WHAT would it be like if you could hear voices in your head that you couldn't control?

That was what public health development specialist Lorraine Wrennall wanted me to experience.

She supplied me with a 79-minute CD called Hearing Voices, with the only stipulation that I listened to it while going about my normal day.

The recording was designed to replicate the voices that someone might hear in his or her head if suffering from mental distress. Although hearing voices is only one element of mental illness, it is the easiest one to imitate and allow someone else to experience.

The CD caused much amusement in the office and everyone had a listen on the headphones.

However, when it came to playing the whole recording, it was a different matter. For five minutes it was entertaining, and even for ten minutes it was still interesting, but after that it started to become annoying.

It had been recorded specifically so that not everything could be clearly heard, but trying to catch what the voice was saying was very distracting.

Sometimes the voice was critical, and would say negative things, which was off-putting. It even questioned whether it was normal for me to be able to hear the voice at all.

At other times, the words were random, and the voice talked about topics as diverse as whirlpool baths and pecan nut dessert.

White noise, sudden silences, and even a recording of the mice from the children's television series Bagpuss, added to the confusion.

When the telephone rang, or I needed a screen break, I was able to take off the headphones and stop the noise. However, I was conscious at the time that someone suffering from mental stress who was really hearing such voices would not have that luxury.

It is hard to understand what it happening in someone else's head, and experiences of mental illness differ from person to person.

However, listening to the CD at least gave me an understanding and a greater degree of sympathy into how difficult it must be to cope with that experience.