How to Conduct an EVP Session

You find yourself in a haunted location. You feel the energy. You know you're not alone.

How do you capture this?

One popular theory among paranormal investigators is that spirits will imprint their voices on recordings. This is called electronic voice phenomena, or EVP. EVP's are not heard at the time, but rather heard on playback.

How do you records EVPs?

There are many devices you can use to capture EVP's. Personally, I find digital voice recorders to be the most efficient and convenient. They are small, lightweight, and powerful. I recommend using an external microphone with digital voice recorders to enhance their abilities. Some recorders have the ability to let you listen to what's being recorded as it happens. This can come in handy during the investigation if you're asking a specific question. There are many great brands of recorders. I prefer Olympus, but Sony and Panasonic also make great recorders. Be sure to buy one that is equipped with a USB output so that you can transfer your recordings to your computer.

Alternatively, you can use a microcassette, or tape recorder. The advantage to these is that you have a hard copy of your evidence that is much harder to disprove. On the other hand, you have to keep replacing tapes, and the noise of the recorder can interfere with the evidence.

Video devices can double as voice recorders. When reviewing video evidence, pay careful attention to the audio as well. Sometimes a video camera will pick something up that other devices won't, depending where the source of the noise is. It is always good to check both devices if they were recording at the same time. If the noise is caught on two separate devices, the evidence harder to disprove.

Now that you've got your recording device, it's time to start your EVP session.Before you start talking to the spirits, you should place your recorder on a flat surface where it won't be disturbed. You should also state into the recorder what room you are in and the time and date, this will come in handy later during review.

It is always a good idea to introduce yourself. It may seem silly at first, but think about it. Would you want to talk to someone you don't know?

Start out by asking general questions. Is there anyone here? Can you let us know you're here? Wait 15-20 seconds in between each question to allow time for the spirit to respond.

If there is a name associated with the haunting, try calling the spirit by name. Similarly, if there you know anything about the spirit, such as who their family members are or significant moments in their life, bring them up. Ghosts are more likely to respond to things they are familiar with. You can try singing songs popular during the time the person was alive. If you're not much of a singer, put on a CD. Pretend you live during their time. Another common method is provocation: making the ghost angry to get results. I don't recommend this in a residence, as it might make activity worse. Try different methods. Be creative!

An EVP session can be as long or as short as you want it to be. Once you're confident you've asked everything you wanted to, say your goodbyes and thank the spirit for talking to you. Again, this may seem silly, but just like the living, a ghost will want to be treated with respect.

Once the investigation is over, transfer all your audio files to your computer and a secondary device, such as an external hard drive, if possible. It's always good to have back-ups in case something happens! Listen to your audio closely. Listen for voices, footsteps, and unfamiliar noises. If you do hear something, think of the alternatives of what it could be. Let someone else listen and get their opinion. You can download free software, such as Audacity, to cut down your clips to show to your team members and clients. I recommend making hard copies of all EVP's found. If you ever have to go back to a location, it will be helpful to look at the past evidence.

Good luck with your EVP's, and happy haunting!