The Potential Natural Source of Psychic Phenomena and Auditory Hallucinations
Clairaudience, Auditory Hallucinations or Paracusia? My experiences
I may have been momentarily clairaudient in the recent past.
My employer would stick with the mainstream explanation: auditory hallucinations. Both terms, clairaudience and auditory hallucinations, show a lack of understanding.
They are perfunctory explanations thrown out without much thought or insight by people with opinions who haven’t looked beyond their own single-minded interpretation of a phenomenon they do not understand.
As a begrudgingly part-time clairaudient and full-time scientist, I find both terms archaic and devoid of meaning. Someone by now should have come up with a better explanation of the phenomenon. Perhaps there has been someone, but that work was squelched, kept from the public.
Voices in our heads.
I plan to show here that both descriptions purportedly explaining the experience “hearing voices in your head” are useless and meaningless in the modern world. Medical Science has not found a source, reason, or pathology for the experience.
The phenomenon is recorded as far as the origins of human history. It has been believed to be either a curse or gift from God or the Gods, or both. The Oracle in Ancient Greece would depend on hearing voices as part of her divination.
Moses and Abraham are said to have heard the voice of God. Joan of Arc is famous for hearing the voices of Angels. In more recent times, several US politicians claim to have heard the voice of God. It is especially common among those who run for President.
Throughout history the phenomenon has been met with fear, reverence, and suspicion. With Dr. Sigmund Freud and the birth of the field of psychiatry, the belief that this experience is a diagnosable illness has become more common.
Paracusia: Greek for beyond hearing.
Most modern day Western laymen automatically jump to the conclusion that it is a mental illness without and evidence and without seeking to understand it any further. Trained medical professionals are aware that “paracusia”, distortions in hearing, can be caused by a wide variety of conditions from schizophrenia to drug use to brain tumors to lack of sleep or fever.
From around the 1900s until very recently, the tendency has been to “diagnose” and label the phenomenon as a mental disorder or neurological disease. The labeling and stigmatizing of experiencers seeming to be of upmost importance without any need for further research or understanding. This tendency to classify and judge people who stand out from the norm seems to be slowly changing.
Auditory hallucinations are not necessarily pathological either with 10–40% of people having some experience with them at some point in their lives. The wide range of potential “hearer of voices” is largely due to the associated stigma. People whose lives are basically unaffected by the experience don’t report it. The wide range also shows how little this phenomenon is researched, nor is there anyone who seems to understand it with medical professionals offering descriptive opinions but never identifying the source of the sounds.
The music in my mind.
Another type of auditory hallucination is called Musical Ear. That’s when a person hears music inside their heads. According to various medical sources, Musical Ear is rare effecting less than 1% of the population. When the question is approached from a different direction, many musicians admit to hearing music in their heads. Upwards of 5% of the general population is said to have this “condition.”
It is interesting to note that from a different perspective audiation, the ability to create and imagine music in your mind, is considered a skill and not a diagnosable disease or mental disorder. It depends largely on how the question is phrased and who is asking.
That, to date, pretty much covers the entire history of humanity’s research and understanding of the experience.
That’s pathetic.
Hearing voices is more common than having blue eyes.
For a human experience which seems to be widespread and more common than having blue eyes (8% of the world’s population has blue eyes), we still understand very little about it. Considering it has been the source of inspiration for many religious books, leaders, and musical creations as well as the reason for execution as a witch or devil worshiper, I would think that more people would have been interested in studying the phenomena.
Our vague understanding and imprecise definitions also effect scientific study. When asked vague questions about “voices in their heads” many people are confused. Are researchers asking about our inner voices, which approximately 100% of people have, or something else?
This imprecision in our vocabulary coupled with the stigma makes it difficult to advance our knowledge of paracusia or whatever you want to call it much further.
As a lone individual with a scientific background who has experienced episodes of paracusia before, I feel that my understanding may be more advanced than that of current science.
Telepathic species on Earth: 8.7 million ; Non-telepathic species on Earth: 1
I’m only going to barely mention the possibility of telepathy, because that is a whole nother can of worms that would take up much more space and time than the scope of this article. We know or believe that whales, dolphins, horses, maybe even perhaps all animals communicate telepathically.
That is, all animals except us humans, or so we’ve been told. Current research at several major universities worldwide, most notably Stanford University, have been studying the possibility of human telepathy since at least the 1950s. The US and other governments may also have an interest In the possibility of human telepathy, but if that is the case, it would be a closely guarded secret.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla’s Elon Musk have both been working on telepathy, separately, for over a decade each. I have not heard a word of how they are coming along in their projects.
Outside of the possibility of telepathy, there is still much we don’t understand about our own brains. On top of that, we understand even less about the mind and consciousness.
Those ideas alone could expand this article by several hundred pages. However, I would like to limit this discussion to just the physical human brain, its function, and how it may naturally produce what we interpret as auditory hallucinations.
Our brains: the Pineal Gland
There are two parts of the brain worthy to mention in a discussion of auditory “hallucinations.” The first is the pineal gland located towards the middle of the brain, the second is the corpus callosum. This is the bundle of nerve fibers which operates as a bridge between the left and right hemispheres.
The pineal gland is of interest historically as it has been called “the seat of the soul”, “the third eye” and is commonly believed in Hinduism to be the location of the sixth chakra. It is said to be what connects our physical bodies with our spiritual selves. In Buddhism, it is also believed to be where higher consciousness evolves. The Egyptians also revered the pineal gland calling it the Eye of Horus, believing that it held mystical properties.
The pineal gland secretes melatonin while we sleep, regulating our circadian rhythms. It was also recently discovered that it releases DMT at the time of death. Considering its role in ancient history and these recent scientific discoveries, it seems highly possible that it could be the source of what we call auditory hallucinations as well.
If these ancient cultures are on to something, it might be wise for us to reconsider applying the ignorant, assuming, and arrogant phrase “auditory hallucinations” to the sounds emanated by this part of the brain. The source for all human invention and inspiration could very well be the pineal gland. It could be responsible for giving us all ideas throughout the history of civilization, including the concept of civilization itself. Perhaps a more respectful phrase would be appropriate.
Our Brains: The Corpus Callosum.
The second part of the brain that could play a part in the production of these sounds and voices is the corpus callosum, the bundle of approximately 200 million nerve fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres.
People are often either left-brained or right-brained, favoring one hemisphere over the other to process information. Those with left-brain dominance are more analytical, while those with right-brain dominance are more artistic.
The parts which control speech is located in both hemispheres.
In one study of 160,000 Americans, it was found that 37% of those tested were left-brained, 30% right-brained, while 33% showed dominance for neither hemisphere.
The corpus callosum acts more as a barrier to restrict communication between the hemispheres than it does to facilitate it. Therefore, those with less of these nerve fibers experience an increased amount of flow between the hemispheres while those with more denser fibers have more distinctly separate left and right hemispheres.
My theory is that it is possible that those with a less dense corpus callosum have a brain that interprets input from the less dominate hemisphere as “foreign voices.” They are familiar with their own inner voice, so when a second voice seemingly with a distinct personality makes its presence known, it is disturbing to the experiencer.
Science is just starting to examine this possibility. A less dense corpus callosum has been linked to higher instances of Autism.
The Autistic Artist.
At the same time I earned my second master’s degree, a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research, I tested as borderline high-functioning Autistic, an honor I share with Elon Musk.
Those distinctions as well as my experience with clairaudience and/or auditory hallucinations make me uniquely qualified to comment on the topic. I am both left-hemisphere dominant and left-handed. Contrary to popular belief, most left handed people (about 70%) are left-hemisphere dominant.
When I first heard the voice in my head, I assumed I had a telepathic connection with some unknown female. The voice was distinctly female. Most of my life has been lived with left-brain dominance. I am highly analytical, good at math, and logical reasoning. All left-brain qualities.
I now believe that this voice manifest due to me developing my left-hemisphere at the expense of my right-hemisphere. One of the first things this voice said to me was that the walls of my home “needed some artwork.”
Before her input, I barely noticed that the walls where I lived were undecorated. However, I know now that the emptiness was a drain on my soul. Having pictures and art hanging on the walls is a vast improvement adding character and substance to my place. Several people have commented on the art as well, proving that I was missing out on an important social element as well.
I now see that living a life out of balance, not recognizing one’s subconscious needs until they well up to the surface doesn’t allow us to fully develop as a human. We need human connection, empathy, art, an appreciation for beauty, and the higher culture that comes with acknowledging and respecting the right hemispheres of our brains.
The Civil War in my head.
Absent any physical deficiencies, I believe this could be the reason for the voices people hear. It’s a signal from yourself that you need to make some changes. Considering the different characteristics controlled by the two hemispheres, it seems easy to me how these voices could be interpreted as a separate personality, outside of and distinct from oneself.
If I don’t meet her list of demands and find love soon, I expect that this voice that I believe comes from the right hemisphere of my brain will express her discontent again, demanding that I get out of the house more often.
I called this period in my life Civil War: The Battle for Dominance and Control over My Life. My left-brain dominant reaction at first was to be suspicious and untrusting. I thought this other personality wanted to take over my life. I nicknamed this voice “The Queen of the East” with the right-hemisphere seeming to be in “the East” from my forward-glancing perspective.
It took a few months for my paranoid left-brain dominant self to realize that she wasn’t planning to invade and take over, she just wanted some beauty and love in my/her life. The Civil War ended a few months later, and with the purchase of some artwork and my guitar, the voice stopped.
Our Shadow Selves: Science & Beauty in America
I suspect that this voice comes from what Carl Jung might have called my shadow-self, the unconscious part of me that my conscious ego doesn’t identify with..
After my experience, I can see around me now how many, many people in the country are repressing parts of themselves.
I can’t be the only person to have had experiences like this. With Covid-19 still keeping us more isolated and the Omicron variant spreading, I suspect that there are many more people experiencing, or who will experience similar events.
I strongly believe that Americans need to get int touch with their shadow-selves for the sake of their own sanity and the survival of the country.
The Sciences could get off their high-horse too and admit that there are things we cannot understand in the Universe that will never be understood scientifically but are still equally valid and real. Beauty, art, love, human connection and compassion are just as real and part of the human experience as biology, chemistry, and the neurosciences.
Perhaps it is just a strange coincidence that these qualities of a meaningful life are what is missing in America today, but I doubt it.
There is a lot more going on between our ears than we realize. To date, no one had provided me with a sufficient answer to my questions, so I came up with my own. It seems far superior to me than those offered by 1950’s psychiatry or a gypsy fortuneteller.
I’m grateful my pineal gland was well-connected enough to the source, the place where all ideas come from, to inspire me to take care of myself providing me with the answers that no living human being could give.
