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7th World Congress and Intervoice Meeting
VISIONS, VOICES, MYSTICS AND MUSES
Ivan Barry
Advocate for Voice Hearers
World Traveller
Mental Health Researcher
ivanjbarry@gmail.com
www.visionsandvoices.weebly.com
Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015

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Welcome to you, and I hope that you enjoy this talk and sharing.
Introduction
My Name is Ivan Barry and I have worked for almost 20 years in various mental health
support roles. I was involved in setting up and facilitating hearing voices support groups
in Coventry, England, Madison, Wisconsin, USA and in Edinburgh, Scotland from 1991
and through to 2011. I have spoken on BBC Radio as well as local community stations
on the commonality of voice hearing and my aim is always to normalise discussion of
these experiences and raise awareness. I have given many talks on this subject in
Iceland, Egypt, USA and in the U.K.
My objectives here
Too many discussions about voice hearing are trapped within a restrictive and narrow
model of language, one that is dominated by narratives of illness and struggle. A
narrative that, I believe, fails to offer enough hope and optimism for recovery for too
many people.
I want to help change this limiting perspective and reconnect our concepts and beliefs
about voice hearing to the varied human experience that it is.
This way lies hope.
• We can listen and offer up better responses when we discuss hearing voices.
• We can remove the stigma voice hearers feel when it comes to sharing their
experiences and we can all do more to allow a broader conversation to take place
when we look at what more we can do to assist and support those who struggle with
critical voices..
• In other words, by connecting with individuals and their narratives and ideas, we
reconnect with ourselves.
• We can replace the human element into the shared exchanges of our lives.
• Hearing voices is a common and long established phenomena in the story of life.
How we understand and respond to these phenomena can make a big difference. to
voice hearers, health workers and family members who support folk in their recovery
journeys.
This handout is a summary of my full workshop, without the images for copyright
reasons.
My best wishes to you, Ivan.
Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015

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Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015

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Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015

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Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015

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What about people from everyday walks of life?
Here are some interesting research findings that show the experience of voice hearing
in students at university in 1988.
!
Hearing voices, even voices from home and family, is quite normal in year one at
University. Often it is the first time many students have been away from home. The
incidence of hearing voices falls away in years 2 and 3 as students become more
acclimatised to their social settings and settle within their peer groups. Anxiety about
fitting in socially and doing well in their studies begins to subside.
In research published in 1991, Tien found that 4% of 15,000 people surveyed reported
hearing voices. The survey utilised the methods in use in the mental health system and
many people fitted the criteria for a “schizophrenia” diagnosis. But two thirds of this
group were not “ill”!
!
The hearing of voices occurs across a wide range of spectrums and for many people in
diverse situations. Sometimes it´s a one off experience, sometimes helpful and speaking
to a need for change or a healing resolution.
The good news? Even if the experience is challenging there are plenty of coping
strategies to explore.
Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015

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In 1987 Professor Marius Romme and Patsy Hage took part in a Dutch TV chat
show. Patsy shared her story of hearing challenging voices and Marius asked
viewers about their own experiences and was astonished and surprised by their
responses!
Is there a difference? Yes. Take a look at the following research which showed how
patients and non-patients felt about the voices they could hear. Again, by Marius.
We can clearly see that those hearing negative voices had a relationship with their voice
hearing experience that made them more likely to feel afraid. This is the group that
doctors meet regularly. This is because of the content of the voices, what they said and
how they said it. The impact of this experience.
People who hear positive or friendly voices never seek help…why would they?
Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015

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If you care to know more or to access useful free advice for better coping, visit these
websites :
• www.visionsandvoices.weebly.com
• www.intervoiceonline.org
• www.workingtorecovery.co.uk
• www.hearingvoicescymru.org
• www.voicecollective.co.uk
Care to have me come and talk or provide a session on introducing basic coping skills?
Please get in touch …..
Thankyou for listening.
Workshop at the International Conference in Alacala de Henares, Madrid 06.11.2015