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Hallucinated voices’ attitudes vary with culture

Schizophrenia symptom turns positive in non-Western nations

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MISGUIDED BY VOICES  Many people with schizophrenia report hearing voices, but these hallucinations are experienced as largely negative in the United States and as mainly positive in India and Ghana, a new study suggests.

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By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

People with schizophrenia may hear either hostile voices goading them to jump off a bridge or a mother’s soothing words of advice, depending on the cultures in which they live, a new study suggests.