What is "Hearing Voices?"
It's code language!
When we say “hearing voices” we are referring to an umbrella term that represents an array of different experiences. Yes, it means hearing voices but it also means more than that.
Generally speaking, this phrase refers to hearing, seeing, or feeling something that others around them do not. These experiences can include all five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. They can occur one sense at a time, or can occur in combination. The term “hearing voices” also refers to unshared experiences of reality - like altered or extreme states of consciousness, big rises and falls of energy, unusual beliefs, and more.
For some, voices and unusual states of mind can be comforting; a source of guidance and inspiration. For others, such experiences can be distressing, threatening and confusing.
When we say “hearing voices” we are referring to an umbrella term that represents an array of different experiences. Yes, it means hearing voices but it also means more than that.
Generally speaking, this phrase refers to hearing, seeing, or feeling something that others around them do not. These experiences can include all five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. They can occur one sense at a time, or can occur in combination. The term “hearing voices” also refers to unshared experiences of reality - like altered or extreme states of consciousness, big rises and falls of energy, unusual beliefs, and more.
For some, voices and unusual states of mind can be comforting; a source of guidance and inspiration. For others, such experiences can be distressing, threatening and confusing.
Statistics vary, but it is generally accepted that between 3% and 10% of the world’s population hears voices that others don’t. That makes voice hearing as common as being left-handed. A number of famous and important people (past and present) have experienced hearing or seeing things that other people don’t, including Gandhi, Socrates, Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud, Anthony Hopkins, Carlos Santana, Robert Schumann, John Forbes Nash, Zoe Wanamaker and Charles Dickens.
What are "Unshared Realities?"
"Unshared realities" is a term used to describe any experience of reality that is not agreed upon by the consensus. Commonly called "hallucinations," in HVN we value using plain language over diagnostic vocabulary. Someone who hears voices others don't hear is having an unshared sensory experience. Someone who believes they are Jesus Christ might have an unshared belief not adopted by most people around them.
What are "Extreme States?"
An extreme state (commonly called "psychosis" in mainstream mental health vocabulary) is a way of experiencing, perceiving and expressing that appears to be far outside "normal" for any given culture. The concept of "normal" varies across contexts and cultures. There are cultures where the absence of voices is considered a problem; where such states are considered essential to becoming a full human being. Another way to define an extreme state is when our feelings and thoughts become so big that we have trouble expressing them in a way that makes sense to those around us. Such states can be difficult for experiencers as well as their supporters. Some extreme states are privileged (called spiritual) while others are marginalized (called mental illness).
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