Ghoul Vibrations: press release.

[Admin]

PRESS RELEASE

April 2007

GHOUL VIBRATIONS…

Ground breaking research is to be carried out, in a world first this May, to discover whether low level sounds waves known as infrasound could be the real reason behind haunting experiences.

From Friday 11th to Sunday 20th May a team of experts, led by parapsychologist Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe and Para.Science expert Steve Parsons, will be conducting a series of experiments at the reputedly haunted location of Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh as part of the hugely popular paranormal festival Mary King’s Ghost Fest.

During the research events, members of the public will be guided deep below the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, to the series of underground closes (streets), rooms and spaces that comprise the award winning Mary King’s Close visitor attraction which date back to the 17th century and has been seen documented tales of ghostly apparitions dating back to 1685.. Whilst underground, visitors will be invited to tour a set route of the unusual rooms and spaces and document their feelings, sensations and experiences. The participants will be unaware of whether the infrasound is being generated or not. The research is the first of its kind to exclusively examine whether infrasound could be the cause of feelings associated with paranormal experiences or if such feelings truly are an inexplicable phenomena.

The levels of infrasound during the events will be controlled by an infrasound generator, which has been uniquely constructed by Steve Parsons. Infrasound is defined as acoustic energy with frequencies less than 20 Hertz (Hz), making it below the reach of human hearing. There are many sources of infrasound including man-made sources such as road traffic, aircraft and trains as well as natural sources including thunder, earthquakes and wind. In addition, during the week, the team will be conducting an infrasound survey of the close using state-of-the-art equipment calibrated to US military standards.

Commenting on the research events Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe said “Low frequency sound is legendary: from military weapons to the tiger’s roar and now to haunted houses. This experiment hopes to uncover some of the truth behind the legends.
Is sound the science behind hauntings?”

For the full line up of Ghost Fest events, please visit www.edinburghghostfest.co.uk
For more information on the work of Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe please visit www.theparapsychologist.com (mobile: 07984-954728, for more information on the work of Steve Parsons please visit www.parascience.org.uk (07841-902994)

[chillzero]

Oh great!
There are a bunch of us from Scotland meeting up in Edinburgh on 19th.

I just realised that I meant to ask here about anyone wishing to join us - but I forgot to start a thread. Details, if you are interessted:

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=80160

[Dr B]

Commenting on the research events Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe said “Low frequency sound is legendary: from military weapons to the tiger’s roar and now to haunted houses.

Peer-reviewed references anyone?

Is sound the science behind hauntings?”

In short - no.

Is it double-blind? Participants may not know - but my hunch is the researchers will!!!!

[JonDonnis]

I know Steve Parsons well, and he does have a genuine interest in studying infrasound and so on.

I personally am not convinced on infrasound, but I suppose if proven could explain a lot.

My main point of disagreement is that I have never had "a feeling" which is discribed as the result of infrasound.

That paranormal experience has always elluded me. And that is my problem.

For example I can stand in a pitch black cell at Bodmin Gaol, and i feel nothing, it doesn't bother me, yet others immediately before and after claim to feel uneasy, sense a presence and so on.

If infrasound is a possible explanation for similar such occruances, then why doesnt it affect me

[Dr B]

I know him as well, and wish him well on his investigation. But I cannot see any role for infrasound at all in these experiences. It is interesting that a recent critique of infrasound has gone ignored in their case for doing the study hhhmmmm.....

A reasonable case, even a tentative one, needs to be made for infrasound. Tandy never made a convincing case for it :-\

If you compare it to the mag field debate there are some parallels. However, the mag field effect has been replicated across different laboratories and under single-blinded (and some double-blinded) conditions. So although a mechanism is vague - there are sound demonstrations of a non-specific effect.

I guess the infrasound people might try to say that different people have differing susceptibilities to the sound - but again my hunch is this will be unclear.

I no longer think that magnetic fields, on there own can induce strange experience (as some have claimed). I think they interact with other psychological / contextual / situational factors. So the effects are subtle and non-specific - but can, in some circumstances produce striking experiences. However, my research is suggesting that this is rare.

[Admin]

It is interesting that a recent critique of infrasound has gone ignored in their case for doing the study hhhmmmm....

I still haven't seen this article BTW.

Could you email me a copy?

[Parascience]

I know him as well, and wish him well on his investigation. But I cannot see any role for infrasound at all in these experiences. It is interesting that a recent critique of infrasound has gone ignored in their case for doing the study hhhmmmm.....

A reasonable case, even a tentative one, needs to be made for infrasound. Tandy never made a convincing case for it :-\

If you compare it to the mag field debate there are some parallels. However, the mag field effect has been replicated across different laboratories and under single-blinded (and some double-blinded) conditions. So although a mechanism is vague - there are sound demonstrations of a non-specific effect.

I guess the infrasound people might try to say that different people have differing susceptibilities to the sound - but again my hunch is this will be unclear.

I no longer think that magnetic fields, on there own can induce strange experience (as some have claimed). I think they interact with other psychological / contextual / situational factors. So the effects are subtle and non-specific - but can, in some circumstances produce striking experiences. However, my research is suggesting that this is rare.

I presume that you mean the JSPR paper! I'm sure you'll agree that properly gathered data is a much more meaningful response than mere words. Only time and experimentation will truly tell if Infrasound plays any role in paranormal experiences as it will with EIF's.

[Dr B]

The data are already in on EIFs - so maybe you need to read up some more.


Infrasound is everywhere - so the argument for it will need to get around that...

You are quite right that proper experiments will definately speak to it. By 'proper' I assume you mean double-blinded tests? If not, then the claim of 'proper' seems undermined?

[Dr B]

I presume that you mean the JSPR paper!

Indeed I do. Seems a shame not to be fully comprehensive in ones motivation for investigation. I think the case for doing an investigation on infrasound is boosted by showing that there is controversy over the issue. I still note the lack of real citations for an effect of infrasound on perception (i.e., peer-reviewed journal articles)?

I think it has all the potential to be an excellent experiment and is definately what the field of infrasound study needs. I look forward to the results. However, studies like this do need to be double-blind.

I am doing one such study at the moment with EIFs which is exactly that - double-blind.

[Dr B]

I still haven't seen this article BTW.

Could you email me a copy?

John

Teek has a copy of the whole journal which i donated to the UKS library (the JSPR give authors a few copies - which is nice). Best ask Teek to pop it in the post to you

[Parascience]

Indeed I do. Seems a shame not to be fully comprehensive in ones motivation for investigation. I think the case for doing an investigation on infrasound is boosted by showing that there is controversy over the issue. I still note the lack of real citations for an effect of infrasound on perception (i.e., peer-reviewed journal articles)?

I think it has all the potential to be an excellent experiment and is definately what the field of infrasound study needs. I look forward to the results. However, studies like this do need to be double-blind.

I am doing one such study at the moment with EIFs which is exactly that - double-blind.

That's the trouble with being the first to conduct in-field studies on Infrasound perception - there are no convenient peer review articles at present. However, I am sure that in the near future we will rectify that anomaly. At that time we will welcome your comments and criticisms and will respond appropriately but it's rather a waste of both parties valuable time to debate what was merely a press release intended for a non-scientific audience as I am sure you will agree.

[Admin]

Hi, Steve (I presume).

Make sure to keep us informed of your findings.

I'll certainly be interested to learn what you've found out.

John

[Parascience]

Hi, Steve (I presume).

Make sure to keep us informed of your findings.

I'll certainly be interested to learn what you've found out.

John

Hi John,
Happy to - we just need to catch on on some sleep and as soon as the eyes are able to focus we will start crunching the numbers, hopefully won't be too long but we have lots of them to get through.

Steve

[Dr B]

That's the trouble with being the first to conduct in-field studies on Infrasound perception - there are no convenient peer review articles at present.

Sorry - you misunderstand. The press release and supporting blurb claims and hints that there are effects of infrasound. However, with the exception of the questionable work of tandy - this is not furnished with any peer-reviewed work (much is based on myth from what I can see). As such there is no case to be made on that score. Dont get me wrong - i think its a good thing to do the research you are proposing - but i would have built a different form of argument - one based on the existing confusion - rather than imply that there is evidence 'out there' and you are following promising research. This will also make it easier for you when a null effect occurs (as may well be the case).

You acknowledge in your comments above that there are no direct peer-reviewed experiments (there was project Haunt by French - which is in 'Cortex' in press) - but that is not the impression given in the information. Hence, I think it is misleading to say you are testing a theory - as you are not - you are testing an idea or a suggestion. So it is the context of the test I am addressing. There has been a failure to get an effect from an experiment - it would be nice to know how you are going to get around the shortcomings of that pilot work. So, as I said previously, the supporting information could be more comprehensive and no less engaging.

However, I am sure that in the near future we will rectify that anomaly.

I am sure you will - it looks interesting and I wish you well with it.

At that time we will welcome your comments and criticisms and will respond appropriately but it's rather a waste of both parties valuable time to debate what was merely a press release intended for a non-scientific audience as I am sure you will agree.

Debating has never been a waste of time and it is something most parapsychologists should do a lot more. While I agree a press release has to engage the imagination - it should never mislead the public. This is counter-productive in my opinion as all it serves to do is propogate the myth that there is something to infrasound (the present myth that is). All you had to do was mention that there is an argument over the role of infrasound - I cannot for the life of me see why that was such a problem for a press release. :-\

So Steve - is it going to be double-blind? Could you inform this scientific audience as to the generic protocol / methods?

[Parascience]

Sorry - you misunderstand. The press release and supporting blurb claims and hints that there are effects of infrasound. However, this is not furnished with any peer-reviewed work. The work of Tandy is cited - but not the critique and everything else is based on myth from what I can see. As such there is no case to be made on that score. Dont get me wrong - i think its a good thing to do the research you are proposing - but i would have built a different form of argument - one based on the existing confusion - rather than imply that there is evidence 'out there' and you are following promising research. This will also make it easier for you when a null effect occurs (as may well be the case).

You ackonwledge in your comments above that there are no peer-reviewed experiments (which I think is true) - but that is not the impression given in the information. Hence, I think it is misleading to say you are testing a theory - as you are not - you are testing an idea or a suggestion. So it is the context of the test I am addressing.



I am sure you will



Debating has never been a waste of time and it is something most parapsychologists should do a lot more. While I agree a press release has to engage the imagination - it should never mislead the public. This is counter-productive in my opinion. All you had to do was mention that there is an argument over the role of infrasound - I cannot for the life of me see why that was such a problem for a press release. :-\

So Steve - is it going to be double-blind? Could you inform this scientific audience as to the generic protocol / methods?

The press release is (was) meant purely to engage the media and public interest in the subject matter. I do not agree that it was misleading in any way. The reference to Military Weapons is based upon several well documented research programmes and peer reviewed papers i.e. "Accoustic Weapons - A Prospective Assessment: Sources, Propagation and effects of Strong Sound (Altmann, 1999, Cornell University). Tandy is of course cited as it was his original hypothesis that Infrasound may be implicated in some types of perceived paranormal experience and also as it was the aim of the experiment to test his idea that 18.9Hz was a critical frequency in the production of such experiences within certain individuals. The Press Release does clearly state within the opening line that we trying to discover whether Infrasound could be the real reason behind haunting experiences and so I fail to see how we can be accused of misleading. The skill in writing a Press Release is in encapsulating the information within a few brief lines as we know from experience that few journalists rarely read beyond the 1st paragraph let alone the entire page.