(c) Todd M. Bates of HauntedVoices.com
Posted: 1/27/2005

The mystery of Electronic Voice Phenomena has been around for many years now. There are quite a few paranormal investigators out there that refuse to work with the phenomena due to its complications but I personally feel that it is very much worth the extra effort. Evp is a great communication tool for the other side and the phenomena itself can answer some of the questions that we have all asked in our heads for years. Simply put, it just makes sense to experiment with Evp during your investigations. It is not difficult at all to capture these voices from the other side and takes very little knowledge and equipment to do so. There are too many investigators out there who are or feel intimidated by this phenomenon and do not take the time to research or educate themselves or their group(s) on the subject. This is one reason why I choose to volunteer my time and services to anyone who is willing to learn about this field. I will not go into that right now because this isn't an article about ME but for YOU the investigator to perhaps learn from and use for your future investigations. 
 
 
Electronic Voice Phenomena has been sought after since the early 1920's by Thomas Edison. Edison, with his sick and dying mother, became interested in the paranormal in attempts to communicate with her after her death. After his mothers death he began construction, with his Assistant Dr. Miller Hutchison, on a device later to be called the TEC (Thomas Edison Communicator). The construction of his invention was never completed before his death but since that time has been completed and is in experimental use TODAY. This device is basically like a giant microphone for the dead and can pick up their voices from thin air. Very little is known about how this device actually works and it is still in experimental stage but such groups as the International Ghost Hunters Society have used it and claim to have good results with it. These may be available to the market soon but I am sure they will not come cheap. I am sure that Mr. Edison is very proud that his invention was completed but it is too bad that he wasn't able to use it to communicate with his mother like he intend.  
 
Perhaps my favorite Evp mentor was the now deceased Swedish film producer Friedrich Juergenson. He captured the phenomena without even knowing it while recording bird songs. This was a mistake that changed the paranormal world forever. Juergenson, while playing the birds songs back, discovered he recorded voices from the other side saying such things as: "Bird Voices In The Night", and later he discovered that even his own mother, who was deceased, even contacted him by saying: "Friedrich, You are being watched", "Friedel, my little Friedel, Can you hear me?". This of course amazed as well as relieved Juergenson and he began a recording frenzy to attempt further communication from his mother and other spirits. He died in 1964 but not before he had contacted and confirmed life after death. 
 
I am sure you are asking yourself, Ok, so what is EVP? Well I really wish the answer was that simple and if it was then they wouldn't call in the "Unknown". There are quite a few theories on how the phenomena are actually captured. Some believe that the spirit itself simply walks up to the microphone or recording device and "speaks" into it. I personally find this very hard to be accurate. How could a spirit that is made of pure energy (as far as we know) simply speak without vocal cords? The theory that I tend to go with is that the spirit somehow imprints its "magnetic image" onto the recording device. Now there are some that believe that a "Residual" effect takes place when some of the energy that is stored in the area of the known haunting is released. This is very possible and I feel that such objects like limestone can hold this kind of energy for long periods of time and if you are at the right place at the right time then you just may capture some voices of the past. The Catacombs, located in Paris, France, are a great example of how this may occur. There are thousands of corpses located there and they are far from being at rest. This energy could very well be stored in the catacombs construction of limestone and is able to be recorded as residual energy Residual energy is spirit energy that is constantly replaying itself over time. Another popular theory is the spirit will speak to us using telepathy or use our own voice and resources to break the communication barrier from their world to ours. After you have experimented with Electronic Voice Phenomena and gained more knowledge and experience with it, then perhaps you can come up with your own opinions on the matter. The key is to not be afraid or intimidated by them but to respect and learn from them. 
 
Evp can be captured in a few different ways and there is no right or wrong way to do it. There are numerous groups and investigators out there that claim that their way is the best or only way to capture Evp, this is completely incorrect. If there was an "expert" in this field then well I guess we can all put our equipment away because it is no long considered "unknown", NO ONE knows all of the answers and those that claim they do need to find another line of work or take this one more seriously. You can use a standard cassette or digital recording device but of course in my opinion it is hard to compare with the ancient and bulky Reel to Reel recorder. This recorder is what started it all and has its good and bad. I don't want to get to technical here so if you would like to read more about the Reel to Reel recorder just simply search for it on the internet. I choose to use both the cassette and digital and feel they both back each other up. Be sure to use an external microphone with your cassette recorder, not to help hear the spirit, but to reduce the possibility of wheel noise generated by the recorders internal parts. I personally do not use a microphone with my digital recorder because I feel that the internal mechanisms are not loud enough to disrupt the recording but you could use one if you wish. There have been a lot of questions asking, what kind of tapes do I buy for my cassette recorder? Well the answer is TRY THEM ALL. If you plan on or know how to use audio editing software then this really doesn't matter. Some feel that the metal content in the tape helps and it is very possible that it may, but for those of us on a strict budget this can get quite costly. I have heard some outstanding Evp captured on a Dollar Store brand cassette tape so that was proof enough for me. Sure you have the background hiss with these tapes but this can be reduced and cleaned with software (if used). In closing, if you use some common sense and some general knowledge of Electronic Voice Phenomena then you should have no problem capturing your own Evp. I do hope this helps some of you out there and I cannot stress enough for all of you to give it a try and you just might be surprised at what you accomplish. If any of you would like more information or have questions please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit my website at www.hauntedvoices.com where lessons and more information are available to you.