Hum or Tinnitus is a supposedly paranormal phenomenon that causes the appearance of a low frequency sound, similar to that produced by a diesel engine, which can only be heard by a small percentage of the population. Since it was first mentioned in the 1940s, its existence has been described numerous times and throughout the world.
According to reports created during some of the different occurrences of this phenomenon, approximately only 2% of people can hear tinnitus. Because it has occurred on many different occasions, experts generally refer to each of their appearances with the name of the city in which it appeared. So, for example, we talk about the “Buzz of Taos” or “Buzz of Bristol”
There is a lot of skepticism among people who cannot hear the sound. However, those who perceive say that nothing they do allows them to stop listening.
Apparently, not even putting earplugs on prevents you from noticing the tinnitus. This phenomenon can be very disturbing for some individuals, and it is known to have caused at least three suicides.
Even so, studies in this regard have never managed to capture a noise that cannot be explained by simple environmental factors or physical characteristics of the individual. Official sources recommend that people affected by this phenomenon undergo therapy to learn to ignore it; But many people around the world believe that Buzz has a supernatural origin.
Origin (first appearance)
The origin of the urban legend about Buzz goes back to the 1940s, when more than 2000 people claimed to have heard a very low frequency sound at the same time.
This noise, according to witnesses, was extremely unpleasant and made everyone who heard it nervous. Most of the incidents occurred in the British cities of London and Southampon.
On this first occasion, the scientists who investigated the matter stated that the source of the noise was the normal operation of a series of heavy machinery equipment.
Global phenomenon
However, the idea of the existence of a mysterious supernatural sound that only a few could hear has spread around the world, causing its appearance to be reported several times in the coming decades.
So, for example, the first appearance after the United Kingdom, of which official records are kept, took place in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1977. In this case, researchers who tried to study the phenomenon said that the sound could be due to an atmospheric phenomenon. because it seemed to become stronger the lower the pressure in the air. In addition, they reportedly managed to make a recording.
But without a doubt, Buzz’s first truly relevant appearance was the one that took place in Taos, New Mexico, in 1992. During this year, thousands of citizens complained about the presence of an annoying low-frequency noise that the researchers were unable to relate to. with any known phenomenon.
The story of Taos Buzzing appeared in many international media and gave rise to a multitude of theories (scientific and paranormal) that tried to explain what happened. Since then, there have been many occasions when the appearance of noise has been reported in different places around the world.
Main Appearances
After the history of Taos Buzzing became known across the globe, many other cases have emerged that are believed to be related to this phenomenon. Next, we’ll look at some of the most important ones.
Kokomo, United States, 1999
In 1999, more than 100 people complained in a short period of time hearing an irritating tinnitus that caused them physical symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, stomach pain and nausea. In fact, one of those affected mentioned to the authorities that these symptoms disappeared when they left the city and, therefore, turned away from the sound they heard.
The city of Kokomo spent more than $ 100,000 to investigate the possible source of the alleged turmoil. After several acoustic tests, two sounds with less than 40 hertz were found that could be the origin of the phenomenon: a cooling tower, which vibrated at 36 hertz, and an air compressor that did this at 10.
City officials managed to eliminate these two low-frequency noises. However, even after doing so, several neighbors continued to complain about the buzz.
Windsor, Canada, 2009
The first mention of the buzz in Ontario was in 2009; since then, almost every year there have been complaints related to this phenomenon in different places in the region. For this reason, entities like the University of Windsor have carried out several investigations to try to find the origin of the sound.
In 2012 alone, more than 13,000 people complained about the presence of an irritating buzz that most people could not hear. According to studies in this regard, the noise may be due to industrial activities carried out on Zug Island, located on the American bank of the Detroit River.
Seattle, United States, 2012
In 2012, what was later known as “the buzz of the west” officially appeared in Seattle for the first time. Thousands of people claimed to hear a very annoying low-frequency noise, and the local government tried to investigate its possible origin, although nothing relevant was found at first.
During the following months, several hypotheses were launched. What was most accepted at the beginning was that the buzz could come from the frog, a species that emits low frequency sounds during the mating season. Finally, however, that possibility has been ruled out.
Finally, after a long period of investigation, it was discovered that Seattle’s “western buzz” came from the machines used at the port to unload goods from the freighters anchored there.
Valencia, Spain, 2013 and 2018
One of the most notable events related to the buzz was what happened in Valencia, in the small town of Aldaya. On February 14, 2013, many people claimed to have noticed a type of vibration or sound coming from the floor. Most thought it could be some kind of noise made by airplanes or by local factories.
However, many neighbors called the local newspaper to see that the noise did not stop; and the local press started to write about it. He was supposed to record the buzz for a few seconds, but it was later discovered that the images were false.
Years later, in 2018, a similar incident occurred in the provincial capital, Valencia. Thousands of people across the city claimed to have heard a noise that lasted about five minutes, with characteristics similar to those mentioned in other instances of tinnitus. However, investigations in this regard have failed to establish the origin of the phenomenon.
Possible explanations
Due to the popularity that the Buzz phenomenon has acquired in recent years, many explanations have emerged, trying to cover all cases and judge a single cause.
Next, we will mention some of the most mentioned, both those based on science and those that give the sound a supernatural origin.
– Explanations without scientific basis
The “sound of the apocalypse”
In some circles and hidden media dedicated to the paranormal, many people are convinced that the increasingly frequent occurrence of low-frequency tinnitus that only certain people can hear is an omen that the end times are coming.
According to these people, the vibration would be caused by changes in the structure of the Earth that would result in the appearance of an increasing number of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes or tsunamis.
Extraterrestrial messages and secret weapons
On the other hand, in many paranormal circles, it is believed that the appearance of this low-frequency buzz is related to the presence of visitors from other planets, who would be hidden, but whose technology would produce this peculiar sound.
A similar theory is that the buzz is actually caused by secret weapons or gadgets that some organizations like the CIA, the army or even the Illuminati would use , a supposed group of people who rule the world in secret. According to them, these technologies would cause a buzz that could only be heard by people with special skills.
-The rational explanation
As was seen throughout the article, most of the cases in which “The Hum” is said to be present actually have little to do with each other. Therefore, it is more likely that there is no single cause that explains all of these events, but that each of them has a different origin.
The first thing to understand is that there are minor anatomical differences between individuals. Thus, some people are able to hear sounds in a wider range than normal, so they can sometimes detect noise that no one else perceives.
In other cases, the presence of diseases such as tinnitus can cause the person to hear a constant tinnitus due to a hearing problem.
Even if there is a real buzz, it is mostly produced by different types of machines, and not by the presence of supernatural or hidden elements.
