Four and a half hours inside an MRI machine is enough to test anyone’s patience, but what I didn’t expect was for it to test my perception of reality. As the machine’s rhythmic beeps and clanks filled the air, something strange happened—I began to hear voices and phrases that didn’t belong. What started as a routine medical procedure quickly turned into an eerie experience that left me questioning whether these sounds were simply my mind playing tricks on me or something more profound.
This encounter with the unknown led me to explore the curious phenomena of auditory and visual hallucinations during MRI scans, and the possible reasons behind them.
Personal Experience
As previously stated, I spent a whopping four and a half hours (spread across two sessions–apparently they didn’t want one person monopolizing the machine all day) encased in the cold, dark confines of an MRI machine to receive comprehensive imaging from my waist to my head. Prior to the appointment, I’d done my homework: I researched everything–contrast injections, what not to wear, how the imaging works, tips to relax in the machine–you name it. I felt completely prepared when I arrived. But there was one component of the MRI experience I hadn’t anticipated: the strange phenomena I would encounter (cue spooky music).
Both appointments began routinely enough with a quick check-in, storage of personal items, and a trip to the restroom. I laid flat on the cold metal surface as the radiologist and tech inserted the earplugs and secured the head stabilizer. I gratefully accepted the offered blanket, as I tend to run cold. I will admit, as I was slid into the metal cylinder, the image of the scene in Insidious: The Red Door (you know the one–with the demon crawling inside of the MRI machine with Patrick Wilson), flashed in my mind. I don’t scare easily from movies, so I chuckled to myself.
I attempted to lull myself to sleep, knowing each session would be long, and notably, without offer of music. However, I was unsuccessful, as the MRI machine boasted a variety of beeps and bangs in varying orders, tempos, and rhythms–it almost felt like trying to sleep while listening to a million catchy songs that your brain just wants to sing along with.
Strange Noises
As I laid back, trying to quiet my mind, the sounds began to morph. At one point, I distinctly heard waves crashing on a beach. It was almost soothing–until my brain began to interpret the noises as human voices instead of beeps. I can still recall the voices clearly: “Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi,” “Go Go Go Go Go Go,” and even stranger phrases like, “Boat Show Boat Show Boat Show!” By by the end of the sessions the sounds had escalated to something darker: “Die Kill Die Kill Die Kill!”
As I was relinquished from the machine, I asked the radiologist if they’d played beach sounds to help relax me. She informed me that they in fact, had not. I also mentioned the voices and strange phrases I had been hearing. “A lot of people who spend a prolonged time in the machine experience strange phenomena,” she said, even sharing that one patient was convinced he’d heard, “Give a penny, take a penny!” on repeat.
The thought of this being a common experience intrigued me. What could possibly cause such strange phenomena? I felt compelled to explore further.
Scientific Exploration
Interestingly, there appears to be a lack of substantial literature on the scientific exploration into the auditory, visual, and hallucinatory experiences patients face in the MRI machine. This gap in research might be worth exploring, as understanding these experiences could have implications for patient care and comfort during MRI procedures.
Psychological Perspective
One potential explanation for these auditory hallucinations is pareiodolia, a phenomenon where the brain interprets random or ambiguous stimuli as something familiar and meaningful. As defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, pareiodolia as “the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.” Common examples include seeing faces in everyday objects, like outlets, or hearing call your name in a noisy environment.
Another factor could be anxiety, particularly as many people struggle with claustrophobia when confined in the narrow, enclosed space of an MRI machine. The heightened state of anxiety may make the brain more susceptible to misinterpreting the machine’s mechanical sounds as something more familiar–or even ominous.
Paranormal Investigations
While I lean towards a scientific explanation, the possibility of a paranormal encounter can’t be entirely ruled out. I’d love to hear if anyone thinks otherwise.
In the end, my time inside the MRI machine left me with more questions than answers. Whether the strange sounds I heard were the result of auditory pareidolia, heightened anxiety, or something else entirely, the experience was undeniably surreal. It reminded me of the vast complexity of the human mind and how our perceptions can be shaped by the environment around us. I invite you to explore with me by sharing your thoughts and experiences. After all, the more we discuss these phenomena, the closer we may come to understanding them.
Leave a comment below!
- What, if any, strange experiences did you or a loved one face in the MRI machine?
- What are your thoughts on the potential cause of these sensations?
- Is there a paranormal aspect, or could it be an entirely scientific explanation?
Painfully Empowered 
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