Interesting side effect of using ear buds

I have often before had the experience of pareidolia, which is a phenomenon in which people find specific images or sounds in random stimuli, says Wikipedia, or more simply, that thing where people see Jesus in their pancakes, only mine is the auditory kind. If my brain is not focused on something else, and if there is a bunch of white noise, I very often hear music that is not actually playing. It's fascinating for me because I can actually sing along with it and there are harmonies and instrumentals which apparently my subconscious remembers perfectly although I can't remember them when I consciously try to think of them later.

Unfortunately this isn't really under my control. Sometimes when there is white noise I will catch a few things that sound vaguely like a song I know, and then SNAP, on goes the pareidolia in full force, and I hear the entire song and sometimes some more songs from that same album, and then after a while, SNAP, off it goes again. I think there's a certain factor of belief involved here – if it seems viable that someone nearby is playing the song I think I'm hearing, I'm far more likely to go on hearing it. Otherwise it clicks off quite rapidly.

Alas.

Because I like listening to music. It is especially soothing when I am falling asleep. And if I could do it reliably, then I would be just as cool as all the members of my family (everyone but me and my father) who see pictures when they close their eyes. In fact I would be cooler. Because music is better than pictures. And I would say, "Nyah nyah nyah, family. I fall asleep to the sounds of Pachelbel's Canon," and I would blow a raspberry, even though I am a lady and such things are usually beneath me.

Here's the thing though! It's thrilling! Since I've started using ear buds, this pareidolia thing has been happening more and more often. I think my brain has been completely taken in by the ear buds so when I am listening to music with them my brain thinks that the music is actually inside of my head. The ear buds really do produce much the same effect as this pareidolia business, except clearer and louder and more easily controllable.

So now my brain does not get all skeptical when it hears music and does not say "Well, hey, I know that sounds like 'Wrapped Up In Books', but let's look at this critically, shall we? Who would be playing Belle and Sebastian in the office and just happen to put on your favorite Belle and Sebastian song? Now, really, Jenny, is that likely?" NOW it is just like "Hey! It's Belle and Sebastian! Ear buds are keen!" and I try not to remind it that I haven't got my mp3 player with me, because THIS IS TOO AWESOME.

P.S. I'm not crazy. Just suggestible.