EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena. Basically, an EVP is any sound such as noises or words recorded that were not heard by the human ear at the time of the recording. Many believe that these unexplained noises, sometimes interpreted as words and even responses to questions, are that made by spirits or entities. Although regarded as fact of an ethereal existence by paranormal researchers it has not been accepted by the wider scientific community due to the high potential for contamination.
The beginnings of EVP are not very well known, but it was brought into the limelight in the 1920’s when Scientific American interview Thomas Edison about the possibility of contacting the deceased. To which he replied that although there was no proof that there was any kind of existence after death, however if there were some sort of spirit or ethereal entity that if an instrument were constructed that was so delicate that if they wished to contact the living it would provide a greater opportunity for them than Ouija boards or other common equipment available at the time.
In 1959 Friedrich Juergenson captured voices on audio tape while trying to record bird sounds. Throughout his many recordings he captured hundreds of voices, including that of his departed mother. He also authored two books on the subject “Voices from the Universe” and later “Radio Contact with the Dead”.
Dr Konstantin Raudive read of Juergenson’s experiences and even visited the man to learn of his methods. He continued to experiment on his own and also recorded voices, including his own deceased mother who identified him by his childhood name.
In the early 1980’s Sarah Estep formed the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena (AAEVP) and rapidly gained membership of hundreds of EVP experimenters. This group is still active today and boasts hundreds if not thousands of members.
Many more significant events and improved methods have been developed since the above experimenters started their journeys, but they highlight some very important points in the development and public awareness of EVP. Although the number of sceptics at least equals and may even outweigh the number of believers and investigators it seems to spur these believers on, to further the research and bring credibility and more evidence to this field of study which will continue for a long time to come.
