Resources

About Hearing Voices

Definition

The term “Hearing Voices” constitutes a range of experiences, commonly referred to as ‘Hallucinations”.

These can be Auditory and Visual, amongst other sensations, perceived as being separate from oneself.

What is it like to hear voices?

Unless you have experienced hearing voices, then it can be difficult to explain. It may be the same as hearing a voice in the normal way, through your ears, the difference being the “voice” has no physical cause.

As well as hearing voices through the ears, people also hear voices as if they are thoughts entering the mind from somewhere outside themselves.

There are many different ways to hear voices. Voices can be experienced in the head, from outside the head or even in the body. It may be one voice or many voices.

The voice may talk to you or about you.

Voice hearers can find themselves experiencing an overwhelming world and their power of reason may be virtually extinguished, making it impossible to go about their lives.

Communication between voice hearers gives you the opportunity to share experiences and to learn from one another.

This can be achieved by joining a self help group.

Three Phases of Voice Hearing

The startling phase

Voices often start after a traumatic experience or at a time of great suffering. Most voice hearers describe the onset of voices as a startling and anxiety provoking experience; although the level of intensity does vary for different people.

During the startling phase the voices may be hostile and demand a lot of attention, alternately the voices may be helpful and a person may feel a sense of recognition.

The phase of organisation: Coping with voices

Once a person’s initial anxiety and confusion has been reduced, it is possible for them to organise the voices and their relationship to them.

In this phase people seek to find meaning and to arrive at some understanding of their experience. The process may take months or years and is often marked by an attempt to actively negotiate with the voices.

Voice hearers often seek ways of controlling or coping with voices by:

• Ignoring them (through distraction).
• Listening to them selectively.
• Entering into willing conversation with them.
• Making specific appointments with them.

Voice hearers report that the most helpful strategy is to select the positive voices and try to understand them by listening to them and only them. Another useful strategy is to set limits and structure the contact with voices, however it is important to accept them.

There are many more coping strategies that voice hearers can use, these are displayed separately under this menu option.

The stabilisation phase: “I hear voices and I cope with it”

In this phase a person has learnt to cope with their voices and has begun to live in balance with them.

The person thinks of the voices as being part of themselves.
The relationship with the voices is more reasonable.
The voices become less controlling and the person is re-empowered.
The person is able to choose between following the advice of the voices or following their own ideas.
The voices have a more positive influence.
The person is less anxious about their voices.