[Pazz]

So obviously we all know how the placebo effect can make people perceive what they are hearing differently, and that it actually does not alter the real frequency response of the person's ear.
 
Now what I would like to know, is how mood, or perhaps certain hormones might affect that same perception. This question came to mind when I was researching hyperacusis, which is basically hypersensitivity to sound. This also led to another google of seratonin, which some say affect our hearing.
 
Additionally, I heard, but have not found through google, that some aes panelist did some experiments that produced results where patients were able to hear things louder than two weeks before. To me, that is very interesting, as it implies we are able to change how we hear things at a fundamental level.
 
I don't know much in the way psychoacoustics, nor do I know how I could learn more of it, which is why I'm asking now, but I think it would be in the interest of all of us (much more than we think) if we could somehow improve sound quality not just through the building of better equipment.

 

[EthanWiner]

Now what I would like to know, is how mood, or perhaps certain hormones might affect that same perception.

Yes, yes, and yes. Mood effects everything from hearing pleasure to taste and vision. I don't know about hormones, but perceptions varies all over the place, often from one minute to the next. Alcohol certainly has an effect too.

--Ethan

 

[krismusic]

A shame this thread hasn't taken off. (Yet?) A very interesting observation. It would be really good to have some research. FWIW. I would definitely say that mood affects my readiness to enjoy the sound of my system rather than analyse it.

 

[esldude]

Golden ear types aren't effected by anything.  Mood, drink, drugs, emotion, reality or science.  Us humans on the other hand are effected by such things. 
 
Just a supposition, but I would think moderate fear might heighten one's senses.  If you are in the wilderness and hear a dangerous animal and have fear (not panic, just fear) my guess is you listen intently.  Of course it may only seem more intense without being so.  Maybe we need dbt's where if you don't pick correctly you get a nasty shock or something unpleasant though non-lethal. 
 
I don't have any detailed knowledge to add to the topic, so maybe I should have just remained quiet. 

 

[jaddie]

Quote:

Yes, yes, and yes. Mood effects everything from hearing pleasure to taste and vision. I don't know about hormones, but perceptions varies all over the place, often from one minute to the next. Alcohol certainly has an effect too.

--Ethan

Yes, and music affects mood.  So what we have is a feedback loop.  

 
Alcohol has an effect, it's been tested and proven, and though more "enjoyment" may result, actual perception is reduced.
 
There's no explaining hormones.  Or expecting them.

 

[Pazz]

Quote:

Yes, and music affects mood.  So what we have is a feedback loop.  

 
Alcohol has an effect, it's been tested and proven, and though more "enjoyment" may result, actual perception is reduced.
 
There's no explaining hormones.  Or expecting them.

 
I guess not only mood, or hormones, but our environment also affects those two, and consequently our listening experience.
 
For example, there was once an experiment where three groups of people were asked to study and take a test. One group was given a quiet environment, one with periodic noises, and another with constant noise. What they discovered was that the quiet group got consistently higher scores than the groups with noises, however, those two other groups had about the same scores. They concluded that it didn't matter whether there was more or less sound, but that it was what the individual thought of the sound that affected how they studied. In other words, if you get easily annoyed by outside noises, you will not be able to concentrate (pretty redundant, but it's kind of like tinnitus in that you aren't really affected by it until you notice it).
 
Unfortunately, I am in that group that is easily bothered by external sound, and by virtue of audiophilia, my guess is that most of us are too. This is also one of the reasons why I like IEMs so much, besides that they are very convenient.

 

[krismusic]

I guess not only mood, or hormones, but our environment also affects those two, and consequently our listening experience.

For example, there was once an experiment where three groups of people were asked to study and take a test. One group was given a quiet environment, one with periodic noises, and another with constant noise. What they discovered was that the quiet group got consistently higher scores than the groups with noises, however, those two other groups had about the same scores. They concluded that it didn't matter whether there was more or less sound, but that it was what the individual thought of the sound that affected how they studied. In other words, if you get easily annoyed by outside noises, you will not be able to concentrate (pretty redundant, but it's kind of like tinnitus in that you aren't really affected by it until you notice it).

Unfortunately, I am in that group that is easily bothered by external sound, and by virtue of audiophilia, my guess is that most of us are too. This is also one of the reasons why I like IEMs so much, besides that they are very convenient.

I'm similar in that I am intolerant of other people's noise but love my own! I also really like IEM's for the reasons that you mention.

 

[Muzeick]

I would be interested to know if diet can affect hearing.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Perception is affected by all changes in brain chemistry. It could maybe be proven that all emotional actions change brain chemistry. Buying a new set of nice headphones and trying them, or just seeing a pretty girl walk down the street could inturn change brain chemistry.

The fact that most people's actions in life seem to be directly related to the release of very small amounts of chemicals. So in effect adding these chemically could also effect an emotional response to music. People who suffer from depression or sleep disorders have been found to be low in testosterone. Testosterone has also been found to change the nerve tissue in the brain. Not that it has been proven that it makes you smarter, just that there's more pathways for nerve impulses to travel.

Could these pathways affect the perception of sound? I think so. How does music sound to someone who is fundamentally happy? How does the same music sound when that person is depressed?


I would say all music listening is contriolled by the listeners state of mind. 1000s of different chemicals and reactions are changing that perception all the time.


The issue here though is that all synthetically introduced substances have duality. It is the counter-action which is the problem. For every 100 degrees the emotional moves synthetically in one direction, slowly the body tries to correct it back.

Many of the injections or creams can get somebody feeling like they were 18 again. We all know what it felt like to rock-out at 18. The problem is you can't totally fool Mother Nature. When you try to there is always the other reactions and counter reactions to deal with. Optimum health from a great diet along with clean ears and enough sleep gets you as close as you can get to optimal emotions while hearing music.

The added effects of drugs also can make music become something magical, it just the duality of these substances which are a danger in the long run.

 

[Muzeick]

I was thinking cheese really.

 

[chewy4]

Quote:

I was thinking cheese really.

It really depends on the type of cheese.
 
I'd go with gouda, personally.

 

[Muzeick]

Quote:

It really depends on the type of cheese.
 
I'd go with gouda, personally.

 
ooh, controversial.  Double blind fromage tests indicate 6 out of 10 people cant tell Gouda from Red Leicester when Chris De Burgh's greatest hits are blasted into their face at a dinner party.

 

[anetode]

Neurotransmitter metabolism has a huge effect on auditory processing. For instance, serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been successfully used to treat age-related sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis and speech-processing difficulties on the theory that these correlate to reduced levels of serotonin activity. Some popular rave drugs, like MDMA, lead to altered "enhanced" perception of and emotional connection to music due to their temporary boost of serotonin and dopamine activity. Of course coupled with the exposure to loud sounds at concerts these drugs also exacerbate sensorineural hearing loss. NMDA antagonists have been found to help prevent noise-related hearing loss. NMDA along with AMPA and GABA also play a role in the temporal aspect of auditory processing which impacts the perceived legibility of sounds.
 
Stress hormones like adrenaline also have a great effect on your hearing, specifically in the way you may focus on certain sounds (hyperacute hearing, say of approaching footsteps) or filter them out altogether (not hearing gunshots in a war zone because you are trying to fight or run away).

 

[krismusic]

Neurotransmitter metabolism has a huge effect on auditory processing. For instance, serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been successfully used to treat age-related sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis and speech-processing difficulties on the theory that these correlate to reduced levels of serotonin activity. Some popular rave drugs, like MDMA, lead to altered "enhanced" perception of and emotional connection to music due to their temporary boost of serotonin and dopamine activity. Of course coupled with the exposure to loud sounds at concerts these drugs also exacerbate sensorineural hearing loss. NMDA antagonists have been found to help prevent noise-related hearing loss. NMDA along with AMPA and GABA also play a role in the temporal aspect of auditory processing which impacts the perceived legibility of sounds.

Stress hormones like adrenaline also have a great effect on your hearing, specifically in the way you may focus on certain sounds (hyperacute hearing, say of approaching footsteps) or filter them out altogether (not hearing gunshots in a war zone because you are trying to fight or run away).

Very interesting post. Basically the human brain is a lot cleverer than a bit of wire. Sorry, cable!

 

[JadeEast]

Quote:

Neurotransmitter metabolism has a huge effect on auditory processing. For instance, serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been successfully used to treat age-related sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis and speech-processing difficulties on the theory that these correlate to reduced levels of serotonin activity. Some popular rave drugs, like MDMA, lead to altered "enhanced" perception of and emotional connection to music due to their temporary boost of serotonin and dopamine activity. Of course coupled with the exposure to loud sounds at concerts these drugs also exacerbate sensorineural hearing loss. NMDA antagonists have been found to help prevent noise-related hearing loss. NMDA along with AMPA and GABA also play a role in the temporal aspect of auditory processing which impacts the perceived legibility of sounds.
 
Stress hormones like adrenaline also have a great effect on your hearing, specifically in the way you may focus on certain sounds (hyperacute hearing, say of approaching footsteps) or filter them out altogether (not hearing gunshots in a war zone because you are trying to fight or run away).

I wonder if trying to understand the phenomenon of conscious events through materialistic explanations is like explaining a traffic jam by looking at the combustion engine.