Voice hearing is an experience which has historically been associated with poor mental health. - For some, the voice hearing experience can be distressing and may interfere with everyday functioning. Increasingly, however, it has been acknowledged that voice hearing experiences may occur without associated distress or dysfunction. Moreover, it has been suggested that voice hearing can be a positive and personally meaningful experience. It has been suggested that differences in how experiences are understood (if at all), and the degree to which individuals engage with their voice hearing experiences in a way that allows them to ascribe personal meaning to their voices, may account for the difference in emotional responses outlined above. In section one, cultural research literature into voice hearing and other anomalous experiences is selectively reviewed to evaluate how far the evidence supports the role of understanding, engaging with and ascribing meaning to experiences in mediating distress. It is suggested that the cultural literature lends support for the role of these concepts in promoting psychological adjustment to anomalous experiences. The clinical implications of these findings are considered. Section two reports a qualitative study in which six mediums who reported hearing the voice of spirit (or the deceased) were interviewed about their experiences. The results of an Interpretative Phenomenological analysis of the interview data suggests that the experience of this sample is broadly similar to experiences of voice hearing more widely, and suggests that a process of understanding, engaging with and ascribing personal meaning to the experience is evident in their accounts. The findings are discussed in relation to existing literature and clinical implications are considered. Finally, section three presents personal and methodological reflections on the research. This highlights the ethical issues involved in the research and the importance of reflexivity in qualitative research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:551649 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Taylor, Greg |
| Publisher | Lancaster University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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