Electronic Voice Phenomena - EVP

Electronic Voice Phenomena - EVP - are very popular with psychic and paranormal investigators. This is possibly because they provide actual physical evidence of.... of... well, of something.

What is EVP?

EVP is a form of Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC). Electronic Voice Phenomena are simply unexplained voices - or voice type sounds - occuring on audio recordings. Sometimes these voices were also heard by people present at the time of the recording, at other times the voice was only discovered later.

The quality of the electronic voice recordings varies tremendously. Occasionally it is clear speech, more usually it is faint and/or distorted. The EVP recordings often need to be amplified before anything can be made out at all.

This need for amplification and interpretation is one of the major contentious issues surrounding EVP. Many Skeptics claim that electronic voice phenomena are simply natural background hisses, hums and crackles that have been amplified and "cleaned." However there are many examples of EVP where the voice is sufficiently clear to eliminate this option.

What Causes EVP?

The most common explanation for EVP is that the voices are are those of the ghosts or spirits. Opinions differ as to whether these are actually sentient attempts at communication or whether the voices are simply some form of psychic echo.

Some people prefer to think that EVP is a form of communication from alien sources. Whether this is a deliberate attempt at communication or just our primitive apparatus picking up a "shadow" from alien interaction is unclear.

The explanation with which I have most sympathy is that electronic voice phenomena - like so much in the wyrd world - are the result of psychic abilities of some form being used unconsciously. In other words, it is the experimenter who is without knowing it causing the voice to appear on the tape.

Many skeptics will, of course, dismiss the idea of "ghost voices" as rubbish. Unfortunately in doing so they sometimes also dismiss the whole field of EVP. For many of them it is all a combination of fakery, misinterpretation and mechanical failure.

DIY EVP

One of the really nice things about EVP is that anyone can attempt it. Whether you'll be successful or not is, of course, another matter.

All you need for EVP is a portable tape recorder. Because the voices are often difficult to hear and distinguish then the higher quality the better - you want the minimal amount of background hiss. Similarly, you should buy high quality tapes and always use a brand new tape.

Of course you then have to find a place where EVP will manifest. If you can't think of anywhere open to the public that has a reputation for spooky happenings then simply look for somewhere with an "atmosphere". One possibility would be a graveyard. As always with these things, let your instincts guide you.

External Links:

American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena