Results
These preliminary results are from our experiments in the Purcell Room, London, which took place on 31 May 2003. They were presented at the BA Conference, University of Salford, September 2003.
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PSYCHOLOGISTS'
REPORT
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ACOUSTICIANS'
PLOTS
Examples of the sound data recorded during the
concert by the National Physical Laboratory
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SAMPLE QUOTES FROM RESPONDENTS
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WHAT
DID WE FIND?
The results in 100 words
During our concert, infrasound boosted the number of strange experiences reported among the audience, even among those who were unaware of its presence. Unusual reports included a sense of coldness, anxiety and shivers down the spine.
On average, infrasound boosted the number of strange experiences by around 22 percent. It also increased the intensity of any feelings reported.
...so it's official! Infrasound can make you feel weird when it's added to the musical mix. This result is of considerable interest to psychologists, acousticians and musicians - infrasound has been used in sacred music for at least 400 years and has been implicated in the strange experiences reported at seemingly haunted sites.
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EMBARGOED UNTIL 1am ON MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2003
Giant organ pipes may give listeners weird experiences - new research
suggests.
Dozens of British churches and cathedrals have organ pipes that are so long, they produce an extreme bass sound, known as 'infrasound'. At today's British Association Conference (8 September, 2003), a team of researchers reported the results of an innovative experiment held earlier this year, in which 750 concertgoers were played live music, some of which was laced with infrasound. Added to the music, infrasound caused a range of weird effects, even among those who were unaware of its presence. Strange reactions included an extreme sense of sorrow, coldness, anxiety and even shivers down the spine.
'These results
suggest that low frequency sound can cause people to have unusual experiences,
even though they cannot consciously detect infrasound,' said Richard Wiseman,
psychologist. 'Some scientists have suggested that this level of sound
may be present at some allegedly haunted sites and so cause people to
have odd sensations that they attribute to a ghost - our findings support
these ideas.'
'So much has been said about infrasound - it's been associated with just
about everything from beam weapons to bad driving. It's wonderful to be
able to examine the evidence,' said Sarah Angliss, a composer and engineer
leading the project. 'Organ players have been adding infrasound to the
mix for five hundred years so maybe we're not the first generation to
be "addicted to bass".'
-ENDS-
Editors' notes:
1 The experiment took place at the Purcell Room (South Bank, London) and was conducted by a team of acousticians, psychologists and musicians. An impressive, seven-metre long, black infrasound pipe dominated the auditorium. It was designed by NPL's experts to emit frequencies below 20Hz - extreme bass notes lying on the cusp of human perception. The Acoustical Metrology Group at NPL were also asked to advise on the possible implications for subjects attending the experiment.
2 During the experiment, 750 concertgoers were asked to assess their emotional response to four pieces of music, reporting any unusual experiences and saying if they thought infrasound was present. People reported significantly more strange experiences during the pieces incorporating infrasound. Comparing identical pieces, with and without infrasound, psychologists confirmed that infrasound boosted these odd reports by an average of 22 per cent.
3 The concert,
'Infrasonic', was the culmination of the Soundless Music research project,
sponsored by the sciart Consortium with additional support from the National
Physical Laboratory. This was conducted by a multi-disciplinary team,
including Sarah Angliss, composer and acoustic engineer; Dr Richard Lord
and Dan Simmons, physicists from the National Physical Laboratory; GéNIA,
pianist; Ravi Deepres, video artist and psychologists Ciarán O'Keeffe,
Liverpool Hope University, and Professor Richard Wiseman, University of
Hertfordshire.
Additional quotes:
Dr Richard Lord, Acoustic Scientist at NPL comments: 'This is a fascinating collaboration between science and music, applying NPL measurement expertise in an unusual way.' Ciarán O'Keeffe, one of the psychologists coordinating the analysis added: 'The infrasound generator was specially constructed by NPL for the performances and is the only one of its kind in the world. We used well-controlled scientific methods to evaluate the potential effect these low-frequency sounds might have on the audience's perception of each piece. We had no idea what to expect - but that is what makes the results so exciting.'
For further details, biographies and information please visit the archived website: www.spacedog.biz/infrasonic/infrasonicindex.htm
For further information or media enquiries please contact Lorna Campbell on 01844 338 145 or Noor Kheir on 020 8943 6268/6937, email: press@npl.co.uk.
Available for interview:
Sarah Angliss
Acoustic engineer and composer with an interest in the scientific and cultural history of infrasound
Telephone: 01273 698809
Ciarán
O'Keeffe
Psychologist, specialising in music psychology and parapsychology
Liverpool Hope University
Telephone: 0151 291 3639
Dr Richard
Lord
Acoustic consultant, the National Physical Laboratory
Telephone: 020 8943 6215
Prof. Richard
Wiseman
Psychologist, specialising in large-scale public experiments
and the scientific study of seemingly paranormal phenomena
Telephone: 01707 284 628