The iPod Hallucination

Published on August 12, 2006 By InBloom In Current Events

This gives a new meaning to having a song stuck in your head, doesn't it.

(btw, I know the original article is a bit dated, but thought I'd share it, anyway...and if it's been done, let me know!)

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'iPods could make you hallucinate'
By Mark Prigg, Evening Standard
25 July 2005

Listening to an iPod could leave you with psychological problems, an expert warns.

He says exposure to music is causing more cases of musical hallucination, where a song "plays" constantly in the head.

"People find they can't sleep and can't think properly," said Dr Victor Aziz, a psychiatrist at Whitchurch hospital in Cardiff.

In May, a Bristol audiology expert warned that listening to music at high volume could cause tinnitus and inner ear damage. Dr Aziz said the condition he is warning about causes the brain to hear phantom music. This is different from the common occurrence of having a song "stuck" in your head because the sound is continuous and appears real.

Dr Aziz, whose research involving 30 sufferers is published this week in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, said: "Having a song in your head every now and then is quite normal but musical hallucinations can be quite distressing." He predicted the condition will become more common as people are inundated with music from their iPods, radios and TVs, plus music played in public places.

"People who are bombarded by music tend to hear music," said Dr Aziz. "I suspect the rates of hallucinations in orchestral players will be higher than normal. So, as we hear more music every day, cases will probably go up."

His research suggests sound hallucinations occur when people move from a stimulusrich environment to one with few auditory stimuli - for instance, from using an iPod on the Tube to entering a quiet office.

With no sound via the ears, the brain generates random impulses it interprets to be sound. It then matches these to memories of music and a song begins in the head. This may explain why Beethoven was able to compose after going deaf.

Officially, one in 10,000 people over 65 suffers but Dr Aziz believes younger people are also affected and the true number with the condition is higher due to poor diagnosis. Some sufferers find the condition a comfort. One 28-year-old said it was like a film soundtrack. Twenty patients reported hearing religious music, with six hearing the hymn Abide With Me.

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©2006 Associated New Media
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Despite the news, I still want one...I'll just try to stay away from the repeat button.

Comments

foreverserenity

on Aug 13, 2006

Wow, I never saw that report. Who would have thought that could happen! Target had iPod on sale last week. They were still pricey though. Those suckers are not cheap! My daughter bought herself an mp3 player. She said she knows it's not the in thing anymore but she wants it. [with her own money, she works part time after school] She got it at a good price too, 59.99. [at least I hope it was a good buy].

I can understand your fascination with the iPod though Rose, they are sleek looking! Makes me want one too!

Sally jacobs

on Aug 13, 2006

I want an ipod! I kind of like the thought of having a soundtrack to my life going on! But I'm just strange!

InBloom

on Aug 13, 2006

Serenity
~~Those suckers are not cheap! My daughter bought herself an mp3 player. She said she knows it's not the in thing anymore but she wants it. [with her own money, she works part time after school] She got it at a good price too, 59.99. [at least I hope it was a good buy].~~

Yep...they are pretty pricey. But good for your daughter for finding an mp3 player deal...60 bucks is pretty good!

I'm also looking into getting one of those mp3 cell phones. I had a cell phone, then had the service turned off...but now I'm looking into reactivating again.

Sally
~~I want an ipod! I kind of like the thought of having a soundtrack to my life going on! But I'm just strange!~~

No, you aren't strange...I kind of like music running through my head, too.

But I don't know if I can deal with it being on a constant loop!

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