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In May 2003 an experiment was conducted by UK researchers exposing 700 individuals to music based at 17Hz sine waves played at a level described as “near to the edge of hearing”. This was apparently replicated by an extra long stroke sub-woofer mounted 2/3rds of the way from the end of a 7 meter plastic sewer pipe.
The experiment comprised of 2 pieces of music in each concert having 17Hz tones being played underneath. During the second concert, the pieces due to carry the 17 Hz undertone were swapped, thereby ensuring the test and results did not focus on any specific musical piece. The participants were not told which pieces included the low-level 17 Hz near-infrasonic tone. The presence of the tone resulted in a significant number (22%) of respondents reporting anxiety, uneasiness, extreme sorrow, nervous feelings of revulsion or fear, chills down the spine and feelings of pressure on the chest. These results were presented to the BA with the premise that the results suggested low frequency sound can cause some individuals to encounter unusual experiences, despite the fact they could not consciously detect infrasound.
It has been suggested by some scientists that this level of sound may be present at alleged haunted sites thereby contributing to the fact that some individuals feel they are experiencing feelings which they may attribute to ghostly happenings. Dr. Ciaran O'Keefe has mentioned that infrasound which is on the limits of human hearing can play on our other senses, for instance “corner of the eye phenomena”, however should it also be questioned as to whether it can also affect our sense of smell or any other senses?
Infrasound has been known to cause feelings of awe or fear in humans. Because it is not consciously perceived, it can make people feel that “supernatural” events are occurring.
One piece of research to look at is that entitled “Ghost in the Machine” by Vic Tandy. He felt that research into the frequency of 19Hz was responsible for many paranormal sightings and feelings. His story is detailed below:
Working late one night, alone in a supposedly haunted laboratory at Warwick, he felt very anxious and could detect a grey blob out of the corner of his eye. However, when he turned to look at the same there was nothing there. The following day he was working on his fencing foil, the handle being held in a vice and although nothing was touching it, it started vibrating wildly. When he investigated this occurrence further, he discovered that the extraction fan was emitting a frequency of 18.98 Hz, very close to the resonant frequency of the eye (given as 18 Hz in NASA Technical Report 19770013810). As a result of these findings, he was of the opinion that this was why he had seen the ghostly figure which had, in fact, been caused by his eyeballs resonating and thereby creating an optical illusion. The room was exactly half a wavelength in length, the desk sited in the centre, thus causing a standing wave which was subsequently detected by the foil
Tandy investigated this phenomenon further and wrote a paper entitled The Ghost in the Machine. He carried out a number of investigations at various sites believed to be haunted, including the basement of the Tourist Information Bureau next to Coventry Cathedral and Edinburgh Castle.
Based on Tandy’s findings above, could it be that he was tired? After all, he was working late and alone in the laboratory and perhaps the result of which could be directed to the onsest of a hypnagogia state. (YDE, 2009) - See further section on my website for further information on sleep states.
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