By Dr. Joel Ramsey, The Paranormal Professor

For centuries, people have described feelings of unease, a chilling sensation, or the presence of a specter when in certain locations. Some report visual distortions or shadows moving at the periphery of vision, or even a strange "ripple effect" as if the air itself is vibrating.

While these experiences are often attributed to paranormal activity, scientific inquiry offers a fascinating alternative explanation: infrasound.

In my work as The Paranormal Professor, I regularly test for infrasound during investigations and public programs, because understanding how the environment affects perception is often the key to separating fear, folklore, and genuinely unexplained experience.

But this isn't just theory. I want to share a case where I proved that infrasound, not ghosts, was responsible for a "haunted" basement that had paranormal investigators convinced they'd found something supernatural.

What Is Infrasound?

Infrasound refers to sound waves with frequencies lower than what the human ear can detect; they're typically below 20 Hz (hertz). These low-frequency vibrations exist all around us, generated by both natural and human-made sources:

Natural sources:

• Wind moving through valleys or around buildings

• Earthquakes and seismic activity

• Ocean waves

• Avalanches

• Large animal vocalizations (elephants, whales)

Human-made sources:

• HVAC systems and ventilation ducts

• Traffic, especially heavy trucks and trains

• Industrial machinery

• Building resonance and structural vibration

• Plumbing and drainage systems

Here's what makes infrasound so intriguing for paranormal investigation: even though we can't consciously hear it, our bodies still respond to it.

The Vic Tandy Discovery: The Haunted Laboratory That Wasn't

The scientific link between infrasound and "hauntings" was established in 1998 by British engineer Vic Tandy.

Tandy was working late one night in a laboratory that had a reputation for being haunted. Staff reported feelings of unease, cold sensations, and even visual apparitions, a gray, shadowy figure appearing at the edge of vision.

That night, Tandy experienced it himself. He felt a sudden, oppressive dread. His chest tightened. And then, in his peripheral vision, he saw a gray, translucent figure slowly materializing beside him.

He turned to face it directly, and suddenly it vanished.

Most people would have fled the building. Tandy, being an engineer, decided to investigate.

The next day, he brought in a fencing foil (he was a fencer) and left it clamped in a vice in the laboratory. When he returned, the foil was vibrating wildly; it was oscillating back and forth despite no visible force acting on it.

Using scientific instruments, Tandy discovered a 19 Hz standing wave in the laboratory. The source? A newly installed ventilation fan was creating low-frequency sound waves that bounced off the walls, creating a resonance pattern.

19 Hz is significant because it's close to the resonant frequency of the human eyeball.

When your eyeball vibrates at this frequency, it creates visual distortions: shadows moving in peripheral vision, translucent shapes, a sense that something is "there" but not quite visible.

Tandy had the ventilation fan modified. The infrasound stopped. And the "hauntings" stopped.

The Physical Effects of Infrasound: Why It Feels Like a Ghost

Research since Tandy's discovery has confirmed what paranormal investigators had long observed: certain locations consistently make people feel uneasy, anxious, or "watched," and those locations often have elevated infrasound.

How infrasound affects the human body:

1. Visual Distortions (18-20 Hz)

• Causes eyeball vibration

• Creates peripheral shadows and "ripple effects" in vision

• Produces the sensation of translucent figures

2. Feelings of Dread and Anxiety (Below 20 Hz)

• Activates the fight-or-flight response

• Creates unexplained fear and unease

• Produces chest pressure and difficulty breathing

3. Disorientation and Nausea (5-10 Hz)

• Disrupts inner ear balance

• Causes dizziness and nausea

• Contributes to the feeling that a space is "wrong."

4. The Sensation of a "Presence" (Various Frequencies)

• Low-frequency vibrations affect the vestibular system

• Creates the perception that someone or something is nearby

• Can trigger the sense of being watched

These aren't supernatural effects. They're physiological responses to environmental stimuli we can't consciously perceive.

Phase 2 of RCIP: Testing for Infrasound in the Field

As part of the Ramsey Communication-Based Investigation Protocol (RCIP), Phase 2: Environmental Baseline requires systematically ruling out natural explanations before considering paranormal ones.

Infrasound testing is a critical component.

How I test for infrasound:

I use a professional-grade recording microphone (specifically, a RODE condenser microphone capable of capturing frequencies below 20 Hz) connected to audio recording software that can analyze frequency spectrum.

Most consumer-grade equipment can't capture infrasound; however, microphones and recorders are designed to filter out low frequencies to reduce "rumble." But properly configured professional audio equipment can detect these hidden vibrations.

During investigations, I:

1. Set up the microphone in locations where phenomena are reported

2. Record continuously for extended periods (often 30-60 minutes per location)

3. Analyze the recordings using spectral analysis software

4. Correlate infrasound spikes with reported experiences

If I detect consistent infrasound, the next step is identifying the source: HVAC, traffic, structural resonance, plumbing, etc.

And that brings me to the case that proved how powerful and how overlooked infrasound can be in creating "hauntings."

Case Study: The War History Museum Basement

I was contacted by a group of paranormal investigators who had been conducting regular investigations at a local war history museum. They were convinced the basement was haunted.

What they reported:

• A pervasive feeling of unease whenever they entered the basement

• One investigator consistently experienced a "ripple effect" in their vision, almost as if the air itself was vibrating

• The sensation intensified near specific areas of the basement

• Traditional ghost hunting equipment (EMF detectors, spirit boxes) produced no significant results

They wanted me to investigate and confirm what they believed: the basement was home to residual energy or spirits connected to the museum's wartime artifacts.

My approach:

I brought my RODE professional recording microphone and set it up to capture audio across multiple floors of the museum, spending extended time in the basement where the phenomena were most frequently reported.

I didn't tell the crew what I was testing for. I wanted unbiased observations.

What I discovered:

The audio recordings revealed something fascinating: infrasound spikes in the basement, specifically correlated with bathroom use on the upper floors.

Every time someone used a toilet or ran water in the sinks upstairs, the vertical drainage pipes, which converged in the basement, produced low-frequency vibrations as water rushed through them.

The basement, being the lowest point where all drainage pipes met before exiting to the municipal sewer system, amplified these vibrations. Older metal pipes acted like resonance chambers, creating standing waves of infrasound.

The frequency? Approximately 18-19 Hz, which is the exact range that causes eyeball vibration and visual distortions.

The "haunting" was drainage pipes.

The Moment of Truth: Presenting the Findings

I gathered the investigation team and played back the recordings, showing them the spectral analysis.

"Every time someone used the bathroom upstairs," I explained, "the drainage system created infrasound in the basement. That's what you're feeling. That's what's causing the visual ripples."

The correlation was undeniable. Bathroom use = infrasound spike = reported unease.

Some of the team accepted the findings immediately. They were fascinated. They asked thoughtful questions about frequency, resonance, and whether similar phenomena might explain other "haunted" locations they'd investigated.

But others rejected it outright.

"No, we definitely felt something down there. It wasn't just pipes."

"You're overthinking it. Sometimes a ghost is just a ghost."

"I still think there's something paranormal happening."

The Frustration of Evidence-Based Investigation

This is the challenge I face regularly as a paranormal investigator who applies scientific methodology.

Some people want ghosts to be real so badly that they reject any natural explanation, even when the evidence is overwhelming.

I understand the desire. Ghost stories are compelling. The idea that consciousness persists after death is comforting. And finding "proof" of the paranormal feels like validation for experiences that others dismiss.

But here's what I believe: If the paranormal exists, we owe it to ourselves to investigate rigorously.

Calling drainage pipes "ghosts" doesn't help us understand genuine unexplained phenomena. It muddies the waters. It makes the field look unserious.

If I ignore infrasound and declare every basement with bad plumbing "haunted," I'm not investigating, I'm reinforcing pseudocognition (the mental pictures we construct based on what we want to believe).

Why This Matters: Respecting the Experience, Challenging the Explanation

Here's what's important to understand: the investigators' experiences were real.

They genuinely felt unease. One person genuinely experienced visual distortions. These weren't fabricated or imagined.

But the explanation wasn't supernatural. It was environmental.

And that's okay.

Acknowledging that infrasound caused their experiences doesn't diminish what they felt. It explains it. And understanding the cause gives us tools to:

• Identify other locations where infrasound might be creating "hauntings."

• Help people who are frightened by unexplained sensations in their homes

• Rule out environmental factors so we can focus on genuinely unexplained phenomena

This is the foundation of the Ramsey Communication-Based Investigation Protocol: respect the experience, but rigorously test the explanation.

How to Test for Infrasound in Your Own Investigations

If you're a paranormal investigator (professional or amateur), here's how you can incorporate infrasound testing into your work:

Equipment you need:

• Professional-grade condenser microphone (RODE NT1 or similar)

• Audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett or similar)

• Recording software capable of spectral analysis (Audacity is free and works well)

• Quiet recording environment (minimize wind, traffic, and other noise)

How to test:

1. Set up your microphone in the location where phenomena are reported

2. Record continuously for 30-60 minutes

3. Analyze the recording using spectral analysis to identify frequencies below 20 Hz

4. Correlate infrasound spikes with reported experiences (use timestamps)

5. Identify the source (HVAC, plumbing, traffic, structural resonance)

Common sources to check:

• HVAC systems and ventilation

• Plumbing and drainage (especially older metal pipes)

• Traffic (if the building is near a busy road)

• Nearby industrial equipment

• Building resonance (long hallways, specific room dimensions)

If you detect consistent infrasound, you've found your "ghost."

Conclusion: The Ghost Frequency

Infrasound is real. Its effects on the human body are documented. And it's responsible for countless "hauntings" that have nothing to do with spirits.

Does this mean all paranormal experiences can be explained by infrasound? Absolutely not.

But it does mean that before we jump to supernatural conclusions, we owe it to ourselves and to the people who trust us to investigate their experiences to rule out environmental factors.

That war museum basement wasn't haunted. It had bad plumbing.

But by identifying the real cause, I gave that investigation team a tool they can use in future cases. And I helped them understand that rigorous investigation strengthens the field, it doesn't weaken it.

If the paranormal exists, we'll find it. But only if we stop mistaking drainage pipes for ghosts.

Dr. Joel Ramsey is a certified paranormal investigator and paranormal research scientist with a Ph.D. in Communication. He applies the Ramsey Communication-Based Investigation Protocol (RCIP) to unexplained phenomena. For investigation inquiries or speaking engagements, contact him at paranormalprofessor@yahoo.com.

Want to experience infrasound testing firsthand? Join The Paranormal Professor on a Paranormal Investigation & Ghost Walk in Madison, where you'll learn to use professional equipment and think critically about unexplained phenomena.