Most people are surprised, sometimes even shocked, the first time they hear a recording of their own voice. It sounds higher, thinner, sharper or simply unfamiliar. This reaction is one of the most common brain–body illusions humans experience.
The reason why your voice sounds different to you is not psychological. It is physical, acoustic and neurological. The brain receives two versions of your voice: one from the air outside your body, and one conducted internally through your bones and tissues. These two signals blend into a voice you believe is your “real” one — until a recording exposes the truth.
This experiment shows exactly how the illusion works in less than 30 seconds.
Step 1 — Record Yourself Saying a Simple Sentence
Open your phone and record yourself saying:
- “My voice sounds like this.”
- Or any simple sentence you prefer.
Try to speak at a normal, relaxed volume.
Why this matters
A short recording isolates your external voice without distortion.
This is the version everyone else hears.
This is the start of understanding why your voice sounds different to you.
Step 2 — Play the Recording and Listen Without Speaking
Put the phone close to you and listen carefully.
Do not talk.
Do not hum.
Do not swallow.
Just listen.
What you should notice
The recorded voice may sound:
- higher
- thinner
- sharper
- less warm
- less deep
This mismatch is the core illusion: your brain never hears your voice the way others hear it.
Step 3 — Speak Out Loud and Focus on the Sound Inside Your Head
Now say the same sentence again, but do not record it this time.
Listen to your voice as you normally perceive it.
What changes
Now your voice sounds:
- deeper
- warmer
- richer
- fuller
This is because you are hearing it through bone conduction.
This explains part of why your voice sounds different to you.
Step 4 — Compare Both Versions Back-to-Back
Switch quickly:
- Speak out loud
- Play the recording
- Speak again
- Replay the recording
What you’re experiencing
Your voice inside your head and your voice outside your body are two separate audio signals processed differently by the brain.
This is one of the clearest brain–body glitches.
Step 5 — Touch Your Neck While You Speak
Place two fingers on your throat and say the same sentence again.
What you’ll feel
A vibration moves through your:
- throat
- jaw
- skull bones
These vibrations add extra bass and warmth to your internal voice, creating the illusion of a deeper sound.
This is a key factor in why your voice sounds different to you.
Step 6 — Speak While Covering Your Ears
Cover your ears gently with your hands and speak again.
What you’ll hear
Your voice becomes:
- thicker
- more internal
- less sharp
- more bass-heavy
This version closely resembles the voice you hear normally.
It isolates bone conduction by blocking external air conduction.
The illusion becomes even clearer.
Step 7 — Speak While Using One Ear Covered and One Ear Open
Now cover only your left ear and speak.
Then cover only your right ear and speak.
What changes
Each ear receives:
- different levels of bone conduction
- different levels of air conduction
- different sound pressure
This test exposes how the brain blends both signals into your familiar internal voice.
Step 8 — Play the Recording Through Headphones
Put on headphones and play the recording again.
What you’ll notice
The recorded voice becomes:
- more neutral
- more isolated
- closer to how others hear you
This removes environmental echoes and focuses purely on external acoustics.
It reinforces why your voice sounds different to you.
Step 9 — Test the Whisper Illusion
Now whisper a sentence out loud.
Then record a whisper and play it back.
What you’ll hear
Your whispered voice internally sounds smooth and controlled.
But the recorded version sounds:
- harsher
- thinner
- more brittle
Whispers rely far more on bone conduction, so the mismatch becomes dramatically stronger.
This phase highlights the illusion sharply.
Step 10 — What This Brain–Body Glitch Reveals About You
This experiment reveals important facts about your auditory system:
1. Your brain blends two voices
Bone conduction + air conduction = “your voice”.
2. Your real voice is external
The recorded voice is not distorted — it is accurate.
3. Your internal voice is a comforting illusion
Your brain enriches your voice automatically.
4. You hear yourself differently from everyone else
No other person perceives the internal vibrations you hear.
5. The recording reveals your unfiltered voice
This is the version the world hears.
Understanding why your voice sounds different to you exposes how the brain manages sound, prediction and self-perception.
Try the Next Brain–Body Glitch Experiment
If this illusion revealed how your brain filters your own voice, the next one shows how your brain filters time itself. You will test how your perception slows down, speeds up or becomes inaccurate under simple conditions.
Next recommended experiment:
The Time Stretch Illusion — Why Moments Feel Longer or Shorter Than They Really Are
