Study Suggests Ghosts Aren’t the Cause of Paranormal Activity

Trouble happens. It’s just part of life, I suppose.

A study released in April 2026 indicates that the eerie noises often attributed to ghosts in attics or goblins in basements might actually be linked to old plumbing issues in homes. So the next time you hear something strange at night, it could just be rattling pipes.

“Picture yourself in a supposedly haunted building. Your mood shifts, excitement builds, yet you see or hear nothing unusual,” explained Rodney Schmaltz, the study’s lead author and a psychology professor at MacEwan University in Canada. “In older structures, you’re more likely to encounter infrasound, especially in basements where aging pipes and ventilation create low-frequency vibrations,” he added. “If you’re told a place is haunted, you might mistakenly link any unrest to something supernatural.”

But, in reality, you might just be feeling the effects of infrasound.

Infrasound is defined as sound with frequencies below 20 hertz (Hz), which humans typically can’t hear. Yet, according to the researchers, our bodies often react to it, leading to increased irritability and higher cortisol levels.

“Infrasound is common in day-to-day life, cropping up near ventilation systems, transportation, and industrial machinery,” Schmaltz continued.

Interestingly, some animals use infrasound for communication, while others steer clear of it. However, humans frequently remain “unknowingly exposed,” as noted by study officials.

Schmaltz and his team gathered 36 participants for the study. Each person spent time alone in a room, listening to either calming or anxiety-inducing music. For half, a hidden subwoofer emitted infrasound at 18 Hz.

Afterward, participants reported their feelings, their thoughts about the music, and whether they sensed the presence of infrasound. They also provided saliva samples before and after the listening session.

Findings indicated that those exposed to infrasound had notably higher cortisol levels. Some reported feeling more irritable, less engaged, and perceiving the music as sadder—all without realizing they had been listening to infrasound.

“The results suggest that our bodies can respond to infrasound even when we can’t consciously hear it,” Schmaltz remarked. He noted that beliefs about infrasound’s presence didn’t seem to have an impact on mood or cortisol levels.

Kale Scatterty, a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta and first author of the study, reiterated this observation. “When people feel stressed or irritable, cortisol typically rises as a natural stress response, indicating a relationship between irritability and heightened cortisol,” he mentioned. Yet, infrasound’s influence extended that interaction.

Despite being aware that humans can detect infrasound, it remains unclear if prolonged exposure consistently elevates cortisol levels, potentially affecting overall health through mood changes and irritability.

“Elevated cortisol helps us react to stressors by providing a state of alertness,” said Trevor Hamilton, a psychology professor at MacEwan University. “This response is evolutionarily beneficial in various situations.”

Schmaltz’s team agrees that additional research is necessary to fully comprehend infrasound’s effects on human physiology and emotion. “This study is really just a starting point for understanding infrasound’s influence,” Scatterty cautioned. “We’ve only explored certain frequencies, and there’s likely a wider range of frequencies that might interact with our well-being in different ways.”

Schmaltz advises budding ghostbusters to reconsider jumping to conclusions about spirits when exploring old houses. “As someone who studies pseudoscience and misinformation, it’s fascinating to note that infrasound can trigger tangible responses even without an audible or visible source,” he said.

So the next time something feels off in a basement or a historic structure, maybe consider that it’s just some vibrating pipes at play rather than wandering souls.