Sound, Safety and the Nervous System

Getting Better Together Through Awareness and Art

By Jannetje Van Went, Owner, Artist and Facilitator of Inkfluence of Art

Sound surrounds us. It is part of music, construction, transportation, manufacturing, emergency response, policing, entertainment and everyday family life.

Sound can bring people together—but volume, duration, distance and repetition can also affect people who did not choose to participate. Musicians, tradespeople, heavy-machinery operators, emergency responders and police may face repeated occupational exposure. Families, nearby residents, animals and people with sensory or neurological vulnerabilities may absorb the effects as well.

The person producing or using a sound is not necessarily the only person exposed.

An Inventory of Sound Mechanisms

The following terms are frequently discussed online. They do not all have the same scientific support.

Auditory masking happens when one sound makes another sound difficult to hear. A quiet voice can be placed beneath music, rain or other louder audio. Masking is real, but that does not mean a concealed affirmation can reliably control behaviour or bypass personal choice.

Backmasking places reversed speech or sound inside a recording. People may recognize a message when the audio is deliberately reversed, but research has not established backmasking as a reliable method of secretly controlling complex behaviour.

Ultrasonic sound uses frequencies above the range most adults consciously hear. Ultrasound has legitimate technical and medical applications. Claims that ordinary ultrasonic messages can secretly direct behaviour or implant complex desires require independent scientific evidence.

Infrasound and low-frequency sound occur below or near the lower edge of normal hearing. These frequencies can come from machinery, ventilation, vehicles, industrial equipment and natural sources. Any realistic risk assessment must consider measurable frequency, sound pressure, distance, duration and the surrounding environment—not simply whether a sound is difficult to hear.

Subliminal audio generally refers to words or cues presented below conscious awareness. Subtle cues may affect limited forms of attention or priming under carefully controlled conditions, but there is no good evidence that hidden recordings turn the mind into an unlimited receiver or reliably produce complex obedience.

Silent Sound Spread Spectrum and Patent 6,017,302 describe claimed methods of using subaudio acoustic pulses to affect the nervous system. A patent documents an inventor’s claim and proposed mechanism. It does not establish clinical effectiveness, safety, independent replication or proof that the technology is being used against the public.

What We Know Causes Harm

The clearest established danger is exposure to sound that is too loud for too long.

Loud or repeated sound can contribute to:

• Permanent hearing damage

• Tinnitus or persistent ringing and buzzing

• Stress, fatigue and difficulty concentrating

• Sensory overload

• Communication breakdown

• Warning signals being masked by machinery or music

• Reduced awareness of people, vehicles or hazards nearby

The World Health Organization explains that risk increases as sound becomes louder and exposure lasts longer. It recommends monitoring sound levels, using hearing protection, moving away from loud sources and taking quiet breaks.

NIOSH also identifies occupational noise as a significant cause of preventable hearing loss, particularly for people working around tools, construction, manufacturing and heavy machinery.

Sound-triggered seizures can occur in rare, individual circumstances. Anyone with epilepsy or another neurological condition should follow a personal medical safety plan and discuss suspected triggers with an appropriate healthcare professional. An online sound claim or patent should never replace neurological assessment or prescribed treatment.

The Real AI-Audio Threat

Artificial intelligence does not need a hidden frequency to cause harm.

AI can already be misused to:

• Clone someone’s voice without consent

• Impersonate a family member during a false emergency

• Create fraudulent instructions or requests for money

• Fabricate audio presented as evidence

• Damage a person’s reputation with a false recording

• Misuse a musician’s voice or creative work

• Make it harder to determine whether a recording is authentic

The United States Federal Trade Commission has identified fraud, impersonation and misuse of biometric and creative material as genuine risks associated with AI-enabled voice cloning.

Protect yourself by verifying surprising audio through a second channel. End the call and use a trusted number you already have. Ask a question only the real person would know. Do not act solely because a familiar voice sounds frightened or urgent.

Sound Must Never Become Punishment

Sound should not be used to punish, secretly influence, frighten or deliberately disorient another person.

Workplaces, entertainment venues and public-safety organizations should use sound-producing equipment lawfully, proportionately and with proper training. The wellbeing of the person operating the equipment, the person directly exposed and everyone nearby must be considered.

Practical protection includes:

• Informed consent whenever possible

• Measuring environmental sound levels

• Engineering quieter equipment and workplaces

• Providing properly fitted hearing protection

• Creating accessible quiet areas

• Limiting exposure time

• Documenting unwanted or unexplained exposure

• Seeking medical help for new, severe or persistent symptoms

Healing Art Life Coaching Workshops Coming Soon

Getting Better Together is a new Inkfluence of Art Healing Art Life Coaching workshop exploring sound, safety, sensory awareness and digital audio literacy through creative activities.

Participants will be invited to:

• Map their personal sound environment

• Identify sounds that feel calming, disruptive or unsafe

• Notice physical and emotional responses without self-blame

• Create a sound-and-symptom diary

• Develop communication cards and personal boundaries

• Plan quiet recovery periods

• Practise identifying and verifying suspicious AI-generated audio

• Turn awareness into safer choices for home, work and community

This is not about creating fear. It is about replacing uncertainty with evidence, observation, communication and practical protection.

Healing Art Life Coaching Workshops—Coming Soon

Create. Reflect. Connect. Explore.

www.inkfluenceofart.com

No One Left Behind.

© Inkfluence of Art 2026

This workshop provides educational and creative-wellness support. It is not medical diagnosis, treatment, hearing testing, psychotherapy or crisis intervention. New, severe or persistent hearing, neurological or psychological symptoms should be assessed by an appropriate regulated professional.