We are interested in talking to people who hear voices or spirits when no one is there on at least an occasional basis, or people who have never had such experiences.
What is the study about?
We are interested in speaking to people who report hearing voices, people or spirits talking to them when no-one is around. We know that such experiences are more common than we think, and are not necessarily related to mental illness. For some people these experiences have a positive impact and can be life-enriching. For others these experiences have a negative impact on their life and result in input from mental health services.
This research will attempt to identify what distinguishes people whose voices are positive from those whose experiences become distressing, and how these groups compare to members of the general public who have no such experiences. We are interested in gaining a fuller understanding of the different ways in which people respond and adapt to hearing voices or spirits. We are hoping that this understanding will help us in the future to find the best way to help people who find their experiences distressing.
If I take part, what will it involve?
If you are interested, we will chat briefly on the telephone so we both have a chance to ask questions and to decide together if this study is appropriate for you. If we both agree you are able to take part we will fully assess your eligibility and discuss the study procedure. As part of your participation we will meet for two or three research sessions depending on whether you are currently receiving mental health care or not. Each research session should take about 1-2 hours. We will ask you to complete a set of questionnaires including questions about self-esteem, anomalous experiences, current mood and stressful life experiences. These questions are chosen to help us understand why some people become distressed by their experiences and to find ways to help. All of our questions will be asked in a sensitive, non-judgemental and empathic way.
We will also ask you to complete two measures of your physiological stress function. One includes holding your hand in a container of ice water for a brief period, whereas for the other you will be asked to take a single dose of a medication that activates parts of your body’s stress system on a single occasion. Both procedures are completely risk-free, and help us understand your bodies stress reactivity. All information given in this study is strictly confidential and stored following strict data protection guidelines and only the researchers will be able to identify your details.
If you would like to take part in the study or if you have any questions please contact us:
Email: david.baumeister@kcl.ac.uk Tel: 0207 848 5718
Participation in the study is entirely voluntary and we offer £10 for each session plus travel costs you may incur in attending.
(Posted 12 February 2016)