Ancient Architectural Acoustic Resonance Patterns and Regional Brain Activity

Ingenta Connect ^ | 3-2008 | Cook, Ian A.; Pajot, Sarah K.; Leuchter, Andrew F.

[blam]

Ancient Architectural Acoustic Resonance Patterns and Regional Brain Activity

Authors: Cook, Ian A.; Pajot, Sarah K.; Leuchter, Andrew F.
Source: Time and Mind, Volume 1, Number 1, March 2008 , pp. 95-104(10)
Publisher: Berg Publishers

Abstract:

Previous archaeoacoustic investigations of prehistoric, megalithic structures have identified acoustic resonances at frequencies of 95-120 Hz, particularly near 110-12 Hz, all representing pitches in the human vocal range.
These chambers may have served as centers for social or spiritual events, and the resonances of the chamber cavities might have been intended to support human ritual chanting.
We evaluated the possibility that tones at these frequencies might specifically affect regional brain activity. In a pilot project, 30 healthy adults listened to tones at 90, 100, 110, 120, and 130 Hz while brain activity was monitored with electroencephalography (EEG).

Activity in the left temporal region was found to be significantly lower at 110 Hz than at other frequencies.
Additionally, the pattern of asymmetric activity over the prefrontal cortex shifted from one of higher activity on the left at most frequencies to rightsided dominance at 110 Hz.
These findings are compatible with relative deactivation of language centers and a shift in prefrontal activity that may be related to emotional processing.
These intriguing pilot findings suggest that the acoustic properties of ancient structures may influence human brain function, and suggest that a wider study of these interactions should be undertaken.

[BenLurkin]

Interesting.

[Renfield]

I beat you to it! I found NCH and downloaded their tone generator. So, I set it it at 110hz, and here is what I found:

110 hz is not a “very, very deep base” tone. I’d call it a baritone tone; I can easily hum it. I also was struck by how familiar the tone sounded; then, I realized where I’d heard it. It’s the first note George Harrison hits on his guitar in the beatles tune “I Feel Fine” (just to make sure, I played my .mp3 file of the song...yep, it’s the frequency of the first note of the song!)

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Whoops. Used locus instead of foci.

Appreciated.

[willgolfforfood]

Terrific! That's one theory anyway.

I had a friend in college, an engineering buddy with a hearing defect. He couldn't hear ANYTHING above about 700 Hz. He had trouble listening to men talk in class, but he was very smart, and still pulled about a 3.5 GPA out of 4.0 in his electrical engineering major. There were very few women that he could even hear them talk. Looking back, I don't know whether to envy him or not.

Anyhoo, most speech therapists test hearing for kids at about 1000 Hz up to 4-5000 Hz - the range of human speech. It's possible to test outside of that range - I have been tested much higher than that, just for grins. But they are testing for kids to confirm that they are able to hear the teacher in class, and converse with a normal speech person.

Obviously, 100 Hz is only 1/10 of the bottom range I just described. This is subwoofer range on a stereo/audio system. Subwoofers generally play the lowest possible frequency your amp will put out. Maybe only 12-20 Hz at the absolute low end, up to 200-300 Hz. Hence my reference of deep, deep base. Any mid-range speaker cone can't even pretend to try to play a tone of 100 Hz.

Way back in the day, I had an album that played all types of tones, as an amplifier/speaker test. I believe the lowest tone it had on it was 500 Hz, but it's been a long time, like 25 years + that I used it.

[perfect stranger]

http://www.world-voices.com/software/nchtone.html

[perfect stranger]

I’m curious. Got any more info for them?

[RightWhale]

I'm not AT ALL certain anyone can speak in the nominal 100 HZ frequency

Drums. Boom.

[willgolfforfood]

I’ve played drums, but it’s been some time. Subwoofers kicking hard to make a base drum light up with some realistic punch off a CD can REALLY make it sound just like you’re right behind the base drum.

[SunkenCiv]

There's a segment about research into ancient sonic stuff on this disk (which I recommend anyway, not a run-of-the-mill, gee-whiz kind of disk):

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Mysteries of the Ancient World

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[SunkenCiv]

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[null and void]

Hmmmmmmmmm, 110 Hz.

That’s darn close to the frequency doubled 60 Hz hum one hears near a transformer, etc.