---
category: Scientific Theory & Technology
created: 2025-07-23
description: Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) waves are electromagnetic waves with frequencies
  between 3 and 300 Hz, known for their ability to penetrate water and earth.
summary: Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) waves are 3-300 Hz electromagnetic signals
  whose ability to penetrate water made them the primary U.S. Navy communication channel
  for submerged nuclear submarines and a research focus in Soviet psychotronic weapons
  programs.
tags:
- concept
- technology
- physics
title: Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Waves
updated: 2025-07-23
---

[Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Waves](/concepts/extremely-low-frequency-elf-waves/) are electromagnetic waves with frequencies between 3 and 300 Hz. They are known for their ability to penetrate water and earth, making them useful for communication with deeply submerged submarines.[^1]

In the context of [Parapsychology](/concepts/parapsychology/), ELF waves were hypothesized as a possible carrier for [ESP](/concepts/extrasensory-perception/) and [Telepathy](/concepts/telepathy/). [Andrija Puharich](/people/andrija-puharich/) and Jack Hammond conducted experiments using a [Faraday Cage](/concepts/faraday-cage/) to test this theory, as Faraday cages do not block ELF waves. The idea was that if psychic abilities were not degraded inside the cage, it might suggest a connection to ELF waves.[^1]

The [U.S. Navy](/organizations/us-navy/) also invested significantly in ELF research for submarine communication. The alleged Soviet "rabbit experiment," where a mother rabbit's brain activity was said to correlate with the death of her kits on a submerged submarine, further fueled speculation about ELF waves as a medium for psychic information transfer.[^1]

---

[^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.