The Taos Hum — Persistent Low-Frequency Sound Torments New Mexico Town

Since the early 1990s, approximately 2% of residents in and around Taos, New Mexico have reported hearing a persistent low-frequency humming sound that cannot be heard by others or detected by standard audio equipment. The phenomenon has severely affected the quality of life for those who can hear it. A 1997 congressional investigation authorized by New Mexico representative Bill Richardson brought in teams of scientists and engineers who deployed sensitive instruments throughout the region. Despite finding anomalous infrasound readings in the area, they could not identify the source of the sound described by sufferers. Those who can hear the Taos Hum describe it as similar to a diesel engine idling at a distance that cannot be located. It is reportedly louder indoors than outdoors, and louder at night. It causes headaches, nausea, sleep disruption, and in some cases psychological distress severe enough to prompt relocation. Similar phenomena have been reported in Windsor, Ontario; Bristol, England; and Bondi, New South Wales, with each location having its own community of sufferers. Various explanations have been proposed including industrial activity, underground geological resonance, military submarine communications at VLF frequencies, and mass psychogenic illness. None has been conclusively established, and the Taos Hum remains unexplained.