Vic Tandy was a British lecturer and engineer who researched the link between infrasound and ghostly apparitions.
- His work with infrasound: He discovered that infrasound, low-frequency sound waves, could cause feelings of fear, shivering, and hallucinations. He published his findings in a scientific journal and conducted experiments in various locations.
During the early 1980s, Tandy was working in a research laboratory for a medical manufacturing company when he experienced an odd sensation of depression and fear, as if something was in the room with him . He then claimed to have seen a spirit emerging in his peripheral vision, but when he turned to face the figure, it vanished.
He discovered the cause of the “haunting” by accident. The next day Tandy, a keen fencer, was polishing his sword when he noticed that the blade was vibrating even when clamped in a vice. From this Tandy developed the idea that infrasound might be present in the laboratory .
Further experimentation showed that the infrasound trapped in the laboratory was at its highest next to Tandy’s desk, right where he had seen the ghost. The infrasound was found to have come from a newly installed extractor fan.
Tandy went on to recreate his experience, and with the assistance of Dr. Tony Lawrence, he was able to publish his findings in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. Their research led them to conclude that infrasound at or around a frequency of 19 Hz has a range of physiological effects, including feelings of fear and shivering. Though this had been known for many years, Tandy and Lawrence were the first people to link it to ghostly sightings.