Why do different sounds affect us in different ways?

very loud music in the teenagers cars, makes my heart beat irregular. I feel like I am going to have a heart attack.

Well the word “yes” is often far more appealing than the word “no”. Is that because of the “eh” vowel sound being preferred to the “oh” vowel sound?

@DarkScribe I’m sorry, but I don’t quite get what you are saying. Of course it is only a few hours past my bed time, so I don’t understand much of anything right now.

Rustling leaves in the wind and the sound of the tide are comforting. I like the sound of a train in the distance. A room full of women talking is irritating. No sound makes me sleepy. I like city sounds during the daytime, but I like quiet at night time and hearing the owls. I love the sound of the birds in the early morning. The times I have heard the sound of a gun being shot made my heart beat too fast. The sound of an angry person is unsettling. The sound of a friend’s voice may be the best.

@thriftymaid The sound of the ocean makes me sleepy. Unfortunately I have to fall asleep listening to the humming of an oxygen machine. So it a little harder to hear the ocean.

@Rangie I’m sorry, but I don’t quite get what you are saying. Of course it is only a few hours past my bed time, so I don’t understand much of anything right now.

I will have to be less subtle. I was pointing out that some sounds can have other associations unrelated to actual sound – associations that we find pleasing.

@Rangie I’ve always thought the sound of the tide was comforting because it is dependable; it’s always there. You must live close to the shore. I’ve always thought it would be nice to live where I could hear the ocean.

I’ve always found the sounds of a laundrette to be relaxing….. I think because they remind me of the humm from a ferries engine, which I also find relaxing. I’m not aware of any sound that triggers any negatve responses in me. Well, except for Robbie Williams. Hearing him makes me want to commit murder, the gimp.
I know certain sounds can affect our brains. One of the reasons humans enjoy repetitive beats in songs is that they, at the right frequency, trigger alpha waves, which put us in a semi-trance like state.

@thriftymaid Yes, I do live near the ocean. We are transplants from the mountains. Best of both worlds.
Actually the sound of the ocean, conjurers up the smell of salt air in my mind. The Ocean is so big and peaceful, it help me keep in mind,not to sweat the small stuff, sometimes.

@JeffVader whoa, I find that very interesting, triggering alpha waves that is. I will have to find out just what frequency triggers mine and get it recorded. Then I can play it when I am in a place with annoying things and sounds going on. So you say there is no sound that makes you nervous, angry or tense, etc?

@Rangie Yeh, I found out about the whole alpha waves thing from an experiment at Stonehenge…. Not my experiment but one I saw on a history programme. & they set up a particular drum beat & next thing the whole crew were tripping out. When they got the frequency spot-on they even found that the flame torches they were using pulsed with the beat, like a strobe, it was wild.
Hmmmmm, I cant think of any noise that gets to me….. I mean, I certainly don’t appreciate a baby screaming, but it no longer enrages me like it did when I was younger. There are certain songs etc, but its the association rather than the sounds than annoy me. I cant think of any noise from nature.

Native American drumming and flutes soothes my soul. As does Jethro Tull, Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Yes, and rain, trains and the sound of women whispering closely into my ear(s)...

Why? I don’t have a clue why… :P

Evolution.

@davidbetterman Ah yes… Simon and Garfunkel… I could listen to them all day every day. Such soothing voices.

I love the sound of rain during a storm and peals of thunder. I have a long recording of whale songs. Do you guys like those? They’re beautiful to me. Rushing water from a creek or strea does wonders for me, and Thriftymaid reminded me to include ocean waves in my list.

The sound of a babbling brook, birds at daybreak, the rustling of leaves underfoot in Autumn is very calming to me.
Thunder and lightening, dogs barking and children screaming I find very distracting.

It is raining right now, as I listen to S&G Homeward Bound…and the Boxer.

@davidbetterman ‘Bridge over troubled water’, April come she will, Kathy’s song…..’ ah perfect relaxation!

I prefer silence, but that is probably depression talking.

The sound of a kazoo turns me on. ;)

@stranger_in_a_strange_land Well if that is what relaxes you, then it can only be good for you.

@partyparty

For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her

A Poem on the Underground Wall!

I use music to alter my mood.It works very well,as does being outdoors.
The ocean is one of my favorites.:)

I was awaken today by the sound of my neighbor using a chainsaw to cut down his tree. Not soothing in the least.

@ItalianPrincess1217 I was awaken today by the sound of my neighbor using a chainsaw to cut down his tree. Not soothing in the least.

No, waiting for the crash, then the screams followed by the ambulance sirens can be very distracting.

I like the sound of surf, buoys and gulls. And rain with thunder. I find it relaxing.
Constant loud noises bother me.
The sound of a person being strident and obnoxious makes me angry.

@DarkScribe I was more concerned about it crashing through my roof seeing as it was directly next to my bedroom. The screams would have been my own.

White noise is calming, while sudden loud noises are frightening. Sounds with specific relationships between pitches or with regular patterns tend to be both interesting and evocative of many emotions.

It’s easy to see why sudden loud noises are frightening. They are usually a sign of danger—a tree falling or an animal attacking. Why is white noise calming? Perhaps to attract us to certain places or situations. Perhaps it is easier to live near an ocean or a other waterways.

For the same reason that hitting you with a stick harder hurts more.

It’s all about threshold.

Rap is probably the most irritating thing I can think of, other than a boom box blasting in a car.
Listening to Josh Groban, can make me feel good all over.

All loud or high pitched noises irritate me, unless it’s music. Then again, I have extremely sensitive ears.