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This was a really recent realization for me. I am one of the people who can voluntarily activate the tensor tympani muscles in my ears to create a low level rumbling sound. I recently tried explaining this to someone else and they still think I am making it up.
Wait, not everyone can do that?! What the fuck?!
Fellow rumbler rejoice!
As I kid I thought it activated some kind of telekinetic or telepathic power so i'd keep doing it and gesturing at ping pong balls or candle flames
So sad to learn that it has nothing to do with psychic powers
Oh...? That has a name? Thanks!
So THAT'S how you describe it!
Let's get ready to rumble!
This superpower is so usless. I love it.
You are not alone! I have always been able to do that too. It still doesn't help with the tinnitus I've had since I was 4 or 5 though.
What was a revelation to me was the idea that everyone was only sleeping 3 or 4 hours a night. I thought I was perfectly normal in not sleeping for normal time spans. And despite the drugs and cpap machine I'm prescribed, I still can only sleep 5 or 6 hours now and often less. But I often am able to get to REM sleep now.
Wait, that’s not normal?
Seems so.
It's more that most people don't figure out how to tense those muscles independantly of the rest of the neck
Is this not normal?! I can also wiggle my ears, I know that's weird though.
Yeah, my Dad used to do this to entertain kids, so I worked at it until I could too. It wasn’t easy to learn but real easy to do
I use to control it before, but since I'm on some other medecine, it start to have its own will. It happen to me unvoluntary like every 5 or 10s. That's SO FUCKING ANNOYING !!!
When I first read this one, I thought it sounded crazy. Then I realized I know what you mean and am able to do it.
Maybe it's normal and it's just the description that doesnt click with people? Anyone in the comments who thinks they can't do it?
I can do this as well, as can one of my siblings and my father so I assume there is a generic component. Used to call it "ear clicking" since it is audible to others if they put their ear to yours in a quiet environment.
I figured out that was the name when googling about it some years ago.
Is it just a click or also the described rumbling. Because I don't hear a rumbling but I do make the clicks when I notice that my ears need to adjust to the air pressure.
If you hold it tense you get a rumble as described but the first time I tense it will make a little click. If I keep applying tension and release eventually it will stop clicking and just I'll just hear the rumble and it will take a bit to "reset" to where it clicks again.
Humans are weird.
Edit: I quick kagi search turns up a Reddit thread saying the clicking is caused by "Voluntary Opening of the Eustachian Tubes" which is equalizing the pressure in my ears. That sorta explains why it stops clicking after a bit.
If I use the muscles that I use to get the click very carefully I get the rumble too :)
I never noticed it before and now this will be really distracting unless I forget about ASAP.
Just to clarify, since I don't know if my experience is what you all are describing: this sounds kind of like what I hear if I start a yawn. Is the rumbling sound just for a second or can you make it indefinitely? And can you also make a short click or series of clicks?
I can get those sounds if I tense up some muscle(s) that you would also use to start a deliberate yawn. The clicks are easy to make, with less tension, and the rumble happens with more tension and it's only for about a second or so. Also I definitely hear the rumble during a yawn. Does that sound like what you mean or am I describing something completely different?
Rumble and clicks are separate, but the yawn activates all of those muscles so you get them together
It's easiest to just rumble, but I need to open my jaw a little to click
'Knew about the rumble; 'just did the clicks for the first time (thanks to the tip about opening my jaw).
That sounds like what I can do. Both the rumble and the clicks/ear popping.
Yep, the same sound as when you yawn. I can make it happen without yawning. Honestly, I can only make it for 5-10 seconds before I get "tired".
Regarding clicks ..I've no idea what that one is.
Weird. I can do it for like a full minute
When you yawn sometimes you hear a little clicking noise in your ear canals, it's earwax coming into contact briefly and separating, you can do it voluntarily similar to rumbling but I need to open my jaw a little for that effect
You aren't alone. I can do it too.
i was able to do that just this morning!! (cant do it anymore)
Can do that low rushing type of sound as well.
Did you listen to a podcast when you found out? 😏
Of two German dudes? 😅
it was also on No Such Thing As A Fish recently
I don't remember where I was made aware of it, but it was probably this. I used to listen to NSTAAF regularly. This fact probably just got buried in the back of my head until it had the opportunity to come out now.
name drop but I know Andy IRL, nice guy.
That's not surprising to me at all. He seems like he would be.