Do you have "the Gift" of the vocal mind?

Question

I know it may seem odd to have this on the society and culture section but it is more of a general population topic. I have been doing research and contemplating on this topic for over two and half years now. Hearing voices is not nearly as rare as some people may believe. Just do your own quick research on the internet and you will find that possibly millions of people globally experience them. I have narrowed the experiences to:
1) Mild and memory (where the sufferer hears their name being called or their inner vocal mind turns memories into voices to help process the experience.)
2) Mental disorder (I'm sure the majority of people are familiar with this one.)
3) Government intervention/experimentation (possible under certain circumstances and often well documented but still very rare.)
4) The Gift (often associated with brilliance, the 'hearer' gets vocal messages to change their behavior in order to improve their life or to improve the understanding of a topic.)

Answer 1

Theory 1 sounds a bit too New Age-y for me.

Theory 2 sounds reasonable enough

Theory 3 sounds like the 60's called and wants its paranoia back.

Theory 4 sounds like the Christian concept of hearing the voice of God; which I for one believe in, and it works a lot like that...except it's not necessarily a vocal voice...more like a foreign thought aimed at purposes very similar to what your idea suggests. At least that's how I interpret it.

As far as the theories I understand and agree with, I think that you are on to something.

I believe all Christians who stand in constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit have "the Gift" as you say. If they chose to follow it.

Of course, crazy people also have the same Gift, although theologically speaking, it is more likely to be motivated by demonic spirits, etc, etc.

But as outlandish as your ideas initially appear, I do believe that we are influenced by far more voices than what we detect with our natural ears.

Answer 2

I would think a gift would not be so disassociated that you can't own it and claim it as part of yourself. Thoughts become action, action become behavior. You are not a machine. You are not a disembodied instrument pursuing someone else's objectives. If it's not as much a part of you as your hand or your foot, it is not a gift.
If you didn't like an instruction, how could you challenge the "voice"? And if the "voice" were to give you instructions, why wouldn't it obviously be about others? No one has a gift while experiencing such acute self doubt. If there is a flaw in the instrument it should be corrected, so the instrument functions properly. I do not believe gifts are bestowed on anyone that's not ready to bear the burden of responsibility.
Anyone can have intuition and it can be about anything. It's that still small voice that wells up from the core of your being. It speaks softly and there is no response.
It may come from a higher power, but I don't believe it serves any governmental purpose. Governments want laws, they want the right to punish. A gift would bear no malice toward others and it claims no rights unto itself. It would be self-sustaining, constantly reproducing itself and finding an ever expanding purpose.
It would be a blessing and a curse. It works, and yet no one knows where it comes from, but it is there and it is effective. It would need space and priority, like a baby that becomes temperamental when it is not attended to.
Gifts are powerful. You can feel its presence. If you cannot be humbled by it, it will leave you. It will tolerate no rival. Power is not to be abused. It is not taken lightly. It is not for the faint of heart. You would have to grow accustomed to it, you'd have to grow into it so it fits. There are no laws against such things as these. That would be its greatest challenge. You cannot judge it. Then you'd have to adjust to its silence. For when it doesn't speak, you know you have to wait until it does.
Voices are voices, gifts are gifts. A gift of voice would be something so subtle, so compelling it is always much more than just a voice. Anyone can have a voice. Not everyone has a gift. It would ring out in your spirit and give you chills. Then you would know it is the voice, and you must obey. Without that clear yoke of obedience it has no power and without power there is no respect.
It is good and wise and true. It never fails and you can't help but have faith in it. You would do anything for it. It is bigger than you or me or any government anywhere. You would throw yourself at its mercy just to have it speak to you. To have it call your name and call you "Dear". It is Love.

Answer 3

I am interested in your research. I have read that some 40% of the human population reports having had an hallucination at some time in their life. This is of course all hallucinations not just auditory hallucinations. Also those "voices" I have experienced weren't heard with the ears but were in ones head like the little thought voice you think with, They were louder than this gentle voice and more often than not there were many voices hollering at once. They, to me, were not welcome and could not be mistaken for your own friendly "thought voice."

I don't think I would call such an experience "a gift." In my experience the voices are in no way "willed by the hearer". They are an unwelcome intrusion into the privacy of your own mind. I think the possesion of an ability to read minds or project thoughts would be a horrible experience.

Good luck with your "voices", good mental health, peace and Love!