12 Jun , 17:52
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The Mystery of Your Own Voice: Why We Don't Recognize Ourselves on Recordings and What to Do About It
Each of us has experienced this strange feeling at least once: you play a recording with your voice and literally don't recognize yourself. Your voice seems unnaturally high, foreign, and sometimes even irritating. This phenomenon has a scientific explanation that will help you come to terms with your "real self."
It's all about the dual perception mechanism. When we speak, our brain receives the sound signal not only through the air medium, as happens with listeners. A significant portion of sound waves is transmitted through the skull's bone tissue. This internal conductivity substantially enriches the sound, making the voice lower, more voluminous, and more pleasant for the speaker themselves. This is the version we're accustomed to considering our "real voice."
Recording devices work differently. The microphone captures exclusively air vibrations—what surrounding people hear. Without the additional effect of bone conduction, the voice sounds noticeably higher and thinner, creating the effect of a "foreign voice" when listening.
This dissonance often causes psychological discomfort, as the perception of one's own voice is an important part of our self-identification. Upon hearing "another self," a person may experience embarrassment or even rejection. However, it's important to understand: there's actually no problem—for everyone around you, your voice has always sounded this way.
Adapting to your "objective" voice is a matter of practice. Professional announcers, voice actors, and content creators confirm: at first, listening to themselves was a real challenge, but over time, this feeling was replaced by acceptance and even professional interest.
So if, upon hearing your voice on a recording, you wonder: "Is this really me?" remember: yes, it is you, just in the version that everyone around you hears, but to which you yourself are not yet accustomed.
