In this section we are going to cover different techniques on how to conduct a successful  EVP (electronic voice phenomena) session.  It is important to first read “Electronic Voice Phenomena” section on this topic, as to be able to get a better knowledge of the meaning and different types.

One of the most common questions that I get as a paranormal investigator (besides, “Do you believe in ghosts?”) would be how I record for EVP’s. This article covers some of the tips that i use and techniques used by our group.  I will cover some on equipment and alot on what questions to ask and how to ask them.  If you would like to know more please contact a NORS representative via the Contact Us page.

Lets start with your mindframe:

• Respect is the most important thing in a session.  Treat the entity and location like you would want to be treated.  You would be surprised how much of a difference being friendly can do.

• Don’t walk into an area intrepid or doubtful of a spirit presence.  Talk as though you are waiting for an answer.  I personally might not answer a stranger if they couldn’t see me and asked, “Is anybody here?”

• Think of where you are and the known history of that location. If you are in a private home then act accordingly. If you are in a historical location, then be respectful of the history and possible tragedy that may or may not have occurred there.  Most importantly, be understanding that whatever may be there, may not be able to answer you or may not possess the knowledge on what to do.

What gear to use during a session:

• When using a digital recorder it is not necessary to use an external microphone. I have found that it actually increases the amount of static recorded.

• Omni-directional microphones work best for trying to record for EVP. Think of it like a sieve, whereas a Uni-directional microphone would be more like a straw. More liquid (sound) can get through a sieve at once than through a straw.

• Do NOT use the voice activated setting available on some models of recorders. It only works after sound begins, which means that an EVP can be cut off or completely missed.

• The use of white noise during an investigation is something that some investigators experiment with. The white noise should be played softly as a background noise, not loud enough to interrupt recording. The use of white noise can give credence to an EVP by having a constant, unbroken noise behind the EVP, making the chances of the recording being faked extremely difficult.  Most recorders we use have such a high sensitivity that they pick up ambient  air noise and sounds.  Making it not required to use white noise.

When your conducting the EVP session you should keep these things in mind:

• When you first begin to record at a location be sure to make note of the date, time and location. Also, if you are going to be moving from room to room/floor to floor be sure to mention it aloud. This will help you remember where you were when you process your recordings later.

• Many investigators get discouraged or frustrated by whispered or faint EVP. One thing that may (or may not) help would be to ask the spirits to please speak as loudly as they can.

• This one may sound easy, but it isn’t. When you are recording on an investigation, don’t whisper. Everyone does this a little, and it actually takes conscious thought not to.When you review your audio later, you will be grateful that you did not whisper, as it can create false positives and/or waste your time focusing on it until you realize what it is.

• Try to word your questions so that you get as direct an answer as possible. Example: Instead of asking: “Do you know what the date is?” try asking, “What is the date?” That way you might get a date instead of a yes or no answer.

• One great tip for all investigators is to “keep it short”. When noting an outside noise during a recording session say the least amount you need to. Example: a car is driving by. Simply state, “car” and continue with your recording.  No further words are necessary.  Remember, the more you talk during a session, the higher risk you might be talking right over an EVP.

• When recording with a group of people, it is always a good idea to have everyone introduce themselves at the beginning of the recording so that their voices can be used for comparison later. This also helps eliminate false positives.

• To go along with the above, excess noise on a recording can be anything that is audible to the human ear. Some examples would be (but are not limited to) cars driving by, dog bark, footsteps, helicopters, floor creak, sirens from passing emergency vehicles, twig snap, coughs, sneezes, noticeable sound of cloth rubbing, etc. In short, keep your ears tuned to what is around you while recording. Doing so will help save you the time of examining false positives later.

Some suggestions on what to ask when conducting a session:

• Can you tell us your name?

• How old are you?

• Why are you here?

• Are you sad or angry?

• Are you alone?

• How many of you are here?

• What is your favorite color?

• Do you know what year it is?

• If so, please tell me/us.

• Can you tell us what happened to you?

• Can you see us?

• What do we look like?

• What color is your hair?

• Do you know my name?

• Would you like us to leave?

• Is there any way that we can help you?

• Can you show us what you look like?

• Is someone keeping you here?

• Are you afraid where you are?

• Do you have anything to tell us?

Finally, Processing the Evidence:

• Headphones are the only way to go!  They are the best way to hear even the faintest of EVP, as they put the sound right next to your ears.

• Common sense does come into play. If it sounds like someone in the group shuffled their feet, then they probably did.

• If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. That means that if the EVP sounds great without anything, then leave it alone. The more filters you use to clean a recording make that recording come under more criticism from the skeptics.

• Have you ever heard an EVP that sounded like a robot or like it is inside of a tin can? Sometimes those are just bad recordings, other times (most often) they sound that way due to over processing. It is far better to leave a recording a little hard to hear than to completely distort it by over doing it. Keep it simple. The less filters you use, the better the sound quality will be. Some EVP are just too low/quiet/hard to understand and/or distorted normally, there is no need to add to it by trying to make it sound like something it’s not.

I hope these tips help everyone!!!  If your interested in knowing more just contact a NORS representative!

Larry M.

Lead Investigator

Northeast Oklahoma Research Society

Join us in October for a special public event at the Constantine Theater in Pawhuska stay tuned for more details

Unexplained anger or rage demonstrated by residents of a location that are seeking help is often a key factor in determining the cause or the source of haunted location.  When there is unexplainable anger or rage within the family that cannot be explained by common stressors. We often find the cause to be that of a negative entity or at worst demonic in nature.

As many have seen the visual rage that can occur as depicted in the movies like the Shinning and the Amityville horror. Though theses are Hollywood depiction of the events we have found that theses incident do occur in some locations.  And a warning should be sent that unexplained anger can occur to investigators at a location. Though typically it takes time for an entity to generate enough strength to create anger in others, it can have effects on investigators especially who are conducting long term research on a location.

Often these events of anger are easily found to be simple stressors on the family or investigator and thus ruled out as paranormal. However as Team founders and supervisors should note that the emotional state of investigators at a location can have an effect of empowering entities especially negative or demonic due to their alleged ability to draw energy from anger or fear.

The Northeast Oklahoma Research Societies founders evaluate each member’s emotional state prior to any investigation due to this type of phenomena. If an investigator is found to be overly stressed or easily scared we find that it is best to keep them out of a location and usually place them in outside posts or under careful supervision for the duration of the investigation.

We recently encountered unexplained anger at a training event we had investigators reporting strong anger feelings building while inside the location. This was unusual for the location as previous experiences had dictated that nothing negative or demonic has been recorded at that location.

Often the feeling of anger or hate leaves the person shortly after being removed from the location where the feelings began. And it was found that upon removal that if the feelings left the person quickly that there may be an influence of a negative entity in the location. However if the feelings remained it may be real life stressors causing the anger and the there may be a need for investigator or client to seek a means to reduce their stress levels.

This being said if a group encounters a location with reports of unexplained anger or rage while at the location only and not extending beyond the grounds of the location than extreme caution should be exercised while investigating at the location. and there may be a risk to investigators as well as clients. These cases are usually rare but do occur and often these types of incidents do not start appearing immediately and make take years to manifest.

It is also theorized that actions taken inadvertently by clients or inexperienced teams can actually cause or allow negative or demonic entities into a location. Especially the actions of inviting an entity to come into a location or the use of Ouija boards, séances etc…

The Northeast Oklahoma Research Society has found that through close supervision and response analysis that this type of threat can be mitigated. And that as long as the team is closely monitoring the locations and the investigation and quickly addresses any unexplainable anger we have been able to alter our techniques to reduce the impact of this type of entity.

The Northeast Oklahoma Research Society is always exploring new techniques and theories in the field of paranormal research if anyone has any comments or questions please feel free to contact us.

The Northeast Oklahoma Research Society would like to welcome Chris and Bridgit as new members to our team.  They come to us with a great deal of enthusiasm and dedication to the field or paranormal research. and we look forward to working with both of them