Schizophrenia affects about 1% of people worldwide, and auditory hallucinations often called "voices" are a hallmark symptom, experienced by 70-80% of those diagnosed. These are not external sounds but vivid internal perceptions, as real to the person as any conversation.

Content of the voices varies widely and is deeply personal, shaped by culture, stress, trauma, and beliefs. Common themes include:

• Commanding voices: Urging actions, from mundane ("Eat now") to harmful ("Harm yourself" or others). About 40% report such commands; many learn to resist them.
• Commenting voices: Narrating the person's actions in real-time, like a critical sports announcer ("You're failing again" or "They're watching you"). These erode self-esteem and fuel paranoia.
• Conversational voices: Arguing among themselves or with the person, debating decisions or mocking thoughts. They may sound like known people (family, celebrities) or strangers.
• Threatening or accusatory: Accusing the person of crimes ("You're evil"), predicting doom, or issuing warnings. Religious or conspiratorial tones are frequent (e.g., "God is punishing you" or "The government controls your mind").
• Neutral or positive (rarely): Some hear supportive voices ("You're strong"), but negative ones dominate in untreated cases.

Voices often feel alien coming from outside the head (walls, radio) and can be male, female, childlike, or accented. They intensify during stress, sleep loss, or substance use.

Importantly, hearing voices doesn't equal danger; many with schizophrenia live productively with treatment (antipsychotics like risperidone, therapy like CBT for psychosis). Voices are a brain wiring issue, not "demons" or weakness. If experiencing this, seek a psychiatrist early intervention helps 70% manage symptoms. Support groups like Hearing Voices Network normalize it without stigma.