Voice Hearers

Hearing voices in the head is normally associated with schizophrenia. Some psychiatrists are of the view that more people hear voices than the number that approach doctors for treatment for the malady. It is assumed the stigma associated with the phenomenon keeps people away from seeking treatment. Some of those affected with the “illness” learns to cope with the problem by their own efforts and go on with their lives without ever consulting a doctor.

There has been an interesting development within the community of voice hearers. They have created a movement called Inter Voice to help those affected with the problems and to dispel the misconception that all those who hear voices within the head are ill. Inter Voice has also held a “World Hearing Voices Day” aimed at challenging negative attitudes towards people who hear voices. They hold that the phenomenon can be considered as a part of diversity in human experiences. Dutch psychiatrist, Professor Marius Romme, who is the inspiration behind the movement, has done some creditable work in the field and has also published several books on the subject. Some in the field do not agree with him on many points but they too feel that a person can not be considered mentally ill just because he or she is hearing voices. Yet this peculiarity has cost some people their means of livelihood. Combating internal/external voices become a full time occupation and the affected are not able to function normally in life and pursue their careers.

One such story is reported by DANIEL B. SMITH in his book “Muses, Madmen and Prophets: Rethinking the History, Science and Meaning of Auditory Hallucination,” published by the Penguin Press. Angelo a London born Scientist had been studying for his PhD on infrared electromagnetism for about four years at an American University and had just completed his oral exam for the PhD. As he was returning to his lodgings one night in the year 2001 he started to hear two voices in his head. Let us hear the story in his own words and the authors remarks as given in the book.
““It was like hearing thoughts in my mind that were not mine,” he explained recently. “They identified themselves as Andrew and Oliver, two angels. In my mind’s eye, I could see an image of a bald, middle-aged man dressed in white against a white background. This, I was told, was Oliver.” What the angels said, to Angelo’s horror, was that in the coming days, he would die of a brain hemorrhage. Terrified, Angelo hurried home and locked himself into his apartment. For three long days he waited out his fate, at which time his supervisor drove him to a local hospital, where Angelo was admitted to the psychiatric ward. It was his first time under psychiatric care. He had never heard voices before. His diagnosis was schizophrenia with depressive overtones.”
Smith reports that after six years (the book was written in 2007) Angelo is still living with his parents unable to do a day’s meaningful work. Every time he tried he failed miserably.
His field of research looks interesting to me. I have underlined it for you. “Infrared electromagnetism” is something we are vaguely familiar with.

Now here is a portion from “Global Alert” by Alex Constantine published in 1995.

“At Walter Reed Army Hospital of Research in 1973, Dr. Joseph Sharp, strapped inside an isolation chamber, heard “words” beamed at him in a pulsed-microwave audiogram. (An audiogram is a computerized analog of the spoken voice.) ARPA’s Robert O. Becker foresaw in the experiment “obvious applications in covert operations.” Becker imagined a barrage of “voices” driving an enemy insane, and post-hypnotic suggestion radioed to a programmed assassin, directing him to kill.”

Well, it does not require a genius to put two and two together and see the truth. Probably poor Angelo was doing sensitive research in a field closely monitored by the powers that be.

I do not know whether Professor Marius Romme and Inter Voice has ever looked at the possibility of such a source for the “voices” they are concerned about!