Paranormal investigators soon began using tape recorders in quiet rooms, asking questions and later reviewing the static for whispers. By the 1990s and early 2000s, as ghost hunting hit mainstream TV, EVPs became a staple of investigation kits.
Today, EVPs remain a foundational tool in fieldwork; not necessarily as proof of the paranormal, but as a prompt for further exploration and discussion.
🔬 The Science
EVPs are categorized into three types:
- Class A: Clear voices or phrases understood without prompting.
- Class B: Voices partially understood with context.
- Class C: Muffled or barely intelligible sounds.
From a scientific lens, many EVPs can be explained by:
- Audio Pareidolia: Our brains’ tendency to find patterns in random sounds (like hearing a voice in white noise).
- Interference: Stray radio frequencies, Wi-Fi signals, or even microwave ovens can bleed into recordings.
- Mechanical or Digital Artifacts: Static, mic bumps, and signal compression can mimic human-like sounds.
That said, a properly controlled recording session helps reduce contamination and increases credibility.
🧪 The Lab: Try It at Home
Want to experiment with EVPs yourself?
Your At-Home EVP Lab
What you need:
- A quality voice recorder (see “Tools of the Trade” below)
- A quiet space with minimal ambient noise
- Notebook and pen
- Optional: Headphones and audio editing software (Audacity is free!)
Steps:
- Set the scene: Choose a location with a reputation, or simply one that feels significant to you. Turn off fans, AC, or electronics that cause hum.
- Begin the session: Start the recorder. Ask simple, respectful questions with pauses of 10–15 seconds in between.
- End with thanks: Close the session with gratitude and intention.
- Review: Wait a day before listening back (to reduce anticipation bias). Then use headphones and log any anomalies in your notes.
⚠️Ethics Tip: Never provoke or demand. Assume you're entering someone else’s space.
🔨Tools of the Trade
Not all audio gear is created equal. Here are our PIMN-approved faves for EVP work:
Recorders we use and why we love them
- Zoom H1n, Compact, clear stereo recording, easy to use
- Zoom HR-V3 360 audio recorder, Extremely sensitive, provides spatial context to where sounds are coming from
Other recorders that are highly regarded
- Olympus WS-852, Solid budget pick with great noise reduction and built-in USB for fast transfers
- Tascam DR-05X, Warm audio tones and sensitive mics for nuanced sessions
Recorders we will never use, proven to create artifacts and false recordings
- Panasonic DR-60
⚠️ Tech Tip: Avoid using just your phone if possible as its built-in mic is optimized for voices near the device and may suppress ambient nuance.
Practical Use and Pitfalls
EVPs can spark deep questions—but they’re often misused:
- Pitfall #1: Confirmation Bias – If you go in expecting a ghostly reply, you may hear one—even if it’s wind or refrigerator hum.
- Pitfall #2: Overediting – Too much filtering can create new sounds. Keep it raw unless you’re an audio pro.
- Pitfall #3: Lack of Control – Without a baseline (e.g., recording in an empty room first), it's hard to compare results.
👣 ParaIsMyNormal Advice
Use EVPs as one part of a multilayered investigation, not a stand-alone proof. Always document your environment. Note: humidity, electronics, and even your own stomach growl can show up unexpectedly, just ask Mike. 😉