Top 10 Astonishing Auditory Illusions

Inspired by the overwhelming response to our visual deception compilations (20 Amazing Optical Illusions and Another 10 Amazing Optical Illusions), we’ve crafted a captivating collection of auditory illusions. These illusions play tricks on your mind, making you perceive sounds that aren’t actually there. For the best experience, use stereo headphones or a stereo sound system. Laptop speakers won’t do justice to most of these mind-bending audio effects unless specified otherwise.

10. Scale Illusion

Discovered by Diana Deutsch, this illusion demonstrates how our brains “group” similar tones. It involves two major scales: one ascending and the other descending. The notes alternate between ears—for example, the right ear hears the first note of one scale, followed by the second note of the other.

Listeners often perceive these sounds in various ways, but the most common interpretation is grouping high and low notes separately. Instead of hearing two distinct scales, people typically hear a melody that descends and then re-ascends in one ear, while the other ear hears an ascending and descending tune. Essentially, the brain reassigns certain notes to different ears to create a coherent melody. Right-handed individuals usually hear the higher melody in the right ear and the lower one in the left, whereas left-handers exhibit more varied responses. Learn more about this fascinating illusion here.

IMPORTANT: For the best experience, use stereo headphones or widely spaced stereo speakers.

Click here to experience the illusion.

9. Phantom Melodies

Certain musical compositions feature rapid arpeggios or repetitive patterns with subtle variations. When played at high speeds, the brain detects the changing notes and connects them to form a phantom melody. This melody vanishes if the music is slowed down.

Compare these versions of Christian Sinding’s Frühlingsrauschen (“Rustle of Spring”). At faster speeds, the shifting notes persist in your perception, forming a melody, but at slower speeds, the gaps between notes are too large to connect. (Original recording: www.classicalmidi.co.uk / Slow version provided by Karle-Philip Zamor).

Click here to listen.

8. Shepherds Ascending Tones

This audio features Shepard’s paradox, synthesized by Jean-Claude Risset. The chords appear to rise continuously, yet the starting and ending pairs are identical. When looped seamlessly, it becomes impossible to detect the beginning or end of the sequence.

Click here to listen.

7. Falling Bells

This audio presents a paradox where bells appear to descend through space, seemingly lowering in pitch. In reality, the pitch rises. When looped, the pitch abruptly drops at the start of each repetition, revealing that the initial pitch is significantly lower than the final pitch.

Click here to listen.

6. Quickening Beat

This subtle recording features a drumbeat that seems to accelerate, though the starting and ending tempos are identical. Pay close attention to notice the illusion.

Click here to listen.

5. Virtual Barbershop

This audio showcases a remarkable stereo effect, making you feel as though you’re seated in a barber’s chair while the barber moves around you, snipping your hair. As the barber shifts to your right, the sound intensifies in the right ear and softens in the left. The clippers’ volume changes create the illusion of them nearing each ear. This effect highlights our brain’s ability to pinpoint sound locations by comparing inputs from both ears.

IMPORTANT: Use stereo headphones for the full experience.

This audio was produced by QSound Labs (www.QSound.com), who incorporated this technology into games available at www.EarGames.com.

Click here to listen.

4. Matchbox Rattle

Similar to the barbershop illusion, this is another stereo-based trick. In this scenario, a man shakes a matchbox around you, occasionally striking matches to create a vivid auditory experience.

IMPORTANT: Use stereo headphones for the best effect.

Click here to listen.

3. Phantom Words

Developed by Diana Deutsch at the University of California, San Diego, this illusion plays overlapping sequences of repeating words or phrases positioned in different stereo spaces. As you listen, your brain constructs phrases that aren’t actually present, attempting to make sense of the chaotic audio. Interestingly, the phrases you perceive often reflect your current thoughts—for instance, those on a diet might hear food-related phrases. This phenomenon can be quite unsettling.

IMPORTANT: For the best experience, use stereo speakers placed at a distance from each other.

Click here to listen.

2. McGurk Effect

Wait! Before playing the clip, read this carefully. First, listen to the clip with your eyes closed and focus on what the man is saying. Then, play it again with your eyes open. Do you hear BA-BA, GA-GA, or DA-DA? Surprisingly, 98% of adults perceive “DA,” a “fused response” created by an audio-visual illusion. In reality, the sound is “BA,” but the lip movements suggest “GA.”

1. Tritone Paradox

Another discovery by Diana Deutsch, this illusion plays two notes that some hear as ascending and others as descending. It’s best experienced in a group to compare perceptions afterward. The notes are tritones, positioned exactly midway in a musical scale. Historically considered ominous, tritones were avoided in music until modern times. Learn more here.

Click here to listen.

+ Sound Exclusively for Under 20s

This high-frequency sound, at 18,000 Hz, is typically audible only to individuals under 20 years old (though a few over 20 may hear it). For context, a dog whistle ranges from 16,000 to 22,000 Hz, meaning your dog can also detect this tone. Some teenagers use it as a mobile ringtone to ensure only their peers notice incoming calls. In England, it’s sometimes played loudly in areas to deter teens from loitering, as the noise irritates them. As people age, they lose the ability to hear higher frequencies, making this sound inaudible to most over 20.

Click here to listen.

Some audio courtesy of Diana Deutsch’s Audio Illusions with gratitude.