Scientists Investigated a Frequency Linked to ‘Paranormal’ Encounters. The Results Were Unsettling.
A new study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience found that infrasound—frequencies below 20 hertz—can cause increased stress and negative emotions in humans, even though they cannot consciously hear it. Researchers measured elevated cortisol levels and reported irritability in participants exposed to 18 hertz infrasound during music sessions. The findings suggest infrasound may explain some 'paranormal' experiences in haunted locations, where such frequencies are often present due to environmental or mechanical sources. The study combines psychological and physiological approaches to better understand how inaudible sound affects human perception and mood.
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🌘Subscribe to 404 Media to get The Abstract, our newsletter about the most exciting and mind-boggling science news and studies of the week. If you’ve ever visited a haunted house or a paranormal hotspot, you may have experienced a weird sense of unease that you couldn’t quite explain. While it’s tempting to imagine that these feelings signal the presence of ghosts or other supernatural entities, they may actually be caused by acoustic frequencies below 20 hertz, known as infrasound, according to a study published on Monday in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.The human ear is not tuned to pick up infrasound, yet a growing body of research has shown that exposure to these frequencies nonetheless causes negative feelings in humans and many other animals.
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