The Gift of Hearing Voices
"I have a companion to talk to ... I need not go out to speak. I can talk within myself!"
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/when-hearing-voices-is-a-good-thing/374863/
The article “When Hearing Voices is a Good Thing” discusses the idea that the way schizophrenics perceive auditory hallucinations may be linked to cultural context. The article focuses on a study led by Stanford anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann, where 60 people diagnosed with schizophrenia from Accra, Ghana, Chennai, India, and San Mateo, California were asked how many voices they heard, how often they heard them, and “what the voices were like” (Khazan). While all of the participants reported hearing both “good” and “bad” voices, the majority of schizophrenics from India and Ghana claimed to have mainly positive experiences with their hallucinations (Khazan). Many even described their voices as “friends” (Khanzan). In contrast, all of the American patients described predominantly negative, “violent” voices (Khazan). After analyzing this divided data, Luhrmann discerned that the polarization between the responses of the Americans and the other participants may be linked to differences in “societal values” (Khazan). According the Luhrmann, it is possible that due to the individualistic culture of the United States, the American schizophrenics may have viewed their hallucinations as “an intrusion into a self-made mind” (Khazan). However, the traditionally collectivist cultures of Ghana and India may have encouraged the participants from the two countries to view the hallucinations as mere additions to an “already extensive social network” (Khazan).
The interpretation of the study described in “When Hearing Voices is a Good Thing” reminded me of Minnie Ransom’s relationship with Old Wife in Toni Bambara’s The Salt Eaters. Throughout the novel, Minnie maintains a dialogue with her “spirit guide,” Old Wife (Bambara 42). While others view Minnie as “batty,” she views her connection to Old Wife as part of her “gift” (Bambara 51). This unorthodox perception of what most Americans consider mental illness could be linked to Minnie’s ties to African healing traditions. Although Minnie is American, her attire and healing methods reflect strong ties to her African roots (Bambara 4). Therefore, perhaps she shares the more positive attitudes regarding auditory hallucinations found in various African cultures.
Both “When Hearing Voices in a Good Thing” and The Salt Eaters address the question of defining illness. To what extent does the world determine what’s wrong with us? To what extent can we determine this ourselves?
Bambara, Toni Cade. The Salt Eaters. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1980. Print.
Khazan, Olga. "When Hearing Voices Is a Good Thing." The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 23 July 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
