#tensor tympani

[chelledoggo]

my overreactive tensor tympani muscle when i hear a loud, harsh, high pitched noise

[mudwerks]

(via A part of the human population can voluntarily control the tensor tympani. tensor tympani is a muscle within the ear. Contracting this muscle produces vibration and sound. The sound is usually described as a rumbling sound. : interesting)

[baambastic]

The tensor tympani is a muscle within the middle ear. It automatically contracts in order to dampen loud sounds, usually ones produced in one’s head, such as chewing, coughing, and swallowing, but it also reacts to external noises like thunder.

Interestingly, while the tensor tympani’s reaction to loud sounds is completely involuntary, approximately 16% of the population can voluntarily contract this muscle, producing a low rumbling sound in their ears. Reportedly, many “ear rumblers” to block out annoying or disruptive sounds, though most cannot keep the muscle contracted for longer than a minute at a time.

All of that is to say, my headcanon with regards to Kryptonians is that they have exceptional control over their tensor tympani muscles, which they “rumble” in order to block out most of the sound that would otherwise be picked up by their superhearing.

[thecarlosramos]

Anyone else have this??

[topherchris]

[glittergroovy]

[this-is-a-love-story-isnt-it]

I just learned that only a fraction of people can control their tensor tympani- when you can make your ears make that rumbling sound in your head. I’ve always been able to do it. It’s automatic when I yawn, but I can also make them do that on command.

[more-orless-bien]

Childhood Fear

I used to be afraid of the dark so I did what any child would do. I clenched my eyes tightly shut and pulled the blankets up over my head but that only made it worse. You see, I'm one of the 'lucky' few who can actually hear my tensor tympani muscles clenching. Meaning that, when I close my eyes tightly enough, I hear a deep rumbling in my ears. It's almost like having thunder trapped in your skull. As a child, I was convinced it was the sound of a demon army marching towards my room so that they could drag me to hell . . .