Hearing Voices - the invisible intrudersHearing Voices - the invisible intruders
All In The Mind
Around 10 per cent of the population hear voices that aren't there. Some people can live harmoniously with them, but for those whose voices are associated with a psychiatric illness, they can be frightening and menacingly real. We discuss the latest research on how auditory hallucinations occur in the brain, what it's like to live with voices in your head—and the healing power of the international Hearing Voices Network.
30:14•22 Jul 2006
Hearing Voices: Stories, Science and the Invisible Intruders
Episode Overview
- Hearing voices is relatively common and, for some people, can be comforting or guiding, while for others it is terrifying and disruptive.
- Research suggests many voices draw on distorted auditory memories, with brain regions for hearing and memory becoming active even without external sound.
- Command hallucinations can urge dangerous actions, but therapy can help people test and resist these commands and reduce their impact.
- Peer support through the Hearing Voices Network focuses on validating experiences, sharing coping strategies and reclaiming life rather than simply suppressing symptoms.
- Coping techniques include negotiating with voices, setting specific times to listen, keeping diaries and using dialogue to understand what the voices represent.
“"For years I'd been told they weren't real and I had to ignore them. And therefore I was powerless."”
What can we learn from those who have battled intrusive voices in their heads? This episode of All In The Mind brings together poetry, neuroscience and raw personal testimony to unpack a surprisingly common experience: hearing voices when no one is there. Host Lynne Malcolm speaks with Ron Coleman, who went from being harassed by six menacing voices and years of hospitalisation to becoming a leading advocate in the international Hearing Voices Network.
His turning point came when someone finally said, "they're real" – validating his experience instead of dismissing it as "just" illness. From there, he learnt to negotiate with his voices, even naming one "teacher" and using them much like an internal dialogue. Mental health advocate Lynne Mabu shares a different kind of voice hearing – an internal "interpreter" that twists everyday situations into harsh, paranoid commentary, alongside a more positive "channelling" experience that sometimes brings accurate information.
Her description of coping strategies, like setting structured times to listen to the voices or using voice dialogue with supporters, adds practical detail that many will recognise from managing intrusive thoughts or cravings. Psychiatrist Professor David Kopelov adds the scientific angle, explaining research that links auditory hallucinations to distorted auditory memories and spontaneous activity in brain regions for hearing and memory.
He discusses command hallucinations, the role of trauma and stress, and how medication, therapy and specialised voices clinics can reduce distress – while acknowledging that treatment doesn't work for everyone. Poems by Joe Twist, read by John Jacobs, bring the emotional chaos of voice hearing to life in a way data never can, turning the "invisible intruders" into vivid characters.
Whether you're living with voices, supporting someone who does, or simply curious about how complex the mind can be, this conversation might leave you asking: what changes when we stop arguing with people's experiences and start believing them?
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