The Critical Voice: A heuristic enquiry into the experience of hearing inner voice to deepen our understanding of its meaning and purpose

Abstract

This article highlights the research findings from a doctoral thesis which was presented at the 2023 SEA Annual Conference. A brief overview of the theoretical basis to the critical voice is offered, along with a wider review of relevant literature and existential perspectives. The methodology used in the study was heuristic elucidating the texture and grain of the critical voice, and the research question asked if there was a meaning or purpose to it. Novel findings are presented showing the interconnected nature of the critical voice, that it is ‘not all bad’ and can, in fact, be ‘a little friend’.