A recent gif image has been circulating where individual can report hearing a “thud” sound with the image, despite there being no sound. The convergence of visual and auditory events is not new and researchers believe that the visually-evoked auditory responses (VEAR) are more common than previously thought.
Other types of synaesthesias are estimated to have an overall prevalence of 4.4 percent; however, recent work published in the journal Cortex estimated the prevalence of VEAR to 21 percent. To do so the researchers carried out a large-scale online study (n=4128) with a survey that included 24 silent video clips similar to the “thud gif.” They observed that those reporting “yes” to hearing sounds were more likely to report tinnitus or musical imagery.
Reference
Fassnidge CJ, Freeman ED. (2018) Sounds from seeing silent motion: Who hears them, and what looks loudest? Cortex.
Recent Posts
Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease with Virtual Reality
In a recent article by Mahato et al. (2026), 250 individuals with Parkinson’s disease were assigned to either traditional physical therapy or virtual reality (VR)-based…
SPAN Q4 Meeting Reminder
The American Academy of Audiology’s State Policy Advocate Network (SPAN) will hold its fourth-quarter meeting next week, on October 28, 2026, from 8:00–9:00 pm ET….
Virginia Audiology Regulations Open for Public Comment
The Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology published a proposed rule allowing for ABA certification to serve as an alternative pathway for audiology licensure….
