EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena)
EVP is the intelligible voices on a recording medium that has no known physical explanation. Many of the voices are thought to be from deceased people. Ghosts are able to embed their messages or comments onto the recording surface of magnetic recording tapes or directly to the memory chips in digital recorders. Often these voices are interactive with comments made by the living at the time of the recording.
Types of Recorders commonly used:
1. Digital- commonly used in the paranormal field. Digital are best used with a computer to analyze and store the recordings.
2. Cassette recorders- Considered more credible. Use low noise, high sensitivity tapes. Low bias tapes are cheaper and produce background noise. High bias tapes are CD quality and highly recommended.
Here are links to sites who sell EVP recorders:
www.ghoststop.com
www.prairieghosts.com
How to guide for EVP:
The recording equipment does not have to be expensive or elaborate to work with EVP.
All recorders will work for recording of ghostly voices if done properly
A red light of some kind on the recorder is recommended to indicate the unit is recording.
The built-in microphone on a portable tape recorder tends to pick up motor noise. It is best to use an external microphone.
Be sure the recorder has a counter.
Two or three minute recording periods produce the best success. Most spirits are curious so they will check you out in the first 10 or 15 minutes that you are at a site.
After trying to sense the energy levels of the place, enter the site and ask permission from the spirits before recording. This small act shows respect and produces better results.
Choose various places within the site for recording EVP.
Start at the first place you have selected and record for 2 minutes, stating date, time, and location of the recording. Walk to another location and start a different track and state the new location, date, and time. Repeat with each location.
If others talk while you are recording, state whom the voice came from so that later when listening to the recording you will know who the voice belonged to.
If windy, avoid pointing the microphone into the wind.
If people are going to talk or chat, talk in a normal voice. Do not lower the voice or whisper!!
DO NOT walk around while talking or recording because of sounds of your footsteps are loud and clear. Not recommended due to false positives.
When conducting an investigation, never belittle or poke fun at those who have passed beyond the grave. This is asking for trouble! Remain respectful and professional at all times.
Negative people breed negativity. Do not conduct an investigation with people who are negative as their negativity will result in an unsuccessful investigation.
Be safe. Be smart. Again, be safe!
DO NOT TRESPASS! IT IS ILLEGAL AND YOU CAN BE ARRESTED!! IT’S THE LAW!!
Listening to EVP:
The resulting EVP recording may contain voices of the dead, heard in the background as whispers or as a normal voice. The voice will suddenly jump out from the background noise. Listen between the conversations for any new voices that may show up. The EVP voices recorded between the conversations may have a voice or voices commenting on said comments made during the conversation. EVP voices can be individual words or complete sentences. Most spirits will speak in death as they did in life and very few will speak in a proper mode.
Use a good pair of headphones to listen to EVP. With pen and paper near, reset the counter on recorder. When you think you have EVP, write down the counter time and what you think was said. Listen several times. You may not be able to decipher exactly what was said. The recorded voices may be very quiet and are often difficult to hear and understand at first. Have someone else listen without telling them what you think you heard. This gives the power of suggestion. So let them form their own opinion. The voices can be male or female, young or old. The words may be spoken very quickly.
Good luck and have lots of fun!