Could the eerie vibes in old houses be caused by something hidden in the walls?

CLAIM BREAKDOWN The post (a link post in r/science with the summarized title/content drawn from the linked article) makes these literal claims:

• Spooky feelings in old houses may be caused by boiler sounds.
• Inaudible infrasound from old pipes may affect how people feel.

It presents these as the takeaway from a new scientific study, implying the research offers a plausible non-paranormal mechanism for such sensations in old buildings. No explicit numbered list, no specific dates/numbers/body counts, and no clear logical conflations or scope switches in the post itself (the “may” language keeps it tentative). It does not assert that infrasound definitively explains all hauntings or attribute specific paranormal events to it.[1][2]

ASSESSMENT — WELL SOURCED. The post accurately reflects the headline, findings, and cautious framing of a peer-reviewed study published the day before.

EVIDENCE The study (Scatterty, Hamilton, Schmaltz et al., Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience, 26 April 2026) tested 36 volunteers who listened to music while unknowingly exposed to infrasound (<20 Hz) via hidden subwoofers. When infrasound was on, participants reported greater irritation/annoyance, rated the music as sadder/more negative, and showed elevated salivary cortisol levels regardless of whether the music was calming or unsettling. Researchers explicitly link this to real-world sources such as vibrating pipes, boilers, and ventilation systems common in old houses and basements, suggesting the resulting “vague discomfort” or stress could be misinterpreted as paranormal in suggestive contexts.[3][4]

This builds on earlier infrasound research (e.g., Vic Tandy’s 19 Hz observations in a “haunted” lab linked to eye resonance and anxiety, and 2003 experiments by Richard Wiseman). The Guardian article the post draws from faithfully reports these details, quotes lead author Rodney Schmaltz (who studies belief in pseudoscience/paranormal claims), and includes caveats. Multiple outlets (Neuroscience News, Medical Xpress, IFLScience) corroborated the same findings and limitations within hours of publication.[2][5]

No evidence contradicts the post’s core reporting. Conflicting findings exist in the broader literature—some prior infrasound-haunting experiments were inconclusive, and effects can vary by frequency, duration, and individual sensitivity.

LEGAL STATUS Not applicable.

SOURCE CHECK The post is a standard link/share from the r/science subreddit, which maintains strict rules favoring peer-reviewed or high-quality science journalism. It links to a detailed Guardian science article published the same day as the study. The researchers are affiliated with MacEwan University’s psychology department; the paper is open-access in a peer-reviewed Frontiers journal.

CRITICAL CONTEXT The sample size is small (n=36), the setting was a controlled lab with added music rather than real old houses with actual boiler/pipe noise, and larger field studies are needed. Expert Chris French (emeritus professor specializing in anomalistic psychology) is quoted noting that extending these results to explain poltergeist activity or visual hallucinations (e.g., eye vibration at ~19 Hz) goes beyond the current controlled evidence, which has historically relied heavily on anecdote. The authors themselves describe the effect as supplying “a bit of bodily discomfort” that believers may then attribute to ghosts, not as standalone proof of hauntings.[2]

STRONGEST SUPPORTING ARGUMENT The strongest evidence is the controlled, blinded experiment itself: measurable increases in self-reported irritation, negative mood appraisal, and salivary cortisol occurred specifically during infrasound-on trials, even though participants could not consciously hear it and the effect appeared across both calming and unsettling music conditions. Schmaltz and colleagues directly tie this physiological stress response to common infrasound sources (old pipes, boilers, ventilation) in historic buildings, providing a testable, mundane mechanism that aligns with longstanding anecdotal reports of “spooky” unease in such environments. The paper was peer-reviewed and rapidly reported by reputable outlets without apparent exaggeration.[3]

STRONGEST COUNTERARGUMENT The biggest limitation is ecological validity and scale: 36 participants in an artificial lab do not replicate the complex acoustic environment, duration of exposure, or psychological priming of an actual old house believed to be haunted. Prior infrasound-paranormal research has produced mixed or inconclusive results, and experts caution that claims linking it to visual apparitions or object movement rest on weak or anecdotal foundations rather than robust controlled data. The authors appropriately call for wider frequency/duration testing.[2]

BOTTOM LINE The post is accurate. A legitimate new peer-reviewed study finds that inaudible infrasound from sources like boilers and pipes can increase irritation, negative mood, and cortisol even when people are unaware of it, offering a plausible scientific contributor to “spooky feelings” in old houses. The reporting does not overclaim—the study’s limitations (small sample, lab setting) are real but do not invalidate the core findings or the post’s cautious framing.

CREDIBILITY — 8 EVIDENCE — 9 BIAS — CENTER CATEGORY — Health & Science

SOURCES

1. The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/27/spooky-feelings-in-old-houses-may-be-caused-by-boiler-sounds-study-suggests
2. Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience (original paper) - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1729876/full
3. Neuroscience News summary - https://neurosciencenews.com/infrasound-stress-cortisol-mood-30611/
4. Reddit r/science thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/1swz9t5/spooky_feelings_in_old_houses_may_be_caused_by/