My Personal Experiences - Part 2: The EVP

Let's just get this out of the way: yes, I know ghost hunting is a pseudoscience. No, I don't fully buy into it, just like I don't fully buy into the popular UFOlogical or cryptozoological lore. Most ghost photos are reflections, most "orbs" (especially orbs. Like, 99% of orbs) are specs of dust, and most EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena, or audio recordings of ghosts) recordings are the results of pareidolia: essentially, the misidentification of something mundane as significant in some way. 

Most recordings alleged by ghost hunters to be voices of the dead end up having earthly explanations. I'm especially unimpressed with recordings not taken in a controlled environment. If you're talking, moving, or shuffling around, your recorder is going to pick up all sorts of random sounds and white noise that you might not pick up on in the moment. Generally, if you're having to guess at what's being said, it's probably not worth scrutiny.

EVPs that are taken in a semi-controlled environment (mostly quiet, everyone sitting still, multiple recorders, etc.) and are responses to direct questions are much more interesting to me. Still, I have only heard a handful---if that---of ones I found to be noteworthy. (EXAMPLE: Astonishing Legends' "File 10")

The EVP I recorded during the spring of 2012 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania has to be one of the most convincing I've ever heard---if I do say so myself. And, as I hopefully demonstrated in Part 1 of this series, I don't say that lightly.

First: some background. For my birthday, my dad Fred had signed he and I up for a weekend ghost hunting program hosted by Mark Nesbitt and Laine Crosby of Ghosts of Gettysburg. He was friendly with Mark and had been on many ghost hunts with them; this was my first. We were able to access some normally off-limits areas, like an old train yard, to do some ghost hunting. It was a lot of fun, but, like most ghost hunts---mostly uneventful.

Mark Nesbitt of Ghosts of Gettysburg (https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLeqO8M9Ox/)

On the last night, we were gathered in the Ghosts of Gettysburg store. Laine, who considers herself a medium, asked if there was anyone with family members who had passed on she could attempt to contact. My dad was eager to ask if she could reach out to his grandmother.

Here's what's significant: he never mentioned her name. Even I didn't know her name off the top of my head; I had never met her, she died before I was born. The group was sitting in a wide circle around the shop. We were at the back, with Mark Nesbitt behind us. Laine was at the other end of the room. Both were holding the infamous Panasonic DR60, known for being especially "good" at picking up EVPs---whatever that means.

Laine took a deep breath and then asked the question, "If Fred's grandmother is here, can you tell us your name please?"

We all waited in silence.

Upon playing back the recording from Laine's DR60, we heard a faint crackle of static that appeared to be a response to the question. It was too muffled to hear anything. It was interesting, but I certainly wasn't convinced.

Mark spoke up from behind us. "Hang on guys. I got something too."

We listened to Mark's recording. It had the same crackle of static, but this one was much stronger. It sounded like syllables to me. It occurred to me that I didn't even know my great grandmother's name. I turned to my dad to inquire, and he was almost in shock.

The crackle of static had answered the question accurately!

Before I go further, let's do a (psuedo!) experiment. I call it "The EVP Experiment." In an effort to minimize the effects of pareidolia, I won't give away my great grandmother's name. Instead, watch this video to hear the EVP and see a list of three choices, one being my great-grandmother's true name.

If I were to tell you before listening, of course you'd hear it. If you listen to it without any context, it sounds like static. So this is my way of balancing that out. Of course, I know it isn't objective, but I thought it would be fun to try.

My dad thinks that his grandmother's voice came in clearer on Mark's recorder because he was sitting directly behind us, while Laine was far away. I'm not sure I'm willing to go as far as to claim this to be proof of the afterlife or spirits in general, but it is a genuine anomalous experience. I have gone over some potential scenarios in my head: did Mark and Laine hoax us? How would they have known my great grandmother's name? How did they get it onto the recording without my dad or I seeing?

The other option, that it's just a simple burst of static, or a glitch on the recorders, is only barely more plausible. The static showed up on both recorders at the same time, and the one recording closest to us appears to answer the question? That's a hell of a coincidence.

Some of my friends and family can hear it, others think it's just static. Still, as someone who was present when it was recorded, I cannot brush this EVP off.

If you've made it this far, thank you! I would love to know your results, please feel free to comment or send me a Tweet. Thanks for reading!