Speech Blog

It’s spooky season! Halloween is right around the corner and it’s the perfect time to go on an adventure. Instead of going to a crowded party, get in the spirit and have a socially distanced Halloween by spending your night with the kind of friends who can’t spread germs – ghosts!

Getting ghosted has never been more exciting! And no, we aren’t talking about your crush ignoring your texts…

Electronic voice phenomena, or EVP, is the mysterious recording of voices from an unknown source. Ghost hunting groups and other researchers attempt to capture these voices as a routine part of their investigations. But you don’t have to belong to a ghost hunting group to try EVP. In fact, you don’t even have to go to an allegedly haunted location. You can try this anywhere! Here’s how:

Get the right equipment

Selecting the best digital voice recorder for EVP can make all the difference in your paranormal investigations. Ghosts and spirits do make noise, but they’re often so quiet and brief that even a highly trained human ear will miss them, so it is important to get a recorder with high-quality microphones. A remote-controlled recorder can also come in handy in some cases, as it will minimize noise introduced onto the recording from the investigator handling the equipment. Having a recorder with a kick stand for best positioning or the ability to place it on a stand while still maintaining control over the recording is invaluable in some circumstances. The ability to control the recorder with a remote of some sort will help to keep things quiet so you don’t scare off any potential EVP. The voice recorder should also be fairly compact, and of course durable and reliable. Philips Digital VoiceTracers are great recorders for this situation. For example, the Philips DVT7110 is a recorder with high-fidelity microphones, an app for remote control, and a tripod mount so that you do not have to handle it the whole time, making it ideal for capturing EVP.

Choose a location

EVP can and have been recorded virtually everywhere. You don’t need to be in an allegedly haunted location (although this might be more fun). You can even try it in your own home!

Keep it quiet

You are trying to pick up voices that can often be soft, subtle and hard to hear, so keeping the environment as quiet as possible is of utmost importance. Turn off radios, TVs, computers and any other sources of unnecessary noise. Avoid moving around to eliminate the sounds of footsteps and the rustling of clothing.

Ask questions

Begin by stating out loud who you are, where you are, and what time it is. Don’t whisper; talk in a normal tone of voice. Then ask questions. Leave adequate space between your questions to allow the recorder to pick up any possible responses. Researchers often ask such questions as, “Are there any spirits here? Can you tell me your name? Can you tell me something about yourself? Why are you here?” Surprisingly, EVP voices sometimes respond to direct questions.

Have a conversation

If someone is with you during your recording session, you can talk with each other. Just don’t be too talkative; you want to give the EVP voices a chance. A conversation is sometimes encouraged, as many researchers have found that the EVP voices actually comment on what you’re saying.

Give it time & keep trying

You don’t need to spend hours recording, but make sure to give your sessions a good 10 to 20 minutes at least. You don’t have to be asking questions or talking the whole time – absolute quiet will work as well. You may not get EVP the first time you try it…or even the first five times you try it, but don’t give up! Researchers have noted that the more you experiment with EVP, the more EVP you’ll capture and with greater frequency. Persistence often pays off.

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At the end of night, make sure to enjoy yourself and have a little fun. Ghost hunting is an exciting adventure that is perfect for a Halloween night, and with the right equipment and some patience, you could capture something supernatural!

If you have any questions or want to know more, leave a comment and let us know!