I am sure you are asking yourself, “Ok, so what is E.V.P.?” Well, I really wish the answer were so simple and easy to explain. Of course, then it wouldn't be called the “unknown.” Let me first tell you that there are quite a few theories on how the phenomenon actually occurs. Some believe that the spirit itself simply walks up to the microphone or recording device and “speaks” into it. I personally find this very hard to believe. How could a spirit that is made of pure energy (as far as we know) simply speak without vocal cords? The theory that I tend to go with is that the spirit somehow imprints its “magnetic image” onto the recording device. Now there are some who believe that a “residual” effect that takes place when some of the energy that is stored in the area of a known haunting is released. This is very possible and I feel that such objects like limestone can hold this kind of energy for long periods of time. I also think that if you are at the right place at the right time you may just capture some voices of the past. The Catacombs located in Paris , France are a great example of how this may occur. There are thousands of corpses located beneath the Paris streets and they are far from being at rest. This energy could very well be stored in the actual catacombs walls (made of limestone) themselves. Residual energy, by the way, is spirit energy that is constantly replaying itself over time and not an interactive ghost. Another popular theory is the spirit will speak to us using telepathy or use our own voice and resources to break the communication barrier from their world to ours. After you have experimented with electronic voice phenomena and gained more knowledge and experience with it, then perhaps you can come up with your own opinions on the matter. The key is to not be afraid or intimidated by them, but to respect and learn from them.

Secondly, E.V.P. can be captured in a few different ways. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Numerous groups and investigators claim that their way is the best, or the only way, to capture E.V.P. I have found that this is completely incorrect though. If there were an “expert” in this field then we could all put our equipment away because it would no longer be considered the unknown. No one knows all of the answers and those who claim they do need to find another line of work, or take this one more seriously. You can use a standard cassette or digital recording device, but in my opinion, it is hard to compare with the ancient and bulky Reel-to-Reel recorder. This recorder is what started it all and it has its good and bad points. I don't want to get too technical here, so if you would like to read more about the Reel-to-Reel recorder you can do a simple search for it on the Internet. When I go on investigations I choose to use both the cassette and digital recorder, as I feel they both back each other up. I will caution that you should be sure to use an external microphone with your cassette recorder, though. Not to help hear the spirit better, but to reduce the possibility of wheel noise generated by the recorders internal parts. I personally do not use a microphone with my digital recorder because I feel that the internal mechanisms are not loud enough to disrupt the recording. You may feel differently and choose to use one if you wish. I have received numerous questions asking what kind of tapes I buy for my cassette recorder. Well, the answer is, try them all. If you plan on or know how to use audio editing software then this really doesn't matter. Some feel that the metal content in the tape helps and it is very possible that it may, but for those of us on a strict budget, this could get quite costly. I have heard some outstanding E.V.P. captured on “Dollar Store” brand cassette tapes, so that was proof enough for me. Sure you have the background hiss with these tapes but this can be reduced and cleaned with software (if used).

If you use some common sense and some general knowledge of electronic voice phenomena then you should have no problem capturing your own E.V.P.