EVPs?

[Eyeron]

How do you explain electronic voice phenomena? This seems to me to be one area that is exceptionally hard to explain as a natural phenomena. For example, if it is the recording of a radio broadcast, how could it be picked up by a normal tape recorder without anybody else hearing it? The tape would also have to be extremely sensitive to pick up a radio broadcast that nobody else in the room can hear.

However, I'm not certain that it is truly supernatural either. Which is why I am asking how could it be a natural phenomenon, or if it is a hoax, how could it be a hoax?

 

[Denver]

There are many forms of this EVP stuff. But, one thing to read about is paradolia.

You might notice in all these EVPs, a person says what it is they hear, and after that, other people confirm it. But what you don't see is people listening to the sound independently, with no preconceptions of what they are suppose to hear, with not knowing what questions has just been asked, and with no labeling or other clues of what the sound is supposed to say.

In every test I've seen, when people do listen to the sounds by themselves, with no hints, clues, or labels - just the sound - and write down what they hear, then come together and compare notes, they all have heard something different.

Paradolia.

 

[Eyeron]

I have heard that one before actually, and there are many times when I can't hear something clearly but it does sound like someone is saying something. I just couldn't make it out.

 

[Apology]

There are many forms of this EVP stuff. But, one thing to read about is paradolia.

You might notice in all these EVPs, a person says what it is they hear, and after that, other people confirm it. But what you don't see is people listening to the sound independently, with no preconceptions of what they are suppose to hear, with not knowing what questions has just been asked, and with no labeling or other clues of what the sound is supposed to say.

In every test I've seen, when people do listen to the sounds by themselves, with no hints, clues, or labels - just the sound - and write down what they hear, then come together and compare notes, they all have heard something different.

Paradolia.

What he said, it's right.

If you ignore what others are claiming it says and REALLY listen, you'll find that the "voices" are actually just random noise.

One thing that's interesting to note is that ghost investigations held in non-English-speaking countries by Americans somehow magically produce EVPs that are in English. Isn't that convenient?!? In the afterlife, one becomes multi-lingual

 

[MysteryMammal]

How do you explain electronic voice phenomena? This seems to me to be one area that is exceptionally hard to explain as a natural phenomena. For example, if it is the recording of a radio broadcast, how could it be picked up by a normal tape recorder without anybody else hearing it? The tape would also have to be extremely sensitive to pick up a radio broadcast that nobody else in the room can hear.

However, I'm not certain that it is truly supernatural either. Which is why I am asking how could it be a natural phenomenon, or if it is a hoax, how could it be a hoax?

Actually, this is quite easy to explain. You will notice that most people who make these recordings use run-of-the-mill voice recorders. These devices are unshielded and some are actually very good at picking up radio interference. This radio interference can sometimes be actual human voices but more often then not it is random noise.

The human brain seems to hate chaos. It tries to find patterns in the chaos. Auditory pareidolia is the phenomena of hearing something where there is nothing but chaos.

As for hoaxes? Some EVPs could be. But more often than not I think that the person recording the EVP believes they have recorded a voice when all they have is static. An EVP hoax, as far as I understand, is easy to achieve if you have some knowledge of electronics and radio. Find out what frequency is prone to interfering with your recording device, and then find a way to broadcast on that frequency. Or just make your device pick-up a convenient frequency.

 

[elbe]

One thing that's interesting to note is that ghost investigations held in non-English-speaking countries by Americans somehow magically produce EVPs that are in English. Isn't that convenient?!? In the afterlife, one becomes multi-lingual

For what little it's worth, ghost hunters international has claimed to have gotten EVPs in local languages and, I think one time, in an older dialect. Not that I trust them, or anything.

 

[Nonpareil]

How do you explain electronic voice phenomena? This seems to me to be one area that is exceptionally hard to explain as a natural phenomena. For example, if it is the recording of a radio broadcast, how could it be picked up by a normal tape recorder without anybody else hearing it? The tape would also have to be extremely sensitive to pick up a radio broadcast that nobody else in the room can hear.

However, I'm not certain that it is truly supernatural either. Which is why I am asking how could it be a natural phenomenon, or if it is a hoax, how could it be a hoax?

It's me.

I did it.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

How do you explain electronic voice phenomena? This seems to me to be one area that is exceptionally hard to explain as a natural phenomena. For example, if it is the recording of a radio broadcast, how could it be picked up by a normal tape recorder without anybody else hearing it? The tape would also have to be extremely sensitive to pick up a radio broadcast that nobody else in the room can hear.

However, I'm not certain that it is truly supernatural either. Which is why I am asking how could it be a natural phenomenon, or if it is a hoax, how could it be a hoax?

Other than pareidolia that has been well identified by other posters and radio "noise", it is very easy to demodulated AM broadcasts using just a diode (some of us may be old enough to remember "crystal" radios ). Diodes are common components in electronic devices and often the EVP can be traced to a local AM transmitter.

 

[Eyeron]

But has that been observed? Should they require during ghost investigations to have a specialist who can make the trace to a radio station to show that it's a signal recording?

Edit:

Also, many times the EVP is just one word. If it truly is a radio signal, why should it be just one word?

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

But has that been observed?

I have not done an exhaustive listen to EVP recordings but a couple I have heard do appear to be mundane terrestrial radio.

Should they require during ghost investigations to have a specialist who can make the trace to a radio station to show that it's a signal recording?

Well. If they had anyone on these shows with half a brain -- no make that a quarter of a brain -- that would be then end of them wouldn't it?

Edit:

Also, many times the EVP is just one word. If it truly is a radio signal, why should it be just one word?

If you have ever listened to shortwave radio you would understand this.

 

[Eyeron]

I haven't listened to radio in years. So i don't really understand shortwave radio. I've never even tried ham radio either.

 

[rjh01]

For more discussions about evps click on the tag evp I just gave this thread.

 

[arthwollipot]

I haven't listened to radio in years. So i don't really understand shortwave radio. I've never even tried ham radio either.

Then let me spend a little time to explain.

The radio band is incredibly noisy. If you take a shortwave radio and wave your hands near the antenna, you will affect the sound. Take any portable transistor radio and detune it - walk around with it for a bit and listen to how the sound changes.

The human mind is a pattern-recognition device. Have you ever had the experience of being in a crowded room with everybody talking at once, then someone across the room says your name and you can hear it clearly? Your mind picks out the pattern from the semirandom background.

This is exactly what is going on with EVP.

The semirandom sounds being constantly generated in the radio spectrum can be picked up by most radio receivers. The human mind picks out what it thinks are voices and applies an interpretation. There are no actual voices, just sounds that are reminiscent of voices.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Then let me spend a little time to explain.

The radio band is incredibly noisy. If you take a shortwave radio and wave your hands near the antenna, you will affect the sound. Take any portable transistor radio and detune it - walk around with it for a bit and listen to how the sound changes.

The human mind is a pattern-recognition device. Have you ever had the experience of being in a crowded room with everybody talking at once, then someone across the room says your name and you can hear it clearly? Your mind picks out the pattern from the semirandom background.

This is exactly what is going on with EVP.

The semirandom sounds being constantly generated in the radio spectrum can be picked up by most radio receivers. The human mind picks out what it thinks are voices and applies an interpretation. There are no actual voices, just sounds that are reminiscent of voices.

Hey. Arth. Close enough. What I was actually hoping Eyeron would do was to try listening to shortwave and hear a faint station fade in and out at the level of audible perception such that only a word or two can be heard. Not paradolia per se.

 

[Uncayimmy]

There are no actual voices, just sounds that are reminiscent of voices.

That's crazy talk. How do you explain this? (keep listening for numerous examples)

I want my mama

Seriously, though, they don't sound like voices. They sound words being formed in whatever background noise there is. In the examples I've heard none sounded at all like a human talking.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

That's crazy talk. How do you explain this? (keep listening for numerous examples)

I want my mama

Seriously, though, they don't sound like voices. They sound words being formed in whatever background noise there is. In the examples I've heard none sounded at all like a human talking.

CUE SCARY MUSIC

Who says They are Human???

 

[Klimax]

Other than pareidolia that has been well identified by other posters and radio "noise", it is very easy to demodulated AM broadcasts using just a diode (some of us may be old enough to remember "crystal" radios ). Diodes are common components in electronic devices and often the EVP can be traced to a local AM transmitter.

I built one in older electronic kit.(Elekronika - made in czechoslovakia)
But signals too weak.

Anyway there is another possibility besides unshielded demodulating taperecorder. badly designed with leakage between two parts.(Since radio-taperecorders usually can record radio,it is not that impossible) Even with shielding...

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I built one in older electronic kit.(Elekronika - made in czechoslovakia)
But signals too weak.

If you still have it around, try a longer, much longer, antenna. The one I had as a kid had a piece of wire about 10 metres long.

Anyway there is another possibility besides unshielded demodulating taperecorder. badly designed with leakage between two parts.(Since radio-taperecorders usually can record radio,it is not that impossible) Even with shielding...

You won't find shielding in any consumer electronic product for under $1000.

 

[ThatSoundAgain]

Not at all hard to explain. False positives in your pattern matching wetware. Pareidolia, as has been suggested.

The sad thing is that this is fueled by people who stops just short of the mundane explanation. Somehow they figure that dead people talking is a better explanation than random noise triggering wishful thinking.

This FAQ from the "American Association of EVP" even acknowledges that you need noise to get EVPs. They know it full well, and if you can't find a suitably noisy recorder, like the crappy tapeless dictaphone they prefer, add some room noise:

We have found that it is generally necessary to provide background sound during EVP experiments when using a very quiet cassette or reel-to-reel recorder. This is usually accomplished with an external microphone and such sound sources as a fan, static from a radio, running water or a pre-recorded sound file of the sound of garbed foreign language voices.

 

[vIQleS]

How do you explain electronic voice phenomena? This seems to me to be one area that is exceptionally hard to explain as a natural phenomena. For example, if it is the recording of a radio broadcast, how could it be picked up by a normal tape recorder without anybody else hearing it? The tape would also have to be extremely sensitive to pick up a radio broadcast that nobody else in the room can hear.

However, I'm not certain that it is truly supernatural either. Which is why I am asking how could it be a natural phenomenon, or if it is a hoax, how could it be a hoax?

A good explaination I heard was from an applicant for the MDC.

We were trying to help him nail down a protocol and it transpired that he wanted to use a particular brand of digital recorder...

An audio expert chimed in and explained that that brand had been designed for voice recording and had circuitry in it that amplified certain frequencies (voice range - to improve recoding quality / pickup)

It's most likely nothing to do with radio (AFAIK).

You're listening to static, and your brain is finding bits that sound like words. Same as backmasking.

Nothing hard about this one at all I'm afraid.