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The Phenomenon of “Hearing Voices”: Not Just Psychotic Hallucinations—A Psychological Literature Review and a Reflection on Clinical and Social Health

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Abstract

The phenomenon of hearing voices is currently a much-discussed topic, both in the field of research and in the field of care services. The majority of people who report “hearing voices” do not subsequently receive services or receive a diagnosis of psychopathology. This topic raises questions for professionals in the health field about the lack of tools that can help illuminate the phenomenon. The purposes of this work are (a) to highlight the psychological studies that approach the phenomenon in a non-psychopathological way and (b) to determine which concepts could aid the comprehension of the phenomenon. The method consists of a systematic review of the literature that characterizes the phenomenon of hearing voices from a non-pathological perspective. The literature offers different theoretical approaches to interpret the phenomenon in a way that is not necessarily pathological and presents new tools for examining the phenomenon. For example, a few studies state that it is possible to coexist with voices, while others indicate that it is necessary to know how to manage voices. We highlighted and discussed several concepts that can support doctors, psychiatrists and practitioners in understanding “hearer” patients, particularly attention to the context of belonging, attention to language, and the role of the sense-making process.

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  1. Department of Philosophy, Education, Sociology and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, Via Venezia 14, Padua, Italia

    Antonio Iudici & Jessica Neri

  2. Scuola di Specializzazione in Psicoterapia Interazionista (Istituto di Psicologia e Psicoterapia di Padova), Padua, Italy

    Maria Quarato

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  1. Antonio Iudici
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Iudici, A., Quarato, M. & Neri, J. The Phenomenon of “Hearing Voices”: Not Just Psychotic Hallucinations—A Psychological Literature Review and a Reflection on Clinical and Social Health. Community Ment Health J 55, 811–818 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-018-0359-0

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