For 35 Years Raymond Heard Distressing Voices.
Then Something Began to Change.
Raymond’s Story
“I’m Becoming the Observer."
“For over 35 years I believed the voices controlled me.
Today, I’m beginning to realise they don’t define me.”
– Raymond
A Life Dominated by Voices
When I first met Raymond, he had been living with distressing voices for more than 35 years.
The voices mocked him.
Threatened him.
Repeated frightening messages such as:
“Raymond is about to die.”
During periods of intense distress, Raymond told me he would contact the Samaritans between four and ten times every week.
Anxiety had become part of everyday life.
Simple tasks such as travelling alone or shopping could feel overwhelming.
He had lost confidence in himself and often questioned whether change was even possible.
Why I Said Yes
Before agreeing to work with Raymond, I knew there were risks.
Raymond had a history of aggression towards others, and I knew I would be spending around six hours a day with him for seven consecutive days.
Then Raymond asked me something I will never forget.
“Why did you decide to work with me? Why didn’t you say I was too old to change?”
My answer was simple.
Because I believed in him.
I trusted God.
I trusted nearly thirty years of clinical experience and over 60,000 consultations.
Most importantly, I believed there was far more to Raymond than his diagnosis.
Interestingly, later that day I listened to a TEDx talk by Lynn Swain who described trust as:
“The willingness to be vulnerable to the actions of another person based on positive expectations of their intentions or behaviour.”
That perfectly described our week together.
Raymond trusted me from the very beginning.
I chose to trust that change was possible.
Seven Days Together
Rather than seeing Raymond once a week in a clinic, we spent seven consecutive days together, combining hands-on treatment with practical rehabilitation.
We walked.
We sat in cafés.
We talked.
We laughed.
We prayed.
We met his friends.
We explored practical ways of improving brain health, posture, breathing, movement, confidence and emotional regulation.
Every day Raymond learnt another practical strategy he could use when the voices appeared.
Our goal was never simply to reduce symptoms.
Our goal was to help Raymond regain ownership of his life.
The Turning Point
As the week progressed, Raymond began describing something remarkable.
He said:
“I’m becoming separate from the voices.”
Later he said:
“I’m becoming the observer.”
Those words were incredibly significant.
For years, the voices had dominated his attention.
Now he was beginning to recognise that there was another part of him.
The part that could notice the voices.
Observe them.
Question them.
Choose how to respond.
That change in awareness may sound small.
It isn’t.
It changes everything.
Small Changes Became Big Changes
Every day Raymond noticed something different.
He became calmer.
He smiled more.
He laughed more.
He became more patient.
He reported feeling closer to people.
He spoke more confidently in his support group.
He became increasingly aware of other people’s needs instead of remaining focused solely on his own distress.
Several times he simply smiled and said,
“I feel changes all the time.”
One Week Later
A week after our intensive programme, Raymond travelled independently to Birmingham New Street Station to meet me for a follow-up interview.
He told me this journey would previously have caused significant panic.
This time he managed it calmly.
During our interview he shared several encouraging changes.
He reported that:
- he had experienced distressing voices on only two days during the previous week;
- the voices were still present but were quieter and less frantic;
- he was beginning to use his breathing, grounding and self-help strategies automatically;
- he felt closer to other people;
- he had become more aware of other people’s needs;
- he was looking forward to seeing his sister and sharing the positive changes he felt within himself.
Most significantly…
He told me he had not contacted the Samaritans.
Previously he had reported contacting them between four and ten times every week.
When we spoke again the following week, he told me he had now gone 14 consecutive days without contacting the Samaritans.
Looking Beyond the Diagnosis
People often ask me what changed.
Was it the voices?
Perhaps.
But for me, the greatest change was something deeper.
Raymond no longer seemed completely defined by them.
He spoke with more hope.
More confidence.
More self-belief.
He became increasingly engaged with the people around him.
He began looking forward rather than simply surviving each day.
Most importantly…
He began believing in himself.
Raymond’s Journey Continues
Raymond still hears voices.
This story is not about claiming a cure.
It is about hope.
It is about understanding the brain.
It is about learning practical strategies.
It is about discovering that we are often capable of far more than we believe.
Perhaps Raymond said it best:
“I’m becoming the observer.”
Sometimes the greatest breakthrough isn’t that the voices disappear.
Sometimes it’s discovering that they no longer define who you are.
A Note
This page shares Raymond’s personal experience together with my own observations during and after our week together. Every individual is different, and outcomes will vary. This story should not be interpreted as a guarantee of results but as one person’s journey towards greater hope, confidence and self-awareness.
At your service in health, happiness and prosperity
Michelle Davies BSc (Hons) Ost
Internationally acclaimed healer, health consultant and mentor since 1997