>-> Yes, that's interesting, although I think Cindy carries that to a
 >-> greater degree, being able (IIRC) to "hear" external things she
 >-> witnesses.  I remember what things sound like, but if I am unable to
 >-> hear them at all now, then I don't "remember" the sound when I
 >-> witness a noisy event.  OTOH, as what's left of my hearing changes
 >-> because of a cold, shampoo water in my ears, etc., my voice sounds
 >-> different to me because I can actually hear it.ï+

 > Barbara,

 > The human mind is amazing!

 > First off... no one knows just how much of it we are
 > actually tapping...

Agreed.

 > I know from practicing martial arts that you can
 > become so attuned to
 > your body that with the power of mind over body you
 > can literally wiggle
 > your pinkie toe without moving any other part of your
 > foot.  That is a
 > level of control that few can achieve.

Agreed, and this, I imagine, uses a lot of energy.

 > Secondly... there are people who can feel vibrations
 > ... in other parts
 > of their body.  I know a deaf dancer who can dance
 > ballet ... never miss
 > a beat... however she needs two monitor speakers
 > placed on the floor so
 > that she can feel the vibrations of the music.  In
 > some ways this is adaptive hearing.

Yes.  For myself, I was interested to note that some things , like
computers, making noise made a vibration that I could feel in my hand ...
but as I became unable to hear the noise, I also became unable to feel the
vibration.   fireworks and over-loud auto woofers, though, I can feel
whether I can hear them or not.

 > Thirdly... how can you explain blind people who learn
 > how to echo locate
 > with sound?

I assumed they have normal hearing in both ears and thus are able to do it.
 Referencing your paragraph below, it seems to me to be much like hearing a
bird and detecting where it is from the sound.

 > The mind is a very weird and powerful force.  I know
 > from years of
 > martial arts that I can isolate a body part and move
 > it without moving
 > other muscles... this is something not everyone can
 > do.  But it's
 > accomplished through meditation and focus.

 > Perhaps if you meditate and focus you can use your
 > mind's ear to hear
 > birds when you see them... maybe not the actual birds
 > that are present
 > but memories of the birds you have heard in the past.

Heh.  I've never really been able to hear the singing birds well, if at
all, much less locate the bird that was making the noise.  Imagining all
birds to sound like roosters or cranky parrots is a bit over the top. [g]

 > This makes me wonder if someone who lost their hearing
 > back in the day
 > when all phones had real metal bells in them hear
 > bells when the phones
 > ring instead of the electronic cacophony that you hear
 > nowadays.

An interesting question.

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