Tinnitus is a phantom sound produced by the brain, and increased attention reinforces its neural circuitry.

“Here we're saying, you want to avoid thinking about the ringing in your ears if you have tinnitus. - That's right. - Because that will amplify the circuits that underlie tinnitus.”

“And the more you think about it, the more you reinforce that circuit, just like you said.”

“He emphasized that people who have tinnitus, the fact that they think about it and pay attention to it tends to exacerbate the circuitry.”