Spooky sounds: Why certain noises give us the chills

We all have from eerie screams to unsettling horror movie soundtracks. There are certain sounds that seem to trigger fear in a way that goes beyond simply being loud. But what's actually happening in our ears and brains when we hear them? Joining us live to break down the science behind those spooky sounds is Dr. Jorge Ray. He's an audiologist with Hear USA. Thanks so much for joining us. Hi, good morning. Happy Halloween, everyone, and I appreciate you having me on. Yes, so Dr. Ray, let's start with the science here. Why do certain sounds make us feel frightened or uneasy? Yeah, so it really does come down to the scene that we're listening to, that the producers or the haunted house that we're in. So if they set the scene in a way where you're kind of anticipating the sounds, you don't know where it's going to come from, how loud it's going to be. So that kind of gets us on edge, it puts us in. We want to say that fight-or-flight mode, that as soon as something comes on, it doesn't even have to be loud. Sometimes just a simple sound, like you hear the doors creaking, footsteps down the hall, and that can just make you scared just because you don't know where it's coming from. And so it's not really just about how loud the sound is. There are specific characteristics of the sound that make us feel frightened. Yeah, definitely. So it's not just the volume, but also how harsh a sound can be. So we all know sounds like the violins, or you hear the nails on the chalkboard, or just the kind of sound that just have that harsh quality that just makes you, the hair on the back of your neck stand up. And then also it's How do I say this? It's not just the harshness, but also the unpredictability of the sound. I love it when I'm watching a movie or I'm in a haunted house, and you don't know what to expect. So again, being on edge, that's what we're on edge, and that puts us into a better experience when we're listening to the sounds. Okay, so talk about nonlinear sounds here, which can also be found in animal distress calls, and how does our brain respond to them? Yeah so nonlinear sounds are usually created when our vocal folds are vibrating regularly so it leads to a harsher sound quality and there's a lot of research that shows that the human screams that have a higher irregularity usually tend to score higher on the fear factor so whenever we hear those kind of sounds again like I mentioned before it will put our bodies on edge we're going to be in a fight or flight so you're going to notice our bodies we're going to We're going to start breathing heavier. We're going to start to be looking around. Our heart rate is going faster. We're going to be blinking faster. So our bodies are definitely going to have an emotional response. And so when it comes to horror movies, they're famous for using sound to make audiences jump. So how do filmmakers and composers here use these unexpected noises? Yeah. So one of my favorite movies of all time being Jaws. I mean, it's a great book if you haven't had a chance to read it, but we all know anytime we hear that famous theme song, we know that shark is coming in. So they accustom us to anytime we hear that sound, we know there's going to be an attack. The shark is coming. So constant repetition, but also timing is very important too. They set the scene in a way that You don't know what to expect, so it can come at any moment. So you're already on that edge of your seat. And any kind of sound, once you're in that kind of state of mind, will definitely enhance that experience of the scary sound. And why might two people react differently to the exact same sound? So everyone's different. So for example, me, I love watching the horror movie, one of those haunted mansions, And simple sounds like just a person coming out screaming at me might not get me. But if you put me in a scenario where it's a quiet hallway and I'm just looking everywhere. But other people, they react differently. So those scary sounds, our brain just processes differently. And for others, certain sounds might trigger you more than others. And beyond Halloween and horror movies, can these unsettling sounds affect us in everyday life? Yeah, definitely. So aside from the volume that you're being exposed to, you also have the frequency of how often you're being exposed to it and how long the sound is. So if you're watching a horror movie at home and it's just an hour or two, most of the time you're not going to get your hearing affected. But if you go, for example, a lot of young people on Halloween tend to go to parties and you have a lot of loud music. Usually, you're there for multiple hours, and I wouldn't be surprised if after those parties, being next to those speakers, you're going to notice either a ringing sensation, a muffled sensation in your ears. So if that happens, please make sure to get your hearing tested. We don't want to prolong that effect. Here at Hear USA, we offer complimentary testing, so just go online, look up Hear USA Near Me, and just let our professionals be able to help you out. That sounds good, Dr. Ray. Anything else you want viewers to understand about Hear USA or why certain sounds give us chills today? Yeah, I just want to make sure whenever you're exposed to those kind of sounds, make sure you protect your hearing, ear protection wherever you are if you're able to, and just be aware of your surroundings because, again, that's what's going to really make those sounds either spooky or scary. But overall, at the end of the day, just get your hearing tested if you notice anything different, and we're here to help. All right. Sounds good, Dr. Ray. Thanks so much for joining us to talk about this. We hope you have a great rest of your day and a happy Halloween. Thank you. I appreciate it. You too. Happy Halloween, everyone. Thank you. And I'm going to throw the QR code back up here this morning. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.