Tracking Down the "Embarrassing Memory" Noise
Submitted by Merlin on July 23, 2008 - 6:44am.
Compelled to Blurt… | Ask Metafilter
Like a lot of people in this Ask Metafilter thread, I thought I was the only person in the universe who made an unconscious little noise when remembering something stupid I did or said.
It’s not especially loud, in fact it’s often under my breath. The sound is usually just a quiet grunt, or a word/syllable or two. If I remember an embarrassing conversation, I tend to blurt out a random word of the conversation (as in, I’m replaying the dialogue in my head but then all the sudden one of the words pops out of my mouth). If it happens while I’m reading, I tend to blurt out one or two of the words that happen to be under my eyes at the moment.
For context, my tic (which can also be heard when someone near me does something dumb) sounds a little like the noise Leo Bloom makes after he falls on his keys (00:34). “Ooooooom….”
The Question to You
Anyone else do this? Anybody out there qualified to talk about the psychology or neuroscience behind this apparent phenomenon? I’ll bet there’s a cool, scientific name for it.
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tic with visuals
Mine is soft, starting in the back of the throat, but eventually it pops out into the air. Its a bit like a mediative “Ommmm” without the glottal (?) at the start. The accompanying visual is me pulling my ejection seat handle (the lower one) and being blasted out into a gale (am ex Air Force type). Lots of shame winging around in my skull at the same time.
Triggers … remembering:
… trying to chat up impossibly good looking women when a bit drunk (very old memories these).
… that stag party in the Nomads Sea Angling Club when I ….
… that time when I was walking back from the gym on a cold and quiet morning, listening to my ipod, and did a very loud fart, then turned around to see ten feet behind me my neighbour walking her dog.