Electronic Voice Phenomenon

The equipment above is used by Ron of the team to conduct EVP/ IRC experiments. He has been collecting EVP since the early 1980's. Some of the items in the pic are: AM/FM radios, two way radio, Listen up device, (used as a mic) a stereo amplified listener (used as a mic) also shown is a set of speakers with a jack for headphones. The sources are run into a mixer from there out to a computer. Ron also received additional training and guidance from Dennis Hauck the consultant for the movie, "White Noise."

This phenomenon occurs when a recording device registers unknown voices or sounds that were not heard at the time of the recording. When the media is played back these anomalies may be noted by the researcher. Additionally, some may believe the recorded sounds and voices are created by infrasound. ( sound below human hearing range) However, if this were the case why would you hear it when played back? You wouldn't ... Others will remark. " It's not voices, you think you're hearing voices." They often imply the voices aren't clear at all. This isn't true either. However we do have classification based on clairity- A, B And C based on Raudive experiences. 

Edison and others felt that there would come a day when the dead would be able to communicate with the living as technology developed. We at PROS feel that EVP may be some of the best proof of life after death. There are several sources from which EVP's could come: ghosts, spirits which have never occupied a body, angels or demons. Other sources may be extra terrestrials, created entities, and possibly AI (artificial intelligences). Over time you should develop a sense for hearing EVP's. Occasionally the voices will have an odd sound to them much like a mechanical or computerized sounding voice. Others may have a weird annunciation which can vary from syllable to syllable. Some are fast, slow, or raspy in nature. At times they can sound like a normal voice. We have captured many that were in a "sing-songy" voice. It is important to know what is happening at the time of the recording and instruct any one else in the room to be silent. Note on the recorder anyone talking or whispering and what was said. ( This will help prevent "False Positives")

EVP's are not difficult to capture, you just need the right equipment and have a basic understanding of how to use your equipment. PROS uses digital recorders due to the convenience of downloading the information to a computer. Should you choose to use a "Tape Recorder", you will most likely need a external microphone. The reason is so that the mechanical operations of the recorder isn't picked up by the internal mic. Other points include: read your owner manual prior to use so that you can operate your recorder, and experiment with your recorder before hand, so you will know the best settings for the use of the recorder in the field. One setting you want to make sure you have right is the recording level of the microphone. There are free audio review and enhancement programs you can download. WavePad is a good one which some of the PROS Team Members have used for years along with other programs.

There are several reasons one may not get any voices on a recording. PROS has found that if the presence somehow understands that it is being recorded they may stop speaking. We have learned not to talk about the voice recorder until we are ready to conduct active IRC's* in some cases. The PROS team listens for interactive comments made by the entity regarding our actions or conversation. If the comment relates to a direct question or an event in the room, this rules out a random EVP. We have documented numerous examples of interactive voices appearing on the recordings.

On one occasion, a member's daughter called late at night from the parking lot of her college campus. She wanted her dad to keep talking to her on her cell phone while she searched for her car. The team was conducting an investigation in Stillwater and the member continued to record his conversation with his daughter. Upon listening to the recordings later, a male voice is heard saying, "I want her car out." This EVP can be found under "Hauntings-Stillwater Residence".

PROS uses several different editing programs for EVP. We make it a policy NEVER to alter the recordings in any way. The software we use to analyze the data is primarily used to enhance the voices so we can understand what they are saying. The recordings you hear on our site are the original raw recordings. There are some researchers who believe that any EVP heard in the human vocal range is a false positive. This is not always the case. EVP's can spike above or below our voice range and above or below hearing range; which usually falls between 60 to 20,000 Hz. When it falls outside these ranges, you truly have something unexplainable. The question that intrigues most researchers is how the voice became recorded on the recorder. Some theorize that entities can manipulate existing sound waves such as white noise or that they can actually impact or imprint recording media through energy. There is no easy or indisputable theory although there is evidence both for and against what exists now. There does seem to be a slight measurable fluctuation in the EMF (electromagnetic field) as a voice is recorded. This was discovered by Konstatin Raudive who conducted EVP research in the 70's utilizing a Faraday Cage as a control factor in his experiments. Amazingly, the voices still appeared on the tapes! This indicates that there is possibly another medium that the entities master to transfer their messages.

PROS has a theory which may put to rest all those people who have reported hearing voices. Many people have been diagnosed with mental illnesses and have been shunned by society. We believe it could be possible that there are certain people who have a wider hearing or reception range than most and these people can actually receive auditory information in the range in which the voices are captured. This would generally fall below 60 Hz. According to experts in the auditory field, the human brain only processes sounds that fall in the range around 60 Hz and above. This means most of us may actually "hear" these voices but our brains determine the information to be irrelevant and do not bring it to the forefront of our minds. Perhaps this is what happens when one of these voices is ordering a visitor to leave a location. The visitor suddenly feels it necessary to leave and does not know why.We have documented disembodied voices in locations that were rude and combative. In some cases the words were very vulgar to say the least.

The PROS Team will continue to collect and study EVP and post them as we gather them. Some members of the PROS team have studied this phenomenon for almost 40 years the  and have taken courses in EVP and related subjects of the paranormal in order to have a better understanding of techniques used in documenting the voices and the latest discoveries.

PROS uses the standard classification system for rating EVP's: A, B and C. Developed by Raudive. Class A is loud and clear like someone very close to the recorder. Class B sounds like someone is close, perhaps across the room some what less clear. Class C is like the person is in another room and their voice is  difficult to make out. The system rates the clarity not volume. We also use a relevance rating. For example: we ask during a session of EVP's, "Is there someone here?" A voice replies, "Yes, Jim is here." This EVP would show interaction so we would rate it as a 1. A 2 rating could reply with a "Yes" and a 3 rating would be a random response like "It's cold." We also keep in mind what was happening during the session to see if what is being said in the EVP is a comment about us or our actions. One should keep in mind accents should be take into account when listening. So it's possible someone from another English speaking counrty might now hear exactly what a person from the US might due to the diferences in  how we speak. So an A class here may not be one in England. Other considerations are the person listening with good or normal hearing vereses some one with impared hearing. Or the equiptment itself. 

We do have EVPs which show interaction among several of the disembodied voices. One good example is on our "Hauntings Page" under Research Information at the top of the page.

The PROS Team has dedicated many hours each week to listening to EVP. Some of our staff  could be considered "Experts" in the field of EVP and the on going research into these disembodied voices and their nature. We spent years in the same location almost every weekend conducting research. 

Should you have any questions concerning EVP, please contact the PROS Team.

It should be noted that to best listen to EVP a good quality set of speakers or headphones should be used.

EVP- ITCs with equipment

Understanding the over all concept of EVP is difficult due to the fact we can not prove what the source of the EVPs are being generated from. We cannot say they are ghosts or some other unseen presence.  We have in the past used all kinds of equipment to capture EVPs.  Devices like radios, TVs and computers to name some of the ways in which EVP or ITCs can be captured.

We have had results will each method. Each way and the different type of equipment produced it's own set of results not unleft to question by logic or reason. Here are my thoughts on some of the methods Pros and Cons.

Anytime a device such as a radio is used, there is always the possibility of recording a transmitted signal of some sort. The same could be said of TVs as well. With this said why even consider using them? Well there are some steps one can take to reduce the possibility of capturing a radio or TV station. If you are using a AM/FM radio tune to a frequency where no voice can be heard. There is always the possibility of  bleed over as it is known where a signal is captured that is generated by a transmitting radio near by. However when you are recording if you are listing live at the time you most likely will hear the voice created by radio transmission and know it is not an  EVP or ITC. There could always be the chance though the voice could be that of the disembodied, so how do you tell? Experience has taught me that often the disembodied will address you in some manner. Like the use of your name or if you have asked a question the response will seem to answer the question. Ask another question and see if there is another answer after a time you should through questions and answers be able to eliminate false positives.

The Ghost box- my thoughts (Ron)

Lately I have been questioned about using a ghost box. My thoughts are basically the same as above, there is room for error due to the radio scanning the channels and passing through frequencies which have a active broadcasting signal. So you already will capture voices generated by these stations along the way. With this in mind you have to remember what was said and where on the recording, this leaves a fair amount of room for error.  One way you could reduce the possible false positives would be to only use the radio in areas where the signal are not strong or build a Faraday Cage and place the radio in it. Another solution could be to clip the antenna's connection. Control questions are a must, when using the ghost box.  Have the voices respond with  particular answers. Like, There are .... here. Have them repeat your words back to you as part of the response.

The voices that are most often captured are best described as fast, raspy, whispers, mechanical , robotic in nature when recording EVP by radio. Often the volume may be low or have a sing song tone to them.  My experience has taught me if I use a radio that scans, the voices seem to be louder but distorted in some way. If I use a radio on a off station and record the voices seem to be clearer but not as loud.

                                                           IRCs

IRC stands for "Interactive Response Communications"

The PROS Team uses many different items for conducting IRCs. IRCs differ from ITCs due to the fact ITCs use items such as TVs, or other mediums electronic in nature. IRCs use items such as flash lights TLD 100, or any object that we believe possible used as a medium for communications with the disembodied.