“Certain frequencies of sound can cause physical discomfort or nausea”

It may seem like something out of science fiction, but the idea that certain sound frequencies can induce physical discomfort or nausea is, in fact, plausible. This common belief likely stems from anecdotal experiences where individuals felt unwell in environments without an obvious cause, leading to speculation about unseen forces or unusual atmospheric conditions. The scientific explanation, however, points to the intriguing world of infrasound and resonant frequencies, which operate just beyond the normal range of human hearing.

Infrasound refers to sound waves below 20 Hz, frequencies too low for our ears to consciously detect. Despite being inaudible, these low-frequency vibrations can still be perceived by the body through various mechanisms, including tactile sensations and the vestibular system responsible for balance. Exposure to infrasound at sufficient intensities has been linked to a range of physical and psychological effects, such as feelings of pressure in the ears, dizziness, disorientation, anxiety, and even nausea. Some research indicates that infrasound between 110-130 dB can cause intestinal pain and severe nausea, while exposure at 90-120 dB at low frequencies (5 to 200 Hz) can lead to extreme irritation or distraction.

This phenomenon helps explain why people might commonly believe the myth. If you've ever felt a strange unease or sickness in a seemingly quiet place, you might have been unconsciously reacting to infrasound. Engineer Vic Tandy famously linked a feeling of dread and a perceived apparition in a "haunted" laboratory to a 19 Hz standing wave generated by a fan, a frequency that can cause the human eyeball to vibrate, leading to visual disturbances. Similar connections have been made in other purportedly haunted locations, where infrasound from natural sources like wind or even structural elements of old buildings can create sensations of eeriness, fear, or a "presence" that people often misattribute to supernatural (Review) activity. The body's subtle, often unsettling, response to these inaudible frequencies provides a concrete scientific basis for what might otherwise seem like a fantastical claim.