Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Mysterious Hum Heard 'Round the World

As a medical suspense author I'm always looking for unique phenomenon to write about. Evidently, in Taos, NM and other parts of the world (Bristol, England and Largs, Scotland) there is a hum that can only be heard by a small portion of the population.

It is so significant, that it has been scientifically investigated, but no source has been found. 

What is known about the hum:

1. Only 2% of the population living in these areas can hear the sound. Generally, they are between the ages of 55-70. Perhaps this is due to the structural changes that happen to our ears as we age making them more susceptible to the sound. Evidently, it can be loud enough to rattle some people's teeth. 

2. People who hear it are referred to as "hummers" or "hearers". And it has driven virtually every one of them to the point of despair. Wow, that's pretty powerful.  

3. The sound is heard mostly at night. 

4. People who hear the humming also complain of headaches, nausea, dizziness, nosebleeds and difficulty sleeping.

5. Researchers say the hum is real but generally unexplained. 

6. Sufferers resort to using white noise to cover up the humming. 

Suspected reasons for the hum-- all unproven:

1. The earth's crust is thinner in Taos. Evidently, very thin. There are also several volcanoes in the area and the theory is the magma flowing under the crust is causing the humming noise. 

2. A space ship (yes, this is a theory) crashed into a mountain and is now causing the noise underground.

3. Low-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

4. Tinnitus, which is a medical condition, that causes ringing in the ears. Testing of these people show they have normal hearing.

5. Earth tremors activated by ocean waves. 

6. Military Experiments.

7. Submarine communications. 

8. Insert your own nefarious reason here . . . 

I'm including some videos that discuss this phenomenon. One is a recording of the hum-- though I don't know if it is an actual recording or a manufactured one to resemble what people have heard. 

What do you think could be the cause of this mysterious humming sound? 



2 comments:

  1. I've heard of this before, and I have a friend who claims to have been affected by it. My ears ring all the time, so for me, it would probably just ease into white noise for me. OTOH, I recently was bugged by an intermittent humming noise when visiting my daughter, but it turned out to be her air bed, which adjusts frequently to cut down on pressure soars. Most of the other people there couldn't hear it, so it did make me a little batty till I found the source.

    Stuff like this fascinates me. There is so much out there we have no clue about.

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  2. My ears are ringing constantly and always have. Any high pitch noise will drive me nuts .. My niece & nephew wonder how I can hear them whispering in another room and know just what theyve said. Any unusual sound I will hear it. I am always hearing everything going on. I don't understand the reasons behind the ringing in my ears but it drives me nuts. No it is not the usual kind .. It sounds like crickets rubbing their wings together all night long... Thru all that I can hear perfect and woke up at the slightest sound at night. I am 56 yrs old and this has been going on since my teens...

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