EVP: Field Test Experimental Parameters Part 1

From my middle school days, I remember the phrase “K.I.S.S.”, not the heavy metal glam band, but the warning to “Keep it Simple Stupid”. To that end, I am making this experiment as simple as possible. Before we go any farther, let’s get this out in the open.... We are not experimenting to prove if spirit voices can be caught on recording devices. Before we can fully tackle this assumption, we need to isolate how the EVPs are formed. Once we know the origin of EVPs we may be able to trace it back to the source. Got it? Good. Now let’s get on with the experiment. Here goes the experimental parameters for Field Test of EVP Origin. Independent variables or the factors that are purposely changed by the experimenter:

• Sound
• Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) level

Dependent Variable or factor that responds to the changes in the independent variable; it is measured, counted, or observed objectively:

• EVP

Hypotheses are predictions about the outcome of the experiment:

·         Hypothesis 1:  If electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is taken out the equation and an EVP is captured the EVP was not created due to the effects of EMR.

·         Hypothesis 2:  If sound is taken out the equation is taken out the equation and an EVP is captured the EVP was not created due to the effects of sound.

  Materials used:

• Four identical digital recorders each with a microphone jack.
  • We are using Olympus WS-500Ms.
  • For you sound engineers who care about such things Olympus USA states the Olympus WS-500Ms recorders contain compressor microphones.

Two Audio Cables to fit the microphone jack of your recorder.

• We used two (1) foot, 1/8” stereo male to stereo male cables.

One Faraday Cage.

• We are using the Science First (Sciencefirst.com), Faraday Cage SKU 615-3095, designed to block low level EMR.

Varied locations where paranormal investigators claim to have captured EVPs.

Fixed set of EVP questions.

A stop watch or other device for timing the questions.

A meter or meters to measure barometer, temperature and humidity levels

That’s enough for one day. We will continue with the parameters next time.

EVP: Peanut Butter and Jelly

 

Testing experimental procedures: We tried a couple of dry runs to work out the kinks in our experimental procedures.

A local cemetery, Fairhaven, served as our test spot.

To sort out our experimental procedures we played the peanut butter and jelly sandwich game.

 

Ever play the peanut butter and jelly sandwich game?

A basic communication exercise….provide Person A with a loaf of bread, a jar of jelly, a jar of peanut butter and a butter knife. Ask Person A to write a set of directions to make a peanut and butter jelly sandwich for Person B.

Person B has to follow the directions to the letter. If the instructions don’t say you can open the jar of jelly, then Person B cannot. If the instructions don’t say pick up the butter knife, then Person B cannot. It is a hilarious exercise in clear communication. Try it some time.

As you can see by the photo, when we followed the draft instructions to the letter, we ran into a few problems.

The revised procedures will come soon!

EVP: For Kicks and Giggles

Paranormal theories link paranormal events with changes in humidity, barometric pressure and/or changes in temperature, solar activity, seismic activity, as well as the phase of moon. Just for kicks and giggles, we will add these variables to our tracking. I will blow the dust off my statistics text and see if we can find any correlation to the formation of an EVP with changes in the above.

Before we go any farther, let’s take a look at causation versus correlation.

One of the errors I see most frequently in the press (yes, that includes paranormal TV) is confusion between causation and correlation. In theory, these are easy to tell apart. Causation is an action or occurrence can cause or produce an effect on another. A correlation implies a relationship between two or more things. This relationship can be in areas such as space or time. If one action causes another, then they are most certainly correlated. By the same token, just because two things occur together, such as same space or same time, does not mean that one caused the other, even if it seems to make sense.

Let’s take a rooster.

Day one: Rooster crows. The sun comes up.

Day two: Rooster crows. The sun comes up.

Day three: Rooster crows. The sun comes up.

Day four: Rooster crows. The sun comes up.

Day five: Rooster crows. The sun comes up.

Day six: The rooster dies before he crows. Will the sun still come up?

Yes, of course the sun will rise. The rooster’s crow is CORRELATED with the sun rise. The rooster’s crow was related to the sunrise in time. The rooster’s crow does not CAUSE the sun to rise.

I suspect that sport superstitions develop due to a similar misconception of correlation and causation. That lucky jersey is lucky because it was worn at the winning game (correlation)....somehow I don’t think there is any recorded case in which a jersey made the winning touchdown (causation).

Let’s keep the difference between causation and correlation fresh in our head as we move forward in paranormal investigation. Just because two things happen close together in time or space, does not mean that one causes the other.

Field Test of EVP Origin

Just about every paranormal investigator has attempted to capture Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP). I have not met many that think about how EVPs are possible. Before we go too far, let’s define EVP:

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) are anomalous, intelligible speech produced in electronic devices. They may be heard as a real-time output but are more generally heard on review of a subsequent recording. No currently understood physical processes account for the existence of EVP. http://atransc.org/journal/evp_formation.htm

The theories surrounding EVPs are many and varied. To me the theories fall in three categories:

Sound waves

The thought here is that spirits manipulate sound. Whether it be by using air pressure, white noise or some other mechanism spirits manipulate sound. For a nice write up on what sound is check here.

Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)

Proponents of this theory state that EVPs are created by invisible energy. EMR is all around us in the form of radio waves, microwaves, gamma waves and visible light. EMR comes from the sun, our televisions, cell towers and even our microwaves. Information on the EM spectrum can be found at this (and this) NASA page.

Other

Other theories exist such as: 1) Alien transmissions are being picked up. 2) Messages from other dimensions are being picked up. 3) Our own extra sensory perception [ESP] imprint EVPs on the recorder. 4) Ghosts are using ESP imprint EVPs on the recorder. I will exclude these possibilities from the current investigation question.

As far as I can tell, there are few if no studies to support or refute any of above theories. As of this post none of the researchers I contacted--who claimed to have researched the origins of EVP or the relationship of EMR to EVP—have responded to my query. I am scratching my head as to what results, if any, they actually found. I’ll let you know if I hear differently.

So I wonder:

What is the origin of EVPs? Can spirits speak in a sound range we cannot hear without technology? Sound is a mechanical wave and can only be produced physically. Ghosts don’t have mouths, voice boxes, lungs or tongues (all involved in making sound). Also, since EVPs are often unheard until playback and ghosts don’t have voice boxes, part of me doubts if EVPs are created by sound at all. Can spirit voices be on an energy frequency that we cannot detect without technology? With so much EMR around us, are we missing out on possible spirit communication? (Thanks to Ghost Lab Radio Podcast for getting me thinking about this.)

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