A voice in my head.

[curiousone]

I hear a voice in my head. I do not know where it comes from, probably my mind or brain. I have been a daydreamer all of my sixty five years. Am I the ONLY one that will ever say, I hear a voice in my head? I want to believe my mind is my intellience and emotional center, yet my heart is in there somewhere. I am totally confused about the word "soul".

 

If I have a spirit what do i need with a mind and a emotional center? It seems the mind is a information center invisible to us yet telling us things maybe we should know about our life? Can anyone help me with this problem? curious

[Phi for All]

What does the voice say?

 

And do you want to talk about the psychiatric angle, or the spiritual one? Can't do both in mainstream sections.

[Eldad Eshel]

I hear a voice in my head. I do not know where it comes from, probably my mind or brain. I have been a daydreamer all of my sixty five years. Am I the ONLY one that will ever say, I hear a voice in my head? I want to believe my mind is my intellience and emotional center, yet my heart is in there somewhere. I am totally confused about the word "soul".

 

If I have a spirit what do i need with a mind and a emotional center? It seems the mind is a information center invisible to us yet telling us things maybe we should know about our life? Can anyone help me with this problem? curious

I hear voices in my head as well. I am diagnosed with schizophrenia. I have done some stupid things in my past because of these voices, yet I am nowadays stable. My personal belief is that these voices are real, or in other words - telepathy. I have 6 years experience with these voices (I am 34 years old, almost 35), and my belief in them being real, and not some "invention of the brain", is strong. There used to be an annoying girl talking to me repeatedly all day and all night, that I wanted to get rid of. She was profane and malicious. I was able to get rid of her, though I can still talk to her and hear her if I want, and nowadays the main voice has changed into an attractive young girl that has a loving attitude towards me, and I also have strong loving feelings for her. We basically talk back and forth all day and night. I want to meet this girl and maybe even marry her, though this is quite a challenge. I think she is my one. Sometimes I feel the conversation is like talking with someone on the phone, she feels very real to me.

 

Anyway that is my story. You also talked about the soul. My personal belief is that our soul is part of the metaphysical world. Most of telepathy is also part of the metaphysical world. The brain and it's chemistry are mostly physical and belong to the physical world. I belive the brain is our physical connection to the metaphysical world. Our soul, in contrast to our body, will perhaps continue on forever. Only the act of sin can change that I believe.

[DrP]

That girl is just part of your personality. I often think in my own voice and then answer (in my thoughts) based on what my brain asumes others will say based on their personality and my experience with them - I have my friends and families voices in my head as voices of reason. I know they are my own mind.

 

Basically I think in ,my voice and in the voices of people I know - it definitely is not telepathy. When I got divorced it took me about 3 months at least to get my ex wife's voice out of my head. It was a hard, emotional process and I went through a period that can only be described as craziness.

 

I hope people don't think I am crazy for sharing this.. I don't think I am crazy (well the doc said I wasn't anyway ;-) )
Just seemed relavent to the discussion.

[Eldad Eshel]

That girl is just part of your personality. I often think in my own voice and then answer (in my thoughts) based on what my brain asumes others will say based on their personality and my experience with them - I have my friends and families voices in my head as voices of reason. I know they are my own mind.

 

Basically I think in ,my voice and in the voices of people I know - it definitely is not telepathy. When I got divorced it took me about 3 months at least to get my ex wife's voice out of my head. It was a hard, emotional process and I went through a period that can only be described as craziness.

 

I hope people don't think I am crazy for sharing this.. I don't think I am crazy (well the doc said I wasn't anyway ;-) )

Just seemed relavent to the discussion.

I know what you are referring to, I had that also before I had actual voices, telepathy, schizophrenia. It is certainly not the same.

[Phi for All]

That girl is just part of your personality. I often think in my own voice and then answer (in my thoughts) based on what my brain asumes others will say based on their personality and my experience with them - I have my friends and families voices in my head as voices of reason. I know they are my own mind.

 

Basically I think in ,my voice and in the voices of people I know - it definitely is not telepathy. When I got divorced it took me about 3 months at least to get my ex wife's voice out of my head. It was a hard, emotional process and I went through a period that can only be described as craziness.

 

I hope people don't think I am crazy for sharing this.. I don't think I am crazy (well the doc said I wasn't anyway ;-) )

Just seemed relavent to the discussion.

 

I'd like to point out how sensible this explanation is. I think we all have "voices" that play in our heads, probably a by-product of our extreme intelligence. I'll get snippets of songs running through my head involuntarily, sometimes vocal (usually a lyric that has meaning for me that day), sometimes instrumental (what the hell was Ringo doing on that trap set at the beginning of Come Together?).

 

Since this is in Psych, let's drop the spiritual angle so staff doesn't have to split any posts off.

 

I think it's quite normal to have mental conversations. We run scenarios through our heads all the time, and often we use the voices to help prepare us for future encounters ("Mrs Smith, I'm so sorry for your loss" "Thank you dear, Mr Smith lived a full life" "Well, he may be gone, but he's not forgotten"). We're amazingly smart creatures, it's the trait we gave up so much to possess, so it's no wonder we find all kinds of ways to use this brain of ours.

 

I'd like to point out that curiosone and Eldad have spoken about diagnoses of schizophrenia causing extremely poor behavior. They're trying to explain these voices with telepathy and supernatural experiences. Rational reasons often don't seem complicated enough for people looking for a cure for something they don't understand. It can be scary if you think something abnormal is happening to you, and it often makes us look for abnormal reasons.

[Strange]

That girl is just part of your personality. I often think in my own voice and then answer (in my thoughts) based on what my brain asumes others will say based on their personality and my experience with them - I have my friends and families voices in my head as voices of reason. I know they are my own mind.

 

Note that voices in your head are very different from the experience of schizophrenia (and other causes for hearing voices), in the case of the latter, the voices are (or appear to be) real, external voices. As if someone is talking to you or a radio is on. Combined with the psychosis, it is hardly surprising that the sufferers think they are real.

[tkadm30]

I have schizophrenia diagnosis but I don't hear any voices in my head. My personal investigation on the subject led me thinking about the "microwave-induced auditory effect". Pulsed microwaves can induce a auditory evoked potential in the brain, which can be perceived as "voices".

[tkadm30]

It appears the symptom of hearing auditory voices may be evidence of "biological entanglement" of neural communication. Schizophrenia do not produces this auditory effect. It is therefore a wrong assumption to pretend the hearing of auditory voices is part of schizophrenia pathology.

[StringJunky]

It appears the symptom of hearing auditory voices may be evidence of "biological entanglement" of neural communication. Schizophrenia do not produces this auditory effect. It is therefore a wrong assumption to pretend the hearing of auditory voices is part of schizophrenia pathology.

Don't you think these ideas are a function of your schizophrenia? First time I've learnt this about you.

Edited January 8, 2017 by StringJunky

[tkadm30]

Don't you think these ideas are a function of your schizophrenia? First time I've learnt this about you.

 

Nope. Theses ideas come from my subconscious mind attempting to learn what is biological entanglement

of neural communication. I believe you misunderstand what is creativity and the power of imagination.

[StringJunky]

 

Nope. Theses ideas come from my subconscious mind attempting to learn what is biological entanglement

of neural communication. I believe you misunderstand what is creativity and the power of imagination.

I cannot argue with you because your perception of things is what it is.

[tkadm30]

I cannot argue with you because your perception of things is what it is.

Give me a break, creativity, imagination and saliency are not negative symptoms of schizophrenia. You have no idea what you talking about...

[StringJunky]

Give me a break, creativity, imagination and saliency are not negative symptoms of schizophrenia. You have no idea what you talking about...

They can be when the line is blurred between what a person thinks exists and what is an artifact of their own thoughts i.e. a product of their imagination seems to actually exist to them independent of themselves. This is a characteristic of schizophrenia, is it not?

Edited January 8, 2017 by StringJunky

[tkadm30]

They can be when the line is blurred between what a person thinks exists and what is an artifact of their own thoughts i.e. a product of their imagination seems to actually exist to them independent of themselves. This is a characteristic of schizophrenia, is it not?

 

I disagree. Blurred auditory effects and high creativity/imagination are not compatible.

[andrewcellini]

Blurred auditory effects and high creativity/imagination are not compatible.

a single artist with auditory hallucinations disproves this.

 

here's one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Willis

 

Edit: I am in no way implying that Schizophrenia, or any mental illness for that matter, is necessary for creativity or that creativity is somehow a symptom of Schizophrenia (it's not).

Edited January 9, 2017 by andrewcellini

[tkadm30]

a single artist with auditory hallucinations disproves this.

 

here's one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Willis

 

Edit: I am in no way implying that Schizophrenia, or any mental illness for that matter, is necessary for creativity or that creativity is somehow a symptom of Schizophrenia (it's not).

 

Ok. Thanks for mentioning this.

 

My impressions is that the Fort Lauderdale shooter was mentally affected by extremist radicalisation. The correlation between extremist radicalisation and mind control is poorly understood. The theory of mental disorder simply is not how schizophrenia works.

[Strange]

I have schizophrenia diagnosis but I don't hear any voices in my head. My personal investigation on the subject led me thinking about the "microwave-induced auditory effect". Pulsed microwaves can induce a auditory evoked potential in the brain, which can be perceived as "voices".

 

 

This is a common belief among people with schizophrenia who do not want to accept that it is a symptom of the disease.

 

It is, of course, nonsense. People were hearing voices long before we had microwave technology (and there is zero evidence that microwaves can be used to do that).

It appears the symptom of hearing auditory voices may be evidence of "biological entanglement" of neural communication.

 

 

So not pulsed microwaves after all!?

 

 

 

Schizophrenia do not produces this auditory effect.

 

It can do.

 

 

 

It is therefore a wrong assumption to pretend the hearing of auditory voices is part of schizophrenia pathology.

 

Obviously not, as it is a common symptom. (But obviously, schizophrenia is not the only possible cause.)

 

Nope. Theses ideas come from my subconscious mind attempting to learn what is biological entanglement

of neural communication. I believe you misunderstand what is creativity and the power of imagination.

 

 

So you mean "yes" not "nope". Your thoughts (subconscious or otherwise) will obviously be affected by the fact you have schizophrenia.

 

I think you confuse creativity and imagination with reality. (Which is likely a symptom of schizophrenia.)

 

I disagree. Blurred auditory effects and high creativity/imagination are not compatible.

 

 

Citation needed. (Or is this another of your "beliefs". In other words, wrong.)

[tkadm30]

 

I think you confuse creativity and imagination with reality. (Which is likely a symptom of schizophrenia.)

 

I think you have no evidences for such claim.

 

Why don't you show me a paper about the auditory effect in schizophrenia...

[Strange]

 

I think you have no evidences for such claim.

 

Why don't you show me a paper about the auditory effect in schizophrenia...

 

 

Here are 54,000 of them: https://scholar.google.it/scholar?q=auditory+hallucinations+in+schizophrenia

[StringJunky]

 

 

Here are 54,000 of them: https://scholar.google.it/scholar?q=auditory+hallucinations+in+schizophrenia

Accepting evidence and having schizophrenia seems to be a contradiction that can't be reconciled, unfortunately. It's probably like me telling you the sky is green and the grass is blue; that is my reality. That is what my sensory inputs tell me.

Edited January 9, 2017 by StringJunky

[tkadm30]

Since when veterans of war return home with a schizophrenia-like disorder/hallucinations ?

 

Auditory hallucinations are not a component of PTSD...

 

"Schizophrenia is a moral verdict masquerading as a medical diagnosis."

 

http://www.herinst.org/gosden/rgosdenPhD/chapter8.pdf

[Strange]

Auditory hallucinations are not a component of PTSD...

 

 

 

Apparently they can be: https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=Auditory+hallucinations+ptsd

 

Sorry, I only have 10,000 citations to support it this time.

Accepting evidence and having schizophrenia seems to be a contradiction that can't be reconciled, unfortunately.

I think you are right. In general. There are some people with schizophrenia who are well aware of their disorder and know the voices are hallucinations, etc. (That doesn't make them any less realistic or scary, though.)

 

That is what my sensory inputs tell me.

This willingness to trust sensory inputs above data is not limited to schizophrenia and and other delusional disorders. When some people report that they saw a UFO and "it can't be explained by any natural phenomena" they will often insist they they "know what I saw". Whereas some of us know that our senses are notoriously unreliable.

 

There was a really good thread on an astronomy forum from someone who was an experienced observer but got caught out by the illusion of a star moving around the sky. He knew it could;dn't be moving - he knew what star it was, etc. - but he still saw it move. Sadly, there are all too many people who will insist that "therefore it did move".

[StringJunky]

 

 

 

Apparently they can be: https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=Auditory+hallucinations+ptsd

 

Sorry, I only have 10,000 citations to support it this time.

 

I think you are right. In general. There are some people with schizophrenia who are well aware of their disorder and know the voices are hallucinations, etc. (That doesn't make them any less realistic or scary, though.)

 

 

This willingness to trust sensory inputs above data is not limited to schizophrenia and and other delusional disorders. When some people report that they saw a UFO and "it can't be explained by any natural phenomena" they will often insist they they "know what I saw". Whereas some of us know that our senses are notoriously unreliable.

 

There was a really good thread on an astronomy forum from someone who was an experienced observer but got caught out by the illusion of a star moving around the sky. He knew it could;dn't be moving - he knew what star it was, etc. - but he still saw it move. Sadly, there are all too many people who will insist that "therefore it did move".

 

Anecdotally, I've had some some insights into schizophrenic-type voices, paranoia and hallucinations via chronic drug use. The difference though is that I had the memory of knowing what 'normal' was, so, i was able to rationalise that they were drug-induced and would eventually pass. I think cannabis is very under-rated for causing paranoia, which is, I think, a major precursor to voices and hallucinations.

 

The difference, I think, between your examples and the clinically diagnosed is that the latter experiences it to a pathological degree and can't function properly, either with themselves and/or those around them. There are probably many people with it that fall under the radar because they don't cause major problems to themselves or those around them.

[EvanF]

I hear voices in my head as well. I am diagnosed with schizophrenia. I have done some stupid things in my past because of these voices, yet I am nowadays stable. My personal belief is that these voices are real, or in other words - telepathy. I have 6 years experience with these voices (I am 34 years old, almost 35), and my belief in them being real, and not some "invention of the brain", is strong. There used to be an annoying girl talking to me repeatedly all day and all night, that I wanted to get rid of. She was profane and malicious. I was able to get rid of her, though I can still talk to her and hear her if I want, and nowadays the main voice has changed into an attractive young girl that has a loving attitude towards me, and I also have strong loving feelings for her. We basically talk back and forth all day and night. I want to meet this girl and maybe even marry her, though this is quite a challenge. I think she is my one. Sometimes I feel the conversation is like talking with someone on the phone, she feels very real to me.

 

Anyway that is my story. You also talked about the soul. My personal belief is that our soul is part of the metaphysical world. Most of telepathy is also part of the metaphysical world. The brain and it's chemistry are mostly physical and belong to the physical world. I belive the brain is our physical connection to the metaphysical world. Our soul, in contrast to our body, will perhaps continue on forever. Only the act of sin can change that I believe.

 

 

I've been personally studying schizophrenia and cases of it for a few years now, I find it quite a strange and interesting phenomenon...

 

I noticed you were from israel...apparently the individuals in israel have a genetic predisposition that gives them a very high chance of developing schizophrenia and severe depression...http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.560128

 

 

If I may ask, Eldad, how did the voices first start? Did they start out telling you to do negative things? Did you have a problem with 'Depression' before the voices started?

Edited January 26, 2017 by EvanF