People 'hear' flashes due to disinhibited flow of signals around the brain, suggests study

(City University London) A synaesthesia-like effect in which people 'hear' silent flashes or movement, such as in popular 'noisy GIFs' and memes, could be due to a reduction of inhibition of signals that travel between visual and auditory areas of the brain, according to a new study led by researchers at City, University of London. It was also found that musicians taking part in the study were significantly more likely to report experiencing visual ear than non-musician participants.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science https://ift.tt/2JEymbU