We have all been caught “daydreaming” at one time or another. Yet if we were challenged to repeat what had just been said by a speaker, chances are, we could. It is amazing that the brain can recycle what was said somewhere from the inside of our consciousness. On the same token, consider how effective people are at listening even when in the midst of a noisy room or “cocktail party” as long studied by scientists and physicists. It is said that the sound you hear comes from two sources. One is the direct sound coming from the person you are speaking with or who is speaking to you and the other is the indirect sound that arrives at your ears after it has bounced “around the room” off walls, furniture, etc. For example, if you are standing at a party alone, not speaking to anyone you would hear all the noises around you at different pitches depending on how close or far the noise or conversations are from you. If then a person came in front of you and began speaking, it is almost like your brain is fully controlling your hearing and you are completely focused on the speaker as opposed to the background noises. The background noises become a non-issue as long as they stay at the same level. I find it intriguing how the brain chooses what it wants our ears to hear and how a person’s focus is the direct source of what we actually hear even though our sense of hearing has not changed.
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