Reader’s Question

Some nights, when I’m just about to go to sleep, I might hear a voice. It is quite clear, and I can make out that it is my girlfriend who is speaking. Upon hearing this voice, even though I’m in a state of only half-consciousness, I try to stay awake by moving around and opening my eyes and talk back to her. She isn’t telling me to do things, just speaking, making small talk, engaging in a regular conversation, which compels me to try to stay awake to talk to her. The thing is, no one speaking. No one is in the room with me, I’m simply hearing the voice in my head.

I’ve been dating my girlfriend for three months, and this has only started to happen recently; it has never happened before in my life. This strange occurrence has happened to me I think five times in the past two weeks and once, my girlfriend was actually sleeping next to me, but again she was not actually speaking.

My question is: What is the cause of this? What does it mean? Please be frank. I want to know if I’m necessarily going insane.

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

Q: Hearing voices in your head, especially during near-sleep or near-waking moments (sometimes called “hypnogogic” states), need not necessarily be cause for alarm. Certain medications have been known to produce side effects that include auditory hallucinations, and certain intense emotional experiences and/or traumatic events can also trigger these kinds of happenings. But such occurrences can also be a sign of a neurological or psychiatric condition that requires more in-depth professional evaluation.

Based on all the information you provide, it’s likely you have little to worry about. But to be on the safe side, it’s probably a good idea to consult in person with a qualified professional to rule out any possible causes for concern.