Finding the cause of a sound

In the last post, I covered the process of locating a sound’s origin. Now, let’s talk about finding the cause of a sound. 

The Story Continues

I looked back at Stereo. He’s got a gaze on me that said “What was that sound, Daddy?” “I’m trying to find it, puppy. I am trying.” I looked over at my husband, still sound asleep, to make sure he wasn’t moving, and if he was moving, to make sure he was not moving on one of Stereo’s toys; nothing. I sat in silence waiting for the sound to happen again; nothing. At this point,  I have eliminated the two other living beings in the room as the cause of the sound.

So where did the sound come from?

It was a high-pitched sound, so I did not believe it was something organic. Based on the volume of the sound, I knew it had to be nearby because the sound was not faint. I checked behind me again to look at Stereo’s toy box. I squeezed a couple of the toys to see if I could match the sound, but I had no luck. It only happened once, so I didn’t believe it was something going off, like a timer, but I also didn’t think it was mechanical, either. 

I was stumped. 

Finding the source of a sound during an investigation

When you are in an investigation and you hear something, not only is it important to find where the sound came from, but also what made the sound. As I stated in my previous post, do not fall into the trap of assuming that the sound is paranormal. Most of the time, there is an explanation for the sound that is not paranormal, even if we cannot determine the reason for the sound at the moment it happens. Here are some tips to help you locate the source of the sound:

• Consider the properties of sound: distance, volume, pitch, quality (electrical vs. man-made), etc. This information can be extremely useful in the process of elimination.
• Try to recreate the sound. Determine when the appropriate time is to try and recreate the sound. It might be best to just tag the audio and come back to it after a session. 
• Listen for another occurrence of the sound. If it happens more than once, listen for the frequency it occurs and the intervals in which it occurs.
• Answer your own question: what made that sound? Start to list off the things it sounds like. Describe the sound to another person/investigator. They may be able to help determine what the sound was or could have been. 
• If possible, go back and listen to the audio recording with noise canceling headphones. This might give you more details in what you are hearing. If you are skilled to use it, you can also try “noise reduction” to help clarify the sound. Please note that I believe this is to be used in order to eliminate something as being paranormal, not to confirm it. 

Coming Soon: Part 3!

In my last post, I’ll give you some personal experiences with sound on past investigations, and I will reveal what the squeak from my living room was!