EVP: Beyond White Noise
EVP: Beyond White Noise
http://paranormal.about.com/od/ghostaudiovideo/a/aa010305.htmThe disturbing implications of electronic voice phenomena
Electronic voice phenomena is today one of the most fascinating areas of paranormal research. Human-sounding voices from unknown origin are recorded on such electronic media as tape recorders, digital voice recorders, video recorders and other devices. Strangely, the voices are not heard at the time of the recording; it is only when the recording is played back that the voices are heard.
(Contrary to the premise of the film White Noise, EVPs are very often found without the use of "white noise" – random static from a radio or television – although this method has been used successfully.)
The phenomenon has been experienced and documented virtually since the invention of recording devices. Skeptics reasoned that the voices were caused by stray radio broadcasts or pre-recorded voices on re-used tapes.
EVP researchers were quick to dismiss the second reason, affirming that they only used sealed new tapes for their recordings. And then, of course, digital recorders, which require no tapes, made that argument irrelevant – the voices still showed up.
Aside from outright fraud (and to be sure there is some of that taking place here and there), this left the skeptics with the one "reasonable" explanation: the voices were caused by fragments of radio broadcasts. This dismissive explanation makes it clear that these skeptics – who usually tout themselves as being scientifically minded – have never tried to record EVPs and have certainly not researched the phenomenon very well. (Unfortunately, this is very often the case with skeptics and the paranormal.)
If they had researched it, they would have found that the radio broadcast theory is absurd. Why? Because quite often, these voices actually respond to questions posed by researchers, comment on situations in a relevant manner, and occasionally even address the researchers by name. The chances of a stray radio broadcast doing this with just a few choice words are too remote to even consider by any objective person. Also, the voices are clearly not those of loudmouthed DJs or other broadcasters; they are voices of average people, children, adults, seniors, male and female. Some have accents and some are infused with human emotion. There are real personalities behind these voices, wherever they come from.
Where do they come from?
It is true that the quality of EVP recordings varies widely. Some are of such low quality that we're left to guess what the voice is saying. There are many, however, that are quite clear and are usually categorized as Class A recordings. These EVPs represent the best evidence for a phenomenon yet to be fully understood. (See the article, "What You Need to Know About Electronic Voice Phenomena")
Where do these voices come from? This is the big question. Do they come from our own subconscious? Are they angelic or demonic in nature? Do they cross over from other dimensions of reality? Are they the voices of dead people?
For the purposes of this article, let us consider the last theory, that they are the voices of dead people.
This may be the most commonly excepted theory among EVP researchers. And if this is true, what are the implications of these EVPs and the things the voices are saying?
The ghost phenomenon has always raised unsettling questions about what happens to some of us when we die. Are some of us doomed to walk the earth after death, seemingly unaware of our demise, for an unknown length of time? (If time has any meaning where they are.) Why and how do they remain?
Except in very rare cases, ghosts – that is, apparitions – do not communicate with the living. Usually, they appear and vanish. There have been attempts to communicate with the dead through mediums, séances and Ouija boards, of course, but the results of these methods are dubious or, at best, highly controversial.
EVPs, on the other hand, seem to be direct communication from these spirits. Hard evidence. The voices are right there on the recordings. They respond, answer questions, even ask questions of their own. There are hundreds of these voices documented – maybe even thousands.
You can hear a diversity of examples on several websites. For example, at Utah Paranormal Research Group, you'll hear a friendly voice say "How ya doing?" and another one threaten, "Get the hell out of here." At The Atlantic Paranormal Society, there's a child's voice pleading "Don't go" and a woman saying, "Don't hurt me."
A fate worse than death?
There are EVPs reflecting the full range of human personalities and emotions. These people are not only self-aware, but their interaction with researchers indicates that they are aware of the living. They can hear us and see us. Do they know they are dead? Do they know we are alive? Do they know the difference?
These poor souls seem to be stuck in a limbo, and there is a kind of confusion and uncertainty in many of the things they say. What is their world like? It may be beyond our earthly comprehension, and perhaps we should be thankful for that.
If EVPs are voices of the dead, what does that imply for the fate of some of us? We too might get stuck in that limbo, struggling to make contact with strange beings walking around with tape recorders. I'm not one to think negatively about death and its aftermath, but EVPs present grave evidence that life after death might not always be as clear-cut or as pleasant as we hope.
Rain Rain Go Away! Due to a month of rain we have had to cancel an investigation at a Civil War Reenactment and a photography experiment :(. Hopefully with warmer weather on the way in March we will be able to get back on track!
On this rainy weekend check out our associate members paranormal message forum board here: http://ncparanormal.phpbb-host.com/
Gabreael
Child Ecto Picture
This little boys grandmother sent me this picture. His father has reported banging, and thumping noises in the mornings before dawn in his kitchen area. * You can click on this picture to enlarge it.*Gabreael
AngelsGhost.com
I would like to thank LC the editor over at http://www.angelsghosts.com/ for featuring one of my disembodied apparition photos here:
http://angelsghosts.com/eastern_paranormal_apparition_ghost_picture.html
They have also featured our Associate Member Julie of NCPI's kicken daytime apparition photo here:
http://angelsghosts.com/nc_paranormal_ghost_photos.html
If you like looking at ghost pictures Angelsghost.com select new pictures to feature each month. This months selection can be found here:
http://angelsghosts.com/ghost_pictures_february_2006.html
Their site http://www.angelsghosts.com/ is one of the most informative FREE sites I have come across on the web.
Once again; Thanks LC of Angelsghost.com!
Gabreael
Shades of Specters: A Possible Correlation between Auras and Orbs
Someone emailed me this article a while back from Ghost Magazine. I found it to be an interesting theory.
Gabreael
Shades of Specters: A Possible Correlation between Auras and Orbsby Ken Summers
http://www.ghostmag.com/issues/2004-06/2004-06-Tech-AurasandOrbs.html
Are you green with envy; perhaps feeling a little blue? Or are you just too yellow to handle it?
For hundreds of years, colors have been associated with emotions. We use these expressions so often in daily life we forget their origins are in auras: the radiance surrounding a person that shows their physical and mental well-being. With this understanding, it is only natural to question whether or not the deceased still have auras as well. And if they do in fact show mood with color, is it possible for us to see or better still photograph it?
Observations of auras began in 1777 when scientist George Christoph Lichtenberg first observed a high voltage corona discharged from a human hand in resin dust. As photography advanced, scientists started finding ways to capture this phenomenon on film, giving it the name electrography.In 1939, Semyon Kirlian invented a special type of camera to capture this unusual electrostatic-like occurrence. Living objects were placed upon an electrified plate, and photographs were taken, which depicted an unusual electrical discharge emanating from the subject. In some fascinating experiments, freshly cut leaves appeared to have the same aura’s as the living tree though from which they came.
From Kirlian’s work, came the standardization of the aura colors, known generally as color therapy, where the colors of the aura were defined to represent a persons state of being. However, the results of experiments in the Kirlian Effect are still highly debated though. A lack of clinical studies and a standardized research method left this field open for further research. Even so, the results of these experiments cannot be completely ruled out. It may in fact be a way of showing the essence of living beings.
So how can auras and Kirlian Effect have a possible connection with the every day paranormal investigator? The answer is both simple and debatable: Orbs.
Orbs are spherical “lights” or balls of energy appearing on film and in photographs believed to be the simplest form of a spirit. Orbs have been captured on both video and photographic film. They come in a range of sizes but more importantly, on some rare occasions, they appear to have different colors.
This begs the question: could there be a connecting principle between aura and orb colors? In order to gain a better understanding of this, we must explore what an orb really is.
In the rare instances when orbs are actually witnessed by individuals on a first-hand level, they are generally described as a round, transparent object, having a thicker outer layer or membrane and with sizes varying from a 6-inches to several feet in diameter. Some witnesses have reported orbs hovering around an individual or object, giving rise to the belief that orbs are intelligent had have a firm grasp of the world of the living.
Contrary to popular belief orbs, as a paranormal phenomenon, are a relatively new subject to the paranormal community even though their occurrence has drastically increased with the emergence digital technology. However if one can rule out all possible naturally occurring reasons for a photographic orb (i.e. dust, insects, and moisture), what is left is the common belief that orbs are some form of electrostatic energy, either being part of or an entire spirit entity. This would mean that these objects are in essence globules of energy and/or light particles (in the case of ‘visible’ orbs). With some basic understanding of the workings of digital cameras, this could make some sense. Unlike 35mm cameras, digital cameras do not directly take “photographs” of an image. Photons (particles of light having similar properties as energy) are converted into electrons (electric current) when they make contact with the charged coupled device or CCD (a collection of light sensitive diodes). Essentially, the product is a black and white imprint of the energy patterns emitted by objects and surroundings. Through filtering, colors are broken down and converted into a form the processors can understand, giving the orb its recognizable colors.So could the occurrence of orbs on digital photos be capturing a form of Kirlian effect? At this time, one cannot be sure, though it is an interesting hypothesis and one that should be investigated further. The only thing that can be safely state is that some photo anomalies are unexplainable and could possibly be paranormal in nature. It can also be safely stated that the appearance of these anomalies having a definite color seems to indicate something unusual is going on.
And if that color can be linked to the energy of the orb and could that energy represent the state of being of a given spirit?
Until further information and research surfaces regarding the true make of the orbs, the color theory should be considered to be as plausible as the Kirlian Effect from which aura’s are based.
So the next time you are on an investigation and find yourself staring at a photo with an orb in it, first ask yourself, ‘Is it more than just dust?’
After that, if it’s not simply some shade of white, look at the possible meanings for that particular color. Compare them to notes, observations, and evidence use EVP’s recorded at the time and place of the colored orbs, to see if the words could indicate a mood or mind set similar to the meaning behind the colors. Who knows, you may just be surprised by what you discover?
Ken Summers, a paranormal investigator with 10 years experience, and director of The Moonspenders, a paranormal investigative group with emphasis on Ohio's Cuyahoga Valley.
