengthen their abilities to communicate with us, just like we do to communicate with them. I think that the person grabbing your hair was not trying to scare you, but trying to strengthen their abilities. And when they got ahold of your hair and said “Got you” they did not expect for you to hear them. This was her own practice. Also- instead of getting frustrated with your 3 year old (which can happen anyways- I know) try asking your child if they hear or see anyone else around besides you? We all have spirit guides and maybe this is yours trying to get your attention- or maybe a past relative- look at it as a positive and try to help them communicate with you.
winter soltice same here
I’ve been hearing voices for years, but only recently have they become sentient, fully independent from my own thoughts. It’s really creepy. One of the voices is always telling me to kill, kill, kill, kill everyone I know, everyone I meet. Another is sick of existing and just wants me to die so she can too. There are nicer voices, too, who argue with them, but it’s really been getting to me. My friend, the only one I’ve told about this, says to see a psychiatrist, but I’m scared. What should I do?
i hear voices in my head but for some reason their only people i know and they just try and put me down all the time and say shit about me that isnt true as if to give me bad rep or make me feel inferior to others.. ive always had anxiety and it did go away when i smoked but one day this all startted happening and not just alone when im with peopel i hear but then i turn my head and they wernt even talkking and i still hear it i feel like people are watching me and pointing out everything i do in life and saying its stupid, gay, retarted, worthless, nerdy, basically anythign i can think of that would put me down. ive got good at ignorring them but it makes me alittle paranoid sometimes esecially when i cant sleep. has anyone else had this and what did you do? ive been on alot of meds and non has worked except xanax makes me feel good nd dnt think about it just wonderin if neone else has had this where its voices of people you no. its still the same people and i dnt even hang out with them nemore, sometimes theirs different voices too
Ive had this problem as well in the past. I heard voices that called me gay and a faggot all the time. I got on the right medications, and they have stopped for the most part (85% of the time I hear nothing now). Id reccomend seeing a doctor and telling them EXACTLY what you hear and whats goin on inside your head, even if it means admitting your somewhat crazy. On the right meds it will just make them go away.
Hey kevin, i am in first year university and started hearing voices in my head about 2 and a half months ago. At first i thought it was my floormates playing a joke on me or something I actually didnt know what to think of it. I actually full out yelled out my window one night thinking somone was watching me. They say negative things to me, they call me things like gay, nerdy, fag. It is really getting on my nerve even when im out walking around i can hear them loud and clear like theya re sitting beside me. I havnt told anyone about this because i still think it was a joke but ive been really stressed out lately because of finals and these voices have kept me up for the last 4 nights in a row ive only had about 10 hours of sleep and its really affecting the way i act and even the way i eat. I havnt tried any councelling, but im starting to think i should tlak to someone about this. Sometimes ive tried to talk to them and they would say shit like `hes cool Hes, so cool`over and over again. These voices can read my mind if i think something they will comment on it and lots of time thye try to make fun of me and put me down idk why but i alwasy defend myself i always say shit back to them but it aggrovates them it makes them say more shit idk i can`t help myself cuz what if it is someone playing a joke on me… IU honestly don`t know what to do…. Idk shit, i just wanted to talk about this shit get this shit written down. You know….
It’s okay. I have experianced the same symptoms. Tell me, do you think that your crazy?
Im looking for people on the same day as you. I’m pretty sure people who hear voices are sort of gifted. you see hearing voice is sort of like tapping into your higher self. the was society programs you, your sub conscious and even mind are sort of affected. With certain rules people with voices can overcome the disillusion, however if one cannot master or control the voices, they slip out into your evil polarity. I’ve trained this sort of feeling to the point where all of the voices are pushed out in a sort of mind-space, staying separate from my being. People who hear voices hear voices because of something linked to their soul and brain chemistry shows something going on. add or email me irontusk@live.ca
so true
Dude, theres not much you can to. I hear the same thing, Its a war. try blasting music in your ear. that always pisses them off. its a radio frequency. and can be heard over the phone too. they were complety gone for 2 months then came back. Now they say they are trying to help me.