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.”
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beach haven what
hello im shane↲
At the start of this year i was a shell i gave up and got to the end. I went to the top of the tallest roof i could find and leand over the edge. But as i did they went away. The voices left me alone, so i got down went home and nothing for a week. I think they got scared. Because if i go so do they. But then they came back, but now they have no mercy. Day, nite no matter what or who or where. I no now that i was wrong to try and cheat, to take the easy way out. And im back at the start. I cant win my war but you can. Im only 19 and 20 on the 9th of july and im beat moste of u have had your own war longer then me and your still going, so you can win. I was 5, i will be 20, but i dont no if i can make 21. Im not here for simpthy but to say its not easy to fight and you are alone and its your fight because its your war and your victory. Or your loss, yes there are people with the same problem. Take it how you will i mean no harm or disrespect. Just dont give up, dont lose, and dont think for one second its going to be easy. But you have my respect and im thinking of you all. May who or what ever you beleve in help you. If you need me im at [email protected]↲
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Thank you for your time X
You should have ended it, then they would have taken you seriously.
You must fill yourself with the Holy Spirit to drive them out. “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be…” The Holy Bible, Matthew 12:43-45 (NIV)
Oh quote the bible, nice way to ruin a perfectly good science orientated article.
If the holy spirit is so divine then why must it hide from us? Why does the holy spirit expect us to take his word from a two thousand year old book.
Bible quotes…great. I think youre more insane than we are.. ive found that those sorts of things dont actually help…whenever someones throwing around stuff like “the holy spirit” and those bedtime stories, the two hooligans that im stuck with tend to start laughing and wont shut up until they have really distracted me….so if youre trying to get out the voices (which i dunno why you would want to because no matter how horrible they treat me, they can be helpful sometimes, like sometime they tell me to get out of places before something bad happens) ….religon doesnt tend to help, it just makes them laugh at the “stupid humans” even more….as far as right now goes, one of them has just got done with a rant that went something like this “wow, i cant believe someone would actually believe in this dumbshit…ever try that girl, and i swear ill control you for a day” so….haha..right…bedtime story beleiver go back where you came from!!
It’s not an evil spirit, you buffoon. This poor guy needs help from science, not from the ancient Hebrew war god. Grow up.
Shane, don’t listen to any of these people, they have no idea what you are experiencing and have no idea what to say to you, but speak they must…..some people are just like that, they can’t keep their mouth shut no matter if they know what they are talking about or not. It’s called ignorance. Fight the good fight, my thoughts are with you.
Shane – I wish I could offer you something more useful, but I will say this: no matter how real the voices seem, they are nothing more than a part of your brain that is not working properly. I’m not saying they’re not real to you; I believe you when you say that you hear them. But they don’t belong to real people or spirits or real entities of any kind. It’s important to remember that, no matter how loud they get, no matter what they say. It’s also very important that you get psychiatric help and that you STICK WITH IT even when it feels useless. Best of luck, friend.
And you know shane’s brain is not working because you are what sort of expert?
woow your stupid those voices he hear are real just because you arent gifted enough to hear them doesnt mean that theres something wrong with him maybe you should try being more open minded when your open minded then you allow your brain to see and hear things that you block out when you refuse to believe them thats why little kids see and hear things more often then adults because theyre so open minded
hi im 24 and i make musik and have sold some to some artist no hits yet but …..it’s after every thought i here a voice saying ‘thats what im talking about ‘,or ‘this some bullshit’,THATS WHAT THE IM TALKING ABOUT,and its never really negative.When im n the studio i only here’damn right,and’thats it’!It’s scarry when my every thought is followed by a lil voice somewhere.Am i like up or somthing??
I don’t think your f’ed up. It’s a little strange to be sure, but you should try to determine if it’s you telling yourself or something else. Try what I did, tell the voices that they are not helping you. And are scaring you. Whatever it is that they want you are not able to give to them. You are sorry if there was any confusion for them in this but they have to leave you alone now. It’s time for them to move on in their journey. Let us know if this helps you. Would be interested in knowing.
guess what i said it what u said to say and i jus whispered it and guess what it worked i here nothing and for some reason my face feels lighter thanks
could the voises come back worser?
becausehas and its soooooooo lame wich i not cool
i don’t really know what all your problems with these voices are, i only remember two times that i heard voices. once i was driving in my car, and i heard a female voice say “Watch Out!” And in my minds eye i saw an image of a car coming from the right hand lane and hitting my car. I was at a light, and this kind of scared me a bit, i was like “what the hell is that?”….however, when i drove (very carefully and slower than i normally would) a car did come out of the right lane, swirved into my lane and the lane to my left, i guess she needed to get into kmart suddenly. I avoided a serious accident because i was allert and looking for the car at that point.
The second incident was a two month stretch were a boyfriend i had been dating on and off, his parents died. I heard voices of them asking me to help him. I started hearing the voices before he told me about his parents passing. At first it was a feeling, that grew into a pleading for me to help him. I didn’t really know how to help him since we weren’t very serious. But the voices became stronger. I’m not even sure i can call them voices, or strong feelings of a concept of someone pleading with me to help. (Unless you’ve had this type of experience, you would have no idea what i’m talking about here. People who have had these experiences know. It’s not really a voice, more like a telepathic thought of a voice. No way to describe it really, maybe someone else wants to take a stab at it?) Anyway, the dream i had was so vivid the next time i saw the guy, i told him about it. I said “You know, I hope your ok, because your family would want you to be.” lol, he didn’t answer. Then I asked him if his mother had blonde hair. I then explained the dream were i woke up in his house and his family was there, mom, dad, some other people…..there was a woman with blonde hair who i thought was his mother, and as i was thinking in the dream “She doesn’t seem old enough to be his mother…..” to which she turned to me and said “I’m his Aunt.”
His eyes got as big as saucers, he looked at me and said, yes, my aunt had blonde hair. She was murdered.
OMG< chills
Anyway, the voices persisted a while longer and grew stonger. This did start getting rather depressing. And when I couldn't take it anymore, i just told them that I would love to help them, but I can't. I am very sorry for their pain and confusion, however I was not in a position to do anything for their son. I am not close enough to him to be able to do anything for him. And that was it. I never heard from them again. That was over ten years ago.
Really, you people have PROBLEMS. MENTAL PROBLEMS. And that’s okay, as long as you don’t believe some religious people wondering here, telling you stuff about Jesus or God or Satan or whatever. They lie to you. You need to go to see a doctor who can help you and get you some good therapy or meds. Hearing voices is not normal, it’s not a good thing and i wish very deeply you all have exaggerated your experiences. You’re not alone, but you need help. I hope you all get better.
Now I’m not saying that some of these people don’t need help. Obviously they do, they are asking for it….here….on this website. However, you have obviously never had any of these experiences, and can’t help these people. What makes you think that anyone else who has never had these experiences can?
you know people like you really piss me off. just because someone isnt your definition of “normal” everything that isnt normal to you has to be because theres something wrong with them. what these people see and hear are real and i hope that they dont listen to skeptics like you and end up taking medicine that only hurts them. ive heard voices and seen many things and if im seriously mental then why did i graduate high school with a 4.7 GPA ?
This new technology pisses me off!
Hi,
People that think they hear voices are hearing their own voice inside their head. It is proven that in people who hear voices the region of the brain called Broca’s area is activated during the time of hearing voices. This suggest that they are hearing their own voices. It can be another condition as well, but most importantly those people must seek help, especially when voices tell them to hurt themselves of others. Other people may invent that they hear voices of the dead and so on. There are many reasons for doing so, one of them being the escape from a painful situation and thus creating another world where they pretend to hear dead people’s voices. This fantasy world may make them feel important to a degree, which they may come to believe it themselves and not be able to distinguish between reality and fantasy world. Seek help and have faith in human innate goodness that resides in each and everyone of us. Environmental, physical, and psychological conditions may have a detrimental effect on our innate predispositions. Think about those things before you blame or judge someone.
Just because an area in the brain is activated does not mean any one thing or another. If light goes in my eye and my pupil dialates, that does not give anyone any indication of what I see.
wow you must have no life since all you do is find sites like this and try to convince people that what they see and hear isnt real and that theyre crazy if you dont believe in things like this then seriously get a life and stop trying to justif your opinion about stuff that you dont understand
What about those who lives where saved from those random thoughts that dont have any meaning.I wished i was that kind of crazy!!!!!!!!!
Uuuh, you guys know schizophrenia is just hallucinations, not dead people. Assuming there is an afterlife and the afterlife is to be a ghost, and that ghosts could talk to people, the world would be a pretty scary place. Think about it; warriors would torment their rivals, nazis would continue their work by madenning the people they saw as “infereor” ect..
uh…..the world is a scary place….hello!
hello . I ve been hearing voices for 6 years now . Ive had all kind of voices , from all kind of delusions . Ive heard souls , god , devil , aliens , my family and friends . From i love you , to i hate you and comanding me to ” Kill ” . I took some anti depressives in the first years , but i quited . My advice for everyone out there that hears voices , first take care of the delusion and your traumas . U might be beliving in telepaty or having inner strugles . Embrace the voice as your own self , in a dream like stade . The voices takes form from your subconscience . Its very dificult to keep a check on reality , especially if your mind is used to some old thought patorns … I still have to fight everyday for my sobrety . best luck and god bless
You quited? Can you define what that means?
it means he quit the anti-depressants he was taking
http://www.ask.com/web?q=is+it+possible+to+record++music+that+you+hear+inside+your+head&search=&qsrc=0&o=0&l=dirplus this article
I hear voices and at times can control them, but I am always surprised how they can shock me. Just now someone said they want to have me in prison. I was looking for things to do for my business and this came as an answer, I am really hurt.
I fight for years now and want to see some reason in what they say, but they really a hurting sometimes. I don’t take any tablets at the moment, as I got too tired.
I also hear voices. I usually hear them when lying in bed especially in the morning. My voices began when I injured my head. My voices seem to take care of me. They sometimes interfer with sleep. When I first began having voices they were evil and scared me. Now I am on medication and for years have been friendly and take care of me. The medication helped the voices to speak quietly. They respond to my thoughts. They ask many questions and comment on things I think. I do not have to speak out loud for them to hear me, they hear my thoughts.
This is a real phenomenon and not a joke. If you hear voices, see a doctor and get on medication.
When you injured your head it opened a door between our existence to the people who have passed aways existence. I also can hear voices…Actually my dead friend Sue comes through, but if I want to talk to someone else she will bring them through for me. I am just new to this but I have been drugged for it when it first started cause I was confused. My husband thinks I am crazy…but tell me this, why are we here and where do we go when we die? What if I really hear my dead friend. I know I do, but others my think I am crazy. If you need help with this I can send you to books that should help. I am actually waiting for the books myself. Just remember you are not alone. Also, try running a fan when you are sleepy and see if the voices are stronger, they seem to come through electricty better. And usually when you are half asleep.
The meds the doc gave me made me a Zombie and I couldn’t look after my kids. Some of the voices are scary. They are past people who in my case I didn’t get along with. They found it funny to try and scare me. Not everyone who passes over is nice unfortunately. But meds didn’t work for me. I just had to learn how to control it. But everyone is different. Do you find yourself waking in the hours between 4 and 5 in the morning. Even if it is just to roll over. That is when the dead come to you and visit usually.
Hello
my voices started when I began using drugs. I believe I opened a gateway of evil souls that had free entry into my mind. I have been sober for 8 months. The voices I hear now are encouraging and assist me through the day. I do agree with you about having a clearer message from them when close to stong electical energy. I know someone who has experienced “channeling” He spoke to his deseased father through someone who was living among us. I myself have been influenced by both positive and negative forces.
Can your friend Sue talk to someone for me. His name is Brett James Lawrence Jr. Can you ask her to have him talk to you for me. Tell his story about what happened. I need to know. If so will you tell Sue to tell him I miss him so much. I love him so much. I am not mad at him. I am just terribly heartbroken. Please ask her. email me at [email protected]
I have no doubt that you may be actually hearing what you say, but I have severe doubts that books are the way to go on this topic. Books are full of $#it mostly.
Try slowing them down! I can slow them down so they can’t think.
I hear voices in my head and they are the most evil SOB’s ever. I don’t know where they come from. Perhaps Hell, perhaps the evil chattering of the universe, the dead screaming at me or my own traumatic soul? Perhaps even the use of cell phone and wireless technologies has altered the frequencies in peoples brains. It’s fact that the earths frequencies have changed due to pollution and destruction of the earth, land and sea … and maybe this is why many people hear these things and dolphins strand themselves.
Does anybody else have any more suggestions?
hey im 15 and i found out about 6 months ago i am suffering from depression, i thought i was handeling it well untill i started hearing voices in my head telling me to do things like harm myself as i did, if i never told no-one about this i may be dead, but after that i thought i was getting better, but it got worse and i thought i kept seeing showdows, these only happened at night when i was thinking about life it started and gave me fear and need help and would like to be able to speak to people who have gone through the same experience!!!!!
Jemma….I feel for you these experiences are no fun. I would like to pray with you. The bible says to we battle not a against flesh and blood but against power principalites and rulers of darkness. In other words you are battling against evil spirits. The only thing to battle evil spirits is with the name of JESUS. Every spirit must subject itself to the authority of Jesus. If you have this experience again say ” Go in Jesus name”. However first give your life to Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life. Jesus died for all of our sins and transgressions so that we can have fellowship and healing from God. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we receive right standing with God, all of our sins are forgiven both past and present and future and we receive right standing with our Father in heaven. God desires to have a special friendship with you and he also desires that you do not have to have these scary encounters anymore. These are just begining steps to being set free. You can contact me via email if you have any questions for me. Also it would be helpful if you find a bible believing church to go to. My email is [email protected]. I pray that that you do not have any fearful encounters anymore.
I am so sorry your going thru this at a young age. I am 38 and just been dignosed in last 5 years. I guess you just found out? Don’t be scared no matter what the voices say.. I have learned all they are are lies.. There is no rhyme or reason for voices in your head. My best advice is for you to study as much as you can on voices in your head. I have schizophrenia with bipolar manic depressive. Its hard sometimes but always remember to look up. I have a 15 year old daughter also, so I really sympathize.. More than you know. I love her with all my heart and would never want her to go through this with trying to grow up in this world today. Email me any time.
hey im 15 and i found out about 6 months ago i am suffering from depression, i thought i was handeling it well untill i started hearing voices in my head telling me to do things like harm myself as i did, if i never told no-one about this i may be dead, but after that i thought i was getting better, but it got worse and i thought i kept seeing showdows, these only happened at night when i was thinking about life it started and gave me fear and need help and would like to be able to speak to people who have gone through the same experience…..
Hey Jemma,
I too have had the same things happen to me. I used to abuse drugs and that opened a door so the voices could come through. Just in the last 6 months or so I started seeing shadows or energy move at night before going to bed. I also can see sparks (like lightning bugs) Listen you are not alone. I am going to give you a website to a lady who is helping me. I want you to tell her exactly what you have written here. She will be able to point you in the right direction. Also, if you would like to just chat feel free to email me. I have been through every possible thing you can imagine. I am 34 now with 5 kids. My oldest is 17 and my youngest is 5. I have been molested, I had an alcoholic mother, been raped, been beaten…etc……
Type in Marisa Ryan in your search bar and that will take you to her site. I don’t think I can post her site on here? Good luck sweetie. You are not crazy, you are a MEDIUM!
Hi,
I think there were only two times I remember something of this kind happening to me:
1. The first memory of my life is when I was exactly 2 years old, I was sitting in my mother’s lap on the night bus, every one was fast asleep and it was the jungles of central India, we had open windows in buses during 1982’s. A bus halted and a hooded figure came up to me, almost very tall, by today’s scales as I know, he must be atleast 11 feet tall. He lifted his hood and what I saw was a reptile like looking man. I have also written a blog on it. He was very friendly to me. I understood whatever he said. It was telepathy as I later came to know when I was a teenager. I wasnt frightened I was calm, a calmness I didnt experience until now never again.
2. was year July 2000, I was lying on my bed, I experienced pre-sleep paralysis, a voice of my Dad spoke to me( btw my Dad is still alive), I recognized that it was god who was speaking, he asked me to turn my head towards the window.I saw a boy exactly like me, he was completely black, jet black, wearing two black wings like the angels and a red strap around the waist. And was dressed in a black greek god like gown. The voice of God said, he is going, everything shall be fine soon my boy, and the boy simply dived out of the window and flew. When I came back to my senses I went to the window to check out, to my amazement I saw black powder and dust sticking to the window pane! 10 days later my room mates were busted for running a secret nexus of Ganja/weed, and I was also pulled in as a culprit, but after the hostel gaurds beat me and tortured me for 3 days, I was released because the room mates issued not associated, not involved and innocent statements against me. I dropped out of college and joined another college in my hometown.
3. I had a college friend, in 2002, she and I had some rare chemistry, it was like telepathy, she knew when I was thinking about her and vice versa. After some weeks she started getting some visions. about evil souls, planets etc. And she screamed out on top of voice for two nights and one day that she loves me, this is what she exactly kept saying:
” He is not of this world, he has forcefully chosen this life, I love him, he is partly evil and partly good, even Godly”
And she had a nervous break down. She left the college and I had a mark forever on my image all through the college life, my Mom thought I am a Heretic. She feared that I was a bad soul, who seduces women and drives them crazy.
4. Now again it is happening, A girl who is my friend, she had some sexual harassments in the past , a classmate of hers tried to rape her. She used to cry to me, I said I will not leave her ever. i will be with her. I kind of started loving her. But, then she is having this strange voices talking to her, telling her my every little secret. I doubt how accurate these things the voices are telling her. She says the voices are from the God. God said to her that she is lucky to have a friend like me, and he is a special child, who has to be isolated from every one else. He has to live a life of a loner. And last night she told me all this, last night she was crying like a small kid. I cant love her, because every other girl I go for goes to Nervous break down and leaves me.
Somebody listen to me, I am not weak, I know I will be fine, I am a Researcher by profession. I am leaving for PhD soon. I hope thats going to isolate me from all others. but I want guidance in order to help this friend of mine! kindly add me at : [email protected]
Since I was a toodler, I could always hear voices and sometimes shadows of the dead people. I’m always scared when they’re going to come back and make me do things I’m not proud of.
Ex. I almost killed my little sister because they told me do it. That to choke her while I have the chance…
Ex two. When I was at my grandparnts house, I heard a man calling for my name and I ran outside and told my family what they wanted(note that I was alone in the house) they said they didn’t call for me and I was scared.
Ex three. In thrid grade, I saw a woman shadow run across the room.. It was dark…
So may you guys please help me? My email is [email protected]
Hi. im shane.
i’m 19 and live in the uk.
For as long as i can remember i have heard voices in my head. They tell me to do things and to say things but I can block them out in the day or when im with people. But now I cant they are getting stronger and I am losing the fight. I can’t win, at nite the keep me up and at day they shout but not just one thing and not just one voice. It’s now at a point were im seeing things and im losing my mind. someone please PLEASE help me.
my e-mail is
[email protected]
Thank You x
anthony i had just went though a rough time with hearing voices, they were trying to get me down and depressed, then when i got really low they would tell me to try and kill my self. Im not sure why this happens. there are two reason so far. schizophrenia reasons to spiritual stuff depends on who u ask. basically all you can do is know your self and don’t give in to what they suggest, try and talk with them dont be afraid of them the idea of voices thrives off of fear most the time.