Inspired by the TRI Conference Berlin 2026 theme, Jump the Wall – Discover and Uncover Gaps, this perspective connects tinnitus science with lived human experience. The Hearing Triptych integrates Sound, Brain and Human Experience, while the Glass Metaphor reframes rehabilitation: not only reducing the burden of tinnitus, but also increasing a person’s capacity to live meaningfully despite persistent symptoms.

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 10 Communication with residents and patients Listening beyond the sound Reports of low-frequency sound often begin with an experience. Someone hears a hum, a thud, or a vibration that seems difficult to explain. Sometimes the sound is present mainly at night. Sometimes it seems to be continuously prese

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 9 Collaboration between disciplines Why low-frequency sound is not a single-discipline field Reports of low-frequency noise often bring together various disciplines. Technical experts investigate potential sources and measure sound signals. Medical professionals examine hearing function and possible he

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 8 A step-by-step approach to low-frequency sound From signal to human experience Reports of low-frequency noise often place professionals in a complex situation. Residents experience nuisance that sometimes seems difficult to explain with technical measurements alone. At the same time, professionals wi

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 7 Das Glas der Lebensakzeptanz - The Glass of Life's Acceptance Carrying capacity and the experience of sound When people are bothered by a sound, they often look at the sound itself first. How loud is it? Where does it come from? How often does it occur? Although these questions are important, practic

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 6 Attention and meaning: why a sound sometimes becomes increasingly emphatic Imagine you are sitting in a room with a clock on the wall. The clock has been ticking the whole time, but usually you hardly notice it. The sound fades into the background of your perception, as it were. But as soon as someon

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 5 Why some people hear it and others don't One of the questions that almost always arises in reports of low-frequency noise is why some people perceive the sound clearly while others in the same environment hardly notice anything. For residents, this can be particularly frustrating. When a sound is per

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 4 Sound and the brain: how the auditory system gives meaning to sound When people talk about sound, they often think of the ear first. The ear picks up sound waves, converts them into electrical signals, and transmits them to the brain. From this perspective, hearing seems like a relatively simple proc

Als wetenschap wordt gebruikt om hoop te verkopen, moeten we extra kritisch blijven. In deze blog reflecteert klinisch fysicus-audioloog Dyon Scheijen op nieuwe tinnitusbehandelingen, placebo-effecten en de rol van commerciële belangen. Wanneer wordt onderzoek gebruikt om kennis te vergroten en wanneer vooral om vertrouwen te creëren? Een persoonlijk en kritisch pleidooi voor eerlijke zorg, duidelijke communicatie en het beschermen van patiënten tegen valse hoop.

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 3 The Hearing Triptych applied to low-frequency sound In the preceding essays, it was described how research into low-frequency sound often begins with measurements and analysis of the physical sound signal. At the same time, practice shows that measurements do not always fully explain why certain soun

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 2 Why low-frequency sound measurements often differ One of the most striking observations in research into low-frequency sound is that measurements do not always yield the same result. Professionals working with LFG recognize situations where multiple measurements are taken in the same room, sometimes

Low-frequency noise (LFN) is one of the most complex noise issues of our time. People experience nuisance, sleep disturbance, stress, and a sense of powerlessness, while measurements do not always provide a clear answer. It is precisely this tension between what we measure and what people experience that makes low-frequency noise so challenging. This handbook brings together insights from: audiology physics neuropsychology ACT communication human experience Based on the convi

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science LFG Handbook Essay 1 Why low-frequency sound is so difficult to understand For many professionals, research into sound begins with measurement. Sound is described in terms of frequencies, intensities, and spectra. These measurements form the basis of acoustic research and have taught us much about the physical properties

The Hearing Triptych | Sound · Brain · Human Experience | A scientific framework for understanding tinnitus and low-frequency sound | Where art meets science Introduction Understanding low-frequency sound beyond measurements Low-frequency noise (LFN) is a subject that has raised questions among residents, professionals, and researchers for decades. In the Netherlands, municipal health services, environmental agencies, and municipalities regularly receive reports from people e

Sometimes it is not a straight road. Sometimes we move… in circles. Each time a layer deeper. Three encounters that stick with you Introduction Sometimes you think you are “disconnected” from your work for a moment. But the work won't let you go. Not because it has to be done. But because there are people who come in… and leave something behind. There were three meetings last week. Three totally different people. Three stories that have nothing in common at first glance. And

Essay 6 - When the Ear Changes | Where Art Meets Science | Dyon Scheijen (2026) Hearing Loss within The Hearing Triptych Hearing loss often begins in the ear, but rarely ends there. What at first glance appears to be a problem of reduced auditory input develops in practice into a process in which the brain and the human being must constantly adapt to a changed reality (World Health Organization, 2021; Jastreboff, 1990). Where Art Meets Science The Hearing Triptych Sound · Bra

Essay 5 – Listening Beyond the Ear | Where Art Meets Science | Dyon Scheijen (2026) The study of sound has long been primarily a study of physics. Frequencies, amplitudes, and acoustics describe how sound travels through space and reaches the ear. However, in practice, it turns out that people rarely suffer from the sound itself. They suffer from the way the sound is experienced and interpreted by their brain. Two people can find themselves in the same sound environment yet h

Essay 4 – From Tinnitus to Low-Frequency Sound | Where Art Meets Science | Dyon Scheijen (2026) When people describe their experience of sound, they rarely speak of frequencies or decibels. They speak of a hum, a pressure in the room, or a feeling that “something is present.” For a long time, tinnitus was the best-known example of such an experience without a clear external source. But increasingly, we hear similar stories regarding low-frequency sound. Sometimes there is a m

A moment of reflection. Source: NASA The image above is going all over the world. and shows what we rarely experience: The Earth, viewed from a distance. At this moment, man looks back at her again, from the immense silence of space. Within the Artemis program Mankind is moving towards the moon once again, and in doing so, is also looking back at planet Earth. A place in history where distance arises. And with that, something else as well: view. This reminds me of Wubbo Ockel