PARMA, Ohio -- When we see a scary movie or visit a haunted house, it often triggers fear and the anticipation of what might be around the next corner.

But would you have ever imagined the correlation between your hearing and that feeling of terror?

According to a press release from HearUSA, a hearing care retailer with offices in Northeast Ohio -- including a location in Parma -- the answer lies in nonlinear noise.

These are sound waves with unpredictable frequency shifts and harsh, dissonant tones.

The brain has evolved to interpret these irregular sounds as potential danger, triggering that instinctive “fight or flight” response.

It’s the reason the screeching violins in the movie “Psycho” or the distorted whispers in haunted houses evoke such terror.

The amygdala, a small part of

See Full Page