Multiplicity in the experience of voice-hearing: A phenomenological inquiry.
Chris R Brewin, Kirsty Phillips, John Morton, Ava J C Mason, Rob Saunders, Eleanor Longden
Journal of Psychiatric Research December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.065 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Voice-hearers |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Auditory hallucinations Psychosis Self-reference |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Voice-hearers report an average of about four voices, most male and negative, with child-aged voices significantly less negative than others, and variability is greater between voices within an individual than between utterances of the same voice. |
Abstract
Although it is recognized that voice-hearers often report a large number and variety of voices there have been few investigations of this multiplicity. Understanding the phenomenology of voice-hearing can provide a firm foundation for theorizing about its causes. In this international online survey of voice-hearers, details were elicited of the content of up to five utterances associated with up to five voices from each respondent. The contents were independently rated and associated with characteristics of each voice such as its perceived age, whether it had changed over time, and whether it was of a familiar person. We investigated predictors (e.g., diagnoses, voice gender, age first heard) of utterance negativity, length, and whether voices referred to themselves. The average number of voices reported was approximately four. The majority were perceived as male and had negative content. Child-aged voices were significantly less negative than all other voices except those perceived as being elderly. Multi-level analyses indicated that there was significant variability at the level of different utterances within voices but variability was more prominent at the level of different voices within an individual. The data were inconsistent with general cognitive models for hearing voices such as the misattribution of inner speech and were more congruent with a dissociation model of voice-hearing. Our findings support approaches based on subtype or dimensional methods of classifying voices, and additionally indicate that research and clinical assessment may benefit from more systematic assessment of multiplicity.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects. People who had a memorable entity encounter after taking N,N-dimethyltryptamine | 2020 | Survey | n = 2,561 |
| Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science Meditators | 2018 | Cross-sectional online survey | n = 1,120 |
| The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams | 2014 | Online survey | n = 684 |
| The neurophenomenology of early psychosis: An integrative empirical study. Ultra-high risk for psychosis patients, first episode psychosis patients, and healthy... | 2019 | Cross-sectional | n = 123 |
| Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings: Phenomenology, Altered States, Individual Differences, and Well-Being People reporting their most powerful Spontaneous Spiritual or Kundalini Awakening | 2021 | Mixed within and between-participants self-report survey design | n = 152 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- The experience and role of dissociation in psychosis following developmental trauma: A systematic review Clinical Psychology Review February 26, 2025
- Dissociative experiences in individuals with subclinical psychosis and a history of developmental trauma: a qualitative study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology December 1, 2025
- Multimodal imagery and the “voice” of interpersonal trauma: dissociative-cognitive mechanisms in the dynamics of hallucinations and suicide risk Neurology Bulletin May 20, 2026
Cites 9
- The Phenomenological Diversity of Hallucinations: Some theoretical and clinical implications Psychologica Belgica March 1, 2006
- Hallucinations: A Systematic Review of Points of Similarity and Difference Across Diagnostic Classes. Schizophrenia Bulletin November 21, 2016
- Experiences of hearing voices: analysis of a novel phenomenological survey. The Lancet Psychiatry March 31, 2015
- Auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder: common phenomenology, common cause, common interventions? Frontiers in Psychology 2015
- Better than mermaids and stray dogs? Subtyping auditory verbal hallucinations and its implications for research and practice. Schizophrenia Bulletin July 2014
and 4 more in the library