So many times I have found myself watching some unsettling TV “documentary” show (or more likely these days, a spooky youtube) and having to slowly creep to bed terrified in my own house.
It’s almost comical. Me, a grown adult, brushing my teeth in the corner with my back pressed against the wall, just in case “something” tries to ambush me.
A huge part of it is, I now know, the soundtrack on these programmes. If you pay attention they almost all use a similar thrum of bass frequencies verging on the inaudible, which tap into something really primitive in your brain to create that sense of unsettling fear and dread. If you mute the volume, there’s no fear at all.
you’ve triggered my trap card and now i’m going to talk about something incredibly nerdy
Sound has such a profound affect on us and no one fucking thinks about it, it’s nuts. There have been days when there is barely anyone driving near me and all of a sudden when i walk outside i feel like i’ve been transported to one of those old swedish movies set in the countryside, it just feels like proper summer somehow. Similar thing happens when there’s snow in the winter, everything gets quieter and it sounds like winter in a way that it just doesn’t without the snow, but is impossible to put your finger on.
I wish more film would skip the soundtrack and go hard on detailed sound effects
I can instantly tell upon waking if it snowed in the night based on the sounds of cars driving by, even with shutters down. I wish everyone could know what a snowy night sounds like.
The winter one at least is easy to explain. The snow absorbs ambient noise. People don’t realize just how much ambient noise is around due to just the breeze, bugs, etc, until the soft snow turns the entire world into an anechoic chamber.
I have to remember “anechoic” for Spelling Bee. Although it probably won’t be in the list, just like the birds and animals it rejects.
A significant amount of snow on the ground slightly absorbs and dampens sounds, as IrateAnteater says, similar to being in an anechoic chamber.
Significant rain or sleet or hail causes its own background noise that can functionally mask other background sounds… and, if an area with roads is now very wet, this changes the sound of cars driving nearby to be a bit more … treble, high pitched, as the water splashing out of the way is now part of your average car driving by sound… and basically, close by sounds that are now higher pitched are more noticeable.
Differing levels of temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity also alter how sound propogates through the air.
The effects are most noticable for sounds that are basically in the ‘background noise’ category; certain weather conditions can be the difference between you being able to mostly hear them, and mostly not hear them.
This is so relatable! I love watching horror movies and creepy videos until it’s time to go to bed or use the restroom or go to the laundry room. Then I’m not so brave.
My husband is gone on business travels right now, and last night I had to lock myself in the bedroom after enjoying some horror. Cause ghosts can’t open locks, you know.
They can’t get under the bedcovers either, just have to make sure you are snuggled up and then you are safe.
If your leg sticks out though, a monster will bite it!
First mistake: needing to use stairs to get to the bathroom
That’s too far in case of an emergency. Sometimes shit happens, and you get little to no warning with certain disorders.
Second mistake: actually that’s it. Just stairs. They suck when you wake up a 3am and need to pee and now you need light so you don’t trip and fall.
I like my bathroom close and stair-free.
My poodle wakes up with me and lays next to my feet while I poop. Doesn’t matter what time of day. 4am, 4pm. Next to my feet.
She forces me not to use my phone while I poop because she requires pets for her protective services.
Got a link to the source? I like the style.
Plus all the social medias at the bottom of the comic 😜
Thank you, those socials media are evil. So I heard
