Can one really hear the voices of the dead? What causes this phenomenon?
Spiritual abilities, such as clairvoyance, manifest as seeing or hearing things that ordinary people cannot, have always been mysterious phenomena that particularly intrigue scientists.
Spiritualists tend to report unusual auditory conditions more than positive ones.
Among these phenomena, the experience of hearing “voices from the beyond” has recently been linked to abnormal health conditions, such as stress-related consequences, auditory illnesses from childhood, or unusual sensitivity to sounds, according to a study.
Interestingly, only a small portion of individuals with heightened auditory sensitivity claim to have spiritual abilities. In contrast, many others report feeling unwell and even have a history of mental health issues.
“Spiritualists tend to report unusual auditory conditions more than positive ones. These phenomena often begin in childhood but gradually become manageable,” explained psychologist Peter Moseley from Northumbria University (UK).
“Understanding these experiences is crucial as it can help us comprehend the distressing or uncontrollable feelings associated with hearing voices.”
Through direct surveys of 143 selected individuals, Moseley concluded that less than half of those who believe in spirituality reported hearing “strange” voices daily. Meanwhile, up to 79% admitted that this experience is a part of their daily lives.
Additionally, reports indicate that individuals with unusual auditory experiences are more prone to hallucination-like experiences. This suggests that hearing “voices from the beyond” is less likely to be a result of peer pressure, social context, or special beliefs in the mystical.
Instead, these individuals often embrace spirituality primarily because it resonates with their experiences or holds particular personal significance for them.
Scientists tentatively conclude that future studies need to explore various cultural contexts to better understand the relationship between belief absorption, faith, and unusual spiritual experiences, aiming to decode the phenomenon of “whispering ghosts” in someone’s ear.
