"...Great Power..."

"A number of
studies using their Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ; Chadwick & Birchwood,
1995; Chadwick, Lees, & Birchwood, 2000) have found that appraisals of voices as
malevolent as opposed to benevolent predict levels of voice-related distress (Beck-
Sander, Birchwood, & Chadwick, 1997; Birchwood & Chadwick, 1997; Van der Gaag,
Hageman, & Birchwood, 2003). In addition, voices are frequently appraised as holding
great power over the voice hearer (Chadwick & Birchwood, 1994). The experience of
being subjugated by a voice that is dominant as well as hostile may compound related
distress, as well as being related to depressive symptomatology (Gilbert et al., 2001).
Accordingly, appraisals of voice power and dominance have been found to relate to both
distress and depression (Birchwood, Meaden, Trower, Gilbert, & Plaistow, 2000; Gilbert
et al., 2001; Vaughn & Fowler, 2004)."

--(emphasis is not the author's) British Journal of Clinical Psychology, NOvember 1, 2009; Neil Thomas1*, Hamish J. McLeod2 and Chris R. Brewin3