Auditory Hallucinations on the Radio (discussions only)

[Scott Z]

Over the last couple of weeks, I have noticed a lot of stories on National Public Radio about hallucinations from a medical science perspective, particularly audio hallucinations. Here is one such report: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17818400 Beyond that, I also heard a segment this morning on the show, To The Best of Our Knowledge; and about a week ago, I heard part of a segment on either Science Friday or This American Life. Apparently, the human ear is designed to hear auditory data which originates from the brain. A good proportion of the nerves which connect the ears to the brain are one-way transmitters which run in that direction -- from brain to ear. No mention was made of similar connections between the brain and other sensory organs. Please discuss.

[waffles]

Apparently, the human ear is designed to hear auditory data which originates from the brain.

fgsfds

 

Auditory hallucination in the elderly is not necessarily more common, only more widely reported.

[Couguhl]

Sounds more like Exploding Head Syndrome:

http://www.sleepassociation.org/index.php?p=explodingheadsyndrome

I've never heard of songs, though.

And as for sensory deprivation, I understand that the brain fabricates sensory information when it is almost completely absent, but only to a very little extent. Sensory D. hallucinations don't produce sounds quite nearly as loud as the article states, and I doubt deafness in itself is capable of triggering them, acting as a weak 'depriving factor.' I think it goes neurologically deeper than that.

[Guest]

Only thing I got to say is sensory deprivation.

 

I guess the next level above that is sensory hallucination, unless that's a result of sensory deprivation, in which case it all comes down to how you define things.