There is no such thing as ‘normal’ human experience. The way we think, imagine and remember, the way we take in the world through our senses, the way we relate to other people and to our environment – all these things vary from person to person.

It’s no surprise, then, that there are many different kinds of voice-hearingtThe experience of hearing a voice that other people do not. experience.

Public perception is that voices are always loud and aggressive, and command people to do dangerous things. This is a myth. While some people certainly experience voices which are disruptive and distressing, other voices can be positive, comforting or supportive, and some can be neutral, and not intensely emotionally charged at all.

For some people, hearing voices can be difficult to distinguish from everyday conversation. But not all voices are like this. Voice-hearing is not always an experience of sound but can be more like experiencing thoughts which are not your own – so people have referred to silent voices and loud thoughts.

Voices don’t always speak clearly or intelligibly, use language, or use language the voice hearer can understand. Sometimes it isn’t clear who the speaker is, whereas for other people the voices they hear are those of specific individuals or characters with their own distinctive ways of communicating. Some voices have their own memories and histories. Some people see, smell, and feel their voices in particular parts of the body. For others, voice-hearing is often accompanied by sensations such as feeling hot or tingling in their hands and feet.

Sometimes voices occur alongside other kinds of experience – like being anxious, having intrusive thoughtstUnwanted thoughts or images that can be distressing or disturbing., beliefs that others don’t share, or finding it difficult to concentrate. As we explain elsewhere, voices can be associated with many psychiatric diagnoses. There are also many people who hear voices and live comfortably with their experiences without ever needing or receiving psychiatric help.

People all over the world hear voices, and these experiences can be spoken about and understood very differently depending on different cultural contexts.  Do these diverse experiences share anything in common? Voice-hearers and researchers might agree on two key points:

(i) that the voice is not under my control;

and:

(ii) that the voice is not just random sound but has something to communicate