Question about hallucinations

[sixdollarchampagne]

Maybe someone knows something about the following. If so, I would appreciate their sending me a message.

How serious is it, if a person hears what seem to be soft voices, forming words almost indistinctly, from the sounds made by machinery? (The sounds of the words are that soft.)

I live in the Deep South, where it is hot, and the air conditioning runs a lot, and when I am alone, there seem to be audible words among the mechanical sounds. Is this a symptom of some (undesirable) condition?

Any information will be gratefully received. It's freaking me out :) a little.

[Jimmie Higgins]

If you're really concerned about it, you should speak to a professional. However, I think it may just be the auditory version of seeing faces in clouds or random patterns. Human brains have a lot of power devoted to seeing and understanding facial expressions and so we tend to see faces even when there is little resembelance to a real face: :)

I would think that our ears are more sensitive to human-like (and maybe other animal) tones... we block out white noise and the things our brain is tuned to stand out. This can sometimes cause mind-tricks. Hearing or seeing strange things every once in a while shouldn't be anything to worry about. I think it's when people are hearing more distinct and regular type things that maybe there is some obessesive thing happening or something to get some help with.

[sixdollarchampagne]

Hey, Jimmy Higgins: Thanks so much for your very kind and knowledgeable reply; I feel better for having read it. A shrink once told me that people sometimes imagine they hear their name being called, when they are outside, with some background noise, which is in sync with what you wrote. So maybe I have not yet gone completely around the bend. :)

[Jimmie Higgins]

Hey, Jimmy Higgins: Thanks so much for your very kind and knowledgeable reply; I feel better for having read it. A shrink once told me that people sometimes imagine they hear their name being called, when they are outside, with some background noise, which is in sync with what you wrote. So maybe I have not yet gone completely around the bend. :)

From how you describe it, it seems pretty normal to me -- for what that's worth:lol:

But if it's interfering with your life or causing continued distress, then speak to someone. If it's just a strange occasional thing, then it's probably nothing to sweat.

[Sasha]

A. Smoke less weed
B. If a. doesn't apply see jimmy Higgins reply

But in all seriousness, as long as it doesn't bother you and the voices don't tell you to kill people or hurt yourself etc its probably nothing. Only if there is a history of schizophrenia in your family talk to an pro a bit faster.

[bcbm]

finding patterns in meaningless noise is completely and absolutely normal, and is in fact a very important part of your brain's function. i wouldn't worry about it at all.

[argeiphontes]

It's Pareidolia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia), the same thing responsible for people seeing shapes in clouds, like people have said, or mother Theresa on a tortilla, or hearing voices of "ghosts" in random static on those TV ghost shows.

The only thing that's concerning is that you came and asked us, so maybe it is causing you problems. If it's combined with "ideas or delusions of reference" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideas_of_reference) then maybe talk to someone. You obviously don't have delusions of reference or you wouldn't be asking us, I would think.

(Disclaimer: just my opinion.)