People in This Town Have Been Hearing a Mysterious Sound for 30 Years, But It Doesn’t Exist

For over thirty years, residents of Taos, New Mexico, have reported hearing a strange, low-frequency sound with no identifiable source. Known as the Taos Hum, the phenomenon has defied scientific explanation despite formal investigations, advanced monitoring, and global attention.

First brought to public attention in the early 1990s, the hum has since become one of the most confounding acoustic mysteries in the United States. Its intermittent nature, limited audibility, and resistance to measurement have made it a subject of scientific frustration and public intrigue. While only a small percentage of the local population claims to hear it, the persistent reports have spurred environmental, physiological, and electromagnetic inquiries, none of which have resolved the issue.

Scientific Investigations Come Up Short

According to a study published in the International Tinnitus Journal, the Taos Hum is often described as a low, steady noise, like a distant engine running. It’s usually heard late at night, both inside homes and outside, but only by a small number of people. Some say they also feel strange pressure or vibrations in their bodies. What’s especially odd is that the hum tends to disappear when people leave the Taos area, which is why scientists have been focusing on this specific region for over 30 years.

Back in 1993, a team of scientists from U.S. national labs and a university set out to investigate. They worked with 161 locals who said they could hear the hum and monitored things like sound levels, ground vibrations, seismic activity, and electromagnetic fields.

But even while people were reporting the noise, the equipment didn’t pick up anything unusual. Some higher EM readings were found near power lines, and a few people had issues with their home appliances, but nothing clearly explained the hum. Even trying to recreate the sound with machines didn’t lead anywhere.

A Worldwide Enigma

While the Taos Hum is the most well-known case, similar phenomena have been reported elsewhere. One of the most prominent examples occurred in Kokomo, Indiana, in the early 2000s. There, investigators were able to trace certain low-frequency tones to nearby industrial machinery. Modifying the equipment led to a reduction in noise levels, though not all residents found relief.

This gap between measurable sounds and continued subjective experience emphasized the complexity of such acoustic events. In both Taos and Kokomo, the hum displayed common traits: difficulty locating a source, limited number of people affected, and persistence over long periods. These repeated features have complicated efforts to classify the hums as either physical or perceptual, particularly since demographic factors such as age or gender do not appear to play a role.

Although every location has its own industrial and environmental profile, the recurrence of similar descriptions from unrelated areas has led researchers to view the Taos case as emblematic of a broader, and poorly understood, category of environmental sound.

When the Senses Affect Social Life

For those who hear it, the hum is more than just an acoustic oddity. Many residents have reported physical symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, nausea, and sleep disruption. The Times of India notes that some people describe a feeling of pressure in their heads, chests, or limbs and say that the sensation doesn’t diminish even when they block their ears. In several cases, people also observed unusual behavior in animals, especially dogs that seemed agitated during periods when the hum was perceived.

These stories, even if they’re just anecdotal, show how much the hum can mess with people’s minds. When neighbors or officials don’t believe them, it often leaves folks feeling isolated and frustrated. With no solid scientific proof, many are stuck dealing with it on their own, not knowing if it’s something in the environment, their bodies, or something else entirely.