The sound of rain: a calming melody for our brain
4 minutes
The sound of rain: a calming melody for our brain
The sound of rain has an unmistakable, rhythmic and calm tinkling that resounds on the windows of our windows and on the pavements of the streets. It is the melody of the sky when it is angry, of nature when it renews itself and it is above all, that evocative frequency that calms our brain with its indescribable effect, the same one that facilitates our rest or awakens our imagination...
Henry Beston, a well-known naturalist and writer, used to say that few sounds are as elemental on our planet as the roar of the waves crawling on the surface of the oceans and the rain descending on our cities. Somehow, everything aquatic, everything that has to do with water awakens our senses and fascination.
It is clear, however, that not everyone has the traits of a true pluviophile. Not everyone feels comfortable or safe when the sky is paved with clouds, the light turns ashen and everything is blurred in the presence of a storm. However, the data is there. It is enough to take a look at Youtube or Spotify on this theme to discover that, when it comes to relaxing, we love to listen to the sound of rain.
That this is so, that this type of candencia, of auditory rhythm, produces this effect on our brain and our mind is due to a series of very specific factors. Let's get to know them.
woman with cup of tea listening to the sound of the rain
The sound of rain, the sound of calm.
The roar of the waves of the sea breaking on the rocks, a flowing river, the falling rain... Many people experience a pleasant sensation when they hear this kind of watery sounds. However, more than pleasure or calm, what a neurologist would say is that what we perceive is a feeling of "no threat".
It is quite possible that more than one of our readers will be surprised to learn this fact. Natural phenomena associated with water are not exactly free of danger for us, we know that.
The sea, with its force, causes disasters, as does rain. However, it is a question of focusing exclusively on the sounds that these elements evoke: they are rhythmic, follow a repetitive interval and are situated at that decibel threshold where our brain enters a state of calm.
On the other hand, any auditory stimulus that exceeds 70 decibels and that appears suddenly or shows a certain irregularity will be interpreted by our brain structures as a threat. This is exactly what Pennsylvania State University concluded in a study conducted in 2012. People are biologically prepared to react to unexpected sounds, shouting and strident auditory stimuli.
All this explains why the irregular sound of traffic, people raising their voices or the whole range of noises that inhabit the jungle of our cities generate stress and psychological exhaustion. Our brain needs environmental harmony and that acoustic balance -uniform in its frequencies- generates calm. Only then it gratifies us with endorphins, only then it brings us that ideal well-being to rest or even enter into a placid state of introspection.
Owl under a mushroom feeling the sound of rain.
White noise or acoustic camouflage
Many people listen to the sound of rain to fall asleep. If our insomnia is occasional and mainly associated with stress, it is highly recommended to make use of this type of resources. Dr. Orfeu Buxton, a Harvard professor and expert in sleep disorders, explains in his work that many of his patients benefit from what he calls "acoustic camouflage".
This term refers to all those sounds of uniform frequencies that "turn off" the sensation of threat present in many people's brains. When we lead a life with a lot of pressures, stress and anxiety, there are certain brain areas that are always "alert" and on the defensive.
What we get with the sound of rain or white noise (a sound signal containing all frequencies and with the same power) is to have a kind of camouflage. It is to offer the brain something... read less