Why Do Certain Sounds Creep Us Out?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the nature of sounds that evoke feelings of eeriness or creepiness, examining psychological, cultural, and physiological factors. It touches on the influence of media, personal experiences, and the characteristics of certain sounds.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that droning sounds and echoes may induce feelings of panic or worry due to their unidentified nature, potentially triggering the fight or flight response.
  • Others argue that the perception of creepiness in certain sounds is largely conditioned by cultural influences, particularly from scary movies.
  • A participant references a military report on acoustic weapons, proposing that low-frequency sounds, which may be inaudible to humans, could cause physical symptoms associated with fear and disgust.
  • One participant shares a personal anecdote about successfully sneaking up on someone in a paintball game, suggesting that unexpected sounds can indeed startle individuals.
  • There is a recurring assertion that sounds are not inherently creepy, but rather that societal conditioning plays a significant role in shaping our responses to them.
  • Another participant mentions that scary music can be perceived as more frightening when one's eyes are closed, indicating a potential interplay between sensory perception and emotional response.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether sounds are inherently creepy or if their creepiness is a result of conditioning from media. There is no consensus on the primary factors that contribute to the perception of eeriness in sounds.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence, while others reference external studies or reports, which may not be universally accepted or verified within the discussion.

DavidSnider
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What makes a sound "eerie"

Any ideas why droning sounds, echos, etc give us the creeps?
 
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I don't think those sounds are inherently creepy, but we've been conditioned by scary movies to associate them with creepiness.
 


I would say that it is a sound that you can not immediately identify and induces feelings of panic or worry. A sound that stimulates your fight or flight response perhaps.
 


In 2004 author Jon Ronson revealed a military report titled "Non-Lethal Weapons: Terms and References." There were a total of 21 acoustic weapons listed, in various stages of development, including the Infrasound ("Very low-frequency sound which can travel long distances and easily penetrate most buildings and vehicles...biophysical effects: nausea, loss of bowels, disorientation, vomiting, potential internal organ damage or death may occur. Superior to ultrasound...").

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Less-lethal_weapon

Eerie sounds probably contain low frequency components below the range of human hearing that cause nausea, loss of bowel control and other symptoms associated with fear and disgust.

lisab said:
I don't think those sounds are inherently creepy, but we've been conditioned by scary movies to associate them with creepiness.

Scary movies are scary mostly because there is no audio from the scene, only the creepy background music. In real life it would be almost impossible for a monster, homicidal maniac, etc. to sneak up on you in the dark because you would hear him. But in the movies, the victim is always taken completely by surprise when the villain grabs her from behind.

The military has done experiments on sneaking up on sentries and they found that, basically, it doesn't work - even elite soldiers often fail to sneak up on the Gomer Pyle of the outfit. But in the movies all you hear is creepy music and then - gotcha!
 
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I agree it should be hard to sneak up on someone who is on the alert. However I once covered several yards rapidly in the woods during a paintball game to sneak up on my friend, who was laying down facing away at an angle on open ground. I quickly moved to point blank range and said "SURRENDER" and totally startled and embarassed the dude. He gave up without my having to fire a shot. Very gratifying.

Sounds that were unidentified in the dark when I was a kid were beyond eerie, and I loath creepy horror music.
 


lisab said:
I don't think those sounds are inherently creepy, but we've been conditioned by scary movies to associate them with creepiness.
Well, that could be readily be controlled for, by playing them before a group of individuals not used to scary movies.

Besides, who really gets scared by scary movies??
 


Scary music is scarier with your eyes closed!

Read more Here
 

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