Auditory hallucinations or Hearing voices: How to decline and remove auditory hallucinations or voices?

Listen to Blog and Read Along

Hearing voices—commonly referred to as auditory hallucinations—is a complex phenomenon that sits at the intersection of mental, emotional, neurological, and sometimes even spiritual experiences. Whether voices are considered a mental illness, a physical health concern, or something else entirely depends on the context in which they occur, the content and tone of the voices, and the individual’s relationship to them.

Some psychiatrists and mental health professionals assert that hearing voices is not inherently a mental illness because the phenomenon itself—known as auditory verbal hallucinations—can occur in a wide range of individuals, including those who are not mentally ill. This perspective is supported by growing research and lived experience evidence showing that not all voice-hearers are distressed or dysfunctional, and that the presence of voices is not always linked to a diagnosable disorder like schizophrenia.

Types of Voices People May Hear

Commanding Voices

These instruct the person to do something, often harmful or distressing. These can be very dangerous if the person feels compelled to obey.

Commanding voices are often the most distressing, as they tell the person to perform specific actions—sometimes harmful or threatening. These voices can provoke fear, confusion, or feelings of powerlessness. The action plan for managing commanding voices includes immediate grounding techniques, such as deep breathing, cold water on the hands or face, or naming objects in the room to reorient to reality. Working with a therapist to set clear mental boundaries, challenge the authority of the voice, and identify underlying trauma can also help reduce the voice’s power over time. If the voice urges self-harm or violence, a crisis safety plan and professional intervention are essential.

Commentary Voices

Voices that comment on a person’s actions, often critically or sarcastically. Common in schizophrenia-spectrum conditions.

Commentary voices narrate the person's actions, often critically or mockingly, as if watching from outside. These can cause anxiety or paranoia, making the person feel constantly judged. The action plan for commentary voices involves developing internal affirmations and using journaling or art to separate the self from the voice. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques may help identify and shift distorted thoughts that give these voices influence. Peer support groups, like Hearing Voices Networks, can offer validation and coping strategies from others with similar experiences.

Conversational Voices

Multiple voices having a dialogue, sometimes about the person. This can feel intrusive or disorienting.

Conversational voices involve two or more voices talking to each other, sometimes about the person, sometimes not. These can be intrusive and make focusing difficult. The action plan includes scheduled “dialogue time,” where the person intentionally listens to or records the voices to better understand their themes. Outside that time, distraction techniques like music, walking, or structured tasks can help minimize their impact. A trained counselor may assist the individual in exploring if the voices represent parts of the self-needing attention, such as inner child or protector figures.

Supportive or Protective Voices

Not all voices are negative—some are comforting or guiding. Many individuals report these voices offering advice or emotional support.

Supportive or guiding voices are experienced as comforting, protective, or spiritual in nature. These voices can offer reassurance and are often interpreted positively. The action plan here focuses on strengthening discernment. The person should assess whether the guidance is healthy, empowering, and aligned with their highest good. Spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, or ritual can be integrated, while maintaining a balanced connection with external reality to avoid dependency or delusion.

Spiritual or Supernatural Voices

Some individuals interpret voices as messages from ancestors, spirits, divine beings, or higher consciousness. In some cultures, this is not viewed as pathological but as a sign of spiritual sensitivity or awakening.

Spiritual or supernatural voices are interpreted as messages from ancestors, spirits, or divine beings. Depending on the cultural and personal framework, these can be enlightening or destabilizing. The action plan is to approach such voices with both openness and critical thinking. If the messages are constructive and not fear-based, spiritual counseling or cultural mentorship may help integrate the experience meaningfully. If the messages are frightening, manipulative, or lead to isolation, support from a trauma-informed therapist can help assess their psychological roots while respecting the person’s beliefs.

Echo or Repetitive Voices

These repeat a person’s thoughts or past phrases, sometimes caused by trauma or neurological conditions.

Echo or repetitive voices repeat past phrases or internal thoughts, often triggered by memories or emotional distress. These can feel like mental loops that won’t stop. The action plan includes identifying emotional triggers through reflective journaling or therapy and gently confronting the past events connected to the repeated content. Mindfulness and grounding practices can help the individual bring attention back to the present, while body-based therapies like EMDR or somatic experiencing may help resolve trauma stored in the nervous system.

Each voice carries a message that can offer insight into the self, but managing them effectively requires a compassionate, personalized plan rooted in safety, empowerment, and self-awareness.

Where Do Voices Come From? (Possible Origins)

• Mental Health Disorders

  • Schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder

  • Bipolar disorder with psychotic features

  • Severe depression with psychosis

  • PTSD and dissociative disorders (e.g., DID)

• Physical or Neurological Conditions

  • Brain injuries or tumors

  • Epilepsy, especially temporal lobe epilepsy

  • Substance use or withdrawal (alcohol, stimulants, hallucinogens)

  • Sleep deprivation or extreme stress

• Trauma and Emotional Pain Many voice-hearers have experienced significant trauma. In these cases, voices may be expressions of dissociated parts of the psyche attempting to process overwhelming experiences.

• Spiritual and Cultural Contexts In Indigenous, African, Eastern, and other cultural traditions, hearing voices can be interpreted as a spiritual gift, not a pathology.

Is Hearing Voices a Mental Illness or Physical Health Concern?

• Not Always Mental Illness: Hearing voices can be a symptom of mental illness, but not all people who hear voices have a psychiatric diagnosis. Some individuals lead full, functional lives while hearing voices and may even draw strength or insight from them.

• Could Be Physical: In some cases, physical conditions like brain infections, tumors, or drug reactions are responsible, making it a medical rather than purely psychiatric concern.

• Also a Social and Psychological Phenomenon: Voices often emerge in response to emotional needs, unresolved trauma, or unmet psychological expression. They may be a part of the psyche’s attempt to cope, make meaning, or gain control.

A Balanced View: From Pathology to Understanding

Instead of automatically labeling voice-hearing as a disorder, a trauma-informed, holistic, and culturally sensitive approach is needed. The Hearing Voices Movement, for example, challenges the idea that all voice-hearing is pathological. It advocates for understanding the meaning behind voices and developing strategies to live with or integrate them.

Conclusion

Hearing voices is not always a sign of "madness." It can be a mental health concern, a physical health issue, a response to trauma, or even a spiritual experience. The key is individualized understanding, compassionate inquiry, and appropriate support—whether through medical care, holistic therapy, spiritual counseling, or peer-led support. Voices have stories to tell. Listening to them with discernment, rather than fear, opens the door to healing and deeper self-awareness.

Hearing voices can cause a person to appear psychotic to others, especially when the individual reacts to voices that are not externally present. For example, someone might suddenly laugh, smile, or respond verbally to what appears to be nothing—when in fact, they are interacting with an internal voice or presence. These spontaneous emotional expressions can seem out of place or confusing in social settings, leading observers to misinterpret the behavior as bizarre or irrational. This disconnect between internal experience and external perception is a key reason why voice-hearers are often misunderstood or labeled as psychotic. In reality, their reactions are often completely appropriate to the content or tone of what they’re hearing, even if that experience is invisible to others. Understanding this helps reduce stigma and fosters greater compassion for those navigating these complex inner realities.

How voices can be brought on by different dietary choices. What helps reduce voices for the mentally ill?

Hearing voices can be influenced by a variety of factors—including dietary choices, which impact brain chemistry, inflammation, gut health, and overall mental clarity. While diet alone may not be the sole cause or cure for auditory hallucinations, it can play a significant supportive role in reducing their intensity or frequency, particularly for those managing mental health conditions.

How Dietary Choices Can Influence Hearing Voices

1. Blood Sugar Spikes and Crashes Diets high in refined sugar and processed carbohydrates can cause rapid changes in blood sugar levels. These fluctuations can lead to irritability, anxiety, and mental confusion, which may heighten vulnerability to intrusive thoughts or voices.

2. Food Sensitivities and Inflammation Some people are sensitive to gluten, dairy, food additives, or artificial sweeteners. These can trigger neuroinflammation or immune responses that affect cognitive functioning, possibly increasing hallucinations or psychotic symptoms in vulnerable individuals.

3. Gut-Brain Axis Disruption A poor diet can disrupt gut microbiota, which play a vital role in producing neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA. A compromised gut environment can worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychosis—making voices more frequent or distressing.

4. Stimulants and Caffeine Excessive caffeine or stimulant use (e.g., energy drinks, chocolate, or nicotine) can lead to sleep disruption, anxiety, and heightened mental activity, sometimes triggering or intensifying voices in sensitive individuals.

5. Nutrient Deficiencies Deficiencies in vitamin B12, folate, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium have been linked to increased risk of psychosis and mood disorders. Lack of these nutrients may impair brain function and resilience to stress or hallucinations.

What Dietary and Holistic Approaches May Help Reduce Voices

1. Anti-Inflammatory Diet

   • Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods: vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats (like olive oil and avocados).

   • Include herbs and spices with anti-inflammatory properties such as turmeric, ginger, and garlic.

2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

   • Found in flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, and especially oily fish like salmon and sardines, omega-3s support brain function and reduce inflammation, which may help stabilize mood and reduce psychotic symptoms.

3. Probiotics and Gut Healing

   • Fermented foods (like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir) and probiotic supplements can restore healthy gut bacteria, which in turn support mental clarity and emotional balance.

4. Blood Sugar Regulation

   • Eating regular, balanced meals with protein, fiber, and healthy fats helps stabilize blood sugar and may reduce agitation, paranoia, or mental fog.

5. Elimination Diet (under supervision)

   • Temporarily removing common trigger foods (e.g., gluten, dairy, processed sugar) and slowly reintroducing them can help identify sensitivities that might be affecting mental health.

6. Hydration and Detoxification

   • Staying well-hydrated and supporting liver detox (e.g., with dandelion tea, leafy greens) can help clear pharmaceutical or environmental toxins that may be affecting the nervous system.

In Summary

While hearing voices can have deep psychological, neurological, and sometimes spiritual roots, dietary choices can significantly influence how often and how intensely these voices are experienced. A clean, nourishing diet—rich in anti-inflammatory foods and essential nutrients—supports brain health, emotional regulation, and gut integrity, all of which play a role in mental clarity. For many mentally ill individuals, especially those seeking to reduce reliance on medication, mindful eating becomes not just a physical act of healing but a form of self-discipline that strengthens the will and calms the mind.

How stopping the consumption of dairy and wheat can potentially remove voices from the mentally ill?

Stopping the consumption of dairy and wheat (gluten) has shown promise for some individuals with mental illness, particularly those who experience auditory hallucinations or "hearing voices." While this does not apply universally, there is growing evidence and anecdotal support suggesting that these foods can contribute to mental disturbances in certain people—especially those with sensitivities, intolerances, or underlying inflammation.

Why Dairy and Wheat May Contribute to Hearing Voices

1. Inflammatory Response

   • Casein (in dairy) and gluten (in wheat) can trigger immune responses in some individuals, leading to neuroinflammation—inflammation in the brain that can disrupt neurotransmitter balance and cognitive function.

   • Chronic inflammation may intensify psychotic symptoms, including hearing voices, emotional instability, or paranoia.

2. Leaky Gut and the Gut-Brain Axis

   • Both dairy and gluten are known to increase intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) in sensitive individuals.

   • This allows undigested food particles and toxins to enter the bloodstream, potentially triggering systemic inflammation and affecting brain function via the gut-brain axis.

   • A dysregulated gut often correlates with increased symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression—conditions where auditory hallucinations are common.

3. Opioid-like Peptides

   • When not properly digested, casein and gluten can form casomorphins and gliadorphins—peptides that have opioid-like effects on the brain.

   • These compounds may alter perception, mood, and thought patterns, contributing to dissociation, hallucinations, or thought disturbances in vulnerable individuals.

4. Food Sensitivities and Allergies

   • Undiagnosed food sensitivities can lead to mental fog, agitation, and perceptual distortions.

   • In some cases, the mental distress caused by immune reactions is interpreted by the brain as intrusive voices or internal dialogue.

Case Reports and Research Highlights

• Some studies and case reports have found that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia experienced a reduction or complete cessation of auditory hallucinations after eliminating gluten and/or dairy from their diets.

• A 1997 study found a significant drop in symptom severity in psychotic patients placed on a gluten-free diet.

• Many practitioners in integrative psychiatry now recommend elimination diets as part of a holistic treatment plan, especially when traditional medications are only partially effective.

Potential Benefits of Removing Dairy and Wheat

• Reduction in or elimination of voices and psychotic symptoms

• Improved mood stability and clarity of thought

• Reduced anxiety, paranoia, and emotional reactivity

• Enhanced gut health and nutrient absorption

• Greater sense of internal calm and improved sleep

Important Considerations

• This approach is not a cure-all, and it should be done with medical or nutritional supervision, especially if the individual is on psychiatric medication.

• Effects vary by individual. Some may notice improvement within weeks, while others may need several months to detox and heal the gut-brain connection.

• It’s critical to replace dairy and wheat with nutritious alternatives to maintain a balanced and sustainable diet.

In Summary

Eliminating dairy and wheat from the diet can help reduce or even eliminate auditory hallucinations in some individuals with mental illness, particularly when food sensitivities, gut issues, or inflammation are contributing to their symptoms. Though not a universal solution, this nutritional approach offers a natural, empowering, and non-invasive path toward mental clarity and reduced dependency on medication. It is a valuable step in a broader holistic healing journey.

As a peer mental health counselor, it is essential to recognize and validate the lived experience of the mental health consumer, especially when exploring the role that diet, lifestyle, and holistic practices play in psychological well-being. The importance of understanding one's internal world—including the experience of hearing voices—cannot be overstated. For many, these voices are not simply symptoms to be silenced, but deeply personal expressions of unmet needs, trauma, or unresolved emotion. In this light, dietary interventions, such as the removal of dairy and wheat, offer more than physical health benefits—they represent a conscious act of self-care, a way to reclaim agency over the mind-body connection. When the body is inflamed or overstimulated by foods it cannot tolerate, the brain may respond with confusion, emotional dysregulation, or sensory distortions. By supporting clients in gently exploring the relationship between nutrition and mental health, counselors can guide them toward empowerment rather than pathology.

Encouraging mindfulness, intentional eating, and curiosity about how food affects mood or perception allows the consumer to become an active participant in their healing. This shift from passive patient to engaged self-healer is central to building long-term resilience, reducing stigma, and restoring trust in one's own insight and intuition.

As a mental health consumer, living with voices over time can have a profound and often unpredictable impact on daily life. For some of us, these voices can drain our energy, shift our focus, and interfere with even the simplest tasks, while for others, they may offer comfort, guidance, or a sense of companionship. The experience varies, but the challenges and insights are very real. Here’s how voices can affect productivity and focus from my perspective:

• Mental fatigue – Constant internal dialogue or noise can exhaust the mind, leaving little space for clear thinking or goal-setting.

• Disrupted concentration – Voices often intrude when I’m trying to read, work, or hold a conversation, pulling my attention away.

• Emotional distraction – Some voices are critical or mocking, triggering self-doubt or emotional reactions that derail my focus.

• Loss of motivation – On difficult days, voices can be so overwhelming that I withdraw from responsibilities or plans.

• Isolation – The fear of being judged or misunderstood may lead me to avoid social and professional environments, further reducing productivity.

• Comfort and connection – On the other hand, some voices feel protective or familiar, like an internal friend during lonely times.

• Creative insight – Occasionally, voices spark ideas, help me process emotions, or inspire artistic expression.

For me, the key is learning which voices are helpful, which ones are harmful, and building routines and tools—like grounding, therapy, or quiet environments—that help me stay anchored. Productivity looks different when you're living with voices, but with patience and the right support, it’s still possible to move forward.

Hearing voices is a deeply personal and complex experience that affects many individuals living with mental health conditions. These voices can range from critical and commanding to comforting and spiritual, each carrying its own emotional weight and psychological impact. Some individuals may hear voices that mimic past trauma, while others experience them as intrusive, echoing, or disconnected from reality. The way a person reacts to these voices often influences their mental and emotional stability, shaping daily functioning, relationships, and overall quality of life. While traditionally labeled as symptoms of disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or PTSD, recent holistic approaches encourage us to view voices as reflections of internal imbalance, unresolved emotion, or deeper spiritual and psychological processes.

The types of voices a person hears can often provide insight into the root cause or trigger of their mental distress. Commanding and critical voices may be tied to low self-esteem, past abuse, or emotional suppression. Supportive or spiritual voices may be interpreted through a cultural or intuitive lens, offering guidance or protection. Scientific and anecdotal evidence suggests that certain dietary choices can amplify or alleviate these experiences. Inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, processed sugars, and caffeine may irritate the nervous system or cause gut imbalances that influence neurotransmitter production. By removing or reducing these substances, some individuals report a significant decrease or full elimination of their voices. This process supports the growing understanding of the gut-brain connection and the body's role in mental clarity and emotional regulation.

To overcome the distressing effects of hearing voices, a multi-dimensional healing approach is often most effective. This includes working with trained professionals to identify the nature and message of the voices, engaging in therapeutic or spiritual practices to process trauma, and making conscious dietary and lifestyle changes that reduce internal inflammation and restore neurological balance. Building self-discipline through nutrition, mindfulness, and spiritual awareness allows individuals to take back control of their mental space. Though the journey may require patience, consistency, and courage, many have found relief and empowerment by combining holistic tools with personal insight. Ultimately, the goal is not just to silence the voices, but to transform the inner landscape so that peace, clarity, and self-agency are restored.

For some mental health patients, voices—though initially distressing—can become unexpected guides on a deeper journey of healing and self-discovery. As individuals begin to engage with these inner experiences from a place of curiosity rather than fear, many come to realize that the voices often reflect suppressed emotions, past trauma, or unmet needs. In this light, voices serve not simply as symptoms, but as signals calling attention to areas of the psyche that are ready to be acknowledged, processed, and transformed. When met with compassion, spiritual reflection, and lifestyle changes—such as dietary purification, mindfulness practices, and emotional detox—these voices may gradually soften, shift in tone, and eventually decline altogether.

The Outcome of Declining and Removal of Voices

Many patients describe the process of voice reduction as a gradual return to mental and emotional clarity. At first, the voices may grow quieter or become less intrusive. With continued commitment to healing—whether through therapy, journaling, prayer, fasting, or removing inflammatory foods—the mind and body begin to align more harmoniously. The chaos once felt in the mind gives way to stillness. Patients often report feeling lighter, more grounded, and capable of discerning their true inner voice from the echoes of fear, trauma, or toxicity. They may even come to view the voices as having served a temporary purpose—guiding them toward self-awareness and accountability on their path to mental purity.

The final stage for many is one of profound relief and renewed self-agency. As the voices dissolve, they are often replaced by a sense of inner peace, increased willpower, and spiritual connectedness. The absence of constant mental noise opens the door to deeper focus, stronger boundaries, and a clearer sense of identity. Individuals who reach this point frequently speak of it as a rebirth—where the mind is no longer held hostage by confusion or fear, but is instead guided by clarity, self-discipline, and divine alignment. In this way, the decline and removal of voices is not just a symptom disappearing—it is the soul reemerging.

If you have specific questions or concerns, feel free to share!

Hope you found this insightful while grasping the key components!

Please contact me if you would like to chat in a peer counseling session, revolving around this post or another topic.

Mental health revival seeking to inspire a unique perception of mental health awareness