Thursday, January 1, 2015

Do You Hear Voices?





(Art by Joanna Hellgren. Based on the Henry James novella, The Turn of the Screw. If you haven't read it, do.)

Here's the most interesting fact I've come across in a while. According to a new study, "nearly 1 in 10 seven- to eight-year-olds hears voices that aren't really there."

You can read more here. The article is careful to point out that most kids who hear voices don't find them troubling. And the vast majority will never develop any mental illness.

But why would we assume something might be wrong with the kids? What if the voices they're hearing are real? And if they are real--what are they?

31 comments:

gymnast20 said...

my guess is that this is where imagionary friends stem from
and i just saw lovely bones and it weas the saddest movie i ever saw!!!! :'(

kathleen said...

thats kinda weird, and what is the book you mentioned about

sadie said...

Quick story:
We moved into our house when i was seven and my brother was three. An old woman had died in the house years ago, one of my best friends' grandmother. She was known in our town for her love of music.

The house was a real mess, so my dad tried to fix it up. The workers said they heard singing from the attic and basement. The electrician refused to work after sunset in our house. One day we heard my brother chatting away to no one. When we asked who he was talking to, he said 'the nice lady in the white dress' and pointed to open air. I remember a girl I was friends with who no one else could see.

Now and then, when I'm alone, I'll still hear children laughing and people whispering. It's not really scary at all. Perhaps its not just these kids imaginings.

Emma said...

Or maybe the voices are real and we just can't hear them. :D

True_Dragon_Master said...

I used to hear voices when I was little. They just seemed normal not scary or weird. Definitely not ghosts.

montana irregulars said...

I drew a picture of a girl that was apperantly a ghost, now I see the girl with a aura of white light and she's opening doors. It's not very scary for mme but I sounder who she is

montana irregulars said...

I forgot to say: I used to. Hear voices as well and still do somtimes

montana irregulars said...

And the ghost girl is opening the door with a key in regard to my comment earlier

The Irregular Girl said...

I dunno. Maybe they just want company and it's some kind of subconcious response?

(I like the picture!)

Al Fonzo said...

one time this year I was sitting in English class and I heard this Japanese melody coming from outside. I looked around but it looked like no one could hear it. It stopped after ten minutes and I was SO dissapointed. I wonder what wouldve happened if I followed the noise..........

Nellie said...

My guesses are that the voices come from imaginary friends, possibly gone awry; baby-schizophrenia (so to speak); or God.

Kitty said...

they say little kids are more sensitive to the paranormal...?

ForresterVA said...

I used to. Mot much anymore.

Anonymous said...

kind of like the book May Bird. i love that book :)

MushroomCloud said...

when I was little I always heard people calling my name. Always when I was alone though, and they always sounded feminine. Once or twice though me and my cousin have heard voices or sounds together, that was creepy though, cause I wasn't that little and she heard them too. we've also both imagined things in the same spot, like we both had the same imaginary friend and I asked her where she hought it was, and she pointed to where mine was. that might have been one of those twin connection things, even though we're not twins

Aye Ayes United! said...

I hear people in the distance calling me sometimes. I've started to ingnore it 'cause it happens a lot and it annyoys my mom when I come in saying "did you call me?" And I don't know if you consider this voices, but when I go into the woods behind my house, sometimes I feel like I'm somewhere else, and i have adventures. Another thing-I think I have a ghost something weird will happen two or three times till I realize somethings happening. Then it stops. I think it's my cat. I see her everywere.

Aye Ayes United! said...

Oops I forgot something. I here conversations to. I can't make out the words but I hear people talking. Also when it's super quite, I can hear the air. But so can every one right?

Aye Ayes United! said...

I also see something else but I can't say what

Anonymous said...

i came across an interesting set of links titled 'weird websites i like' on Brian Selznik's website. he authored 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret'; i don't know if you've heard of him, but i thought you might find the links interesting since some of them are stories on which you've posted: http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_weirdsites.htm

42 said...

Very odd. Why seven to eight? Are they more believing in the supernatural? (And if it's so common, should it really be called supernatural?)

Sorry I haven't been on; computer problems.

MushroomCloud said...

AyeAyes united: that's exactly what happens to me! it drove my mom crazy! i can hear the air too, actually. and kind of see it. it's like little dots that buzz. it's like seeing rain when its really small. looking directly at it makes it go away

montana irregulars said...

Oh my goodness!!! Mushroom cloud: I see those light things too!! I used to think that they were fairies! I've seen them my whole life! It's weird to think other people see them too! I wonder what they are?

ForresterVA said...

MushroomCloud & montanna irregulars; me too!

Ian M. said...

I think that it is either our subconscious or that of our ancestors. As proven in many scientific studies, a person carries all the accumulated genetics and traits of their ancestors, maybe for somepeople there is just too many ancestors and their subconcious re-builds and displays the person, weirder things have happened.

Ian M. said...

Oh, and anonymous at 5:43 I LOVE maybird so much! It is AWESOME!

P.S. I used t osee this really old lady in the house, and supposedly it has a history of hauntings. The only time I ever get a sight of her or a voice is if I do something really bad like kicking the wall.

Claire_gymnast said...

anyone believe in ghosts? i know it sounds weird but i can hear them and i dream of them talking to me. it started when i was about 7- coincidence?
also, i agree with gymnast20, i think it could be where imaginary friends come from.
i don't have any 'mental illness' either, unless ADHD counts.

Anonymous said...

When is the next book comming out??? I'm DYING to know!!!!

Claire_gymnast said...

MushroomCloud and Ayes Ayes United!:
I totally agree with you- I've gone through the same thing about sixty-eight million times (times infinity). Most people don't believe me when I tell them (except a few of my friends). I also used to think they were fairies. The doctor told me I would hear those things because of my ADHD, but I really don't think that's it.

Meredith said...

Kind of reminds me of the Mary Poppins books, where she takes away the twins' abilities to hear and talk to animals.

EQ said...

Maybe they only think they're hearing them--what I mean is, maybe its not coming through the ears at all.

When I was younger and was getting yelled at by one or more parents, I used to hear voices mimicking what they said and giggling. Also sometimes making rude noises. Whatever they were, they thought *everything* was funny.

Mushroom Cloud: You're kidding! If I look at the sky a certain way, I can see little shivering dots, and waves go through them.

Anonymous said...

Im almost 13 and i hear voices. I argue with them, and we insult each other... :( Im dont think im crazy