Why Sensory Overload Isn't About "Too Much"

"Imagine sitting in a quiet house and hearing a faint sound. On its own, you might barely notice it. Now imagine that same sound paired with a small movement in your peripheral vision. Neither signal is strong. But together, they demand attention. Your brain snaps into alert; the world doesn't just suddenly get loud. Instead, uncertainty skyrockets. Something is happening, and your brain wants to know what."

"The brain isn't a passive receiver of the world. It constantly combines information from sight, sound, touch, movement, and timing to figure out what's happening and whether it matters. In neuroscience, in the process ofmultisensory integration, distinct sensory signals are processed and integrated into a unified perceptual experience. Most of the time, this works smoothly. We naturally pair a voice with a face. Footsteps line up with movement. The world feels coherent without any effort on our part."

"But coherence isn't guaranteed When sensory information is inconsistent, poorly aligned, or hard to interpret, the brain works harder to reduce uncertainty. That extra work is often what people describe as "overload." One idea from neuroscience helps make this clearer. The brain doesn't always combine sensory information in the same way. Strong integration with signals depends on how clear or reliable those signals seem."

The brain increases processing effort when sensory signals are weak, ambiguous, or poorly aligned, causing uncertainty and the sensation of sensory overload. Multisensory integration normally fuses sight, sound, touch, movement, and timing into coherent perception, but integration strength depends on signal clarity and reliability. When information is ambiguous the brain amplifies combinations of signals, a phenomenon known as superadditive integration, which can demand more attention. Predictability often reduces sensory strain more effectively than simply removing stimulation. Individuals with autism or ADHD can carry greater and longer-lasting perceptual effort when sensory interpretation remains difficult.

Read at Psychology Today