Your old buildings might have ghosts, seriously

Good morning from the coulees — the wind's up, the sky's wide, and Lethbridge has something to say.

Look, you ever walk through an old place, maybe the Galt Museum on a quiet afternoon when the wind's really kicking up off the Oldman River, and just feel… something? Not a chill, not a draft, but like the air itself is heavier, maybe even a little watchful? Turns out, there might be a reason for that feeling beyond just your imagination running wild. A psychology professor up in Edmonton, Rodney Schmaltz at MacEwan University, is doing research into why some folks believe in the paranormal, specifically how infrasound affects us.

### What's Making You Spooky?

The idea is that these super-low frequency sounds, sounds too low for our ears to consciously pick up, can mess with us in ways we don't even realize. Think about it:

* Old buildings, especially ones with big open spaces like the old university library or even some of the older shops downtown along 3rd Avenue South, they can be perfect for creating and trapping these kinds of frequencies.

* Infrasound can cause feelings of unease, anxiety, even the sense of being watched. It can make your eyes vibrate slightly, making you think you're seeing things in your peripheral vision.

* This isn't about ghosts necessarily, but about how our bodies react to our environment in ways we're not always aware of. It's a scientific look at why a creaky old house at the edge of the coulees might feel 'haunted' even when there's nothing supernatural going on.

For us here in Lethbridge, a city with deep roots and plenty of buildings that have seen more than a few decades — from the old train station down by Indian Battle Park to the historic homes in the London Road neighbourhood — this is pretty fascinating. Next time you're walking across the High Level Bridge and feel that deep rumble, or stepping into an older part of town and get a shiver, maybe it's just the wind playing tricks with the sound waves, telling you a story the land has heard a thousand times before.

Jolene Blackwater, MiTL Sports Desk.

The crew on the Morning Wire dives into all the weird stuff every day — catch it live at mornings.live.