Here we can see a little research relating to voice hearing. How people described their experiences and how they sometimes explain them.
When Professor Marius Romme researched with his own clients and looked at the broader population, he was somewhat surprised to discover that hearing voices is a much more common phenomena then we might think.
Also, that the content of the voices, what they said and how they said it, was indeed a contributing factor in how people felt about the voices that they heard.
People diagnosed with schizophrenia often reported that they were afraid of their voices.
Individuals with other diagnosis' had a different relationship with the voices they heard.
Of course, folk who hear helpful or friendly voices suffered zero discomfort and rarely, if ever, spoke to health professionals about their experiences.
This is why Doctors often only "see" the voice hearing experience as a symptom of a condition or illness. They never get to meet the group who have a positive experience!
But W.H.O research indicates that 4% of the World population hears voices.
1.5% are diagnosed with schizophrenia or similar diagnostic labels.
2.5% hear voices but do not seek attention or assistance. We may ask, why would they?
When Professor Marius Romme researched with his own clients and looked at the broader population, he was somewhat surprised to discover that hearing voices is a much more common phenomena then we might think.
Also, that the content of the voices, what they said and how they said it, was indeed a contributing factor in how people felt about the voices that they heard.
People diagnosed with schizophrenia often reported that they were afraid of their voices.
Individuals with other diagnosis' had a different relationship with the voices they heard.
Of course, folk who hear helpful or friendly voices suffered zero discomfort and rarely, if ever, spoke to health professionals about their experiences.
This is why Doctors often only "see" the voice hearing experience as a symptom of a condition or illness. They never get to meet the group who have a positive experience!
But W.H.O research indicates that 4% of the World population hears voices.
1.5% are diagnosed with schizophrenia or similar diagnostic labels.
2.5% hear voices but do not seek attention or assistance. We may ask, why would they?
Useful Research findings
Haddock, Bentall and Slade 1996:
"Psychological Treatment of Auditory Hallucinations: Focusing or Distraction"?
Cognitive Behaviour Interventions with Psychotic Disorders London Routledge
Posey and Losch 1983 : "Auditory hallucinations of hearing Voices in 375 normal subjects."
Imagination, Cognition and Personality, Vol3, No 2 .
Romme and Escher 1996: "Empowering people who hear voices."
Cognitive Behaviour Interventions with Psychotic Disorders. London Routledge
Romme, Escher, Honig, Noorthoorn 1992: "Coping with Hearing Voices, an Emancipatory Approach.
British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 161
Barrett and Etheridge 1992: "Verbal Hallucinations 1. People Who Hear Voices."
Applied Cognitive Psychology Vol 6
Tien,A 1991: " Distribution of Hallucinations in the Population."
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Vol 26.
Rees,W. 1971: " The Hallucinations of Widowhood."
British Medical Journal vol 4:37-41
Barret, TR en J.B Etheridge (1992) , Verbal Hallucinations in Normals : People who "hear voices",
Applied Cognitive Psychology, 6, 379-387
Bentall, R.P, H.F Jackson en D. Pilgrim (1988) Abandoning the concept of schizophrenia. Some implications of validity arguments for psychological research into psychotic phenomena.
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 27, 303-324
Bentall, R.P 1990 Reconstructing Schizophrenia.
Routledge, London/ New York.
Falloon, I.R.H en R.E Talbot (1981) Persistent auditory hallucinations : coping
mechanisms and implications for management.
Psychological Medicine, 11, 329-339.
"Psychological Treatment of Auditory Hallucinations: Focusing or Distraction"?
Cognitive Behaviour Interventions with Psychotic Disorders London Routledge
Posey and Losch 1983 : "Auditory hallucinations of hearing Voices in 375 normal subjects."
Imagination, Cognition and Personality, Vol3, No 2 .
Romme and Escher 1996: "Empowering people who hear voices."
Cognitive Behaviour Interventions with Psychotic Disorders. London Routledge
Romme, Escher, Honig, Noorthoorn 1992: "Coping with Hearing Voices, an Emancipatory Approach.
British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 161
Barrett and Etheridge 1992: "Verbal Hallucinations 1. People Who Hear Voices."
Applied Cognitive Psychology Vol 6
Tien,A 1991: " Distribution of Hallucinations in the Population."
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Vol 26.
Rees,W. 1971: " The Hallucinations of Widowhood."
British Medical Journal vol 4:37-41
Barret, TR en J.B Etheridge (1992) , Verbal Hallucinations in Normals : People who "hear voices",
Applied Cognitive Psychology, 6, 379-387
Bentall, R.P, H.F Jackson en D. Pilgrim (1988) Abandoning the concept of schizophrenia. Some implications of validity arguments for psychological research into psychotic phenomena.
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 27, 303-324
Bentall, R.P 1990 Reconstructing Schizophrenia.
Routledge, London/ New York.
Falloon, I.R.H en R.E Talbot (1981) Persistent auditory hallucinations : coping
mechanisms and implications for management.
Psychological Medicine, 11, 329-339.