At some point, in the midst of lockdown, I remember speaking with Sophie McBain – a New Statesman journalist looking in to the Hearing Voices Movement. As is often the case, we had a wide-ranging and deep discussion that spanned my experiences of voices and visions and touched upon some of the parts of the movement I find so crucial. When speaking with journalists I’m often acutely aware that what is picked up upon and retold is rarely the parts of my experience that feel most meaningful. There’s something about having such seemingly unusual experiences that can tempt even the most level leaded and respectable journalists into sensationalism. Yet, in the conversation as it emerged, I had hope. Rather than being dizzied by my weirdness, Sophie seemed keen to try and connect her own untold experiences with my own … seeking a bridge rather than regarding me a curious object of study.
When the article was released a few months later, I was grateful that my instincts were on point. I feel that Sophie managed to create a balanced article on the Hearing Voices Movement – one that revealed aspects of our history that even I was not fully aware of. A re-telling … a generous re-telling told with humanity.
If you’d like to read her article, you can find it here: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/health/2021/03/voice-your-head
You may be asked to register and, as far as I’m aware, you should be able to register for free and read a certain number of articles per month.
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