How many times have you heard or actually said yourself, “If only I could talk to him (or her) again”?
By Rebecca Nidey
Everything I Need To Know I Learned In A Haunted House
No one has escaped losing someone they know and care about to death. The longing to speak to them, just one more time, sneaks up on all of us, no matter how short or long ago the loss has been.
As paranormal investigators we have the unique ability to do just that, if you are a believer in EVP.
EVP, of course, stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena. In theory, an EVP is a recording of the voice of a ghostly spirit. I say, in theory, because most ghostly phenomena are hard to prove. In actuality, it is easier to prove that what is considered paranormal activity really has a non-paranormal cause.
Most ghostly communication, but not all, is inaudible to the human ear. However, by recording what seems to be a one-sided conversation held by the living, we often capture the answers and comments of the dead.
With the many computer programs available, photographs can be doctored to appear to hold paranormal images. Many of the other devices used in paranormal research can have false positive results with interference from man-made conveniences such as electricity or cell phones.
How many times have we been on investigations and become excited by a seemingly random energy spike on one of the monitors only to find that someone had left their cell phone on or the building had electricity leaks from faulty wiring.
Some of the more recent devices being tested, such as the Ovilus, are pre-programmed with a vocabulary of common words. Others, such as a Ghost Box, work with radio frequencies.
I will not make a judgment on whether they are or aren’t a true means to communicate with ghostly spirits. Most devices employed in ghost hunting have been adapted from equipment that has other more mundane uses.
Since the Ovilus, Ghost Box and other devices are still experimental, they cannot be completely proven or disproven as viable evidence of communication with those who have passed into spirit. Like other earlier equipment that has been in use for a while, these pieces of equipment may or may not become standard… all equipment was experimental at one time.
To me, the best and most reliable proof of paranormal activity is EVP… talkin’ to the dead. Whether you use an old school analog recorder or a more modern digital recorder, they are hard to tamper with.
There are some who would dispute that, saying that the recorders are merely picking up stray radio signals, cell phone conversations, or even satellite communications. What seems to disprove those suppositions and to prove that they are valid indications of conversations with ghostly spirits is the fact that there can be actual intelligent conversations held through recordings.
- When holding an EVP recording session, it is very important to follow strict protocol in order to keep evidence untainted:
- Allow only one person to speak at a time, or even throughout the whole session.
- All present during the session should remain quiet as even whispers can be picked up by most recorders.
- Very few areas are completely soundproof so note verbally while recording if a sound does intrude.
- Since all data can be used in research, it is good to note the date, time and location.
- It is not uncommon to keep written notes during sessions that contain a listing of those present; area conditions that might affect the taping or activity (a nearby body of water for example) and natural phenomena that might also influence the conversation.
Several years ago, we had a minor earthquake in the area where I live. Several members of my paranormal research group went out shortly after to check for damage in some of the more fragile older cemeteries. We did find a stone toppled in one and tried to set it right but found it was too heavy to do so. Curiosity got the better of us and we set up a digital recorder on the stone and asked if those spirits present had felt the tremor. The reply was something to the order that it had awakened them.
Of course, we can’t control who we are communicating with. While it might be comforting to communicate with those we have known who have passed, it might also be painful in some ways.
We do tours throughout the year, both private and public. We use them as teachable moments for those who chose to tour with us. Many of the attendees have had no chance to actually use equipment or even know what the data gathered from them mean.
Most importantly, we teach proper respect for the areas we are investigating and those that still linger there in spirit. With too many television shows or movies showing ghost hunters who treat ghostly spirits disrespectfully in order to get a reaction, or for drama, we emphasize that those we encounter deserve the respect that any living person does.
The one thing that always thrills those on the tour is to either ask or be present when a question is asked during a session and then hear a coherent and completely plausible answer to it on the recorder.
Sometimes, unbeknownst to the group, we visit cemeteries that hold the final resting places to people who were dear to some of those on the tour. There has been at least one incident in a recent tour where a person attending recognized the voice on the tape during a recording session as a family member who had died and was buried in the cemetery we were touring.
It is most humbling and reminds us once again that all who have passed were someone’s parent, child, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or friend.
EVP sessions have always been my favorite activity during an investigation. Since I am one of the least tech savvy members of my team, I plan on delving more into the history and science of recording conversations with the dead. In one of my future columns, I will share the information and tidbits of trivia that I find in my research.
About the Author:
Through her work on the investigative team for the Crawford County Illinois Ghost Hunters, Rebecca Nidey has an understanding of the paranormal, spiritual, and metaphysical worlds and how they work together.
Rebecca has trained in the Healing Touch technique (a form of energy healing). She is a certified Psychic Medium trained by Belle Salisbury, and she is a certified Paranormal Researcher.
Rebecca is the associate editor for Bellesprit Magazine and also writes a column titled Everything I Need To Know I Learned In A Haunted House. She has been a co-host of several radio programs for the Haunted Voices Radio Network and HeyZ Radio Network highlighting the Paranormal, metaphysical and literary fields.
To learn more about Rebecca or to schedule a reading you can contact her at https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.nidey.
