How to Get an Electronic Voice Phenomena

An electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) is something ghost hunters use to define a haunting. An EVP is a recording of a ghost's voice, often answering a question posed by a ghost hunter. EVP's can be unnerving and since they're usually full of static and scratchy-sounding, they are often dismissed as being in the ghost hunter's mind.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Battery-operated tape recorder with an external microphone.
• Brand new, high quality tapes.
• Extra batteries
• Earphones

1. Get a good battery-operated tape recorder. Make sure the tape recorder works and bring along extra batteries and extra tapes before your ghost hunt.

2. Label your tapes with the place, time and date so you don't get confused when you're analyzing your data.

3. Turn on a low background noise. Ghost hunting experts, such as Grant Wilson from the popular Sci-Fi show Ghost Hunters, recommend turning a low background noise on in whatever area you're trying to record an EVP. Examples of background noise include white noise, running water or even a vacuum cleaner. Wilson feels that spirits will be better able to create sounds that make sense with a little help from background noise.

4. Unplug everything that you don't need. Electrical things can inadvertently cause noise on your tape that you may interpret as an EVP.

5. Set your tape recorders up in empty rooms for a few hours to see if you record any electronic voice phenomenon. If you do this make sure you note any other sounds such as voices from the street, your voice from another room or electrical appliances that you can't turn off.

6. Walk around with a tape recorder asking the spirits questions if you don't want to set your recorders into an empty room. Make sure you use your regular voice and don't yell or whisper. Yelling or whispering will make it harder for you to analyze the tapes later. Popular questions include asking for names, asking if there is a spirit present, and asking for signs of a spirit's presence.

7. Analyze your tapes using earphones. The earphones will help you hear any EVPs more clearly. This will likely take a long time, especially if there are other noises on the tape. You're looking for static-sounding, soft voices or groans that are often hard to understand. Electronic voice phenomenon often sound like they're coming through a long tunnel and may not make much sense.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a good tape recorder with an external microphone to get the best recording possible.
• Make noises into the recorder, so you can find out what your breathing, the noise from the street and your footsteps sound like so you don't accidentally interpret these sounds as EVPs.
• Record at real-time speed.
• Ask simple questions of the ghost. They have difficulty communicating and yes or no questions are going to be the best.
• Respect the spirits. Don't make fun of them or laugh at them. Make sure you thank them when you finish your ghost hunt.
• Never reuse tapes.

Resources

• Go to the Ghost Hunter's Store for ghost hunting equipment.
• Go to the Ghost Investigator's Society for actual recordings of EVPs.

[davedonovan]

on 11/4/2007 This is something I've always wanted to try in my house! Unfortunately, I'm too nervous that I may discover something I'd rather not know about. But thanks for writing the article in case I ever get up the nerve!