Actual titles:
Musical Illusions and Paradoxes
Phantom Words and Other Curiosities

To order: Get them from Philomel Records at http://philomel.com . $24.94 US for both CDs together plus shipping.

How much fun can you have with your ears?

We've all seen enough optical illusions to fill a bucket, but illusions you can listen to are rather harder to come by. Or at least they were before Diana put these two CDs together.

Diana is a professor of psychology at the University of California at San Diego, and has a special interest (OK, an obsession) with auditory illusions. She knows so much about them that she can actually create new ones, and now you can enjoy her creations in the comfort of your own headphones. These two CDs, which are professionally-produced to a very high standard, are absolutely mind-boggling. Diana is, in effect, hosting a magical mystery tour of your own brain, and believe me, it's quite a ride.

You will hear things that aren't there, perceive differences that don't exist except in your imagination, be befuddled by the auditory processes of your own brain, and listen as your own mind slowly transforms plain ordinary speech into melodic music. If all this sounds weird and wonderful and intriguing, well, it should. I've been playing these CDs over and over again ever since I first got them, and I still can't believe half of what I'm hearing.

You can buy the CDs separately, but there's seriously no point. As soon as you've listened to one, you'll want to listen to the other. Both of them come with well-produced 20+ page booklets that explain what to do and how each illusion works, and it's hard to see how any more care and attention could have been lavished on them. They're also great fun. Diana herself is on both CDs, carefully explaining what each illusion is about, and although it's not strictly relevant I'm going to mention in passing that she has one of the most beautiful speaking voices you have ever heard.

Nobody has ever put together a compilation like this before, and I doubt anyone else would know how. These are unique CDs. Treat yourself, and let Diana be your Tour Guide as you enjoy exploring the strange, endessly curious and deliciously counter-intuitive world of auditory and musical illusions. 

Please do not write asking me anything else about this item. The author didn't ask me to advertise it, this is not a paid-for advert, and I make no money out of these CDs. I don't wish to deal with 6 questions a day about something I make no money out of.

"Psychology: the science that tells you what you already know in words you don't understand"
- Anon.