Thunder_Gooch Posted October 15, 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2003/oct/16/science.farout The fear frequency Mark Pilkington The Guardian, Wednesday 15 October 2003 21.54 EDT Article history Have you ever wondered what a ghost sounds like? Engineer Vic Tandy may already know. In the early 1980s, Tandy was working in a laboratory designing medical equipment. Word began to spread among the staff that the labs might be haunted, something Tandy put down to the constant wheeze of life-support machines operating in the building. One evening he was working on his own in the lab when he began to feel distinctly uncomfortable, breaking into a cold sweat as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He was convinced that he was being watched. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Tandy noticed an ominous grey shape drifting slowly into view, but when he turned around to face it, it was gone. Terrified, he went straight home. The next day Tandy, a keen fencer, noticed that a foil blade clamped in a vice was vibrating up and down very fast. He found that the vibrations were caused by a standing sound wave that was bouncing between the end walls of the laboratory and reached a peak of intensity in the centre of the room. He calculated that the frequency of the standing wave was about 19hz (cycles per second) and soon discovered that it was produced by a newly installed extractor fan. When the fan was turned off, the sound wave disappeared. The key here is frequency: 19hz is in the range known as infrasound, below the range of human hearing, which begins at 20hz. Tandy learned that low frequencies in this region can affect humans and animals in several ways, causing discomfort, dizziness, blurred vision (by vibrating your eyeballs), hyperventilation and fear, possibly leading to panic attacks. A more recent investigation took place in an allegedly haunted 14th-century pub cellar in Coventry, where people have reported terrifying experiences for many years, including seeing a spectral grey lady. Here Tandy also uncovered a 19hz standing wave, adding further evidential weight to his theory. In an interesting parallel, researchers have recorded that, prior to an attack, a tiger's roar contains frequencies of about 18hz, which might disorientate and paralyse their intended victim. Is this the sound of fear itself? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cat Pillar Posted October 15, 2011 Interesting stuff! So...if I set up an old building with a vibrational generator creating a standing wave of 19hz...I could make a killing during Halloween with my "real haunted house!" Hmm...I wonder if brainwave entrainment at 19hz would cause increased anxiety/fear response. I'm not likely to test this myself, though. I have enough issues with anxiety as it is! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 15, 2011 Well, I first have to say that I do not believe in ghosts and such things. However, I think that there may well be something to do with this idea of frequencies of sounds and how they effect us and other animals as well. I don't have enough knowledge to talk about it though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zanshin Posted October 15, 2011 My cat would knead my stomach and purr when I was pregnant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cat Pillar Posted October 16, 2011 My cat would knead my stomach and purr when I was pregnant. Animals can be so sweet at times...when they're not busy being little bastards, hehe. I love it when cats get all comfy on you and start kneading and purring. Can be painful sometimes though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 16, 2011 I love the way this thread evolved! Started out with the concept of 'fear' and we are now talking about 'contentment'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
