Infrasound & Meters

Johnny Be Goode

It would appear that Infrasound (sound frequency less than 20 Hz (Hertz)) can explain some reports of paranormal events e.g. hallucinations, feeling as if being watched etc etc.

Do any of the paranormal investigators on the boards here use sound meters to search for this low frequency sound at investigations? Where did they get them (without breaking the bank)? Thanks … JBG

maccored

good luck with that. infrasonic mics cost a small fortune (around the 5 grand mark).

maccored

A Portable Infrasonic Detection System
- http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20080034649.pdf

maccored

though it seems cheap mics do exist. - http://volcanomodels.sr.unh.edu/jbj/MICROPHONES/microphone_list.html

Last time I researched this, it was just too costly to do it right.

Johnny Be Goode

Cheers, thanks for that info. Yeah,it seems to be very specialised equipment. Ill check those links.Thanks. JBG

Johnny Be Goode

Came across a Website with basic infrasound detection equipment. Don't think I am allowed post web links yet but you may all have come across it before. About $325. Cheaper by far but maybe rubbish? JBG

maccored

you wanna make sure its actually equipment to detect infrasound. Don't forget you cant hear infrasound, so you need a function generator or oscillator to see the signal. Take the 'full spectrum camera' that people buy, which arent anything like the full spectrum cameras they are imitating from TV. Sometimes the people who make this gear rely on the end user not having a clue about what it is they think the equipment does.

maccored

The jury is out when it comes to infrasound affecting us all the same. Vic Tandy claimed it did, but others are claiming there just isnt enough proof to make such suggestions- http://birmingham.academia.edu/DrJasonJBraithwaite/Papers/1258003/Good_Vibrations_The_Case_for_a_Specific_Effect_of_Infrasound_in_Instances_of_Anomalous_Experience_has_Yet_to_be_Empirically_Demonstrated

Johnny Be Goode

Thanks for that advice.

From a quick click-through of the site, the device is connected to a pc or mac and the software also provided shows on screen the low frequency of the sounds detected. It seems to represent itself as student/employer item/experiment to illustrate that there is a infrasound detected but not to measure it with the same accuracy as the regular expensive devices. It appears that once you place the order, they assemble one for you and charge the credit card when dispatched. It sounds like a 'garden shed' industry (or a small workshop).

Probably as the old adage goes, "if it is too good to be true, it is too good to be true".

I would not trust giving my credit card details etc etc

However, it raises the point : Do paranormal investigators need accurate infrasound readings but rather some devise to confirm the actual presence of 'Infrasound' in a location, and thus being a possible explanation to offer?

If I got feedback that somebody else had bought one as was relatively happy, I might use a 'top-up' credit card to purchase.

I take you points completely … Buyer BEWARE …. JBG

maccored

the main point is: is there any point in measuring infrasound? LIke EMF, theres very little evidence to suggest it causes hallucinations etc etc - bar Tandys research. that PDF i linked points out how little actual research there is to back up any kind of claim. If that was an area you wanted to research fair enough - but I personally wouldnt spend the money on the gear for any other reason.

maccored

Johnny Be Goode wrote: »

However, it raises the point : Do paranormal investigators need accurate infrasound readings but rather some devise to confirm the actual presence of 'Ultrasound' in a location, and thus being a possible explanation to offer?

two things:

1) infrasound and ultrasound and on different ends of the same scale
2) Both of them are everywhere. Infrasound can be caused by many things including the wind.

Johnny Be Goode

Thanks for spotting my typo above ('Ultrasound' should have been 'Infrasound'), I have corrected it now. Cheers. … JBG

Johnny Be Goode

maccored wrote: »

two things:
Infrasound can be caused by many things including the wind.

Yes, absolutely, so if it is a possibility that this infrasound is present at an investigated location [due to any of the possible causes of infrasound] then it might have to be at least considered as a potential cause (acknowledging that the 'jury is out' on it its relevance to reported paranormal events and that infrasound is just a theoretical explanation alongside all the other paranormal theories considered by paranormal investigators).

JBG

maccored

the problem I came across is that we arent sure infrasound actually causes any paranormal type of experiences. then combined with the cost of the gear (to do it properly) and the fact infrasound is virtually everywhere, kinda made it a bit pointless.

Unless of course, unless you wanted to make researching infrasound a main focal point (which it seems there is a lack of research into). Otherwise though I don't think (personally) it would help in paranormal research - well certainly not until there's enough data to back up the claims that it is worth checking for. If we dont have the research data to base the idea that infrasound might replicate paranormal events around, then whats the point?

Johnny Be Goode wrote: »

Yes, absolutely, so if it is a possibility that this infrasound is present at an investigated location [due to any of the possible causes of infrasound] then it might have to be at least considered as a potential cause (acknowledging that the 'jury is out' on it its relevance to reported paranormal events and that infrasound is just a theoretical explanation alongside all the other paranormal theories considered by paranormal investigators).

JBG

maccored

that's hypothetical btw

Johnny Be Goode

Thanks Maccored for your time replying to my questions

All the best

JBG

maccored

no hassle. good luck with it - infrasound is something I've always been interested in, but just don't have the time to research.

stormkeeper

I do wonder if infrasound can affect people, because I'm aware that people hear different ranges anyway, so can they get affected by sounds in ranges they cannot hear, or does infrasound have some properties that I amn't aware of?

maccored

the claim is that infrasound, specifically around the 18 htz (which is roughly the frequency around which the eyes use communicate with the brain etc) can cause people to see things. Others though claim theres not enough information to empirically demonstrate it (as mentioned in the PDF linked earlier)