The voices within: the science behind inner speech

In this podcast, Dr Raj Persaud talks to Charles Fernyhough about his 2016 book looking into the history and science behind hearing voices. He argues that we should avoid the pejorative term ‘hallucinations’ by using the more neutral term ‘voice hearing’, and puts forward the idea that inner speech is a highly varied phenomenon that can also serve a beneficial purpose.

Learning objectives

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to:

• list the ways in which inner speech can present and the different functions it can serve
• recognise some of the theories behind how inner speech has developed
• identify the scientific findings relating to the predisposition to hear voices.

Availability

This podcast is available as part of a CPD eLearning subscription.