Can Sounds Change How You Think, Feel and Behave? | Dr Duncan Williams

Can sound influence how you think, feel and behave without you even realising it?

Why does your favourite song sometimes feel completely wrong? Why can the same noise comfort one person but drive another mad? And how much of what we hear is actually shaped by our brains, memories and emotions?

In this episode of Look At You Now, Craig Leslie sits down with Dr Duncan Williams, an academic and researcher specialising in how humans perceive and respond to sound.

From the psychology of music and the sounds we find irritating to why we dislike hearing our own voices, Duncan explores how our experiences, surroundings and emotions influence the way we hear the world.

But our conversation goes beyond the science of sound.

We explore why failure can be essential to learning, why comparing ourselves with others can distort our sense of progress, and how recognising that people experience the world differently might help us better understand ourselves and one another.

We also look towards the future, exploring how adaptive audio and emerging technology could change our everyday environments.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How our brains process sound and why certain noises capture our attention.
• Why music can change our mood and why our favourite songs don't always feel right.
• Why two people can hear the same sound but experience it completely differently.
• What aural diversity teaches us about perception and empathy.
• Why natural sounds, city noise and our surroundings affect how we feel.
• How context and personal experiences influence what we find pleasant or irritating.
• Why making everything quieter isn't necessarily the answer.
• How adaptive audio could personalise the way we experience sound.
• Why failure is often necessary for developing a deeper understanding.
• How to measure personal progress without constantly comparing ourselves with others.

Whether you're interested in music, psychology, human behaviour, or simply curious about how your mind makes sense of the world, this conversation offers a fascinating perspective on something we experience every single day.

Connect and discover more

Look At You Now: https://lookatyounowpod.com/

Look At You Now | Understand yourself. Change how you live.

Real experiences. Deeper understanding. Practical change.