Bigfoot Infrasound: Likely or Long Shot?
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on March 10th, 2014
From Lisa A. Shiel
An ongoing debate about Bigfoot revolves around the issue of infrasound, or sounds that are of such low frequency that humans can’t hear them. Elephants and whales are examples of animals that use infrasound to communicate over long distances. Thunderstorms and even wind can also produce infrasound. Other animals, such as pigeons, seem to be capable of detecting these infrasonic sounds. This may explain why some animals seem able to predict earthquakes—they sense the low-frequency sound of a quake before it can be physically felt.
But the big question remains—can Bigfoot produce infrasound?
In my research, I have found no scientific evidence that any primates produce infrasound or can even detect it consciously. Infrasound can apparently affect the nervous system, producing effects including anxiety and nausea, depending on the intensity of the infrasonic waves. Most often, infrasound is experienced as vibration in the chest cavity. The scientific evidence for these effects has been contradictory, sometimes affirming it and sometimes disproving it. No one has extensively studied the effect of infrasound on humans, which means the evidence for its effects is chiefly anecdotal.
The same is true of reported “infrasound effects” concerning Bigfoot. Some witnesses and researchers report psychological effects, such as anxiety or fear, when face-to-face with a Bigfoot or when they believe they are in the vicinity of one (but can’t see it). Whether Bigfoot is an undiscovered ape species or some type of hominid, or something else altogether, it is clearly either a primate itself (like humans are too) or shares traits in commons with primates. Since primates do not, according current evidence, produce infrasound, it seems unlikely that Bigfoot would. Besides, infrasound has been so little studied that no one knows for certain how it affects humans. Certainly, sounds can affect humans psychologically, but the exact effects of infrasound remain largely unexplored.
People who report feeling anxious or afraid when near a Bigfoot may simply be anxious and afraid because they are near a Bigfoot. I’ve seen plenty of strange things in my life, and often I feel anxious when those things happen. It’s a natural human response. Must we attribute such responses to a poorly understood type of sound waves? To know for certain that they do, we would need sound recordings captured using special equipment that’s capable of capturing infrasound (not all sound equipment is) and then we would need proof that no natural phenomena or other wildlife in the area could’ve produced the sound. We would also need to demonstrate that the recording was not tampered with after the fact.
Some of the same people who scoff at the idea of a Bigfoot-UFO connection also support the idea that Bigfoot produce infrasound. Yet the infrasound hypothesis is even harder to prove than the Bigfoot-UFO connection. At least with UFOs, we have witnesses who have actually seen the two together. With infrasound, we have only reports of bad feelings, which frankly, do not fall into the category of solid evidence. Now I’m not ridiculing anyone here—if you’ve felt anxious or afraid in the woods, whether during a sighting or not, I believe you. I’m simply saying infrasound is the least likely explanation for it.
Want to know the truth about infrasound? Well, at this point, there is no “truth” except that infrasound does exist and some large animals produce it. If you want to see the scientific evidence concerning infrasound, then do a search of scientific journals and websites. Note I said scientific journals and websites. Read the evidence for yourself, and reach your own conclusions about Bigfoot and infrasound.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
There have actually been quite a few studies done on the effects of infrasound on humans. This paper from 2001 found over 100 relevant studies (but not much consensus due to the variety of topics addressed):
Here’s one from UCLA on the link between ghost stories and infrasound:
I don’t know about Bigfoot and infrasound. I do think the use of pheromones would be a much more likely culprit, some of the same physiological effects can be obtained and the reports are full of accounts of a pungent smell accompanying intimidation behavior (as has also been reported in gorillas).
“In my research, I have found no scientific evidence that any primates produce infrasound or can even detect it consciously. Infrasound can apparently affect the nervous system, producing effects including anxiety and nausea, depending on the intensity of the infrasonic waves.”
That infrasound in proper amplication, can do these things. The U.S. military and even some guard units have infrasound weaponry, and it has been deployed in some large demonstrations, such at the anti-G8 demonstrations.
There is no speculation about these effects; they are detailed in technology abstracts, and have been field-tested. There are even infrasound “home-use” “get-revenge” devices using infrasound that have been available through the internet and various catalogs for about 15 years, if not longer.
Infrasound should not be treated, here or anywhere, as if it were a technology in its infancy. It is FAR from that.
As for Bigfoot using it? I don’t see why not, though I have no direct proof. There is anecdotal evidence that surely suggests that.
In fact, most large mammals (and many non-mammalians) can use infra-sound to varying degrees and purposes. While humans and other primates do not actively use a form of infra-sound it would not be impossible. The real question? Is there any real proof for Bigfoot…once that issue is resolved, the use or not of infra-sound question will answer itself.
Goodfoot is correct that infra-sound is an advanced technology and is used by both military and law enforcement agencies, though not generally advertised or reported on when used for obvious reasons.
I don’t know about Bigfoot and infrasound. I do think the use of pheromones would be a much more likely culprit, some of the same physiological effects can be obtained and the reports are full of accounts of a pungent smell accompanying intimidation behavior (as has also been reported in gorillas).