I was hiking in a wilderness area…a very remote trail without a lot of action, and at one point I heard voices…I swore I heard human voices.
It was up in the mountains, too, so there wasn’t much to make noise like that.
Obviously, I know it’s my brain hearing trees groaning in the wind and quickly shortcutting to, “must be a human voice!” But it was just eerie.
I was working as a parking attendant at a big music festival in the early aughts and got a bad sunburn. When I got home that evening I turned on the shower and was getting ready to get in and I swear the rhythm of the water falling sounded just like mariachi music. I’ll very occasionally have a similar experience when very tired or otherwise under profound physical strain but that one time with the mariachi music was the most vivid by far, and it continued for the entire shower.
Edit: I’m glad this sort of thing has only ever happened to me rarely, and in safe, familiar environments. I would get pretty spooked knowing I was having strong pareidolia in an unfamiliar place, no matter how beautiful the scenery.
I have musical ear syndrome, which this sounds similar to. Any white noise eventually becomes “audible” music in my brain. It can be quite unsettling.
It also ranges from classical to EBM, so there’s that. It can get really irritating trying to sleep while it sounds like the neighbours are playing weird 80s synth or Gregorian chants or some shit.
Oh cool, didn’t know this had a specific name. I’m lucky in that it’s a very transient experience for me, but who knows, could become more common as I get older.
I’m curious if you are a musician and if it helps your creative process to experience this? I’m not particularly talented musically but some of the experiences I’ve had were quite inspiring and I wish I could capture it and share what I’ve heard.