• @waz@lemmy.world
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    12 months ago

    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.

    • Angry_Autist (he/him)
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      12 months ago

      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

    • @borokov@lemmy.world
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      12 months ago

      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 !!!

    • @tempest@lemmy.ca
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      02 months ago

      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.

      • Ziglin (it/they)
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        02 months 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.

        • @tempest@lemmy.ca
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          2 months ago

          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.