EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena. It is the practice of recording ghost or spirits on a voice or audio recorder. Evp can show up on televisions, computer monitors and radios as well. Digital voice recorders are most often used. Even though it has been around for a while now, this is considered to be a new method of spirit communication. Older methods (still in use today) include spirit boards and séances.
I have practiced recording EVP for years. Its a very interesting hobby although it can be a little time consuming. I started out using a digital voice recorder and Adobe Audition to analyze my recordings. Its best to write out or at least memorize what questions you want to ask before you start a session. Here is a sample of what to say:
Is there anyone in the room with me?
If anyone is here please say your name.
When is your birthday?
How long have you been here?
Are you dead? (some ghost don’t know they are dead so saying “when did you die?” might upset them)
When were you born?
Are you here alone?
Do you know what day it is?
Do you know what year it is?
Are you here often?
Where is this place? (they might see the room or surroundings differently than you)
Tip: Always give at least 20 seconds between questions to allow time for the ghost to answer
Once you have your list of questions decide on where and when you want to make a recording. I have done this in my home and also at other locations. If you are doing this to contact a specific person here are some tips:
Always do recordings at the same time
Always make recordings at least 20 minutes long
Do not state the full name of the person you want to contact. If this person is around you, they will answer and know that you are talking to them. You need to ask them to tell you their middle or last name to ensure this spirit is who they say they are.
If you are doing a recording outside (or even inside) make sure to eliminate all noises that could show up on your recorder. Some people recommend using white noise to help the spirits communicate. This can be static on a TV or radio, running water or a fan. The wind or a near by stream could be used if outside.
Before you start your session always say a little “briefing” on your recorder. You should always state
Session Number (some people title every session to keep them organized)
Your Name
The Names of others around you (if any) involved in the recording
The Date
The Time
Number of questions you will ask
Any important notes that you want to remember
After you make your recording it is then time to listen back to it. This is the exciting part but it can take a while depending on the length of your session. I used Adobe audition because it showed me visually on a graph when I asked questions and then the silent period in between questions. Wherever I saw the line slightly raised when there was supposed to be silence I knew that portion of the recording was worth listening to. You can also play around with the background noise and enhance specific portions of the recording. This doesn’t alter what you record but it makes it so that you can actually hear what is there.. EVP’s rarely show up as a clear voice. They will sound muffled, high pitched, very low pitched or even like bubbles. Some do have an “electronic” sound to their voices. You need software like this to analyze your audio correctly. Go through the whole thing at least 3 or 4 times before you make a conclusion as to whether or not any voices were heard.
The key to effective EVP is practice. The more you do it the more “approachable” you become to ghost and spirits. The act of spirit communication alone is enough to make anyone more intuitive. I have used this little trick for years. When I do recordings in my home I will leave my questions out on the table for a few hours. I figured if I was a ghost, I might want to have some answers ready if I was trying to communicate with the living. I also start each session with an invitation to the spirit world. For example:
“My name is Amy and I am here to communicate with the spirits and ghost around me. I invite you to speak into my recorder and answer my questions. Please say whatever you want to say. Please tell me any information you might wish someone else to know. ”
I then pause and wait about minute and proceed with my questions. Try to have a routine and make the environment around you peaceful and comforting. It does not have to be dark or night time to do this. In fact, if you are not getting any results try experimenting with different times during the day or night. It took me about 4 months before I recorded anything. The voice first sounded like bubbles and over the course of a few more weeks I got my first words, “hello amy”. To be honest, that is the only voice I have received that was addressed to me and I don’t even know who it was. However hearing that made me practice more and more. Before long I did start recording sounds and voices that were unexplainable. Some were voices and some of it was weird noise that came from no where. Either way, EVP does work if you stick with it. Its not something that happens as soon as you pick up a recorder (although that has happened). If you have a friend that is into EVP you could occasionally analyze each others recordings. They might hear something that you over looked.
