Ghost Hunting: EVP

Yesterday, I touched on the basics of getting started ghost hunting with as little money as possible. While I suggested you put down $45 for a digital recorder, it wasn't a free way. But certainly not as expensive as some sites lead you to believe. If you still need to purchase a digital recorder you can follow the link below to Amazon. You can find these and other helpful ghost hunting tools at this site. This is where I have got most of my equipment.

So, in a little better detail, today we will discuss going about an EVP session and going over the evidence. But first, what is EVP? It stands for Electronic Voice Phenomenon. In other words, it's voice people cannot explain that show up on recordings that were not heard while recording. Many skeptics say it is just radio transmissions. Well if that's the case, for many years now there have been radio transmissions hitting recorders at just the right time to answer questions. Pretty ironic don't you think? A little too ironic if you ask me. OK, enough of the explanation and on with the investigation.

When you set down and turn on your recorder, it is always a good practice to make note of the date, time, location, and who all is present. Also if there is the sound of water dripping, or a heater running, or another sound you have heard that you can definitely rule out as natural make note of that. Now one last thing before you get started. Let everyone in the group say a quick introduction, so you hear what each voice sounds like on the recorder. This will be very helpful when you go back to review the evidence.

Ok, documentation of date, time, place, and everyone's voices have been made. It's time to get to business. If at all possible set the recorder down. If you are walking through a building it is ok to hold the recorder but hold it firmly and try not to move your hand around too much. This can cause extra noise that you may mistake for something paranormal during review. You can ask questions for awhile. Be sure to give at least 30 seconds to 1 minute before asking another question. This gives the entity plenty of time for a response. They are not always right away like a normal conversation might be. Then maybe stop and talk to one of the group members awhile, but through it all make sure everyone talks loud and clear. You don't want somebody whispering. It may be hard to discern the voice later. Some of my best EVP's have been when talking to my partner. Not while asking questions, so they can come at anytime. Then maybe ask a few more questions. Also, make sure to note if anyone coughs, sneezes, runs into something, anything that will cause a noise. This may be hard to remember at first, but the more you do it the more natural it will become. One more thing, always thank them for talking with you. Even though you don't know, yet, if they did or not. It's always good to say thank you just in case. They may be more open to talk to you again if you show them you appreciate the time and energy they spent with you.

Once the investigation has ended it's time to review. Depending on how long the investigation, you most likely have a long sit listening to your evening all over again. It's good to take breaks now and then and come back. This part can be the most boring. However, it can also be the most rewarding. It is an awesome feeling when you hear a voice played back you did not previously hear, and that you know is not a member of your group. You may also want to get some free software such as Audacity. That can be downloaded at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/. This will allow you to amplify sounds, remove noise, change tempo, and many other useful effects to help figure out exactly what you have captured. It is pretty simple software to use. There are several helpful videos on youtube. Alsog, if you are having trouble, feel free to send me an email or leave me a comment. I will be more than happy to help you. I will try to get back to you as quickly as possible.

So, there you have it. Keep good documentation, ask, wait, listen, and feel amazed at your findings. Share with friends and family and amaze them as well. Trust me there will be skeptics, people will tell you all kinds of things to disprove you. An important thing to remember is believe in what you believe, not what someone else believes.

Happy Hunting!!!