The Sound Of Rain: A Melody Of Calm For Our Brain
The sound of the rain has a unique, rhythmic and calm ringing that echoes on the glass of our windows and on the paving of the streets. It is the melody of the sky when it gets angry, of nature when it renews itself and, above all, this evocative frequency that calms our brain with its indescribable effect, the very one that facilitates our rest or awakens our imagination. …
As famous naturalist and writer Henry Beston once said, few sounds are as basic on our planet as the roar of waves crashing against rocks and rain flowing over our cities. In a way, everything that is aquatic, everything that is related to water awakens our senses and our fascination.
It remains clear, however, that not everyone presents the traits of a true pluviophile; Not everyone feels comfortable or safe when the sky fills with clouds, the light turns ashy, and everything is blurry before the storm arrives. However, the facts are there: just take a look at Youtube or Spotify to discover that when you want to relax, the sound of rain is pleasant to listen to.
If this is so, if this type of cadence and rhythm produces this effect on our brain and on our mind, it is due to a series of very specific factors. Keep reading this article and find out.
The crash of sea waves crashing on the rocks, a flowing river, the falling rain… Many people experience a pleasant sensation when they listen to this type of watery sound. However, more than pleasure or calm, what we perceive, according to neurologists, is a feeling of “no threat”.
It is very likely that more than one of our readers will be surprised to read this, because natural phenomena associated with water are not precisely without danger to us, we know that.
The sea and its formidable force sometimes cause disasters, as does the rain. However, it is a question of concentrating exclusively on the sounds evoked by these elements: they are rhythmic, follow a repetitive interval and are located at the level of this decibel threshold where our brain enters a state of calm.
For its part, any auditory stimulation that exceeds 70 decibels and which appears unexpectedly or shows a certain irregularity will be interpreted by our brain structures as a threat. This was concluded by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in a 2012 study. We are biologically prepared to respond to unexpected sounds, cries and shrill auditory stimulation.
All this explains why the irregular sound of traffic, people raising their voices or even all this range of noises that we can hear in the jungle of our cities generate stress and psychological exhaustion in us. Our brain needs an environmental harmony and this acoustic balance – uniform in its frequencies – generators of calm. It is only in this way that it can secrete endorphins, and therefore bring us this ideal well-being to rest, even to enter a pleasant state of introspection.
Many people listen to the sound of rain to fall asleep. If our insomnia is occasional and mainly associated with stress, it is strongly recommended to use this type of solution. Dr. Orfeu Buxton, professor at Harvard and expert in sleep disorders, explains in his work that most of his patients benefit from what he calls “acoustic camouflage”.
This term refers to all those sounds with uniform frequencies that “turn off” the sensation of threat in many people’s brains. When we are under pressure, stress and anxiety in our lives, there are certain areas of the brain that are always “on alert” and on the defensive.
What we then get with the sound of rain or white noise (a sound signal that contains all frequencies at the same power) is a kind of camouflage. This gives the brain something that generates a sense of control, a repetitive acoustic rule that convinces it that there are no external threats. Therefore, a feeling of calm comes over us.
“The sound of rain does not need translation.”
-Alan Watts-
In a world paralyzed to the extreme by unexpected stimuli, our brains need moments where everything is predictable. Moments when nothing interrupts us, where life is limited to remaining contained in a perfect time of harmony and balance. The sound of the rain allows us to do this; nature and its phenomena put us in contact with our roots and our essences, lead us to this private corner where we only have to be.
To conclude, it should be said that we cannot leave aside the sensational effect of the rain. Beyond its sound, there is its pétrichor, this unique aroma of wet earth, this geosmin which remains suspended in the air, which captivates us with its fragrance and brings us back to memories by transmitting pleasant sensations to us.
Our thoughts The sun always hides behind the clouds to shine again in the middle of a blue sky, wonderful and radiant. We invite you to…
