If you hear voices you're certainly not alone! :)
What I mean is, people from a vast array of backgrounds, communities and cultures hear voices or see/feel things that others can't.
And you probably know you are not crazy!
But what separates us healthy, stable voice-hearers from those who are experiencing psychotic illness?
The key factor:
We have the ability to control or influence the voices.
However, the specific mechanisms of control or influence are not well understood.
Imagine if they could be, not only understood, but actually taught as a skill-set to empower those under psychiatric care to take control of their chaotic inner worlds...
Enter the Yale University COPE project!
COPE stands for Control/Influence Over Perceptual Experiences.
And the researchers are looking for participants, aged 18-65.
Participation is:
- Online from the comfort of your own home
- Paid modestly
- Taking surveys, playing games, and sharing your story
- Limited to those ages 18-65
The goals are:
- To learn from those who see, hear, and feel things others can't/don't
- To understand the ways people can control these experiences and their lives
- To create new treatments for those who need them
If you, or someone you know has perceptual experiences like hearing voices when no one is speaking, please consider joining the COPE project.
You do not need to have influence over the voices in order to join!