2K Watt Bass Sickness Anyone ?? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

WVOtoGO · #1 02-21-2007, 10:37 AM

I’m not sure if this is worth a new thread, or if it belongs in the “Pet Peeve” thread, but here goes:

Very weird thing happened to me the other day for the first time ever. I’m wondering if this has happened to anyone else here.

One of my peeves is these folks that seem to think you’d like to listen to the same “music” they listen to while in your car. You know the ones. 2-zillion watts of something that seems to be only a bass beat. No vocals. No mid or hi range whatsoever. Just this booming that you feel as much as hear.

Well - The other day I was sitting street-side in the Odyssey waiting to pick up the kids from school. This guy in a Ford Excursion comes around the corner with this crap pounding away. As he got closer it went from an obnoxious sound to a physically nauseating experience. I actually got rather nauseous. The closer he got, the worse the feelings got. It actually made me feel dizzy. As he went past, so the nausea and dizziness past. I thought that was pretty weird.

Then here he comes again, from the other direction. This time the effect was so bad that I actually reached for an old coffee can we keep in the van for trash. I actually felt like I might get sick.

I am by far, not one to get nauseous over much of anything.
+/- 7+ Gs - no worries.
Extremely turbulent flights - no worries.

But this bass frequency was dead on to something that my body could not deal with.

Certainly a first (and only) for me. A bit spooky I might add.

Has anyone else ever experienced this sort of thing?

Zeus · #2 02-21-2007, 10:59 AM

Did you see the mythbusters where they tried extremely low bass frequencies at high decibel levels to see if the poor test subject would have a bowel movement?

Didn't work.

Perhaps what you experienced were very low frequency infrasonic waves? Check out this abstract.

Specifically this part -

"Sound at 20-200 Hz is called low-frequency sound, while for sound below 20 Hz the term infrasound is used. The hearing becomes gradually less sensitive for decreasing frequency, but despite the general understanding that infrasound is inaudible, humans can perceive infrasound, if the level is sufficiently high. The ear is the primary organ for sensing infrasound, but at levels somewhat above the hearing threshold it is possible to feel vibrations in various parts of the body."

Dee8go · #3 02-21-2007, 11:04 AM

WVO, it's bound to have an effect on your inner ear, which can make you feel nausea. I think I'd be tempted to call the police and report that. It must be a violation of some sort of noise ordinance.

Loud music is one thing. That's just riduculous.

WVOtoGO · #4 02-21-2007, 11:31 AM

Cool reading Chris. Thanks. I’d bet on a relation there. But nothing “Supernatural” about it. No “anxiety, uneasiness, extreme sorrow, nervous feelings of revulsion or fear and chills down the spine which correlated with the infrasonic events.” Well - “uneasiness” for sure.
Just nausea and a feeling of impending vomit if the sound didn’t go away.

I was thinking more of the inner ear issue as well.
Odd thing was - It wasn’t really any louder, nor sound any different, than most of the other bozos you hear.
It was just a frequency that my body didn’t (couldn’t) deal with. Had it gone on for another 10-15 seconds (thank God he was driving by the second pass) I’m pretty sure I’d have lost it.

Due to the choice in careers here. Things like: Vertigo, inner ear issues, flight physiology, etc., are taken pretty seriously.

This was an absolute first for me, and has had me puzzled ever since. An odd experience, to say the least.

Dee8go · #5 02-21-2007, 11:34 AM

Maybe you should forgo those sub woofers for the plane, WVO.

Zeus · #6 02-21-2007, 11:37 AM

I changed the link, the first one was useless. Infrasonic waves can cause all kinds of nasty effects in people, and they've been studied for such. They can even be used as a weapon. Common in certain industrial workplaces as well, with heavy machinery. They can cause nausea and other similar effects. That's what I was referring to.

If the bass was strong enough (sounds like it was) and low enough, you could have experienced this effect.

Read the second chapter here -

http://www.umdnj.edu/smbiweb/infrasonic.html

But I'm not a doctor and I'm just guessing here.

I know that when I've experienced some exceptionally loud and deep bass, I've felt it in my guts, so to speak. Not a pleasant effect.

WVOtoGO · #7 02-21-2007, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

I changed the link, the first one was useless. Infrasonic waves can cause all kinds of nasty effects in people, and they've been studied for such. They can even be used as a weapon. Common in certain industrial workplaces as well, with heavy machinery. They can cause nausea and other similar effects. That's what I was referring to.

If the bass was strong enough (sounds like it was) and low enough, you could have experienced this effect.

Read the second chapter here -

http://www.umdnj.edu/smbiweb/infrasonic.html

But I'm not a doctor and I'm just guessing here.

I know that when I've experienced some exceptionally loud and deep bass, I've felt it in my guts, so to speak. Not a pleasant effect.

From what I’ve read here, I’d say you’re doing some pretty good “guessing”.

(And judging from Bots last thread, you stand a much better chance than he of ever becoming the doctor you‘ve claimed you‘re not.

)

I’ve had prop synchronizers fail on me in flight, causing some unpleasant reverberations. That usually leads to a pretty bad headache after long exposure. Nothing like this though. This was “OMG, prepare to up-chuck in 5..4..3..2.. instantaneous."

Thanks for the links. Good stuff.

BENZ-LGB · #8 02-21-2007, 01:20 PM

This is an IMDB.com note on the movie IRREVERSIBLE:

The first 30 minutes of the film has a background noise with a frequency of 28Hz (low frequency, almost inaudible), similar to the noise produced by an earthquake. In humans, it causes nausea, sickness and vertigo. It was the main cause of people walking out of the theaters during the first part of the film in places like Cannes and San Sebastian. In fact, it was added with the purpose of getting this reaction.

The movie itself, including the rape scene, was pretty nauseating.

MattBelliveau · #9 02-21-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

Did you see the mythbusters where they tried extremely low bass frequencies at high decibel levels to see if the poor test subject would have a bowel movement?

."

Brown Noise

There have been times while attending concerts in indoor venues, that if I get too close to the speaker, my stomach does get a bit flustered.

John Doe · #10 02-21-2007, 01:34 PM

You may have been having an anxiety attack because this is obviously something that pisses you off.

Pisses me off too.

Dee8go · #11 02-21-2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Doe

You may have been having an anxiety attack because this is obviously something that pisses you off.

Pisses me off too.

If that's true, JD, I'd probably spend most of my work days puking my guts out. Of course, I do have a pretty strong constitution . . .

John Doe · #12 02-21-2007, 01:50 PM

I gave a psychiatrist an anxiety attack once--it can happen to anyone.

WVOtoGO · #13 02-21-2007, 02:01 PM

I like to think that I’m in somewhat of a position to not let this type of BS bother me. After all - It’s their hearing, not mine. And, it usually only lasts as long as the light is red anyway. I can handle these bozos’ 20” sub-woofers for that long - no problem.

But - This one time (and thee have been a few since, w/ no reaction whatsoever), was a real shocker. Nothing like it before (or since). An instantaneous reflex to launch lunch, big time. Concerned me, to say the least.

I think we’ve hit the cause right on the head with these posts and links. Thanks.

I do hope that it doesn’t ever happen again.
If it does. I hope I’ll have enough time to jump out and launch on the car that caused it.
(I knew I got that CHL for a reason.)

Dee8go - It sounds to me like you may need a new job.

Dee8go · #14 02-21-2007, 02:05 PM

It's bad when these nitwits drive by my house and the bass rattles my windows. It's not like my house is right next to the street either.

Dee8go · #15 02-21-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

This is an IMDB.com note on the movie IRREVERSIBLE:

The first 30 minutes of the film has a background noise with a frequency of 28Hz (low frequency, almost inaudible), similar to the noise produced by an earthquake. In humans, it causes nausea, sickness and vertigo. It was the main cause of people walking out of the theaters during the first part of the film in places like Cannes and San Sebastian. In fact, it was added with the purpose of getting this reaction.

The movie itself, including the rape scene, was pretty nauseating.

I never heard of that movie. I guess that's why. It must not have done very well in the theatres if people were walking out part way through.