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Features Archive:

2005 Archive:
Whose Scrooge? - by Lee Prosser
December 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Spirit Dor by John Richards
December 9, 2005


The Witchcraft Connection - The Ghostly Carpenter - by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
December 6, 2005

Column - regular feature

Nature is a Haunted House - by Lee Prosser
December 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Hollywood Ghost Hunt Weekend by Richard Senate
November 28, 2005


Clairvoyance, Ghosts, and Music - by Lee Prosser
November 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Halloween and the End Times - by Lee Prosser
November 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

The Witchcraft Connection - Resurrection Mary: The Conclusion - by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
October 20, 2005

Column - regular feature

1 Corinthians 12:10 - by Lee Prosser
October 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Gift From A Child By Rick Hayes
October 14, 2005


Ghost Hunt: The Liberace Mansion by Richard Senate
October 7, 2005


Mimosa, Marigold, Cayenne, Dandelion, Mullein, Clairvoyance, Uncle Willard, and Ghosts - by Lee Prosser
October 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Today's Cults of Personality by Wayne Harrup
September 19, 2005


Clairvoyance and the River of the Mind - by Lee Prosser
September 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - Rev. Pat Robertson - by Lee Prosser
September 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Cedar Key Inn - The Man in the Kitchen by Janice Cottrill
August 29, 2005


Bide One's Time - High Spirits - by Lee Prosser
August 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

CBS Introduces the Ghost Whisperer by Jeff Belanger
August 5, 2005


Bide One's Time - Ghostly Encounter - by Lee Prosser
August 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - Don Bachardy - by Lee Prosser
July 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - New Mexico, Land of Enchantment - by Lee Prosser
July 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Tibetan Beliefs On Death and Beyond Part 2 of 2 by Janice Cottrill
June 20, 2005


Bide One's Time - Why Do We Enjoy Ghost Story Movies? - by Lee Prosser
June 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Tibetan Beliefs On Death and Beyond Part 1 of 2 by Janice Cottrill
June 13, 2005


Bide One's Time - We are Each a Living Ghost in Our Own Story - by Lee Prosser
June 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Electronic Voice Phenomena (E.V.P.) by Todd M. Bates
May 23, 2005


Bide One's Time - Sensitive to Ghosts - by Lee Prosser
May 17, 2005

Column - regular feature

Emotions of the Paranormal by Brian Leffler
May 13, 2005


George Lutz's Amityville Horror by Jeff Belanger
April 12, 2005


Connecting Through Reincarnation? by Rick Hayes
March 16, 2005


Chinese Hopping Ghosts by Janice Cottrill
March 4, 2005


Dr. Hans Holzer - A Lifetime of Explaining the Unexplained by Jeff Belanger
February 7, 2005


The Legend of Lucy Keyes by John Stimpson
February 4, 2005


Raymond Buckland by Lee Prosser
January 28, 2005


The Mysterious Haunting of Stone's Public House by David Retalic
January 23, 2005


Some Musings on White Noise by Lee Prosser
January 12, 2005


India and the Supernatural by Lee Prosser
January 3, 2005




March 23, 2005

Electronic Voice Phenomena (E.V.P.)

By Todd M. Bates

The mystery of electronic voice phenomena has been around for many years. There are quite a few paranormal investigators out there that refuse to work with the phenomena due to its complications. I personally feel that it is very much worth the extra effort. 

E.V.P. is a great communication tool for the other side and the phenomena itself can answer some of the questions that we have all asked ourselves over the years. Simply put, it just makes sense to experiment with E.V.P. during your investigations. It is not at all difficult to capture these voices from the other side. It also takes very little knowledge and equipment to do so. There are too many investigators out there who are (or feel) intimidated by this phenomenon. Many 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 wants to learn about this field. I will not go into that right now because this isnt an article about me but for you, the investigator, to perhaps learn from and use for your future investigations. I will try and touch on a brief history, some current theories about this topic, a few tips to help you on your way and still throw my own two cents in.

Thomas Edison was the first to look into electronic voice phenomena in the early 1920s. After his mother had been sick for some time (and was on deaths door) he decided to try and find a way to communicate with her after she passed. Shortly after he started work, his mother did pass on, leaving Thomas with a more urgent need to find a way to communicate with her. After the planning phase, he began construction on a device with his assistant Dr. Miller Hutchison -- the device was later called the TEC (Thomas Edison Communicator). Edison didnt get to complete his work before his own death in 1931. But since that time it has been completed by others using his notes and is being experimented with today. This device is basically like a giant microphone for the dead. It seems to be able to pick out their voices from the air. Very little is known about how this device actually works. Such groups as the International Ghost Hunters Society have been able to use it, though, and claim to have good results. These may be available to the market soon but I am sure they will not come cheap. One could only hope that Mr. Edison is very proud that his invention was finally completed. Even though it is too bad that he wasnt able to use it to communicate with his mother as he had intended. 

Perhaps my favorite E.V.P. mentor is the now-deceased Swedish film producer, Friedrich Juergenson. He captured the phenomena without even knowing it while trying to record bird songs. This was an accident that changed the paranormal arena forever. When Juergenson played the birds' songs back, he discovered that he had recorded voices from the other side. Phrases such as, bird voices in the night and even his own mother (who was then already deceased) 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. He then began a recording frenzy to try and get in touch with his mother and all other spirits. He died in 1964, but not before he had contacted and confirmed life after death. He was given the title posthumously of, The Father of E.V.P.

I am sure you are asking yourself, Ok, so what is E.V.P.? Well, I really wish the answer were so simple and easy to explain. Of course, then it wouldnt be called the unknown. Let me first tell you that there are quite a few theories on how the phenomenon actually occurs. 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 believe. 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 who believe that a residual effect that takes place when some of the energy that is stored in the area of a 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. I also think that if you are at the right place at the right time you may just 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 beneath the Paris streets and they are far from being at rest. This energy could very well be stored in the actual catacombs walls (made of limestone) themselves. Residual energy, by the way, is spirit energy that is constantly replaying itself over time and not an interactive ghost. 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.

Secondly, E.V.P. can be captured in a few different ways. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Numerous groups and investigators claim that their way is the best, or the only way, to capture E.V.P. I have found that this is completely incorrect though. If there were an expert in this field then we could all put our equipment away because it would no longer be considered the unknown. No one knows all of the answers and those who 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 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 it has its good and bad points. I dont want to get too technical here, so if you would like to read more about the Reel-to-Reel recorder you can do a simple search for it on the Internet. When I go on investigations I choose to use both the cassette and digital recorder, as I feel they both back each other up. I will caution that you should be sure to use an external microphone with your cassette recorder, though. Not to help hear the spirit better, 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. You may feel differently and choose to use one if you wish. I have received numerous questions asking what kind of tapes 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 doesnt 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 could get quite costly. I have heard some outstanding E.V.P. captured on Dollar Store brand cassette tapes, 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 E.V.P. I do hope this helps some of you out there and I cannot stress enough for all of you to give it a try. You just might be surprised at what you record. 



Todd M. Bates is the Founder of Haunted Voices where more information and lesson on E.V.P. can be found.




2014 Haunted New England Wall Calendar by Jeff Belanger photography by Frank Grace
Check out the 2014 Haunted New England wall calendar by Jeff Belanger and photography by Frank Grace!


Paranormal Conferences and Lectures
Don't miss the following events and lectures:

Jeff Belanger and “The Bridgewater Triangle” at Dedham Community Theatre - April 6, 2014 9:00PM

The Spirits of the Mark Twain House - Hartford, Connecticut - April 12, 2014

Paracon Australia - East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia - May 10-12, 2014