Infrasound
What The Phenomena
Infrasound, sometimes referred to as low-frequency sound, is sound that is lower in frequency than 20 Hz (Hertz) or cycles per second, the "normal" limit of human hearing. Hearing
becomes gradually less sensitive as frequency decreases, so for humans
to perceive infrasound, the sound pressure
must be sufficiently high. The ear is the primary organ for sensing
infrasound, but at higher intensities it is possible to feel infrasound
vibrations in various parts of the body.
One study has suggested that infrasound may cause feelings of awe or fear in humans. It also was suggested that since it is not consciously perceived, it may make people feel vaguely that odd or supernatural events are taking place.
Research by Vic Tandy, a lecturer at Coventry University, England, suggested that an infrasonic signal of 19 Hz might be responsible for some ghost sightings. Tandy was working late one night in a supposedly haunted laboratory when he felt anxious and could detect a grey blob out of the corner of his eye. When Tandy turned to face the grey blob, there was nothing.
The following day, Tandy was working on his fencing foil, with the handle held in a vise. Although there was nothing touching it, the blade started to vibrate. Further investigation led Tandy to discover that the extractor fan in the lab was emitting a frequency of 18.98 Hz, very close to the resonant frequency of the eye given as 18 Hz by NASA. This was why Tandy had seen a ghostly figure. It was an optical illusion caused by his eyeballs resonating. The room was exactly half a wavelength in length, and the desk was in the center, thus causing a standing wave which caused the vibration
Tandy investigated this phenomenon and wrote a paper titled The Ghost in the Machine.
As a paranormal investigator, I was both intrigued and thrilled with this discovery. I first heard of infrasound on a recent television detective drama episode. A ghost hunter was murdered in a large abandoned meat-packing warehouse. The location was known by the locals to be haunted. A murder had occurred there and people who visited the location experienced creepy feelings, feelings of dread, chills, and even illness. The CSI team discovered a source of sound coming from a huge venting fan. When they turned it off, the feelings of dread and fear stopped. I watched this episode in amazement. Could this be real science? So I checked and yes, it is. Infrasound is real, and could be the explanation for many people experiencing feelings that a place is haunted when it is not. It's a natural phenomena. Great, I said to myself. This is a breakthrough. Now paranormal investigators can test for such low frequency sound waves and rule it out or, if discovered, explain a so-called haunting. The belief which I hold is that real paranormal activity and evidence of hauntings are rare but real. If we have more tools to rule out the natural and explainable, we are then left with the real and the unexplainable. That's great, right?
Not according to the vocal paranormal community, who is speaking up on social media and all over their websites about what a blow this infrasound thing is to ghost hunting.
One study has suggested that infrasound may cause feelings of awe or fear in humans. It also was suggested that since it is not consciously perceived, it may make people feel vaguely that odd or supernatural events are taking place.
Research by Vic Tandy, a lecturer at Coventry University, England, suggested that an infrasonic signal of 19 Hz might be responsible for some ghost sightings. Tandy was working late one night in a supposedly haunted laboratory when he felt anxious and could detect a grey blob out of the corner of his eye. When Tandy turned to face the grey blob, there was nothing.
The following day, Tandy was working on his fencing foil, with the handle held in a vise. Although there was nothing touching it, the blade started to vibrate. Further investigation led Tandy to discover that the extractor fan in the lab was emitting a frequency of 18.98 Hz, very close to the resonant frequency of the eye given as 18 Hz by NASA. This was why Tandy had seen a ghostly figure. It was an optical illusion caused by his eyeballs resonating. The room was exactly half a wavelength in length, and the desk was in the center, thus causing a standing wave which caused the vibration
Tandy investigated this phenomenon and wrote a paper titled The Ghost in the Machine.
As a paranormal investigator, I was both intrigued and thrilled with this discovery. I first heard of infrasound on a recent television detective drama episode. A ghost hunter was murdered in a large abandoned meat-packing warehouse. The location was known by the locals to be haunted. A murder had occurred there and people who visited the location experienced creepy feelings, feelings of dread, chills, and even illness. The CSI team discovered a source of sound coming from a huge venting fan. When they turned it off, the feelings of dread and fear stopped. I watched this episode in amazement. Could this be real science? So I checked and yes, it is. Infrasound is real, and could be the explanation for many people experiencing feelings that a place is haunted when it is not. It's a natural phenomena. Great, I said to myself. This is a breakthrough. Now paranormal investigators can test for such low frequency sound waves and rule it out or, if discovered, explain a so-called haunting. The belief which I hold is that real paranormal activity and evidence of hauntings are rare but real. If we have more tools to rule out the natural and explainable, we are then left with the real and the unexplainable. That's great, right?
Not according to the vocal paranormal community, who is speaking up on social media and all over their websites about what a blow this infrasound thing is to ghost hunting.
Our job as paranormal investigators is to discover and uncover the TRUTH. If the paranormal is real, and ghosts and hauntings are real, let's eliminate the fraudulent, the fake, or the natural occurrences. What we are left with is what is real; the true mysteries out there for us to marvel at, to be astounded by, to experience the wonder and magic of this world. Why waste time on things that occur naturally or can be explained by science? I have no doubt that there are ghosts, and paranormal happenings occur frequently and all over the place. I want to find the real. I want to discover and study the mysteries. The discovery of infrasound makes that easier and is just one more tool to investigate, eliminate and weed out the real from the natural. It's a good thing.
Good grief, stop whining and get to work.
What the Ph...
P.J.
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