Voices

An engrossing new exploration of an uncanny aspect of consciousness: the phenomenon of hearing voices What does it mean when we hear a voice inside our head, or a voice that isn’t there? What is happening when we hear the advice of a family member, coach, or deity as if they were right beside us? In this strikingly original work, renowned anthropologist T. M. Luhrmann examines the nature of thoughts that don’t feel like our own. Voice-hearing is poorly understood by science, yet voices are at the heart not only of moments of great despair but also of transcendence. Across decades of fieldwork with shamans, Goddess worshippers, evangelicals, psychiatric patients, artists, and meditation practitioners, Luhrmann noticed a pattern: when people learned to pay attention to their minds in particular ways, they started hearing voices. As she explores the many sides of voice-hearing through vivid stories, Luhrmann argues our ability to hear voices in this way is a core element of the human mind. Most people will audibly hear a voice at some point in their lives, and we all experience a mild version far more often. Voices can inspire artists, lead Olympic medalists to victory, and help people escape near-death catastrophes. They can deepen one’s faith, help the grieving let go of the dead, and bring us closer to ourselves. Even in cases where they veer into madness, voices can still feel moving and profound. Nuanced and humane, Voices illuminates how consciousness is far more porous and malleable than we think, bringing us a startling new view of our strange and remarkable minds.