Alberta Hearing Voices Network

Voice hearing is the experience of hearing sounds, voices, and other noises that other people cannot confirm are present. A famous example of voice hearing is that of Sigmund Freud, who heard his voice being called but could not confirm that the voice was there when he went to investigate the source of the sound. Though he could not identify the person the voice belonged to, he did notice that the voice sounded familiar and like someone he knew. Other cases of voice hearing include psychosis, schizophrenia, third-man syndrome, spiritual/religious experiences, and spiritual mediums.

Accounts of voice hearing are diverse and can be pathological or non-pathological. While some individuals experiencing psychosis may report critical voices and inexplicable noises such as doors opening or closing, other people who are not experiencing psychosis may hear positive voices belonging to a family member or friend. Voice hearing experiences include that of the bereaved maintaining a continuing bond with their recently deceased loved one by communicating with the voice of a loved one. Individuals who report hearing voices may hear positive or negative voices that make statements that are supportive, neutral, or hateful.

Voice hearing experiences are common, with the Hearing Voices Network reporting that 75% individuals have at least one experience of hearing their name being called while no one was there.

If someone shares a voice hearing experience with you, it is important to know that it is not necessarily a sign of pathology. Instead, you can explore their experience and take the time to learn more about what they heard or saw exactly. Some individuals who are a part of the Hearing Voices Movement report that sharing their voice-hearing experience with others and making meaning of it is helpful.

References

About Voices & Visions by Hearing Voices Network. https://www.hearing-voices.org/voices-visions/about/#content 

Hearing Voices: A Common Human Experience by John Watkins

Voices to reckon with: Perceptions of voice identity in clinical and non-clinical voice hearers by Johanna C. Badcock and Saruchi Chhabra. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3615181/