Dangers of too much EVP?

[Robert M]

I recently watched a recorded episode of Paranormal State where a lady was endangering herself by excessive EVP recordings & there was the mention that doing too much EVP sessions can open up doors to elements much like a ouija board. Has anybody else ever come across anything like that before? Also it's raises other questions. Why only excessive EVP work. Do Paranormal investigators, open up doors when doing an investigation doing EVP work. How about other media formats too like video & still photos, can they open up doors too by excessive work in an investigation?

Personally, I think your comparing apples & oranges. EVPs, videos & photos seem to be 1 way communication. basically just looking for evidence. Ouija Board seems to be 2 way communication, people ask a question out loud & the spirit ( if any present) answer by moving a pointer around.

However, since the paranormal isn't an exact science, I'm open to other view points. That's why I'm curious.

[Lourdes]

Robert,

This is a very interesting observation and I'm sure you've opened a Pandora's Box here!

I'm not talking on behalf the organization I belong to, but from my own experiences. Knowing our other paranormal investigators, with minds of their own and with a scientific view, they might disagree with me. I encourage such challenge for that's the way we've trained them...

Now, going back to your issue. In my opinion, it doesn't matter how much or little you try to communicate with the beyond. Trust me! I went through the same issues on a previous occasion when I was conducting scientific EVPs and someone suggested that it would be wise for me to stop conducting them from my home. Since I like to give everyone's advice the benefit of the doubt I stopped. It's been months and now I have double of the spiritual trouble than ever before!

In the paranormal field, unfortunately, there is not one way or another. This field is and will ever be an everlasting changing in methods, theories, and everything in between!

Case in point, do people actually believe than once a medium guides those unfortunate spirits to the light or cleanse a home from dangerous ones that the property would be immunized forever? Non-sense! The spirit world is endless and they will continue to come and go as they please, by their own choices and at their own terms, period!

Thanks for letting me share my 2 Cents... lol

Lourdes

[Brandy Stark/SPIRITS of St. Pete]

I think that any time one gives additional attention to the paranormal, it can bring about unintended consequences. I believe that is the reason why teams should be called in to investigate as neutral parties.

I do think that EVPs are one way to communicate. However, I recently had a "bad egg" who was dismissed from my team (and in 9 years we have dismissed a total of 3 people -- a clique -- who stirred up a lot of trouble). She touted herself as an expert with EVPs. I will say that she DID get some that are legitimate, but in reviewing some of her data I always found some of the "EVPs" were overdone (to the point that everything sounded mechanical), or could be naturally explained. Nearly 3/4 of her EVPs I would not say were actual EVPs because I believe that they could be explained. I think that too much emphasis on this means of communication is dangerous, and readily accepting anything as an EVP is also harmful.

[Robert M]

Yeah, I suppose that happens now & then. I'm very good at things, but would never call myself an expert. When it comes to EVPs, sometimes it's tough to make things out. I think it would be a good idea to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion too.

I've never done work on my own or with a group. I've listened to that were posted on the net. I couldn't make out half of them. Whenever there were words posted with it, then I could understand that EVP. However, part of me thinks it's a mind trick, using words to tell what the EVP is saying & then your subconsciously thinking that's what your hearing.

If there were only strong clues as to what the EVP is, not saying exactly, then I would be more believable of the EVPs. Of course there are other factors to consider too.

[Lourdes]

I agree with you, please read the comment I just sent to Brandy.

[Lourdes]

We capture hundreds of EVPs during all our investigations, however, only the ones close to Class As or Bs are recorded/posted on the clients documentation. The other ones, we just discard, period. There are others who love to keep cleaning up EVPs just because they heard something there and what they end up doing is making up sounds or something mechanical that it can't be identify at all. We simply don't use those. Other thing that EVP technicians don't understand too much is the fact software EVP cleaners like WavePad, CoolEditPro, or Audicity are only tools to aid in the transition for others to be able to listen better (enhancing), BUT, and I say but in capital because if we know how the disembody voices utilize the sources/tools/equipment to communicate with the investigators then we have to realize that cleaning up too much will completely change those voices. Some are able to use weak signals and when you clean with the Noise Reduction, etc. you are eliminating the primary source of communication from those voices. Hence, we only enhance but never to the point of losing the identity of the voices.

I couldn't find the 2 EVPs on their separate files for it will take too long, since we have so many, however I remember setting up a short clip, where in the middle you can listen to 2 very identifiable EVP voices. One is of a little girl who died in the premises many years ago, the other is a real demonic entity captured on tape. At the time of this EVP recording we didn't hear anything. Please link below and listen:

http://www.pasmediainc.com/evpsfrominvestigations.htm

I could go and go with EVPs but I don't have the time right now. I personally don't and will never consider myself an expert in EPVs... and to tell you the truth no one ever will. We are here to learn and will keep learning until we go to our graves...

Lourdes

[Egypt Valley Paranormal_Joni]

I totally agree, we don't clean up at all. What we hear is left intact.

Here's a few of ours.
http://www.egyptvalleyparanormalinvestigations.com/evps.htm

[Lorraine Warren]

Being a paranormal investigator myself, you say EVP's are a 1 way communication, what is it when you are asking questions in the voice recorder hoping to get a replay back, is that a 2 way communication? and as dangerous as a Ouija Board? I reside in the United Kingdom now and live in a old victorian home built in 1881, and my boyfriend and myself have seen a victorian woman and a cat in the home, which made us set up video and audio, and we capture many EVP's, more then I have ever captured in any case before. In the video footage there are 5 or 6 bright orbs one right behind the other that go to the couch where one of our dogs was laying and seem to go right to her.A week later she died in her sleep at the foot of our bed. We where going to ask some questions on the audio recorder, but now I'm not sure if that would be a good thing to do? Could you give me some thoughts on that? Thanks

[Lourdes]

Dear Lorraine,

About Ouija boards, we don't use it. It's just not that they're spooky but because it's only an instrument of communication and not a toy. If you open the portals (communication with the beyond) and you don't know how to close it is when you might have spirits coming around you just because you 'call' them through the Ouija board. We use special techniques which apply to anyone. First, you have a short list of questions already on hand; second, when you're ready to conduct EVP with a tape/digital recorder you greed whoever is there; third, you leave about 10-15 seconds in between questions so that whoever might answer have time to respond; fourth, keep your EVP short, about 10-15 minutes is enough; fifth, always be respectful; sixth, say good bye and thank them for the time they've given you and ask them to return to their abodes.

There's no reason to be afraid. We're only afraid of the 'unknown.' Once we realize that we're contacting someone it should be taken as if you were communicating with the living being. As normal as possible. Now, I don't recommend that you conduct EVP while upset or are worry about something that might interfere with the spirit communication. I suggest that you do it when in good mood and when you're not rush for time. There's not really a perfect time, only that at night for obvious reasons people and traffic are more quite, hence the investigations are conducted at night. I don't believe in any special time, only a quite time.

I believe that being professional at all times is the only way to go when conducting spirit communication and we should all maintain a common level of guidelines so that others who want to learn the techniques know it the 'right way'... I've seen paranormal groups that don't really give too much professionalism and shows to the clients that they don't know what they're doing. If an individual would like to learn I suggest you go to those who know the proper 'how to' of conducting paranormal investigations. Paranormal Awareness Society, Corp. has been conducting investigations for years and they have a set of standard rules that every investigator go by. If you want to learn more please visit www.ParanormalAwarenessSociety.org.

Lourdes

[Lorraine Warren]

Lourdes, My question was not to use a Ouija board, I know all about them, my question was just about using a audio recorder to ask questions, would it be as bad as using a Ouija Board? I have been using audio recorders with DBPRG for some time, was just wanted to know your opinion on asking questions with the recorder? Thanks

[Lourdes]

Hi Lorraine,

In reference your comment: "would it be as bad as using a Ouija Board?" Why do you keep thinking that is "bad"?

Maybe I didn't explain it right on the first paragraph of the comment I previously sent you. Ouija boards and recorders are the same thing, you are trying to communicate with the spirit world. However, why use a board as a means of communicating when you can use a recorder? (recorder leaves evidence, if any, of disembodied voices). Just remember who sells Ouija boards... board games companies, an inexperienced person or even worst, a child use it is as using a recorder to talk to the spirit world without knowing the proper way to do so is not right. We don't use Ouija boards because it just doesn't make sense to. We ONLY used a Ouija board at an investigation of a historical place where the care-taker explained that some people tried to communicate in that place with a Ouija board and that strange things happened and they ran out of the place very scared. Since we're 'investigators' we decided to bring a Ouija board to replicate what they did. Obviously, we use the same techniques as when using a recorder. The thing didn't move!

Whether you use a Ouija board or a recorder, if your intensions are wrong, and you don't follow some rules, as I explained to you on my previous response, you will not get too far. I mean, is just common sense, why get into something that we don't know about? If your car needs to be fixed and you don't know anything about cars, would you pretend to be a mechanic and fix it? No. You go to an expert. To record EVPs you don't have to go to an expert, however, you do need to learn 'the right way' how to communicate with the spiritual world and follow through. As simple as that. The best way to learn about EVPs is through AAEVP, American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena, founded by Sarah Estep: http://www.aaevp.com/ (for EVP techniques link to http://www.aaevp.com/techniques.htm).

Lourdes

[M. Decker]

I think one of real dangers in any kind of investigation (be it EVP, photo, video or property investigation) is the someone can lose oneself in it. In constantly delving into the spirit world, a person can slowly close themselves off from their own life. I'm not suggesting that a person would go so far as to waste away physically, but emotionally they can drift away from living contacts in favor of spirit communication. This is understandable to a degree. If a person is trying to contact a loved one for instance. I think that it's always healthy to be able to take a step back and realize that even though we may be able to communicate with occasionally, we are living and they are not.

Who knows, we may even be intruding on them at times. The woman from that episode was losing her personal connection to the outside world because she was almost obsessed with recording EVP's. Ryan called her on this and I was relieved to see that she had decided to reconnect with her family. What do you think?

[Lourdes]

There is ITC (Instrumental Trans-Communication), which includes spiritual communication through other medias, such as computer, computer printers, TVs, fax machines, answering machines, cell phones, etc. Certainly, there are no limits to how the spirit world communicates with us and it doesn't stop just through a tape/digital recorder.

The best link to learn more about ITC is http://www.worlditc.org/, World ITC, founded by Mark Macy. He has written the book, Spirit Faces - Truth About the Afterlife, which also discusses his technique of photographing spirits within human, living beings. Very interesting to have in your paranormal library!

Lourdes