In a study published in Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience, 36 volunteers listened to music with or without infrasound. When infrasound was present, participants reported feeling more irritated and rated the music as sadder, and had higher salivary cortisol levels. Participants could not consciously detect when infrasound was playing, according to the researchers.
Professor Rodney Schmaltz of MacEwan University said that infrasound may contribute to bodily discomfort that a ghost or haunting explanation can attach itself to. He noted that for someone not inclined to think in terms of ghosts, the same sensation would probably register as a stuffy, uncomfortable old building, but for someone already primed, it might feel like proof of a spirit. A 2025 survey found that over one-third of people in England believe in ghosts and supernatural beings, with 16% reporting personal experiences.
The exact mechanism by which infrasound affects mood and cortisol remains unclear, and it is unknown how long the effect lasts after exposure ends. Researchers also noted that other factors in old buildings, such as mold or poor lighting, could contribute to reported discomfort.