Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) occurs when a voice appears on a recording which cannot be attributed to those present at the time of the recording. In this post I will delve deeper into the history of the phenomenon.
This is intended as a deep dive on the subject of Electronic Voice Phenomena.
Technical Definition
Included in the words of the term itself, Electronic Voice Phenomena implies some electronic means is of capturing an extraneous voice or voices onto magnetic or digital recording medium.
Many believe Friedrich Jürgensen to have discovered the phenomenon when he heard human voices while listening to his personal magnetic recordings of bird songs. Others have claimed extraneous voices were recorded earlier on wax cylinders, although this recording process would likely have been mechanical, not electronic. Even in modern times there are those who are still experimenting with capturing spirit voices with wax cylinders.
For the sake of this article we will stick with electronic media and some specifics of what I believe contribute to the effectiveness of the ER70.
Radio Waves and EVPs
Audio recorders work by transforming sound vibrations into electronic waves using a microphone and amplification circuits. In order for a spirit to transfer a voice to the recorder, electromagnetic waves must be picked up somewhere in the circuit.
A simplistic, non-paranormal explanation for the source of the phenomenon would be that the recorder is picking up radio waves generated by radio stations or home appliances, particularly AM waves which would need little processing. (An AM radio known as a “crystal radio” can be created with very few components and no batteries.)
While stray signals offer a tempting explanation, here are a few bullet points which this rule out in most cases:
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) strictly regulates radio transmissions. They are able to triangulate and track down pirate stations as well.
- Home electronic appliances which might inadvertently generate stray radio frequencies (RF) are required to limit interference with other appliances.
- Digital recorders are not susceptible to RF as they do not contain the circuitry or antenna necessary to receive such signals.
- Where such signals are able to be received by digital recorders (as the phenomenon implies they are), the source of the signal has to be very close or very strong.
EVP Recorder Suitability
So the question is, can any electronic recorder capture an EVP are are certain recorders better than others?
Some people swear by certain recorders for capturing EVPs. I know I had my preferences and have captured EVPs on multiple devices. However I was never able to capture EVPs on certain digital recorders. Whether that was because of the way the electronics were shielded, I am not certain.
I obviously believe there is something special about the ER70 though and I will present a simplified theory as to why.
The Combs Analogy
I conceived of something I like to call the combs analogy.
The signal path of the ER70 (and by extension the device which it emulates), is comprised of multiple processing stages with specific parameters.
I like to think of these as hair combs which line up as illustrated above.
Imagine the combs are different sizes and are lined up in a specific way such that light on one side of the combs, shines between the teeth of the combs, and a specific pattern is created on the other side.
In the same way, a signal is recorded by an iPhone, and each element of the ER70 signal path changes the signal in a specific way. In this case I believe the total effect is greater the sum of its parts.
Keep in mind the original device was a piece of office equipment meant for dictation. Although these signal path elements were originally designed to efficiently store voice memos, I believe the electronic “combs” lined up just right in a way that spirit communication is enhanced.
The original manufacturers of course were not seeking to create an ITC device. It just so happened that, much to their surprise, the device simply excelled at the task.
How can the ER70 app emulate a physical device?
Having carefully studied the device hardware which inspired the ER70, I found nothing particularly unique about the electronic components which could not be emulated.
Guitar enthusiasts are familiar with the warmth, character, and unique distortion tube amplifiers produce.
iOS apps such as AmpliTube are effectively able to emulate vintage tube amplifiers.
The same principles apply with the ER70.
Conclusion
Hopefully this post has shed some light on the basics of Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Try recording your own EVP by downloading the ER70 EVP Recorder today. Thanks!
