[xlz1968]

Hi,

I have been diagnosed as psychosis for five years. I encountered some strange things - I heard others said strange things to me. When I asked them, they all said that they forgot that or they said something different. I even heard some "strange" sentences at a church preaching. But when I checked the recorded tape of the preaching, the sentences were not there. Then I had all kinds of strange thoughts to explain these events. It led me to my psychiatrist. My psychiatrist and my wife interpreted my experience as my hallucinations and thought I had delusions. But I cannot understand that why I heard all things from real people, not from a empty room. When I was alone, I did not have any hallucinations at all. Other than the strange thoughts that bothered me a a little while, I am normal and never stop working. Currently I do very well on my job. Could someone tell me if they have similar experience?

[mgran]

Well, when I've been out shopping I've overheard other shoppers saying weird things, but my husband and son never heard them. I assumed I was psychic, and was hearing the secret thoughts of the other shoppers. And at work I heard my boss criticising me whenever a colleague took a phone call. I assumed I had super sensitive hearing.

But if it's not impeding your executive function, that is if you're able to work, organise your life, etc, then perhaps it's nothing to worry about too much? The audibles at your church, were they of a religious nature? Or just random? It may be you have some kind of a trigger.

Since I've been on meds the auditory hallucinations have diminished quite a bit (still the odd flare up, but I don't have any delusions that they're real, or that I'm psychic.) I've also had weird visuals, like flash cards suddenly appearing on television for a split second with secret messages... when I rewind they're not there.

[FireBird]

Yes, I get that all the time where people are saying things that sound weird. Sometimes I hear them talking about me and hearing my name in someone else's conversations at a restaurant or other places. It was at its worst when I had a psychotic break. I hear things while alone as well though. I also hear things wrong all the time and I don't think its a hallucination. I am just misinterpreting sounds or something like that. I also see things wrong. Words especially. I actually see the wrong word. I don't know why. So, you are not alone in having this symptom. I also hear people laughing at me and the people I am with said there was no laughter. So I don't know why I do that. I do have schizoaffective disorder though.

[mgran]

I forgot about hearing my name in other people's conversations. I hear my son's name too. One time I heard people in the next shopping aisle complaining about vegetarians, told my husband. He went to them to say "what's your problem with vegetarians?" They had no idea what he was talking about, and he ended up apologising to them.

I'm sure with that, the invisible bugs, etc, he probably knew I was doolally.

[xlz1968]

Thanks for sharing your experience.
At church, I heard that the pastor said "A young man went out to date a woman who worship idol. When he came back, his father...". What on the tape is "A young man went out. When he came back, his father...". Could someone explain this to me?

Another question, I heard all voices in good, intact English. Never heard things like commanding or commenting. But my native language is Chinese. By the way, I live in US. Could anyone tell me if these are typical symptoms.

[mgran]

It could actually be that your English simply hiccups sometimes, as your brain is trying to translate information from a foriegn language. I get that kind of thing in French or German more than in English. Listening to a sermon in a foriegn language (or to any long speech) is quite a taxing task... I found that listening to a sermon in Afrikaans, interestingly enough... I thought I heard something about a man stealing shoes, and in fact it was to do with shaking the dust off your feet. So, the fact that you sometimes mishear or misunderstand a second language doesn't have to be symptomatic of anything other than the fact your second language will never be as good as your first, and when your brain tires of the task of listening to said language it will throw up random associations.

[xlz1968]

Has anyone hear non-existing voices clearly and distinctively from another person face-to-face? I mean, had both auditory and visual hallucinations simultaneously so real and not be able to differentiate from reality. What I heard and saw was so clear that I remembered each word even though English is my foreign language. Has anyone had so real "hallucinations" with real people while experienced no hallucinations when was alone. Please share your experience with me so I can see how I fit into the picture of mental illness.

Thanks.

[mgran]

I have seen hallucinatory people who spoke to me. At the time I assumed they were ghosts, or demons, or angels. Only because nobody else could see them. If nobody had been there to point out I was talking to invisible things then I'd have believed I'd really met someone and had a conversation. Not always been that delusional, but it has happened in the past. Is this what you're talking about?

[xlz1968]

Actually I mean "hallucinatory" conversation with real people face-to-face. Have you?

When you talk to hallucinatory people, did you feel like in a dream and being waken up by other people?

[mgran]

I've misheard what people have said, turned them totally upside down and therefore reacted and spoken inappropriately.

Sometimes it does feel like a dream when someone real breaks in on an hallucinatory experience.