Hearing Voices and Social Contexts

I recently read a couple of websites on the Internet, with supposedly new research on hearing voices, which stated a small fragment of what had previously occurred to me. These two websites, said that hearing voices, were caused by social isolation, and deprivation from actual social communication. These two websites also said, that if a person was isolated socially, then this would cause over activity inside the persons mind, and that there was also a lack of integration, between the thinking part of the person’s brain - which creates thoughts - and the part of the brain which receives and interprets, actual social verbal communication.

This doesn’t explain, why some voice hearer’s, such as myself, are aware on one level, that the voices are their own thoughts, and that they are aware of both the thinking and actual social communication parts of their brain, and the ways that they are connected, both inside their minds or brains, in actual reality, and in society.

This theory, model, and so-called new research, on the hearing voices websites I mention, also assumes, that actual present social communication, is satisfactory for most people - that it involves free and creative relationships - and that so-called sane society and people, don’t need or don’t have a strong wish and desire, to communicate with psychiatric diagnosed people and/or voice hearers.

There is obviously denial and defences, by so-called sane people and society, about communicating with psychiatric diagnosed people, but the wish and desire to do this is also very strong, both in terms of learning, and in terms of needing and wanting, a certain sounding board or muse. This tension, and inner and social conflict, can also cause mental health problems, in so-called sane people and society, and in psychiatric diagnosed people, as a secondary causal or influential factor.

Many social and mental health professionals, and psychiatric diagnosed people - especially those who regard themselves as psychiatric survivors - put a lot of emphasis, on individuals being responsible for their own thoughts, emotions, and actions, but particularly emphasis on being responsible for one’s own thoughts. What is never mentioned, in this context, and as a separate thing, is the way that society and others, sometimes believe that psychiatric diagnosed people, and other minorities and oppressed groups, are responsible for their own thoughts (and emotions and actions), which they then try to blame and punish psychiatric diagnosed people and others for.

It’s very important, to experiences hearing voices, in a way, to understand different aspects of reality, and different worlds, universes, and realities, but it’s also important to take responsibility for one’s own thoughts, as others see it, and to agree or go along with the consensus of reality, which is widely accepted and encouraged, and taught by most people.

I once did a mysticism course, and then a sociology course, at college, and I sometimes have both mystical and sociological experiences and knowledge, as well as psychological ones. The mystical experiences that I have are sort of inexplicable, but in time, I can explain, and articulate what I see and experience, and work out what is truth, and what is delusion. This applies to the sociological and psychological insights that I have too. What I do very much believe in, is sharing my insights and knowledge with others, but I often need some time, to explain, articulate, and work things out.

I think it’s important, in some ways, to realise, or understand hearing voices, as a social context in a way, which exists both inside the voice hearer’s head, and within and in society. The conventional psychiatric and mental health view, is that this social context, in the voice hearer's head, does not represent or correspond, in any way, to actual material and social reality. One thing that social isolation can cause, or can be seen to cause, is an intensified and supersensitive, awareness of others in society, and their verbal and non-verbal communication, body language, and behaviours, although some voices hearer’s already have this ability, which is sanctioned by the social and mental health theory and dogma.