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Clinical trials

Shifting Perspectives on Voice Hearing: A Historical and Personal Analysis

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers have made significant strides in understanding the nature of voice hearing, shifting from a medical view of it as a psychotic symptom to a dissociative experience. Historically, voice hearing was classified as a core symptom of schizophrenia in the late 20th century, but an alternative paradigm emerged through the Hearing Voices Movement, arguing that it was a variation of normal human consciousness. This movement led to the publication of a seminal paper in 2007, which argued that voice hearing was essentially normal and dissociative in nature, rather than pathological and psychotic. Since then, research and clinical trials have supported this perspective, making relational or dialogical approaches to voice hearing an acceptable complement or alternative to medical treatment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 2007 paper by Moskowitz and Corstens argued that voice hearing was better understood as essentially normal and dissociative in nature, rather than pathological and psychotic.
  • This perspective has been supported by subsequent research and clinical trials, leading to the development of relational or dialogical approaches to voice hearing.
  • Voice hearing was previously classified as a core symptom of schizophrenia in the late 20th century, but the Hearing Voices Movement argued that it was a variation of normal human consciousness.
  • From psychotic perceptual aberration to dissociative part of the self is a paper that provides an historical and personal overview of changing perspectives on voice hearing.
  • Dirk Corstens and Andrew Moskowitz's research challenge the medical view of voice hearing and emphasize the importance of changing a person's attitude towards and relationship with their voices.
  • Relational approaches, which emphasize changing a person's attitude towards and relationship with their voices, are now rapidly becoming an acceptable complement or alternative to medical treatment for hearing voices.

Statistics:

  • 2007: Moskowitz and Corstens published a seminal paper arguing that voice hearing was better understood as essentially normal and dissociative in nature, rather than pathological and psychotic (Moskowitz et al., 2007).
  • 2025: Research and clinical trials have strongly supported the tenets of the 2007 paper, leading to the development of relational or dialogical approaches to voice hearing (From psychotic perceptual aberration to dissociative part of the self: An historical and personal overview of changing perspectives on voice hearing. Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2025).

Sources:

  • Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2025. Psychology and Psychotherapy can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - www.wiley.com/; Psychology and Psychotherapy - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)2044-8341)
  • Moskowitz, A., & Corstens, D. (2007). Auditory Hallucinations: Psychotic Symptom or Dissociative Experience?

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