Auditory Memory?

I heard this term a long time ago. Basically it's when you hear music or a song playing one day, and over the years even in an empty room with no radio or anything, you can still hear the music/song as if it's clear as day. It's different from remembering a song, it's actually HEARING the song, not remembering.

For example, when I was a toddler in my crib, one night I couldn't sleep and I heard this loud music (vibrations I guess) playing through the walls from the neighbors downstairs. For some reason, that helped me fall asleep. To this day, I don't remember the music or lyrics or even what it sounds like, go ahead and ask me -- I don't know.

But sometimes, and this happened very rarely, over the years when I'm REALLY tired, I hear that EXACT same music/song playing as if the neighbors were downstairs or in the same room with me. But truthfully, the house is dead quiet and no music is playing! This bothered me greatly so I looked it up.

I read this old story of a Scottish woman who lost her hearing gradually as she aged. There was this one song in her childhood that stuck out to her, and at the age of 90, in a room devoid of any music or songs, she sometimes hears it clear as day as if there's a radio behind her. Some researchers thought it was a form of auditory memory.

I was wondering if any other deafie experienced this, it's hard to explain to hearies, they just assume that the music or song is all in my head

I know people who are late deafened who have musical tinnitus.

They say they hear actual songs that they heard when they had hearing.

Theory is it is the brain's way of compensating and providing sound that they are used to.

It makes sense, but this has happened very rarely. The last time it happened to me was about 9 years ago but when I was really tired. Just like it did when I was a baby, it definitely soothed me and put me to sleep.

Use to happen to me all the time. Sometimes a song plays over and over and I have no clue what song it is. At time I get heavy metal bands playing. I will hum what I am hearing and ask my family to guess what the song is. I caught myself singing out loud to the song while I was shopping. It still happens occasionally but the tinnitus is there all the time.

I have musical tinnitus ... it's exactly as if I'm "hearing" something, except I know I'm not.

I have oddly "immersive" memory senses in general though. If I relax and think about something I can feel, taste, smell or hear what was happening in that memory... (I have APD, which might have something to do with why my senses are a bit unique that way)

Have been deaf for many, many years...and musical tinnitus has affected me as much.....I even "hear" the roar of trains going by...fire crackers popping...many other things...and all the songs I heard before losing my hearing as still embedded...actually, I even sing myself to sleep every night and at times it takes me hours to fall asleep...whether it's good or bad or just annoying (to me it is at times), I've dealt with it (not easy)....

auditory hallucinations there was documentary about both blind and hearing ones..
what do my head in is forgetting what the tune is of long forgotten music...if i got words as i do with elvis and beatles it jogs brain abit

Dang... I would think it would be awesome to hear songs in my head. I hope no one minds my asking... But is it possible to "rock out" to the music in your head? Or do you just find it annoying?

o0talula0o said:

Dang... I would think it would be awesome to hear songs in my head. I hope no one minds my asking... But is it possible to "rock out" to the music in your head? Or do you just find it annoying?

Click to expand...

My answer to your question is yes.......
I wish people could hear what my brain hears. Yes at times the music is enjoyable and I find myself singing out loud. The music part of all of this is fine with me. It's all the other crap that gets to me. I can hear a whole basketball game being played, with the tennis shoe squeaking, the announcers yelling the scores etc. I get a man as an auctioneer speaking very fast. I use to get like a Chinese radio talk show. When I first went deaf for the first month all I heard was Barney the purple dinosaur songs, The Flintstones, Bewitched. Now mostly fire crackers popping over and over all night long. A very LOUD hummmmmmm that never stops. It's taken years, but I am finally starting to be able to deal with it.

Has the "noises" calmed down since you got the CI?

o0talula0o said:

Has the "noises" calmed down since you got the CI?

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90% of the noises come from my non implanted totally deaf ear. If I do go bilateral it would be great if the CI helps with the noises. Weird that I am completely deaf when going to bed yet the noises in my brain prevent me from sleeping. Since I'm deaf, it would be nice if things were quiet.

Well I'll be keeping up on your CI thread and keep my fingers crossed when you get the other one done.

This is a different use of the term "Auditory Memory" than I had ever run across. What I am used to seeing is the use of the term in getting used to a CI. The idea being that if you remember hearing it is easier to re-learn to hear but with a CI.

The terms "auditory hallucinations" or "musical tinnitus" is to me the best fit for what is being described in this thread.

o0talula0o said:

Dang... I would think it would be awesome to hear songs in my head. I hope no one minds my asking... But is it possible to "rock out" to the music in your head? Or do you just find it annoying?

Click to expand...

I have musical tinnitus, kind of weird just what type of music we hear. I don't think I've ever heard rock or pop music, only choir, classical or Gregorian Chant. Have no idea why those particular types, I'm not educated in any of those, but do like it. Also, doesn't happen very often. Wish I did hear more of the music as I do have lots of other irritating sounds, especially at night, roaring engine types of things. Not pleasant!

I dunno....
But i see dead people if its any consolation

I have this a lot. I hear various songs from time to time every day, when I think I want to hear something up here for a few seconds. This auditory memory is also how I remember very long passwords that don't make any sense. I can't write it down without sounding it out first. I can recite the Greek alphabet, though I don't remember what nearly all of the letters look like. I remember this even 25 years later.

It is just the tinnitus that we, d/Deaf and HOH, get those noises or sounds coming in our heads whether we are wearing hearing aids (CI) or not. It is very common among us. Just have to learn to live with it.

When I was very young not yet having hearing aid, I don't remember tinnitus occurring in my brain. So I had no idea what was like being silent before I got my first hearing aid at 8 1/2 years old.

I do remember very clearly what it was like to live in the silent world. I call that the Deaf Years, up to seven and a half years old. For some reason, my memories of that time are very strong. I can even remember crawling on the floor of a jet plane when I was almost 3 years old, so small that I could straighten my arms while crawling that I could still see under the seats. I was facing the front and saw an elderly man and woman, sitting in the aisle seats across from each other, looking back at me. A beautiful airline stewardess was looking down upon me. Dark hair, fair skin without freckles, brown eyes, red lipstick, blue cap without a brim on it, and a dark blue uniform (I have looked up airline uniforms to ascertain which airline it might have been, flying from Corpus Christi to Philadelphia in Jan. 1969, but no luck). Dad sat in the window seat while Mom sat in the aisle seat on the right side of the aisle. Mom points at the window while holding me, and I see a snowy landscape that hasn't snowed for at least two days, as most of the branches of dark-leafed trees were clear of snow. I saw this as we were about 500 feet above, coming in for the landing.

Today's song is "Chitty Chitty bang bang" brought to me by WTNT Tinnitus radio, it will likely be playing all day.

I've had this since I was a kid, if I Really really want to I might be able to change the song, by forcibly recalling another one from the same period of my life. I can Radio Myself to sleep !

This happens when I play PC games as well, I know I am Not actually hearing anything, aside from being Completely Deaf the Pc is muted and doesn't even have a sound card ! But in some games when things happen like a spell lands, my brain "supplies" a fake noise remembered from games in the far past. It's pretty funny and sorta awesome except for when the song is something really atrocious and inappropriate. (like the Banana Splits theme song, that drives me Nutters)

I had this once... I think I could sense my parent's alarm clock going off.. then for a brief moment, I could hear the sound of the alarm clock going off really loud as if I was actually hearing it then it went away.

Never had it happen again... I think this was before I had my first C.I implant done or maybe after but I can't remember.