in a high stress situation or even deer hunting you wont hear the shot
Probably didn't help being next to the building.
I've shoot my fair share without protection.
It does have a lasting effect.
As much as possible protect your ears.
Hearing loss is permanent.
Cracking one off every once in a while won't destroy your hearing immediately, but it doesn't help it any either.
I've shoot my fair share without protection.
It does have a lasting effect.
As much as possible protect your ears.
Hearing loss is permanent.
Cracking one off every once in a while won't destroy your hearing immediately, but it doesn't help it any either.
Not to get too far OT, but don't waste the money. Stanton Samenow is a credible psychologist who has done credible work on the psychology of killing. Louis Auerbuck, Tom Givens, Todd Green, Jim Cirillo and quite a few others have valid first-hand experiences with physiological response to stress r/t firearms.
Grossman is very "wishy-washy, I'll euphamistically put it, on civvy ownership of firearms. He says one thing to public groups, something rather different in LE/Gvt. settings. All that to say, I wouldn't give him my $25-60 (used or new) for his ideas on others ideas.
To the OP: if you don't flinch away from your weapons, if you "drive through" the blast and recoil on the range, you won't notice a thing real-time. I'm not LE/Mil, but have had shooting rather close for comfort while on the job. Not much different than having someone fire the warble up on an ambulance, while you're on the outside...
Yes...I popped a rabid dog that managed its way under our fence one time. I didn't notice until afterward when I was talking, that I could barely hear others. Even my own voice seemed muffled. It improved, but never really hurt badly. There are houses all around us, so I'm sure not having the open space, gave me lots of unwanted reverberation.
This sums it up in short order.
It is called "AUDITORY EXCLUSION"
Auditory Exclusion involves a loss of hearing that occurs as part of the fight-or-flight stress response during confrontation with danger. It is a sort of filtering out of unimportant external noise so that focus is maintained on the business at hand -- survival.
From Atlantic Signal. Famous maker of special operations and police comminications equipment..........
‘The Phenomenon of Auditory Exclusion’
Many of you are already aware of the phenomenon known as ‘Auditory Exclusion’ (a.k.a. ‘Tunnel Hearing’). With the advent of many types of devices and headsets, developed to provide hearing protection, being introduced to the market for tactical law enforcement and military operators, we thought it was important to provide the details of this physical and mental manifestation for those unaware and/or considering some form of tactical hearing protection.
There have been multiple studies done, over the past 10–20 years, with regard to the effects of adrenaline on law enforcement and military operators under stress. The human physiological and psychological response to mortal danger -- the only situation in which one would be justified in using lethal force in self defense -- is well documented. Often called the ‘fight-or-flight’ reflex and accompanied by an enormous surge in adrenaline (a.k.a. epinephrine), the most powerful hormone in the body, the relevant effects include: cardiovascular (increased heart rate), respiratory (dilation of the bronchial passages permitting higher absorption of oxygen), nervous system (pupils dilate to allow more light to enter), release of glucose into the bloodstream, which generates extra energy by raising the blood sugar, visual exclusion (“tunnel vision”), Tachipsychia (misperception of the slower or faster passage of time) and auditory exclusion. Although these effects may be lessened by intensive training, their advent is independent of personal will. Fear is an automatic physical reaction to a perceived threat that results in predictable physical, emotional, perceptual and cognitive changes due to states of high physical arousal. For the sake of this discussion, we will concentrate on auditory exclusion.
According to Massad Ayoob, Director of the Lethal Force Institute in Concord, New Hampshire, auditory exclusion is the result of a primeval decision in the cortex of the brain that “there is only one thing that concerns us now, destroying or escaping the thing that is attempting to destroy us….the eyes still see and the ears still hear, but the cortex of the brain is screening out anything that is extraneous”. Tunnel hearing is a distortion the most common manifestation of which is diminished sound “which can range from total loss to sounds seemingly muffled and distant.”
Auditory exclusion can be described as a high-pitch ringing in your ears at a moment of crisis. Other sounds, like the sounds of gunfire, flash bangs and people screaming, seem to recede into background noise and only the high-pitch ring or tone seems in the forefront of sound. This is partially due to the epinephrine in your system dilating the blood vessels in and around the ears, making it physically more difficult to hear. Another reason for the hearing loss is mental. Cognitive dissonance prevents the mind from prioritizing sounds.
According to the author of What Happens to Nice Guys in Gunfights, “the problems experienced, because of the rise in adrenaline, come with two things that the mind does - (#1) it wants to focus on the threat and does this by narrowing the field of view to a small area (tunnel vision) and (#2) not hearing extraneous noise (tunnel hearing). As a result, two of our most important senses (sight and hearing) are compromised. Knowing to expect it, allows an operator to correct the mind for it. Because the field of view is narrowed and you may not be able to hear your opponent(s), move your eyes more. Make an effort to scan the area”.
As stated above, the activation and flooding of the body with adrenaline is automatic and virtually uncontrollable. It is a reflex triggered by a perception of a threat. Once initiated, adrenaline will dominate all voluntary and involuntary systems until the perceived threat has been eliminated or escaped, performance deteriorates, or the parasympathetic nervous system activates to reestablish homeostasis (proper body equilibrium or balance). This is especially common with police officers or soldiers moments before they make a tactical assault into a potential deadly force environment.
In a study done with police officers by Dr. Alexis Artwohl, author of Surviving Deadly Force Encounters, 84% experienced ‘diminished sound’ during stressful scenarios. She stated that the “eye, ear and other senses do not have a will of their own under stress, rather, they operate at the direction of the unconscious mind – a blink to an object coming at the eye is an instinctive reaction of the unconscious mind, while a directed weapon stare is a reaction of the conscious mind”.
She went on to say, “even in non-stress situations, when something catches our attention we begin to have ‘selective attention’. We focus on the object of our attention to the exclusion of other things. This process involves two steps. First we become ‘oriented’ toward the event – meaning that we shift our attention toward it and then we ‘focus’ on it or funnel our concentration on it – again to the exclusion of other things in the sensory environment”.
We have chosen to provide this information because we have seen an upswing in what we term the ‘marketing of fear’ to tactical operators by some companies and/or product representatives with regard to the needs of hearing protection. While we certainly agree the weapons of today can potentially cause harm to one’s hearing, it is also important to consider the effects of certain types of hearing protection devices on an operator’s ability to effectively carry out his mission. There is no arguing the fact all operators should wear adequate hearing protection at the gun range or during tactical training where loud, diversionary devices are used; however, we believe each operator should have a choice whether or not to implement hearing protection in potential deadly force environments. As numerous studies have shown, auditory exclusion is experienced by many tactical operators during real threat situations. Having the ability to effectively hear and accurately locate potential danger in one’s ambient environment, during an operation, can be crucial to personal and team safety.
There certainly can be a considerable difference between tactical law enforcement officers and military operators with regard to their exposure to potentially harmful sounds. The difference in the number of times a weapon is fired by a tactical law enforcement officer over his career when compared to that of a soldier engaged in war can be enormous. Continuous and long term exposure to potentially damaging sounds should be evaluated and addressed much differently than considerably less frequent events. All operators should subject themselves to at least yearly hearing tests as the phenomenon of auditory exclusion, according to studies to date, is not experienced by all individuals.
We simply believe, based upon interviews with operators with as many as twenty plus years of tactical experience, you should evaluate your past experience with regard to loud noise, under stress. Before deciding to place something in, on or over one or both of your ears, potentially lessening or eliminating your ability to maintain adequate and/or functional situational awareness, you should consider the findings of studies in your professions, re-visit your experiences in the past and evaluate the sensible options available to protect your hearing in crucial situations. We don’t believe you should have to succumb to placing yourself at a potential disadvantage with certain devices in instances where hearing protection is not necessary. Please take an additional few moments to read the link on this website titled “Tactical Hearing Protection Field Test Report”. You may be interested to find there are more alternatives available to you than what some might lead you to believe.
Resources Utilized In the Compilation of This Report:
Killology Research Group - Jonesboro, Arkansas
Violence Policy Center - Washington, DC
Massad Ayoob - Director of the Lethal Force Institute, Concord, New Hampshire
Guard Up, Incorporated – Burlington, Massachusetts
Article: Mental Preparedness and Self-Defense – Guns and Ammo Magazine 1993, Jim Grover, author
Article: Stress Reactions Related to Lethal Force Encounters – The Police Marksman 2002, Bill Lewinski, PH.D., author
Book: Surviving Deadly Force Encounters – Dr. Alexis Artwohl, author
Book: What Happens to Nice Guys in Gunfights – B. Braxton, author
Copyright 2005 Atlantic Signal, LLC
Auditory Exclusion involves a loss of hearing that occurs as part of the fight-or-flight stress response during confrontation with danger. It is a sort of filtering out of unimportant external noise so that focus is maintained on the business at hand -- survival.
From Atlantic Signal. Famous maker of special operations and police comminications equipment..........
‘The Phenomenon of Auditory Exclusion’
Many of you are already aware of the phenomenon known as ‘Auditory Exclusion’ (a.k.a. ‘Tunnel Hearing’). With the advent of many types of devices and headsets, developed to provide hearing protection, being introduced to the market for tactical law enforcement and military operators, we thought it was important to provide the details of this physical and mental manifestation for those unaware and/or considering some form of tactical hearing protection.
There have been multiple studies done, over the past 10–20 years, with regard to the effects of adrenaline on law enforcement and military operators under stress. The human physiological and psychological response to mortal danger -- the only situation in which one would be justified in using lethal force in self defense -- is well documented. Often called the ‘fight-or-flight’ reflex and accompanied by an enormous surge in adrenaline (a.k.a. epinephrine), the most powerful hormone in the body, the relevant effects include: cardiovascular (increased heart rate), respiratory (dilation of the bronchial passages permitting higher absorption of oxygen), nervous system (pupils dilate to allow more light to enter), release of glucose into the bloodstream, which generates extra energy by raising the blood sugar, visual exclusion (“tunnel vision”), Tachipsychia (misperception of the slower or faster passage of time) and auditory exclusion. Although these effects may be lessened by intensive training, their advent is independent of personal will. Fear is an automatic physical reaction to a perceived threat that results in predictable physical, emotional, perceptual and cognitive changes due to states of high physical arousal. For the sake of this discussion, we will concentrate on auditory exclusion.
According to Massad Ayoob, Director of the Lethal Force Institute in Concord, New Hampshire, auditory exclusion is the result of a primeval decision in the cortex of the brain that “there is only one thing that concerns us now, destroying or escaping the thing that is attempting to destroy us….the eyes still see and the ears still hear, but the cortex of the brain is screening out anything that is extraneous”. Tunnel hearing is a distortion the most common manifestation of which is diminished sound “which can range from total loss to sounds seemingly muffled and distant.”
Auditory exclusion can be described as a high-pitch ringing in your ears at a moment of crisis. Other sounds, like the sounds of gunfire, flash bangs and people screaming, seem to recede into background noise and only the high-pitch ring or tone seems in the forefront of sound. This is partially due to the epinephrine in your system dilating the blood vessels in and around the ears, making it physically more difficult to hear. Another reason for the hearing loss is mental. Cognitive dissonance prevents the mind from prioritizing sounds.
According to the author of What Happens to Nice Guys in Gunfights, “the problems experienced, because of the rise in adrenaline, come with two things that the mind does - (#1) it wants to focus on the threat and does this by narrowing the field of view to a small area (tunnel vision) and (#2) not hearing extraneous noise (tunnel hearing). As a result, two of our most important senses (sight and hearing) are compromised. Knowing to expect it, allows an operator to correct the mind for it. Because the field of view is narrowed and you may not be able to hear your opponent(s), move your eyes more. Make an effort to scan the area”.
As stated above, the activation and flooding of the body with adrenaline is automatic and virtually uncontrollable. It is a reflex triggered by a perception of a threat. Once initiated, adrenaline will dominate all voluntary and involuntary systems until the perceived threat has been eliminated or escaped, performance deteriorates, or the parasympathetic nervous system activates to reestablish homeostasis (proper body equilibrium or balance). This is especially common with police officers or soldiers moments before they make a tactical assault into a potential deadly force environment.
In a study done with police officers by Dr. Alexis Artwohl, author of Surviving Deadly Force Encounters, 84% experienced ‘diminished sound’ during stressful scenarios. She stated that the “eye, ear and other senses do not have a will of their own under stress, rather, they operate at the direction of the unconscious mind – a blink to an object coming at the eye is an instinctive reaction of the unconscious mind, while a directed weapon stare is a reaction of the conscious mind”.
She went on to say, “even in non-stress situations, when something catches our attention we begin to have ‘selective attention’. We focus on the object of our attention to the exclusion of other things. This process involves two steps. First we become ‘oriented’ toward the event – meaning that we shift our attention toward it and then we ‘focus’ on it or funnel our concentration on it – again to the exclusion of other things in the sensory environment”.
We have chosen to provide this information because we have seen an upswing in what we term the ‘marketing of fear’ to tactical operators by some companies and/or product representatives with regard to the needs of hearing protection. While we certainly agree the weapons of today can potentially cause harm to one’s hearing, it is also important to consider the effects of certain types of hearing protection devices on an operator’s ability to effectively carry out his mission. There is no arguing the fact all operators should wear adequate hearing protection at the gun range or during tactical training where loud, diversionary devices are used; however, we believe each operator should have a choice whether or not to implement hearing protection in potential deadly force environments. As numerous studies have shown, auditory exclusion is experienced by many tactical operators during real threat situations. Having the ability to effectively hear and accurately locate potential danger in one’s ambient environment, during an operation, can be crucial to personal and team safety.
There certainly can be a considerable difference between tactical law enforcement officers and military operators with regard to their exposure to potentially harmful sounds. The difference in the number of times a weapon is fired by a tactical law enforcement officer over his career when compared to that of a soldier engaged in war can be enormous. Continuous and long term exposure to potentially damaging sounds should be evaluated and addressed much differently than considerably less frequent events. All operators should subject themselves to at least yearly hearing tests as the phenomenon of auditory exclusion, according to studies to date, is not experienced by all individuals.
We simply believe, based upon interviews with operators with as many as twenty plus years of tactical experience, you should evaluate your past experience with regard to loud noise, under stress. Before deciding to place something in, on or over one or both of your ears, potentially lessening or eliminating your ability to maintain adequate and/or functional situational awareness, you should consider the findings of studies in your professions, re-visit your experiences in the past and evaluate the sensible options available to protect your hearing in crucial situations. We don’t believe you should have to succumb to placing yourself at a potential disadvantage with certain devices in instances where hearing protection is not necessary. Please take an additional few moments to read the link on this website titled “Tactical Hearing Protection Field Test Report”. You may be interested to find there are more alternatives available to you than what some might lead you to believe.
Resources Utilized In the Compilation of This Report:
Killology Research Group - Jonesboro, Arkansas
Violence Policy Center - Washington, DC
Massad Ayoob - Director of the Lethal Force Institute, Concord, New Hampshire
Guard Up, Incorporated – Burlington, Massachusetts
Article: Mental Preparedness and Self-Defense – Guns and Ammo Magazine 1993, Jim Grover, author
Article: Stress Reactions Related to Lethal Force Encounters – The Police Marksman 2002, Bill Lewinski, PH.D., author
Book: Surviving Deadly Force Encounters – Dr. Alexis Artwohl, author
Book: What Happens to Nice Guys in Gunfights – B. Braxton, author
Copyright 2005 Atlantic Signal, LLC
Many times.
Actually I didn't even notice it.
During training, you need to follow all safety rules (hearing protection, etc.)
In an instant (shooting required) situation, you don't have a choice. You just do what you have to do.
I thought about just this subject one day while watching some action movie and wondering about cops shooting at bad guys without hearing protection and what it would be like during home defense or from inside my truck shooting without ear protection and about what if I had to shoot in defense of the home or myself or family and didnt have any hearing protection in,would the shock of the situtaion make me not care about it? I already play loud rock music in a band for a living and have since I was 16 and while we wear ear protection nowadays I didnt always and I do have some hissy background noise in my hearing because of it.
So,to test this I went to the back of my house where we have a bathroom off of our big bedroom that we have been in the process of remodeling for a while now. Even though this may seem stupid I just wanted know how loud it would be if I had to shoot inside the house without ear protection. ( I dont recommend anyone else do this and it was a stupid thing for me to do,but my curiosity over rode my right thinking). 2pm in the afternoon,I live on the edge of the city limits and most people in my neighborhood are gone at work so I didnt anticipate too many people outside of my house hearing it as my house is rock on the outside,so I shot one mag of HPs rapidfire out of my XD9mm into near the bottom of this old wooden bathroom door that is getting replaced anyways from about 10 feet. Holy ****,it was pretty freaking loud in an enclosed space. It was like I was playing on stage with no hearing protection at the Cains. My hearing returned to normal not too long after. Reminded me of hearing fatigue when I have the headphones on when recording in my studio. Dumb thing to do maybe,but,I now I know.
So,to test this I went to the back of my house where we have a bathroom off of our big bedroom that we have been in the process of remodeling for a while now. Even though this may seem stupid I just wanted know how loud it would be if I had to shoot inside the house without ear protection. ( I dont recommend anyone else do this and it was a stupid thing for me to do,but my curiosity over rode my right thinking). 2pm in the afternoon,I live on the edge of the city limits and most people in my neighborhood are gone at work so I didnt anticipate too many people outside of my house hearing it as my house is rock on the outside,so I shot one mag of HPs rapidfire out of my XD9mm into near the bottom of this old wooden bathroom door that is getting replaced anyways from about 10 feet. Holy ****,it was pretty freaking loud in an enclosed space. It was like I was playing on stage with no hearing protection at the Cains. My hearing returned to normal not too long after. Reminded me of hearing fatigue when I have the headphones on when recording in my studio. Dumb thing to do maybe,but,I now I know.
Heck, until I was 15-16 or so, if it weren't for Gunsmoke and Bonanza I wouldn't even have known that guns made noise. I grew up with a dad that was so tight I didn't take any practice shots at paper or clays. Well, once in while with the .22 rifle if he hadn't counted my cartridges beforehand. I only shot when there was something to shoot at that you wanted to kill and eat, or was a coyote. I got a good lesson in muzzle safety and trigger safety and that was about it.
When I went into the local hardware, Montgomery Wards, OTASCO, Coast to Coast, or wherever to buy cartridges, if you had asked for ear plugs or ear muffs you would have gotten a blank stare.
Okay, I'm stretching this a bit, but not much. If you want to say something to me you need to stand on my right side and face me so I can read your lips. I have a continuous ring in my left ear.
Things are truly much better now and people must be smarter. I hunt with no ear protection, but always practice with plugs and muffs.
About the only life and death struggle I've had with a firearm was when a badger was pretty sure he should be crawling where I was standing. But, with the amount of hunting and killing I've done, I can say that you seldom notice how loud a firearm is when a target has your complete attention. That doesn't say it doesn't damage your hearing though.
When I went into the local hardware, Montgomery Wards, OTASCO, Coast to Coast, or wherever to buy cartridges, if you had asked for ear plugs or ear muffs you would have gotten a blank stare.
Okay, I'm stretching this a bit, but not much. If you want to say something to me you need to stand on my right side and face me so I can read your lips. I have a continuous ring in my left ear.
Things are truly much better now and people must be smarter. I hunt with no ear protection, but always practice with plugs and muffs.
About the only life and death struggle I've had with a firearm was when a badger was pretty sure he should be crawling where I was standing. But, with the amount of hunting and killing I've done, I can say that you seldom notice how loud a firearm is when a target has your complete attention. That doesn't say it doesn't damage your hearing though.
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