Reviewed By:
Weston S. Ferrer, MD (Psychiatry)
Weston Ferrer is a physician leader, psychiatrist, and clinical informaticist based in San Francisco. With nearly a decade of experience in academia and more recent immersion in industry, he has made significant contributions to the fields of digital health, health tech, and healthcare innovation. | As an Associate Professor at UCSF, Weston was involved in teaching, leadership, and clinical practice, focusing on the intersection of technology and mental health. He recently led mental health clinical for Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), where he applied his expertise to develop innovative solutions for mental healthcare using the tools of AI/ML, digital therapeutics, clinical analytics, and more.. | Weston is known for his unique ability to innovate and support product development while bringing pragmatism to technology entrepreneurship. He is a strong advocate for patient-centered care and is committed to leveraging technology to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. |
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
Content updated on Nov 7, 2023
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Worried about your symptoms?
Choose one to start our AI Symptom Checker.
It will help us optimize further questions for you.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Try one of these related symptoms.
Auditory hallucinations
Hearing voices
I can hear things that no one else hears
Hearing sounds even though there is nothing there
I keep hearing voices or noises without a discernible source
Voices are in my head
I can hear real music even though nothing is playing
Noises in my head that sound real
I can hear conversations around me even when there is nobody present
Hear the whistling of a train even though there isn't anything there
Voices seem very real even though there is no one there
Hear the honking of a car even though there isn't anything there
With an easy 3-min questionnaire , Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.
Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
See full list
Hearing voices is sometimes called an ‘auditory hallucination’. The voices can vary in how often you hear them, what they sound like, what they say, and whether they’re familiar or unfamiliar. While hearing voices might be a sign of mental illness, not everyone who hears voices is suffering from one. Hearing voices is a fairly typical occurrence: one out of every ten people will do it at some time in their lives.
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Generally, Hearing things can be related to:
A psychotic disorder characterized by disturbances in thinking (cognition), emotional responsiveness, and behavior, with an age of onset typically between the late teens and mid-30s. Hearing voices and/or believing things that aren't consistent with reality are common symptoms. The exact cause is unknown, but a mix of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are likely responsible.
Depression is a mental illness that leads to low mood, reduced energy levels, and changes in sleep. This affects everyday activities like attending school and work. As the condition worsens, patients might have suicidal thoughts. Although stress and past trauma can cause depression, it can take time to identify and address causes, and genetic factors may also be at play.
Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorder escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy, causing problems with functioning in everyday life.
Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (HSE)
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
American Psychological Association - Auditory Hallucinations
https://dictionary.apa.org/auditory-hallucinationReviewed By:
Weston S. Ferrer, MD (Psychiatry)
Weston Ferrer is a physician leader, psychiatrist, and clinical informaticist based in San Francisco. With nearly a decade of experience in academia and more recent immersion in industry, he has made significant contributions to the fields of digital health, health tech, and healthcare innovation. | As an Associate Professor at UCSF, Weston was involved in teaching, leadership, and clinical practice, focusing on the intersection of technology and mental health. He recently led mental health clinical for Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), where he applied his expertise to develop innovative solutions for mental healthcare using the tools of AI/ML, digital therapeutics, clinical analytics, and more.. | Weston is known for his unique ability to innovate and support product development while bringing pragmatism to technology entrepreneurship. He is a strong advocate for patient-centered care and is committed to leveraging technology to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. |
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
Male, 30s
I got more answers in one minute through your site than I did in three hours with Google.
(Sep 29, 2024)
Male, 20s
My experience was great. I was worried, but the symptom checker helped me narrow down what it might be. I feel a little relieved compared to when I first started, and it gives me a starting point for what my symptoms could mean.
(Sep 27, 2024)
Male, 50s
The questions asked and possible causes seemed spot on, putting me at ease for a next-step solution.
(Sep 26, 2024)
Female, 40s
I was actually very impressed with the results it provided because, although I didn’t mention it during the questionnaire because I thought it was unrelated, it suggested I may have something I’ve actually been diagnosed with in the past.
(Sep 25, 2024)
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024
“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023
“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1