Maybe ravers are onto something (and not just on something)

According to a new study published in Current Biology, speakers pumping out very low frequency (VLF) sounds make people dance harder – without them realizing it. These inaudible deep bass notes also elicited reports of pleasurable body sensations and euphoria, like if the Imperius Curse and laughing gas had a sound baby.

The kicker? We don’t exactly know why either happens.

🎶💃 A deeper dive… While previous studies suggest that dance-inducing music has more low frequency sounds, it’s still unclear how VLF impacts humans in the real world, or when the frequencies aren’t consciously detectable, The Guardian reports.

Enter: McMaster University (Canada) researchers, led by neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Cameron. To study the real-world effects of VLF waves, they organized an electronic music concert and invited a bunch of people. Some of the attendees – 43 to be exact – were fitted with motion-capture headbands, and the concert venue, literally located inside a research lab, came equipped with a customized sound system capable of playing inaudible very low frequencies.

During the nearly hour-long performance, VLF waves were played on-and-off every 2.5 minutes through the speakers.

• When on, dancing and other body movements by concertgoers increased by 11.8%.
• Post-show, a statistically significant group reported “[feeling] bodily sensations associated with bass frequencies… that [sic] were pleasurable and contributed to the urge to move.”