EVP- Conversations With The Dead: Classification

So far I've introduced you to EVPs, what they are and some of the history behind the phenomenon. Now I want to talk about how EVPS are commonly categorized.

While thinking about the topic of EVP classification, it occurred to me that EVP classification is often used to establish sound quality . I should note, that I'm not suggesting this is necessarily wrong; but there seems to be a growing number of people who agree with my assessment that EVP classification should measure the likelihood an EVP will stand up to scrutiny.

When doing EVP work, be sure to make note of any ambient sounds or "voices" you might hear. It doesn't matter how trivial it might seem to you. It will help you sort things out during review. Also make sure team members and you are speaking normally; which means don't whisper. When you review your evidence, don't dismiss all potential EVPs, but when classifying your findings, work your way up to the most "bunk free" evidence.

In other words, when reviewing EVP evidence, you should be in the frame of mind that it can all be easily explained away (debunked). The harder an EVP is to explain or duplicate; it has a greater probability of being accepted as a genuine piece of evidence and will of course be higher up on the grading scale. The common question I usually get; " Well isn't louder and clearer better? Of course, but only if it can stand up to scrutiny. Don't get me wrong, by and large a lot of skeptics will dismiss anything you present, but the harder it is to debunk, the better you and your evidence looks. For example you would easily stand by a an EVP, where there is no question what was said and that in fact had no identifiable source, did not come from you or anyone else on your team; than you would where it could be just as easily be attributed to someone just whispering or dropping something. The key thing to remember is ; Can it be debunked? That assessment requires you to be objective and honest with yourself. It's easy to get so lost in the excitement you caught something, that you lose your objectivity.

Before I get to the classification of EVPs, I should also note there are two types of audio evidence; the more commonly discussed EVP(Electronic Voice Phenomenon) and then there's AVP or Audible Voice Phenomenon. On the surface these sound like they're one in the same. They're not, but are two distinctively different anomalies. It should also be noted that I prefer to use the term "voices" rather loosely, as it implies you only pick up "voices" or coherent speech, while that would be ideal, many times you end up with other unexplained noises, such as footsteps, growling, music, humming, etc...

So what's the difference between an EVP and an AVP?  An EVP is an anomalous(unexplained) sound recorded on a digital or analog (tape) recording device and isn't heard until you review the recording.

An Audible Voice Phenomenon (AVP) is just what the name implies, this is a sound you hear in real time. Like EVPs these can be coherent speech, to non-human sounds, such as footsteps, knocking on a door or wall, scratching sounds, etc... The obvious aspect of this type of anomaly is that they can heard with your own ears and if you remember to keep that recorder running, will be corroborated by your recorder on review. I've mentioned this before and I can't stress this enough. when doing an Investigation, especially when you're conducting an EVP session, make sure you or someone on your team, is keeping meticulous notes. Be aware of everyone's location, when you hear a sound, make note of it and investigate it. Keeping notes helps eliminate a lot of confusion on review. If possible try and duplicate that sound, always look for a plausible explanantion and ask the presence to repeat the sound or action.