Stochastic Resonance & Noise in Sensory Systems

Beyond linear stimulation, research shows that complex, non-linear acoustic input (‘noise’) can enhance sensory processing and neural responsiveness – a phenomenon known as stochastic resonance.

This body of research provides the scientific foundation for what is described in experiential terms as fractal overtones, micro-variations, and stochastic resonance.

• 2024 Review:
  This review demonstrates that controlled noise can enhance signal processing in auditory, somatosensory, and visual systems, and that stochastic resonance is already being applied in medical and neuroprosthetic devices to improve sensory perception and neural signal transmission.
  🔗 Stochastic resonance in the sensory systems and its applications in neural prosthetics — PubMed (2024) 

• 2024 Study:
  Psychophysical experiments show that, in humans across different age groups, an optimal level of noise can improve the perception of weak sensory signals, supporting the concept that noise is not disruptive per se, but can enhance sensory performance when properly structured.
  🔗  Behavioral stochastic resonance across the lifespan — PMC (2024)

• Stochastic Resonance Model of Auditory Perception:
  This paper explicitly discusses how noise within the auditory system can be functionally used to optimize information processing, improve sensitivity to weak stimuli, and enhance auditory perception through stochastic resonance mechanisms.
  🔗 The stochastic resonance model of auditory perception — PubMed (2021)