Have you heard a ghost in your house? If so, you might want to get your pipes checked.
A new study claims that paranormal activity can be explained by infrasonic vibrations in aging pipes.
Infrasound is a very low–frequency sound that can come from old buildings.
While humans can’t typically hear, even a brief exposure may shift mood and raise cortisol levels, according to researchers from MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.
Professor Rodney Schmaltz, senior author of the study, said: ‘Consider visiting a supposedly haunted building. Your mood shifts, you feel agitated, but you can’t see or hear anything unusual.
‘In an old building, there is a good chance that infrasound is present, particularly in basements where aging pipes and ventilation systems produce low–frequency vibrations.
‘If you were told the building was haunted, you might attribute that agitation to something supernatural.
‘In reality, you may simply have been exposed to infrasound.’
Have you heard a ghost in your house? If so, you might want to get your pipes checked. A new study claims that paranormal activity can be explained by infrasonic vibrations in aging pipes (stock image)
According to a 2025 survey, over one–third of people in England believe in ghosts and supernatural beings – with 16 per cent reporting personal experiences.
Over the years, scientists have come up with a variety of explanations for these sightings, including electrical faults and hallucinations.
In their new study, the team set out to understand whether infrasound could actually be to blame.
‘Infrasound is pervasive in everyday environments, appearing near ventilation systems, traffic, and industrial machinery,’ Professor Schmaltz said.
‘Many people are exposed to it without knowing it.’
To get to the bottom of it, the team enlisted 36 participants, who provided saliva samples before being invited to sit alone in a room while listening to either calming or unsettling music.
For half the participants, hidden subwoofers played infrasound at 18Hz.
After listening to the music, the participants were asked to report their feelings, the emotional rating of the music, and whether they thought the infrasound was playing.
The next time something feels inexplicably off in a basement or old building, consider that the cause might be vibrating pipes rather than restless spirits
The results revealed that the participants’ salivary cortisol levels were higher if they’d listened to infrasound.
These participants also reported feeling more irritable and less interested, and thinking the music was sadder.
‘Increased irritability and higher cortisol are naturally related, because when people feel more irritated or stressed, cortisol tends to rise as part of the body’s normal stress response,’ said Kale Scatterty, first author of the study.
‘But infrasound exposure had effects on both outcomes that went beyond that natural relationship.’
The results also showed that the participants could not tell they were listening to infrasound.
Professor Schmaltz said: ‘This study suggests that the body can respond to infrasound even when we can’t consciously hear it.
‘Participants could not reliably identify whether infrasound was present, and their beliefs about whether it was on had no detectable effect on their cortisol or mood.’
The researchers now hope to test other frequencies and exposure durations to understand their impact.
Professor Schmaltz added: ‘As someone who studies pseudoscience and misinformation, what stands out to me is that infrasound produces real, measurable reactions without any visible or audible source.
‘So, the next time something feels inexplicably off in a basement or old building, consider that the cause might be vibrating pipes rather than restless spirits.’
Is this Britain’s most haunted house? The Cage in Essex that was once a prison for witches
The Cage, which was formally a medieval prison, played a role in one of England’s most famous witch hunts, in which eight women died.
Located in St Osyth village in Essex, it served as a prison for those convicted of witchcraft in the Elizabethan era.
Fourteen women were imprisoned while awaiting trial, including Ursula Kemp who was executed in 1582.
The Cage, which was formally a medieval prison, played a role in one of England’s most famous witch hunts, in which eight women died
She was reportedly the most powerful and notorious of all the women, making her living as a midwife and a healer.
She had a reputation for removing spells from locals who thought they were being attacked by black magic and many would go to her for medicines.
The building was still being used as a jail right up until the early 20th century.
One recent previous owner was Vanessa Mitchell.
The 37-year-old moved out in 2012 amid claims she had encountered 12 ghosts at the two-bedroom cottage.
She said the ghosts tried to hit her from behind, pull her hair and tried to shove visitors down the stairs.
Ms Mitchell said she also spotted a shadowy figure lurking over the cot of her infant son, Jesse.
However, the final nail in the coffin came for her when a CCTV camera picked up the image of what she claims was a satanic goat roaming the premises.
