So maybe somebody has an answer.

[conuly]

Because I don't even know how to google this!

When I was little, I wanted to learn how to wiggle my ears. I tried really, really hard and never got anywhere. My ears don't wiggle. But I *did* learn how to make a buzzy noise in my ears, accompanied by a slight tension inside them. I'm physically doing *something*, I just have no idea *what*. It feels (and this sounds bizarre) almost as though I can vibrate my ear drum at will. But that's ridiculous, right? I haven't really thought much about this since I was ten or so, but I just checked and, yup, I can still do it.

Comments

[steorra]

This looks like it might be relevant:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_tympani_muscle

"Contracting muscles produce vibration and sound.[3] Slow twitch fibers produce 10 to 30 contractions per second (equivalent to 10 to 30 Hz sound frequency). Fast twitch fibers produce 30 to 70 contractions per second (equivalent to 30 to 70 Hz sound frequency).[4] The vibration can be witnessed and felt by highly tensing one's muscles, as when making a firm fist. The sound can be heard by pressing a highly tensed muscle against the ear, again a firm fist is a good example. The sound is usually described as a rumbling sound. Many individuals can voluntarily produce this rumbling sound by contracting the tensor tympani muscle of the middle ear. The rumbling sound can also be heard when the neck or jaw muscles are highly tensed as when yawning deeply. This phenomenon is known since (at least) 1884 (cf : Tillaux Paul Jules, Traité d’Anatomie topographique avec applications à la chirurgie, Paris Asselin et Houzeau publishers (4°ed. 1884, p. 125 ))."

[conuly]

That sounds exactly it! It's been puzzling me off and on since I realized it was not a sign my ears were moving.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

I suspect what you're doing is contracting your stapedius muscle at will.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

I have no clue whether it's what you're doing, but when I try to wiggle my ears (my dad can do it! Why can't I?!), what happens is a slight hiss-and-click along with a slight tension. Not exactly a buzzing noise in my ears, but maybe it's the same phenomenon?
What I think I'm doing is creating excess pressure in the Eustachian tube, though I have no clue just how exactly I am achieving this. (Possibly what elenbarathi says?) It's quite useful in getting rid of hiccups, though.