These auditory hallucinations, which are far more vivid and ‘real’ than mere thoughts, can have a huge impact on our lives. They tend to torment and taunt us, telling us that we are not good enough, or that bad things will happen to us (in contrast to the stereotype that the voices are urging us to commit terrible acts). The voices are so loud that when we are unwell, we often struggle to block them out while we are having conversations with other people; this is why we can appear distracted.
