Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP)

In my book Ghosts of Long Island II; More Stories of the Paranormal, I describe Electronic Voice Phenomena (otherwise known as EVP's), as "spirit voices" that are said to manifest themselves on audio recordings. I first learned of this term from paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto back in 2005 when we started working together. I have always been open to things, but I have to admit, I wasn't quite sure of EVP's. It sounded "too out there" for me. Joe explained that since digital recorders have replaced the old mini tape recorders, the spirits have found a new way to communicate. Combining their energy with the energy from the recorder, the spirits are able to manipulate it. They use the energy to, as Joe puts it, "monkey around with the electronic equipment". They leave their "mark" so to speak....a spirit voice. Just like the spirits have used digital cameras to form orbs, they use digital recorders to leave us a message to let us know that they're here.

I received my very first EVP on the first assignment I had for Ghost I. Oddly enough, Joe wasn't with me, nor was I even in a haunted house. I was interviewing a couple who had lived in an extremely "active" house, and they were sharing their experiences with me. It was terrible weather the night I set out to do this. Joe was coming from Hampton Bays and the weather caused him to be an hour late. I met with the couple and started conducting the interview. The three of us sat in a large living room. I had my recorder in the middle of the room on a large square table. I sat on one couch, maybe three to four feet away from the recorder, while the couple I was interviewing sat on another couch and was about the same distance away from the recorder. There were no other people in the house, the television was not on and the phone did not ring, therefore no answering machine was on. I went about asking questions and was later joined by Joe. Several days later I went to transcribe my recording. I sat with pen and paper writing everything down. Now, you know the difference when you listen to a recording about how far away a person is. For instance you would hear the difference between someone who was talking into the recorder from three or four feet away and someone who was holding the recorder up to their mouth and speaking. Well, about forty-five minutes into the interview, the voice of a little girl speaking in a loud whisper directly into the recorder could be heard. She simply said "Hold me". I almost fell off my chair. This had taken place before Joe got there with no other people in the house. I played it for my husband, who was scared to death, and then I played it for just about everyone I know. EVERYONE heard it, clear as day.

I emailed it over to Joe who said to me, "Congratulations! You just received your first Class A EVP!" To this day, I feel it was necessary that I received that clear EVP, if not, I may have always second guessed Joe. It was truly amazing, and since then I do on occasion get some EVP's on my recorder. Class A is the most audible. It sounds like you or me talking. It is clear as day. Class B is not as clear. The voice sounds similar to a robot, or sounds as if it is coming from a tunnel. Usually you can still make out what the spirit is saying. A Class C is the least audible. You understand that something is there, but it is usually unclear what the spirit is saying.

As you read this blog, you still may be thinking, "I don't know if I really believe this". Well, I give a great example about believing things when I give my lectures, and I will share it with you now. Let's pretend it is no longer 2009. Instead the year is 1800. I have a captive audience in front of me. I wheel out a flat screen, HD TV. Everyone is watching me and wondering what it is. I turn it on and I tell the audience that they are watching a man from London, England speak to them live...right now. What would they say? How would they react? They would say they don't believe it. It is not possible. I would tell them, but it is possible. You can see it for yourself. Even though they would be seeing it with their own eyes they still would not believe it. It is a trick, they may say. In those days it would have been thought impossible. Now let's go to 1950. Everyone is driving around in those cool cars. I tell them that one day they won't need to read a map anymore. One day we will have a small computer (whatever that is) in our car, and a computerized woman will give us directions and tell us where to go. We will put all our trust in what she is telling us. Sounds crazy, yet it is today's GPS system. Would they believe me? Of course not. It's impossible! There are tons of examples of this. No one believed that there could be airplanes up in the sky. People must have thought the Wright Brothers were crazy. Where would we be today if they didn't give the impossible a shot? Or what about putting a man on the moon? Another impossible feat! What I am trying to say here is to be open. Be open to things you cannot yet understand. Just because we are adults, went to school and succeeded at our jobs, doesn't mean we know everything or have to know everything for that matter. Just be open to the possibility and you may be pleasantly surprised.

For those of you who are interested, on your own computers you can listen to many of the EVP's Joe and I captured while working on both Ghost books. Listen for yourself. We leave it up to you to decide. We're simply putting the information out there for you. To get to them, go on to Joe's website at www.joegpi.com You will see on the left hand side "EVP's for Ghost I and EVP's for Ghost II". Click on whatever book you want and they will come up. You can even follow along with the book. So give it a try and see what you think. It just may amaze you after all.

Have a wonderful Halloween, and be open to the real spirits!