White Noise Machine: Uncovering the Mysterious Voices You Hear

The Curious Case of Hearing Phantom Sounds in White Noise

The Nightly Noise Machine Ritual

Like countless others, I have a nightly routine of turning on a noise machine to aid my sleep. The device offers a variety of noise options, including white, pink, green, and brown. However, after about half an hour of the noise filling my ears, I begin to perceive peculiar sounds. At times, it resembles a full orchestral score, while other instances involve people engaging in indistinct conversations. Occasionally, it even sounds like my husband playing a video game.

The Futile Search for the Source

Naturally, I respond to these phantom sounds by attempting to locate their origin. I switch off the white noise and listen attentively, wondering if I need to ask my husband to lower the TV volume, text the neighbors to check on their well-being, or if there is indeed an entire orchestra performing in the alley beneath my window. Of course, there never is.

The Initial Panic: Is It Schizophrenia?

Upon first researching this phenomenon of hearing random noises within noise, I was alarmed. Apparently, perceiving sounds that aren’t actually present is known as auditory pareidolia or auditory hallucinations in the psychological field and is considered a characteristic of schizophrenia. Some experts even suggest that it warrants a psychological evaluation.

“Since there’s a higher probability of this phenomenon in those with psychological disorders, individuals should likely be evaluated by a mental health professional if they are hearing these hallucinations,” advises Ruth Reisman, an audiologist who focuses on rehabilitation with hearing technology.

However, surely my therapist, whom I’ve been seeing regularly for nearly a decade, would have detected any schizophrenic tendencies I might possess. While I may be many things, schizophrenic is not one of them. I’m simply hearing odd noises in fuzzy sounds.

The Brain as a Pattern-Matching Machine

Fortunately, there is a perfectly normal explanation for why you might hear random sounds in white noise (or any other continuous noise). It’s still referred to as auditory pareidolia, but it falls on the pattern-matching end of the spectrum rather than the psychosis end. In simple terms, your brain is attempting to make sense of what it’s hearing by filling in the gaps of the noise with familiar sounds.

“When you hear, your brain is a pattern-matching machine,” says Neil Bauman, CEO of the Center for Hearing Loss Help. “Everything I say, all my words, all the sounds, are in your brain, in your database. And as each sound comes in, your brain looks through its database to see if it’s got the same pattern of sound. If it does, it says, oh, I recognize that word.”

The Illusion of Random Noise

Any app or machine that produces colored noise, such as white, brown, pink, or green, is based on an algorithm or code. It’s not truly random—the sounds repeat after a certain period. While it may not be apparent on the surface, your brain recognizes the pattern and tries to make sense of it, leading to the perception of noises that aren’t actually there.

False Alarming and Sleep-Induced Uncertainty

Robert Remez, a psychologist and professor at Columbia University, refers to this phenomenon as “false alarming” or “having an impression of the presence of a signal when no signal is present.” False alarming is common when using noise to help you fall asleep or to mask another sound, like someone snoring next to you.

“One of the reasons people think they’re hearing things when they hear a noise, especially if the noise is being used to put them to sleep, is that their attention to the world is not exactly crisp,” Remez says. “They are unguarded in how they actually apply their criteria for recognition cognitively.”

Illusion vs. Hallucination: When to Worry

It’s important to