Are EVPs Proof of the Paranormal?
by Karen Frazier, Managing Editor
Paranormal Underground e-Magazine
You see it a lot – groups getting interesting EVPs and presenting them to clients as evidence of a haunting. And certainly, some seem mighty compelling.
But are EVPs enough evidence to constitute evidence of a haunting? When you consider that there is no evidence EVPs are actually the voices of spirits, how then can they be presented as evidence of a haunting?
What is EVP? EVP stands for electronic voice phenomenon. Sorry. I had to say it now, didn’t I?
But really. What is EVP? Disembodied voices of spirits? Ambient noise? Interference from cell phones and walkie talkies? No one knows.
Before EVP can be presented as evidence, shouldn’t a baseline be established to help us figure out what EVP actually is?
This is the point of our current paranormal experiment – establishing a baseline for EVP. Our science editor, JD Harrison, has developed a series of experiments that will first establish a baseline for EVPs and then progress towards scientific exploration of this phenomenon.
Establishing a baseline isn’t sexy and it isn’t exciting, but it is a necessary first step in the process. Without a baseline, EVP “evidence” remains in the realm of supposition and assumption.
We’d like your help. In order to get an accurate baseline, we need as much evidence as possible. This is where you come in. JD’s study will only be strong in numbers. This is your opportunity to participate in true scientific exploration of the paranormal. And if there are ever to be truly scientific standards for investigation, you have to start somewhere. This is a good start.
What can you do? Visit JD’s paranormal experiment page and read the protocol for finding an EVP baseline. It will only take about an hour of your time, and at this time the only equipment involved is a digital voice recorder.
Let’s be honest. The paranormal is not a science at this time. It is a pseudoscience. We are all here because we have an intense interest in the paranormal -whether you are intensely skeptical, strong believers, or like me – you Just. Want. Answers. Dammit.
The only way we are going to get answers – real answers based in science and not belief – is by participating in activities that use scientific methodologies to learn what paranormal phenomena really are.
It has to start somewhere, and EVP is as good of a place as any, since EVP is among some of the most commonly collected evidence in paranormal investigation.
As a group, we at Paranormal Underground – the editors, writers, readers, members and guests – have the opportunity to influence how the paranormal is investigated. This is your call to action. Help us to make a difference in establishing true scientific study of the subject that draws us all together.
I know that there are many people who will say, “I don’t need proof. I know what I believe and I don’t need to prove it to anyone.” Nope. You don’t. But wouldn’t it be cool if you could? Let’s do something objective. Something where belief doesn’t come into play. Let’s take the paranormal and turn it into science.
I may or may not take part in your experiment. Sadly, I don’t own a good digital voice recorder, only the one built-into my cell phone. But, I have been meaning to purchase one; so, perhaps, this is the motivation I need. I do think that it’s a good idea to establish a baseline, guidelines, standards, and code of ethics/rules of professionalism.
Of course, not all phenomena and methods of discovery are going to fit neatly into a box and there will be exceptions. In these cases, I think that evidence should be weighed against other evidence, and/or that multiple studies should be conducted.
And, again, speaking only for myself, in reply to your question concerning sharing proof, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could?” No, it probably would not. It opens the finder to scrutiny and makes the locations where the “proven” activity is taking place the object of hobbyists, quacks, tabloid press, charlatans, fakes, the curious, fanatics and vandals.
While I do not mean to insult anyone, at this stage of development, I think that it’s a gross overstatement to classify the majority of “paranormal investigators” even as “pseudo-scientists.” They’re hobbyists, at best; and, judging by 99.9% of what I’ve seen submitted as evidence on the majority of websites, they’re not even very good ones.
If one intends to submit photographs as evidence, one needs to have expert knowledge of photography. The so-called “investigator” should know the difference between an anomaly and the camera strap caught before the lens, a faulty flash filament, moisture in the air, fog due to light leaking into a camera, image transference on old film, a reflection, a bug, etc. And, if the “investigator” does not possess a keen knowledge of the photographic arts, he or she, at least, should have the good sense to first run their findings by someone who does, not another hobbyist.
The same can be said for all findings. Yet, in the overwhelming majority of cases, I have not seen this. Even on the supposedly legitimate program, “Ghost Hunters,” I have witnessed what was clearly the faint sound of a cat meowing in the distance, perhaps through a drain pipe, presented as a disembodied voice from the great beyond calling “Help” or “Hello.” In another instance, on the same series, I watched what was identified as video evidence of a spirit lifting a bed comforter, while the investigator lay sleeping below it, unaware of the “ghostly activity” in his room. Anyone with art training on how fabric drapes over underlying structures could see that there was a drawstring sewn into that bed quilt and that it was being pulled. And these are supposedly the leaders in the field?
While this sort of behavior may make for great fun, ratings and entertainment, it does more harm than good for establishing “paranormal investigation” as a science. I guaranteed you that no one with legitimate knowledge and evidence is going to come forward to join this crowd.
Oops! That should’ve been “guarantee,” not “guaranteed” in my last sentence.
And again, it is not my intention to insult anyone personally. I am merely stating my opinion and doing so honestly.
This is exactly why I believe that we need to start somewhere. You’re right. Most investigators investigate as a hobby. That’s why we’d like to do something to contribute to standards and baselines. We have a lot of brain power amongst our membership and team here. We’d like to find a way to bring true science into the field of paranormal research. While they are few and far between, there are some paranormal researchers out there in the trenches doing really good work. The problem is that since we are starting and ground zero – anecdotal evidence, no universally accepted standards for evidence, etc., we have to start somewhere.
I realize that we’re not going to please everyone in what we are doing and we are opening ourselves up to criticism. It’s okay. If we can develop scientific evidence to back up what we are saying then the entire field benefits.
Isabel, I am really enjoying your feedback and reading your opinions on the subjects we are discussing. Thanks for participating!
Shopping Cart
Our Latest Magazine
12-Month Digital Subscription Only $19.99!
12-Month Digital Subscription to Paranormal Underground Magazine (12 Digital Issues at More Than 15% Off the Cover Price!)
$19.99 Add to cartSubscribe Now for Updates
Video Gallery