When the Mind Mishears Itself: The Science Behind Schizophrenia’s “Voices”

If you’ve ever supported someone living with schizophrenia, you’ll know that hearing voices isn’t just “in their head.” It feels real, often distressingly so. The voices might whisper cruel things, give commands, or even carry on full conversations.

But what if those voices aren’t from some mysterious outside source? What if, instead, they’re actually the brain mishearing itself?

That’s exactly what scientists are now confirming. New research titled “Corollary Discharge Dysfunction to Inner Speech and its Relationship to Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders”, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, has shed new light on what’s going on inside the brain of someone who hears voices.

Let’s unpack what that means and, more importantly, what it means for you as a partner, family member, or supporter.

🧩 Understanding the Inner Voice We All Have

We all have an “inner voice.”

It’s that little narrator in your mind that says things like:

“Don’t forget the milk.”
“That was a dumb thing to say.”

It’s part of how we think, plan, and process emotions. For most of us, we instinctively recognise this voice as our own; it’s me talking to me.

But in people with schizophrenia who experience auditory hallucinations, that line blurs. Their brain stops recognising the inner voice as self-generated, and it starts to sound like it’s coming from someone else.

That’s not a character flaw or lack of willpower; it’s a misfire in how the brain monitors itself.

🔊 The Brain’s Internal “Volume Control”

Here’s where it gets fascinating.

Every time we talk, even just in our heads, our brain sends two messages:

  1. A signal to the speech system (the part that would make sound).

  2. A “warning signal” to the auditory system, called corollary discharge.

That second message basically says:

“Hey, this sound is coming from me, don’t treat it as an external noise.”

It’s a built-in filter that stops us from being startled by our own voice.

But in schizophrenia, especially for people who hear voices, this system can break down. The brain doesn’t send that “this is mine” message properly, so when inner speech occurs, it mistakes it for an external sound.

That’s when internal thoughts start to sound like someone else is speaking.

🧠 The Study That Confirmed It

Researchers tested this theory by dividing participants into three groups:

  • People with schizophrenia who currently hear voices (AVH+)

  • People with schizophrenia who don’t (AVH–)

  • Healthy participants with no psychosis history

Participants were asked to imagine saying simple sounds (like “ah”) while hearing tones through headphones. Scientists then recorded their brain activity using EEG (a method that measures brain waves).

Here’s what they found:

  • Healthy participants: Their brains suppressed auditory responses when the inner speech matched the sound, meaning the brain recognised, “That’s me.”

  • People with schizophrenia who hear voices: Their brains did the opposite, auditory responses were enhanced. The brain reacted as if it were hearing something new and external.

  • Those without current voices: Their results were somewhere in between.

This reversal strongly supports the idea that in schizophrenia, the brain’s monitoring system for inner speech, its corollary discharge, isn’t functioning properly.

In short, the brain is talking to itself… but it doesn’t realise it.

💬 What This Means for Families and Partners

If your loved one hears voices, this research changes the way we understand what’s happening.

It’s not that they’re imagining things.
It’s not that they’ve “lost touch with reality” in a moral or emotional sense.

It’s their brain—a biological system—misfiring.

When you start to see it that way, compassion comes much more naturally. It helps separate the person from the symptom.

They’re not choosing to hear voices. Their brain is confusing self-generated inner speech with external sound.

❤️ “Why Can’t They Just Ignore the Voices?”

This question breaks many partners’ hearts.
And the honest answer is: they can’t, not easily.

Imagine hearing your name called right now. You’d naturally look up, right? Your body would react —heartbeat quickening, adrenaline spiking —even if no one was there.

Now imagine that happening several times a day, with voices that sometimes criticise you, command you, or argue among themselves. Each time, it feels like an external event, because your brain tells you it is.

Ignoring that would be like ignoring a fire alarm that keeps going off, impossible.

That’s why it’s so important to replace “ignore” with “understand.”

🧘‍♀️ A New Way to Talk About Voices

This research offers a gentler, more accurate way to discuss auditory hallucinations.

Instead of saying:

“He’s hearing voices again.”

We might say:

“His brain is misidentifying his own inner speech right now.”

It’s a subtle change, but a powerful one. It removes blame and invites empathy.

For partners, it also offers a practical shift: you don’t have to convince your loved one that the voices aren’t real, because, to them, they are. Instead, focus on helping them feel safe and understood as they navigate those moments.

🌱 How You Can Support Your Partner

1. Validate Their Experience

Arguing about what’s “real” rarely helps.
Instead, validate the emotion:

“That sounds really distressing. I can see this is hard for you, I’m here.”

Validation doesn’t mean agreeing with the content of the voices; it means recognising their reality in the moment.

2. Encourage Gentle Awareness

Therapists often use awareness exercises to help people distinguish inner speech from external voices.

You can gently ask questions like:

“Does it sound familiar, like your own voice?”
“What was happening before it started?”

These aren’t challenges, they’re invitations to reflection.

3. Stay Calm and Grounded

When your partner is distressed by voices, your calmness matters more than your words.
Use a low, steady tone and simple grounding cues:

“Let’s focus on my voice right now.”
“Can you tell me three things you see around us?”

This helps pull them gently back to the present moment.

4. Create a Safety Plan Together

If voices ever encourage self-harm or dangerous behaviour, have a clear plan:

  • Keep helpline numbers handy (Lifeline, 13 11 14 in Australia).

  • Know when to call their doctor or visit the hospital.

  • Prepare a list of grounding activities that help reduce distress.

Planning together helps reduce panic during crises.

5. Don’t Forget Yourself

You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Supporting someone through schizophrenia can be exhausting, emotionally and physically.

Find your own support network, online carer groups, therapy, or close friends who understand. Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s necessary.

🌤️ What This Means for Treatment and Hope

Understanding voices as a brain misinterpretation, rather than a moral or mystical event, opens new paths for treatment.

Researchers are now exploring therapies that aim to retrain the brain’s monitoring systems, using cognitive training or neurofeedback to strengthen that corollary discharge mechanism.

But even before we get there, this insight offers hope. It helps people living with schizophrenia understand that they aren’t “crazy.” Their brains are misidentifying signals, and with the right support, they can learn to manage that.

Knowledge brings power and peace.

💡 Seeing the Person, Not the Diagnosis

Your loved one is not their illness.

They’re still the same person who loves music, laughs at silly jokes, and dreams of better days. The illness might distort perception, but it doesn’t erase the person underneath.

When you keep that in sight, love stays stronger than fear.

“When we understand what the brain is doing, compassion replaces confusion.”

📚 References