A study is presented of auditory hallucinations in two groups of psychiatric patients, diagnosed as schizophrenia or dissociative disordered, and other people who despite the experiences live normal and satisfactory lives within society and never became psychiatric patients. No differences were found in the formal characteristics of voices, which distinguish different diagnostic groups from each other or from the group who were not patients. Evidence is presented that implies that hearing voices is related to traumatic events but one only becomes a patient if the subsequent consequences are negative.