stalker

Home
About

A Short History of Sound Weapons Pt2: Infrasound

January 14, 2008

(image: Vladimir Gavreau)

Infrasound is low frequency audio beneath the human range of hearing. Infrasound constantly surrounds
us, generated naturally; wind, waves, earthquakes and by man; building activity, traffic, air conditioners
and so-on. Low frequency sound is used by marine mammals to communicate over vast distances and
by birds to determine migration patterns.

At higher volumes infrasound of around 7-20hz can directly affect the human central nervous system
causing disorientation, anxiety, panic, bowel spasms, nausea, vomiting and eventually unconsciousness
(supposedly 7-8hz is the most effective being the same frequency as the average brain alpha wave). The
effect is unintentionally (or not?) generated by the extreme low frequencies in church pipe organ music,
instilling religous feelings and causing sensations of “extreme sense sorrow, coldness, anxiety, and even
shivers down the spine.”(1) in the unsuspecting congregation. Low frequency sound generated naturally
or by building work and traffic is said to be the cause of reported apparitions and hauntings (2) – blamed
on the ghostly 19hz frequency which matches the resonating frequency of the human eyeball:

Frequency & effects:

7 Hz: Supposedly the most dangerous frequency corresponding with the median alpha-rhythm
frequencies of the brain. It has also been alleged that this is the resonant frequency of the body’s organs
therefore organ rupture and even death can occur at prolonged exposure.

1-10hz: “Intellectual activity is first inhibited, blocked, and then destroyed. As the amplitude is
increased, several disconcerting responses have been noted. These responses begin a complete
neurological interference. The action of the medulla is physiologically blocked, its autonomic functions
cease.” (Gavreau )

43-73hz: ” lack of visual acuity, IQ scores fall to 77% of normal, distortion of spatial orientation, poor
muscular coordination, loss of equilibrium, slurred speech, and blackout”.(Gavreau )

50-100hz: “intolerable sensations in the chest and thoracic region can be produced – even with the ears
protected. Other physiological changes that can occur include chest all vibration and some respiratory
rhythm changes in human subjects, together with hypopharyngeal fullness (gagging). The frequency
range between 50 and 100 Hz also produces mild nausea and giddiness at levels of 150 – 155 dB, at
which point subjective tolerance is reached. At 150 to 155 dB (0.63 to 1.1 kPA), respiration-related
effects include substernal discomfort, coughing, severe substernal pressure, choking respiration, and
hypopharyngeal discomfort.” (Davies)

100hz – At this level, a person experiences irritation, “mild nausea, giddiness, skin flushing, and body
tingling.” Following this, a person undergoes “vertigo, anxiety, extreme fatigue, throat pressure, and
respiratory dysfunction.”(Gavreau )

(images: tables from “Acoustic Weapons—A Prospective Assessment: Sources, Propagation, and
Effects of Strong Sound” Jürgen Altmann)
The first documented attempt to reproduce the infrasound effects was by the much mythologised
Russian/French physicist Vladimir Gavreau in 1957. Gavreau became interested in infrasound when he
was asked to cure a case of ‘Sick Building Syndrome’; Staff at a research plant in Marseilles were
mysteriously falling ill. Chemical or pathogen poisoning was suspected but Gavreau eventually traced
the origin of the illnesses to an air conditioning units rotating fans that were generating low frequency
sound waves. Gavreau began to experiment with low frequency acoustics with the intention of creating
a viable audio weapon for the French military. Several prototype designs of various sizes were produced
christened ‘canon sonique’ consisting of piston driven tubes and smaller compressed air horns and
whistles. Gavreau and his team tested the instruments on themselves at the Marseilles plant with
unexpected success as apparently one of the team died instantly “his internal organs… mashed into an
amorphous jelly by the vibrations”:

“Luckily, we were able to turn it off quickly. All of us were sick for hours. Everything in us was
vibrating: stomach, heart, lungs. All the people in the other laboratories were sick too. They were very
angry with us. “

(image: Dr. Zippermeyer’s Luftkanone stationed at a bridge over the Elbe river to defend the bridge
from enemy aircraft)

The only known audio weapon to have been deployed was developed by the German military during
the final phase of the Second World War. The ‘Luftkanon’ or ‘Wirbelwind Kanonew’ as a sound
weapon designed to shoot down enemy aircraft by creating a vortex of sound:

“…design consisted of a parabolic reflector, 3.2 meters in diameter, having a short tube
which was the combustion chamber or sound generator, extending to the rear from the
vertex of the parabola. The chamber was fed at the rear by two coaxial nozzles, the outer
nozzle emitting methane, and the central nozzle oxygen. The length of the chamber was
one-quarter the wavelength of the sound in air. Upon initiation, the first shock wave was
reflected back from the open end of the chamber and initiated the second explosion. The
frequency was from 800 to 1500 impulses per second. The main lobe of the sound intensity
pattern had a 65 degree angle of opening, and at 60 meters’ distance on the axis a
pressure of 1000 microbars had been measured. No physiological experiments were
conducted, but it was estimated that at such a pressure it would take from 30 to 40 seconds
to kill a man. At greater ranges, perhaps up to 300 meters, the effect, although not lethal,
would be very painful and would probably disable a man for an appreciable length of time.
Vision would be affected, and low-level exposures would cause point sources of light to
appear as lines.”

Mythology

Much written about infrasound and infrasound weaponry is based on mythology, conspiracy theory and
bad science. despite this, attempts to debunk the theory have failed to destroy the interest in sound
weapons with new rumours emerging of Russian secret weapon factories exploding and US police
using infrasound as riot control. Probably the best analysis is Jürgen Altmann’s paper on the feasibility
of sonic weapons which remains tantalisingly inconclusive; low frequency sound can cause physical
damage but is impractical as a weapon.

A link to an interesting debate on the feasibility of building low frequency speakers:

http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/tree/27986/261708/72/

“The US military was playing with a helicopter mounted sonic device back in the 70!s I
think. You dropped a pickup on top of a concrete pill box, three helicopters would position
out of range
and bombard the pill pox with a sine wave. Once the resonant freq was dialed in, the
concrete crumbled to dust in a minute or two. Very effective but dangerous as a minute is
an eternity on a battlefield.”

Sources:
1. Organ Music Instills Religious Feelings,’ by Jonathan Amos, 9/8/2003

2. Vic Tandy. University of Coventry UK. “The Ghost in the Machine.”

Gavreau V., “Sons graves intenses et infrasons” in: Scientific Progres – la Nature (Sept. 1968) p. 336-
344

“Acoustic Weapons—A Prospective Assessment: Sources, Propagation, and Effects of Strong Sound”
Jürgen Altmann, Experimentelle Physik III. Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany

‘Acoustic Trauma: Bioeffects of Sound,’ by Alex Davies

the Sonic Weapon of Vladimir Gavreau, by Gerry Vassilatos

Share this: StumbleUpon Digg Reddit

Posted by crab
Filed in noise, Sounds ·Tags: audio wepaons, gavreau, infrasound, luftkanone, Sonic Weapons, Sound
Weapons
18 Comments »

Like Be the first to like this post.

18 Responses to “A Short History of Sound Weapons Pt2: Infrasound”

1. Nenad Vujic said
January 19, 2008 at 1:27 am

excellent reading !!

now playing: T.A.G.C. – Psychoegoautocratical Auditory Physiogomy Delineated

Reply
mo5ect said
October 12, 2010 at 4:57 pm

Please forward details and addresses of any sites that have links to audio in weaponry,
 security and safety. Be it everyday applications, military, police, security, personal home
national international whatever. Its for my college work. Thank you

Reply
2. I. Khider said
January 28, 2008 at 4:02 pm

When Merzbow did a show in Toronto, I took him out for a capucino. He told me about the time
he was invited to the USSR to do a show. He discovered the reason he was invited was that the
KGB was interested in using his music as a weapon. Mr. Akita was not too pleased about that–
but neither was the KGB when they found his music was basically harmless.

Reply
3. Neanderthal Man said
May 11, 2008 at 6:48 pm

My personal exposure to repeated attacks by a CRAP MUSIC loving neighbor with extreme
LOW FREQ BASE AMPLIFICATION got me to this site because of it’ extreme effects on my
physical and psychological well being(or more precisely LACK there-of)This CRIES out for
criminal statutes to PROTECT the PUBLIC from the DANGEROUS EFFECTS of the ELF
BASE audio systems being played in autos in metrpolitan areas. The MANTRA of these HATE
BASED Crap tunes:SEX DRUGS Disrespect of women,LAW ENFORCEMENT and the
children they ABUSE while “enjoying their FREEDOM to listen to what they please,Does not
EXTEND to TORTURING the NON-like minded PUBLIC and the likelyhood of future
LITIGATION of the MAUFACTURERS,INSTALLERS and EXPOSERS of this ilth is bound
to be forhcomming in this LITIGIOUS SOCIETY! FED-UP CITIZEN

Reply
4. A Question of Sound? - Science Forums said
May 13, 2008 at 11:17 pm

[...] on the ghostly 19hz frequency which matches the resonating frequency of the human eyeball:
… A Short History of Sound Weapons Pt2: Infrasound stalker __________________ Follow me
[...]

Reply
5. akshay said
July 13, 2008 at 1:46 pm

tell me some site to get the information about sound technology and latest research and infomation
about the sound directivites and design of speaker
thanx.

Reply
6. Blagoy Peew said
July 14, 2008 at 12:28 pm

be in want of newsletter

BULGARIA ,GOSE DELCHEV ,SOFIA,STR_DRAMA#3

BLAGOY PEEW

IRADIATEKOPF,,HEAD,,

WAS IST LOS???

 Reply
7. R!zboi întru Cuvânt » Cu sau fara cip? - studiu al unor specialisti romani din Canada said
March 12, 2009 at 12:37 pm

[...] [27] crab.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/a-short-history-of-sound-weapons-pt2-infrasound/ [...]

Reply
8. Portal Ortodox. Crestinism.net » Blog Archive » Cu sau fara cip? - studiu al unor specialisti
romani din Canada said
March 12, 2009 at 5:22 pm

[...] [27] crab.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/a-short-history-of-sound-weapons-pt2-infrasound/ [...]

Reply
9. sammmcloughlin said
July 16, 2009 at 8:17 pm

yes acoustic weapon is very painful and even after when csis turn nit off i have had head pains.

Reply
10. sammmcloughlin said
July 16, 2009 at 8:17 pm

yes acoustic weapon is very painful and even after when csis turn it off i have had head pains.

Reply
11. sammmcloughlin said
July 16, 2009 at 8:18 pm

yes and even after when csis turn it off it still gives me head aches months after.

Reply
12. Bassotronics....How low??? - Page 3 - AVForums.com said
July 24, 2009 at 1:58 pm

[...] [...]

Reply
13. Interesting Bit of the Day : Resonant Frequencies – Tesla, Art Rock, and Sonic Screams said
August 12, 2009 at 4:06 am

[...] applications include producing “non-lethal” weapons that disable victims using sound. This
site has a nice list of the effects of sound at various levels. At one frequency, your organs rupture.
[...]

Reply
14. Vincent said
December 7, 2009 at 11:42 pm

Check the sonic nausea devices i made for fun : http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?

fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=73215206&albumId=2885965

Reply
15. Mp3 Recorder Portable said
May 13, 2010 at 6:02 am

Many thanks and maintain post this particular type of informative blogs.
 Reply
16. Sanderling said
October 4, 2010 at 2:12 pm

Can anyone tell me how I might go about determining if i am being subject to a sound weapon?
What professional, accoustic or electrical engineer? would have the tools to make such an
evaluation?

Reply
17. Vincent said
October 4, 2010 at 2:35 pm

I have heard some years ago that somebody designed a portable system where you could see
where the frequencies are coming from focused and unfocused but i can’t remember the name. I
believet this guy was a homo sapien from holland,…

Reply

Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Name *

Email *

Website

Comment

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym
title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i>
<q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Post Comment

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.

Notify me of new posts via email.

Categories
1980s
1990s
2000
Anarchism
Anarchism
BNP
 Bourbonese Qualk
china
Electronic Music
experimental music
Fascism
Faust
Hastings
Het Zweet
Liverpool
location recordings
London
mapping
Memory
Music
Muslimgauze
noise
Reviews
Russia
Sounds
Space Studios
Sunseastar
surveillance
technology
Uncategorized
writing

Archives
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
March 2010
February 2010
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
 February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007

Friends
Anauel
Dim Sum
Geoff Leigh
Homelesshome
Ian land
nostalgie de la boue
Saccades
Space Studios
the soundhead

Sites
120 Years Of Electronic Music
Bourbonese Qualk Archive
Sunseastar

Theme: Ambiru by Phu. Blog at WordPress.com.