A very popular way of trying to communicate with spirits at haunted locations is to try to record electronic voice phenomena (EVP.) Believers claim that these recordings seem to capture the voices of people who have passed on.
Thomas Edison and Communicating With the Dead
Thomas Edison was a brilliant inventor. He is known for inventing many things, including the phonograph. Although many credit him as the inventor of the light bulb, in actuality, he didn't. Instead, he is responsible for developing a practical, incandescent, electric light.
Thomas Edison believed that it could be possible to communicate with spirits through the use of electronic equipment. His belief was so strong that he actually started to construct a machine that would allow for spirit communication. Unfortunately, he died before he could finish his attempt at this invention.
The Discovery of EVP and Friedrich Jurgenson
The person most often associated with the discovery of EVP is that of Swedish opera singer, Friedrich Jurgenson. EVP voices are not audible to the human ear, but can be picked up with sound recordings. While trying to tape record birds, during playback, Jurgenson discovered a Norwegian voice on the tape.
He chalked it up to somehow recording a radio broadcast. However, he was curious enough to see if the same occurrence could be duplicated. Using other recording devices, he found that he was able to record voices that he couldn't hear at the time of the recordings and that these voices not only told him information about himself, but provided further information on how to record more voices.
How to Record EVP
To attempt to record an EVP, an audio recorder is needed. This can be done with a cassette recorder, although a digital recorder, (known as a DAT) is preferred. The best type of recorder to use is one is that is voice activated, meaning it will only record when sounds are present.
To obtain an EVP recording, a recorder can be placed in a room at a haunted location and switched on. However, some have reported more success obtaining a recording while performing a question and answer session with a spirit. To do this, ask a question to the spirit, then remain silent for enough time to allow the spirit to answer the question.
Believers regard electronic voice phenomena as an easy way to communicate with the spirit world. Although some voices are random, others seem to answer questions, thereby suggesting that there is some kind of intelligence involved. TV shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghosts Hunters International, and Ghost Adventures offer great examples of EVP.
Readers may also enjoy Are Ghosts Real?, along with What is Ectoplasm and is it Real?, and What Is A Poltergeist?
Sources:
- Encyclopedia of Death and the Afterlife, James R. Lewis, (Visible Ink Press,) 1995.
- The Everything Ghost Book, Jason Rich, (Adams Media Corporation,) 2001.
