Songs of Schizophrenia is an album released by British Columbia Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) in collaboration with 10 Canadian musicians that emulate what it can be like for those living with schizophrenia. Voice interjections overlap the songs creating “auditory hallucinations” that can be similar to the experiences of people who live with schizophrenia.

With schizophrenia affecting 1 in 100 people worldwide, more than 360,000 Canadians are affected by the disease. All musicians involved in this collaboration donated their music to help the world understand what they experience.

Similar to auditory hallucinations experienced by people living with schizophrenia, when people listen to the songs they hear voices that can be frightening, confusing, encouraging or friendly. Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder that affects a lot of people differently and this album sheds light on all of those ways. Learn more about schizophrenia and symptoms of schizophrenia. Some people may experience auditory hallucinations during psychosis that may not be directly related to schizophrenia. Learn more about psychosis.

Ultimately, BCSS hopes this project will reach a wide audience and help people learn about schizophrenia. It doesn’t matter if listeners know or don’t know someone affected by this disease, it is important for them to understand what life can be like for people living with schizophrenia.

The release of this album coincides with Mental Health Week 2019. Shorter versions of select songs will be played on various radio stations across B.C. for the month of May. The full album is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.