I woke up last night around 3AM, which is not unusual in and of itself. What I noticed is that in the few minutes I was up, I immediately began playing the song in my head that I had last had running around in my brain, before I went to sleep. Why does the brain remember this? Or the bigger question, to me at least...Does the brain continue playing that song in your head, even as you nod off and go to sleep? Heavy thoughts for 3AM, so I went back to sleep. When I woke up at 6AM, there it was, again with the same song. In my case, it is usually a song I have heard last in the car on the CD player. It's pretty impressive that 12 hours later, when I next go to the car and the CD continues from when I was last there, 9 times out of 10, it is playing the song in my head.
I did a bit of research and one of the things they mention is that if you bring the song to conclusion, you may be able to get it to leave your head.
Researchers even have a name for this: Earworms. (Ick! Reminds me of the Star Trek movie where some worm thing crawls into Chekov's ear).
The phenomenon (according to Wikipedia) was even mentioned in a comic strip, which I actually do remember.
A Calvin And Hobbes strip had Calvin's dad getting up from an armchair and pausing vacantly, before asking his wife, "Why is it that I can recall a cigarette ad jingle from 25 years ago, but I can't remember what I just got up to do?"
At least after all this research, I feel that I am not alone with this problem...but I really wish that darn song would leave already. :-)
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Post was composed
to the song "Echelon"
by 30 Seconds To Mars.
...At the Copa, Copacabana...
ReplyDeleteI have no special comment, just wanted to say that I particularly enjoyed this post.
...The hottest spot North of Havana...
Music, Star Trek, Calvin & Hobbes... It's got everything!
...At the Copa, Copacabana...
Although I must say that I myself have never suffered from the affliction you mention.
...Music and passion were always
in fashion...
I've heard of it happening to people, but I must be immune.
...At the copa....
;-)
Dim Skip, OMG!!!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had had the time this morning to actually find the Calvin and Hobbes comic in question, but I had to get to work.
I KNEW you would like some of the references.
Blaise always talks of his "Inner Jukebox" and I like that term much better then earworms...yuck!
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I actually expected to see my "anonymous" friend on the Chekov line. ;-)
aaah, i wanted to mention that B named it his inner jukebox and when i scrolled, you mentioned it yourself angel :-)
ReplyDeleteand that was hilarious, dimskip!
i don't mind if the song is good, but it can also be very annoying when not in the mood to 'hear' a particular tune on inner repeat.
and earworms, naaah.
that is so not the term(ite) for this lol.
Angel, Here you go...
ReplyDeleteCalvin's Dad's inner jukebox
I tried to find it online first, but couldn't so I quickly drew that one up from memory.
Nah... I did some Googling and found this Bill Watterson Wikiquote page which references the line from Calvin's Dad and notes that the strip appears on p. 93 of There's Treasure Everywhere (©1996 by Bill Watterson, published by Andrews and McMeel). I happen to have that one so I did a quick tricorder scan.
Thanks so much, Dim Skip. I knew you, if anyone, could find it.
ReplyDeleteGina: Great minds and all that... :-)
Great post -- and comments!
ReplyDeleteMy fail-proof cure for awful earworms:
Fired UP!
or:
Walk the Fire
You can find clips of both at:
http://www.myspace.com/robertduncan
Even if you get stuck with "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"
This is your brain.
ReplyDeleteThis is your brain on PBS.
This is PBS planting an earworm in your brain...
Today's (9/29) Pearls Before Swine strip.
;-)
Truly my laugh of the day...thanks so much, Dim Skip!!!!!
ReplyDelete