Infrasound May Explain Many Alleged Hauntings, Study Finds
▼ Summary
– Sensations of a ghostly presence in “haunted” locations may be caused by infrasound from sources like vibrating pipes, traffic, or wind turbines, according to a new paper in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.
– A 2003 study by psychologist Richard Wiseman found that subjects reported more unusual experiences in places rumored to be haunted, regardless of whether they knew the rumors.
– The same study suggested that normal environmental factors—such as variances in magnetic fields, humidity, and lighting—could explain these sensations.
– Wiseman hypothesized that stronger magnetic fields might affect the brain, similar to how electrical stimulation of the angular gyrus creates a feeling of another person behind you.
Stepping into a location rumored to be haunted and feeling an eerie presence may have nothing to do with spirits. According to a recent study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, those unsettling sensations could stem from mundane sources like vibrating pipes, HVAC systems, traffic noise, or wind turbines , all of which generate infrasound.
For years, researchers have pursued logical explanations for paranormal experiences. Back in 2003, psychologist Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire conducted two influential studies. He had participants walk through two famously creepy sites: Hampton Court Palace in England and the South Bridge Vaults in Scotland. Participants reported where they felt unusual activity, and the results showed that people were more likely to sense something odd in locations already rumored to be haunted , regardless of whether they knew about those rumors.
The real culprit, however, wasn’t ghosts. Those same areas exhibited distinct changes in magnetic fields, humidity, and lighting levels. Wiseman theorized that stronger magnetic fields might influence brain activity, much like how stimulating the angular gyrus can create the eerie sensation of a phantom presence mimicking one’s own movements.
So next time a chill runs down your spine in an old building, it might just be the pipes.
(Source: Ars Technica)
