Background
Part of the mission of Intervoice is developing positive, hopeful messages that promote acceptance, tolerance and understanding of voice hearing experiences. One strategy to achieve this involves the generation of new knowledge and evidence. Unfortunately, however, much research presently being conducted maintains the idea that voices are in some way connected to illness or disease. We believe that this is because the questions posed are partly designed to come to this conclusion (for example, that voices “are a symptom of schizophrenia”).
In response to this, Intervoice has set up its own Research Committee. The Committee is comprised of a mixture of voice hearers, academic professionals and mental health workers. All its members are actively involved in international research into hearing voices and/or promoting more diverse understandings of the voice hearing experience.
Research guided by voice-hearers themselves
Our main aim is to generate knowledge that both supports the aims of Intervoice and influences society, the academic community and mental health practice. Crucially, however, our work will be informed by the needs of voice hearers themselves; issues which are relevant and valuable for them in their daily lives. We want voice hearers, as well as their friends, allies, and supporters, to respond to the query: what research questions are relevant to you?
For example, issues might include:
- What is the effect of medication on voices?
- How useful are self-help groups?
- What are helpful ways for nurses and psychiatrists to respond to voice hearers?
- What information is helpful for friends and family members?
- What coping strategies are effective?
Once ideas and suggestions have been sent to us, the committee members will either put these questions onto their own research agendas, or encourage collaborators to address them (e.g., PhD students). In the long-term, we will also set up a database of questions that are available to other researchers from organisations and universities outside of Intervoice.
If you would like to submit a research suggestion, or just want further information, then please contact IntervoiceResearch@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment below.
Let us know what research areas are important to you
Whether or not you have any ideas for research questions, we’re interested to see what areas are most important to the Intervoice community. Please take a minute to fill in our poll and let us know what matters to you.
The use of inner voice has helped a lot of voice hearers deal with their voices. How many is not yet researched.
For me it’s the copingmethod that helped me live with voices and recover completely, including getting of medication.
3 advantages:
- Possibility of inner dialogue with the voices. 2-way traffic instead of 1-way. A lot voice hearers talk with the voices out loud, but this is not always socially understood/accepted. Inner dialogue gives the voice hearer to interact with the voices, without the social environment noticing that.
- One’s inner voice can block out the other voices. When one speaks one’s thoughts inside, there is no space for other voices (at least in my case).
- The use of inner speech can help get more grip/control over one’s own thoughts and help make up one’s own mind. When you puts your thoughts into words you make them concrete. When you do this with inner speech, you become very aware of your own thoughts and you can literally choose what you do and don’t want to think.
How to devellop one’s inner voice:
- from outside in: from speaking out loud, to whispering, to completly internalised. Similar to to learning to read silently.
-from the inside. Using auditory verbal imagery. Imagining saying something.
How is this in the brain?
Normal (inner) speech production and comprehension mostly takes place in the left hemisfere (Broca’s and Wernicke’s area).
During voice hearing these language area’s are activated on the other, right, side of the brain.
I expect from this that inner dialogue with voices would involve communication/increased connectivity between the language area’s in both hemisferes.
My goal is to do research into these area’s and devellop therapy & trainings based on this principle. I know this can help a lot voice hearers! I realy hope that the researchers of Intervoice are interested in realising these ambitions! Iris Sommer from Utrecht, The Netherlands has showed interest to research this. We are going to devellop a questionaire about this.
All the best
Robin Timmers
Voice Hearer / Expert by Experience / bachelor Psychologist
Hi – I haven’t managed to read everything on this whole site – but I haven’t found any mention in what I’ve looked through of anyone addressing possible or potential differences in origin/reasons for/meanings/causes/ways of managing voices that seem to be INSIDE the head vs voices that appear to originate OUTSIDE the head.
My personal experience is that these are 2 very different things, and very different ways of understanding them and dealing with them are needed.
Is this something that is already known and researched? I have read much of the more recent international literature on the effects of trauma on development, dissociation etc, but have not found anything on this.
I have not found anything that appears to relate to this issue on this site either.
search about lanoswww and spy lanos and wikia to know about hearing voice and mind control
I have never heard voices before in my life until my son died suddenly about a month ago. Now I have heard them on two occasions. I don’t know how to make sense of this.I am a psychiatric nurse (retired). Could it be PTSD or post anesthesia auditory hallunation?
I am developing a research protocol to test the efficacy of remote healing and to differentiate between hallucinations and voices with veridical authenticity. Would this be of interest?
I have been hearing voices for over 15 years…I am homeless…Last week a girl came up to the freeway where I was flying sign (begging) and I heard a voice yell, “Get out of here!” The girl turned towards me and asked me, did you just tell me to get out of here?…I was stunned..I said no, I didn’t say anything…even though I did hear a mans voice saying that…I didn’t tell her I heard anything I just let her know that I didn’t say anything…You want to know something…today I started to cry, happily knowing that I am not as crazy as the doctors have perscribed me to be…when I go to the clinic I am going to tell the Doctor this story I am shareing with you….Someone really heard the voices that I hear….The voice the girl heard was someone she knew..Her ex-boy friend Caveman…what’s strange is she heard my voice, not the voice that heard being her boyfriend..today I smiled..Today Randy found out that he isn’t crazy…today Randy could really believe in this…today I laughed and cried…Its going to be ok…Sincerely Randy J Berton..
Has anyone who hear voices had a stranger or someone they know hear what was said?…I live in Pasadena, limited by insurance. Medi-Cal…Does anyone here at intervoice know of any doctors in Pasadena who spealize in this field? and do they except Medi-Cal?….I am currently attending a clinic in Arcadia, California..Arcadia Mental Health…Thank you..Randy J Berton (Personal details removed by Intervoice Admin)