We all seem to have “that sound” – ice cracking, a knife on ceramic, nails on a chalkboard, etc. Our sound triggers a strong physical reaction such as shivers, a twisting feeling in the abdomen, or revulsion. What’s causing this reaction, and why is everyone’s sound different? Are there people who don’t experience this at all?
In: Biology
The medical term for that phenomenon is MISOPHONIA. There are many many theories as to the cause, but the fact is no one is sure. There may be many causes such as genetic programming (hissing snake), conditioning (a la BF Skinner), or sounds settling up resonant feedback in the brain.
My son can’t stand me drinking OJ in front of him. But other liquids are ok.
I always assumed it was related to the ASMR reaction that seems to have gotten so popular in the last 5 years.
For me it’s usually rough ceramic pieces sliding against one another, like an unglazed pot and lid, or the bottoms of two ceramic mugs. Buhuhuh.
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