Think your house is haunted? A new study says those creepy sounds in the night might not be ghosts at all, but something much more ordinary hiding in your walls.
Researchers from MacEwan University and the University of Alberta have published a study suggesting that infrasound, a low-frequency noise humans can’t hear, is likely behind that eerie feeling in old buildings. Lead author Rodney Schmaltz explained that aging pipes and ventilation systems produce these vibrations, especially in basements, which can trigger irritability and raise cortisol levels without anyone noticing.
The team tested 36 participants, exposing half to infrasound at 18 hertz while they listened to music. Results showed those ๐ฎ๐๐น๐ธ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ญ had higher cortisol and reported feeling more irritable and sad, yet they couldn’t tell the infrasound was playing. According to the study, the body reacts to these vibrations even when the mind is unaware.
Co-author Kale Scatterty noted that increased irritability and cortisol are naturally linked, but infrasound had effects beyond that normal stress response. Trevor Hamilton, another researcher, warned that while short-term cortisol spikes help us stay alert, prolonged exposure could harm mental and physical health.
So, next time you hear a bump in the night, experts suggest checking the pipes before calling a ghost hunter. Could your home’s plumbing be playing tricks on your mind?
