What is EVP?

EVP is the abbreviation for
Electronic Voice Phenomena. According to the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena (AAEVP), "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."

 

"They typically constitute short utterances of just a few words, often in direct response to questions or comments about occurrences in the environment. Reports of EVP have involved virtually every known technology that is capable of supporting human voice. EVP are typically recorded using audio record-ing devices or audio-recording

computer software."

 

Founded by Sarah Estep in the United States in 1982, the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena is one of the leading authorities and voices of research on the subject matter of evp. For this reason, much of the information related to evp on this website will simply redirect you to the original source, at the AAEVP website. To read more about what evp is, download this white paper entitled Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC) and the Subset of ITC, Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) here at the AAEVP website.

 

How Was it Named?

Early on, EVP were labeled as "Raudive Voices" after Dr. Konstantin Raudive, a Latvian psychologist who helped to popularize evp after initially working with Friedrich Jürgenson. Though there were recordings of spirit voices prior to this time, Jürgenson is generally recognized as one of the first to publish books of his research that garnered the interest of others. Considering his extensive effort and fulfillment of the role of bringing evp to light, he is sometimes referred to as the "father of evp." It was this action that captured the attention of Raudive, who began working intently in this area. From there the ball really started rolling, and it slowly gathered steam with the passage of time.

 

According to Tom Butler of AAEVP, publisher "Colin Smythe is credited with coining the term, 'Electronic Voice Phenomena' (EVP) as a more inclusive alternative to 'Raudive Voices,' as the voices recorded by Raudive were referred to." This occurred in the early 1970's.

 

What is the History of EVP?

As far as the history of evp goes, there are some variations in what you will find on the internet. The description of each website will fluctuate in regard to details in relation to Thomas Edison and precursors to Friedrich Jürgenson and his discovery. When you think of the nature of evp, you realize that the following is true: it has been around since the beginning of time. It is only since the application of science has been directed towards evp that its real labeling and documented history began. Long after evp was named and established, continued efforts to communicate with spirit using electronic equipment prompted further labeling and classification. As it stands today, evp is classified as a subset of ITC. ITC is the generalized field of communication with spirit using electronics, evp specifically pertains to the recording of spirit voices (audio) with electronic equipment and media.

 

To read about the history of evp, read the following information compiled by others. Please use discernment and good judgement when determining what is factual and whether the information is documented or not. To the best of my knowledge, I have selected what appear to be the most comprehensive and factual links on this subject on the internet.

AAEVP: Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC) and the Subset of ITC, Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP)
Judith Chisholm of The EVP & Transcommunication Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Victor Zammit: A Lawyer Presents the Case for the Afterlife Chapter 4: Voices on Tape (EVP)

 

Explain EVP to Me.

OK, here is my explanation. EVP is the recorded voice of spirit, or non-physical entities. To you that means someone who may or may not have lived a physical life here on earth. They are people existent just as we are, with emotions, personalities, and interests all their own. As explained by many teachers and messages from the other side over the last hundred years or so, those we generally refer to as spirit exist in a sphere of finer vibration than that of the physical earth. They speak by focusing their mental intention and somehow some of it makes it through from their finer vibration into our more dense vibration. Sometimes people can hear it live without the assistance of electronics, but usually it is best heard on playback of a recording. Though there are many theories as to how this works, it has not yet been fully explained by our current scientific procedures and terms. It is simply so. You can, however, find more information on the topic of evp than any other subset of ITC.

 

In my opinion, one of the most misunderstood aspects of evp is the intention of the communicator who creates the evp. I liken evp to "eavesdropping" on the vibration of spirit. Most of these voices are effected with specific intent of the spirit communicator to speak to the person here in the physical, but this is not always the case. Sometimes we overhear comments by people in spirit that may be about us to another person in spirit, but not necessarily directed at us. Regardless of the intent, it is well-documented that evp is real. At this point in time, it can be reasonably asserted that hundreds of thousands have successfully communicated with spirit via evp. It still stands as the field of research that has opened many doors for further exploration of communication with spirit.

 

Anyone can work with evp by asking questions of spirit. Any audio recording device will suffice, or at least serve to facilitate evp experimentation. Experiences will differ greatly, as there are many determining factors which are also not as well defined yet as we would like. In my experience, a background source of audio will usually help the spirit communicator in forming evp. It is easier for spirit to use existent sound in an attempt to produce evp than it is to produce evp from nothing.

 

I would describe evp as the first step of learning for a person interested in investing their time towards the study of ITC. Being the most documented and widely practiced, evp is usually the first method that people use to try to communicate with spirit. It is where my work began, and it becomes clear by looking at this website that I have experienced enough with evp to propel me forward into other areas of ITC.

 

Samples

 

Two of my evp audio clips are presented below.

 

My first recorded evp in November 2005 on tape Here
Not a particularly special clip, but it perhaps may be similar to what a new experimenter may encounter.
I have no idea what it says, I do not consider it to be intelligible; however, it caught my attention.

Evp recorded Christmas Day, 2005
Girlfriend and I were the only ones present.
She says "I forgot to tell you its instant mashed potatoes, you know, those powdered kind."
Like a typical man, I replied "hmmmm."
She replied "tsssh, I'm kidding."
A spirit voice says: "Not Really"



 

 

 

 

 

 

More Links:
Tom Butler of AAEVP: Survival Hypothesis Explained
Was Thomas Edison a Pioneer of EVP and ITC? (AAEVP Website Link)
Did Sarah Estep invent the Class A, B, and C classification system? (AAEVP Website Link)

 

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