In sound’s absence the brain amplifies its own internal signals to compensate

Evidence

This is the implication of what Buran and Melcher said. For the brain, there cannot be an environment without danger or prey, or void of the sound that flags them. In the absence of objective outside sound, therefore, the brain turns up the gain on its own amplification system until the buzz of our organic capacitors fills the wiring and gives our auditory sensors the input they crave. — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 610

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 610
• XREF: connects to: The brain fabricates phantom sound when expected sensory input is absent — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 324; Hearing loss causes the brain to amplify then fabricate sound as tinnitus — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 331; The act of hearing itself makes total sensory silence unattainable — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 526 (+23 more)

Library Connections

• Near-total silence reveals that most people generate internal sound perceived as tinnitus #exemplifies (0.88) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 571
• In near-total silence a person may hear the mechanics of their own body #exemplifies (0.85) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 578
• Brains conditioned by evolution may generate sound when none exists #exemplifies (0.85) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 333
• The human ear itself generates sound as a byproduct of amplifying incoming signals #exemplifies (0.82) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 329
• The brain’s evolved vigilance actively forecloses the possibility of true silence #corroborates (0.80)

Broader Connections

• A deaf man’s brain feels less silent without hearing aids than with them on #corroborates (0.79) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 323
• Deep silence can feel like a sensory presence rather than mere absence #corroborates (0.78) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 35
• The hearing system actively filters and modulates sound more than passively receiving it #expands (0.75) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 558
• Listening actively shapes the sound it perceives rather than merely registering it #expands (0.75) — Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening, 346
• Total sensory absence can feel generative rather than merely frightening #corroborates (0.72) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 496
• Loss of quiet erodes the very awareness needed to notice its loss #complicates (0.65) — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 896