It is one of the most common requests from people practising ATT from recordings: is there a version with just the sounds? The narrator feels like an overlay on top of a nice soundscape — something you could strip out and keep the good part.

It is the other way round. The voice is the exercise; the sounds are the material it works on.

What the voice is actually doing

Every element of the task is carried by the script, not by the audio bed:

  • It names the target. The instruction is to attend to one specified sound[1] — without a name, there is no target.
  • It sets the recovery instruction. If your attention strays or is captured by another sound, refocus on the named one[1]. That clause is the actual repetition being trained.
  • It sets the pace. The switching phase moves roughly every ten seconds, then every five[1]. The tempo comes from the voice, not from the sounds.
  • It changes the task. Selective, then switching, then a widening into divided attention[1]. Nothing in the audio signals a phase change.
  • It sets up the stance. The instructions about the fixation point and about leaving thoughts alone come from the script[1].

Take the voice away and every one of those disappears. What remains is several sounds playing at once — pleasant, possibly, and not a training exercise. That is the same distinction as ATT versus focus music.

“But couldn’t I direct myself?”

You could, and you would be doing a different task.

Being directed by something you cannot anticipate is part of what makes the exercise demanding. Choosing your own targets means choosing when to leave one — usually just after you have settled, rather than at an externally imposed moment — and the protocol is built to consistently load attention[1] rather than to let the practitioner set the load.

There is a second problem. The exercise is designed to stay attentionally demanding and not become substantially less demanding with practice[1]. Self-direction quietly optimises towards comfort, which is the one direction the design rules out.

When the complaint is legitimate

Two versions of “the voice is a problem” are worth separating.

“It keeps pulling my attention.” That is the exercise. The script assumes attention will be captured and instructs you to bring it back[1].

“I can’t make out what it’s saying.” That is a recording fault, and a real one. If the instructions are unclear, you are not being given the task at all — the words are load-bearing. Find a clearer recording rather than working around it; see ATT audio: what to listen to.

The one case where sounds alone make sense

If what you want is a background for working or sleeping, then a soundscape without a voice is exactly right — and it is not ATT, which is explicitly not a relaxation, distraction or emotion-management method[1] and asks for twelve minutes in which working is not on the menu.

Wanting the sounds without the voice is usually wanting a different thing, which is fine. It is worth knowing that is the trade rather than assuming it is a lighter version of the same practice.

Questions and answers

Can I get the ATT sounds without the narrator?
You can find soundscapes, but without the voice you would not be doing ATT. The script is what names each sound, directs attention to it, and sets the switching pace — remove it and there is no task left, only audio.
Why do I find the voice distracting?
Attention being pulled around is the exercise rather than an obstacle to it. That said, an unclear recording is a real problem: if you cannot make out the instructions, you are not being given the task.
Could I direct myself instead of following a voice?
You would be choosing your own targets and timing, which changes the task — self-directed switching is not the same as being switched by an external instruction you cannot anticipate.

References

  1. Wells, A. (2009). Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression. Guilford Press. Chapter 4: Attention Training Techniques.

Published by the makers of Heed, an app for practicing ATT-style sessions. iPhone · Android. Heed is a self-practice tool inspired by ATT research — not therapy, and not a medical device.