The mystery of the ‘Devil’s Church’: A creepy cave in Finland has a unique resonance that makes visitors ‘feel the presence of a ghost,’ scientists say

Every year, thousands of brave visitors venture to a cave in Finland in the hope of ‘talking to the devil’.

Pirunkirkko Cave – or Devil’s Church in English – is located in Koli National Park and has gained a reputation for its alleged contact with the spirit world.

Now researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have revealed why visitors claim to feel ‘the presence of a ghost’ in the cave.

According to the experts, it all has to do with a unique resonance.

“Where a researcher in the field of acoustics hears as resonance, people from the past may have felt the presence of a spirit, and a shamanic practitioner may have felt the presence of an exceptional energy, each based on their background,” said Riitta Rainio and Elina Hytonen. Ng.

Pirunkirkko Cave – or Devil’s Church in English – is located in Koli National Park and has gained a reputation for its alleged contact with the spirit world

Pirunkirkko is a Z-shaped rift cave of only 34 meters long.

In ancient folklore, the cave was known as a place where local sages met to contact the spirit world.

In particular, a man known as Kinolainen regularly used the Devil’s Church for magical rituals.

“According to folklore, Kinolainen took his patients to ‘church’ to talk to the Devil about the causes and cures for their ailments,” Ms. Rainio said.

‘These types of healing rituals often include loud shouting, stomping, shooting and banging.’

In their new study, the researchers wanted to investigate whether the cave’s acoustic properties could help explain the beliefs associated with it.

Pirunkirkko is a Z-shaped rift cave of only 34 meters long

In ancient folklore, the cave was known as a place where local sages met to contact the spirit world

An analysis of the cave revealed that it harbors a distinct resonance phenomenon that both amplifies and prolongs sounds at specific frequencies.

According to the researchers, this phenomenon is caused by a standing wave between the smooth parallel walls of the cave.

This generates a tone at the cave’s natural frequency – 231 Hz – which remains audible for about a second after sounds such as claps, drums or bangs are made.

As part of the research, the team interviewed and recorded a modern practitioner of shamanism who uses the cave for rituals.

“The practitioner said in the interview that drumming sessions, especially at the back of the cave, have opened up ‘new horizons,’” ​​the team explained.

“We recorded the shamanic practitioner and found that they repeatedly uttered tones at 231 Hz, which were then amplified by the cave at the natural frequency.”

While resonance is common in buildings, it is rare in natural environments – largely due to the lack of solid, parallel surfaces.

For this reason, the researchers suggest that the subtle resonance in the cave may cause visitors to feel as if they are sensing a ghost.