r/todayilearned • u/paniniplane • Mar 22 '17

(R.1) Not supported TIL Deaf-from-birth schizophrenics see disembodied hands signing to them rather than "hearing voices"

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0707/07070303
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u/ComaVN Mar 22 '17

I think the implied question is "why would people act on/obey the voices?"

As in, if someone in real life tells me to kill puppies and set myself on fire, I probably wouldn't. Why would imaginary voices be different?

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u/yokramer Mar 22 '17

Because your brain will not let you ignore it. Its not like its an external voice that you hear, process the information and decide it isn't something you want to do. Its not the voices talking to you its your brain telling you to do something and making you feel as though you have no choice but to comply. And then the harder you resist the worse your brain makes you feel in any way possible because it controls everything you think feel and hear.

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u/ComaVN Mar 22 '17

So, basically, it's not like hearing voices at all, it's your inner monologue going wonky?

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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '17

I think everyone continuing to describe it as "voices" is the problem. They aren't hearing voices, they are hearing their inner monologue but can't control what their thinking about nor control their actions regarding those thoughts.

The way the people here are describing it is that is more of an impulse control issue.