When soft voices die: Auditory verbal hallucinations and a four letter word (love)

Simon McCarthy-Jones*, Larry Davidson

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    17 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Understandings of auditory verbal hallucinations (also referred to as "hearing voices"), and help for people distressed by them, are dominated by a biomedical framework. Yet, many people who have sought help for the distress and/or impairment caused by hearing voices express dissatisfaction with treatment solely within this framework, highlighting the need for a more rounded, biopsychosocial-spiritual approach. This paper examines the neglected role of a fundamental part of human experience, love, in the experience of hearing voices. First, we argue a lack of love is likely to play a causal role in voice-hearing experiences. Second, we demonstrate that a lack of love is central to the distress and dysfunction often caused by hearing voices. Finally, we show that love plays a core role in recovery. Given this centrality of love, we argue that an interdisciplinary approach to hearing voices involving the mind sciences and theology/religion may be fruitful. The relevance of this for psychotherapeutic interventions for people who hear voices is discussed.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)367-383
    Number of pages17
    JournalMental Health, Religion and Culture
    Volume16
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 2013

    Keywords

    • hearing voices
    • psychosis
    • schizophrenia

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