Ever since I was a kid I've been able to produce a sound that only I can hear, on command. I've found some threads on "askmed" about this and it appears I'm not alone in this. It occurs when I "flex" a muscle that seems to pinch the interior of my ears toward one another (if that makes sense). -This is the only way I can describe it.
The sound itself sounds like a low version of television static mixed with a rolling thunder. It sounds very electric.
I haven't thought about it in years but I was just listening to This TED talk where the neuroscientist talks about "brain storms" or what our "thoughts" look and sound like. He plays an example of what it sounds like and it is EXACTLY what I hear when I flex that muscle.
Anyone else able to do this?
I know this sounds strange, but I'd like to know more about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_tympani_muscle Normally, it is used to protect the ear by reducing the amplitude of certain sounds. For me, it sounds somewhat like what you wrote - a deep rumble, but not electric sounding. It gets quite painful if I do it for too long. I read somewhere that about 30% - 50% of the population can control it at will, although based on asking my friends, that statistic is most likely wrong. I know for certain that some people cannot do it.