Dangerous EVP's

Dangerous EVP's

But just what is EVP? Most people probably have some idea of what they think it is; many people claim to know exactly what it is, widely dispatching their opinion for all and sundry to enthuse over. Or, not.

But, really, what is EVP?

Strictly defined, EVP is “weird, mysterious, apparently paranormal sonic events of unknown origin, which can sometimes be heard (and captured in recordings) on various types of electronic apparatus…” (Poysden 1999)

The “apparently paranormal sonic events” take on diverse forms. Often they appear to be speaking in other languages or in the “polyglot” peddled by some as the “language of the spheres,” indecipherable to human beings but apparently spoken with abandon by denizens of the spirit realms. Sometimes the voices call on individuals by name and speak directly to researchers, responding appropriately when questioned. These electronic voices have also been known to interrupt normal radio signals and interfere with radio communications in general. Some others engage in dialogue with each other, so that the researcher is delegated an eavesdropper; often the voices will provide many clues to their veracity such as secret or highly intimate personal information, or by assisting in everything from avoiding traffic jams to solving murder cases. This is seen by some to be a result of the “greater insight” communicating entities have assumed in the passage through death.

It’s not for nothing then, that EVP research is often called “Ouija Board with Batteries.” Just as spirit communication through use of the Ouija board is discouraged because of the unpredictability of the results and the very real dangers this random tool can turn up while “trolling” in the lower etheric regions, so many professionals also feel that EVP is the “Russian roulette” of audiopsychic research.

It would be naïve to assume, therefore, that every voice captured on a tape recorder or other sonic apparatus is most definitely that of a departed human being. In fact, this is most often NOT the case and it has been contended that legitimate examples of actual disembodied human voices are, in fact, extremely rare. Certainly, there are deliberate attempts by survivors to contact deceased family members or friends who have passed on, and if these attempts are made within a reasonable period following death – most say within six months to a year – then it is likely that the spirit response, if any, will originate with that particular deceased individual. A limited exception to this general rule is if the “investigation” is conducted in a cemetery where bodies are being buried on a regular basis. In this event, a good many graveyard specters may be around, and EVP obtained among the active burial areas may be considered as possibly more legitimately discarnate human in origin.

Waiting for periods longer than six months to a year following burial, investigations in “historic” and mostly unused or notorious burial grounds, or, as most frequently happens, general “fishing” with tape recorders and cameras among the anonymous dead in any given cemetery, will probably produce EVP, but it will be less likely that the phenomena is generated by spirits that were once living human beings.

If the discarnate living are eliminated as the source of EVP recorded in these cemetery forays, then what, exactly, is leaving its voice imprint on the recorders and videotapes of these mostly nascent investigations?

“They don’t put fences around the cemetery to keep people out, they put ‘em there to keep what’s in there, IN!”

Common Southern Folk Belief

The dead, our dead, will usually linger for a period of time around the area where their discarded physical body (the etheric shell) has been laid to rest; these are the familiar “graveyard specters” of folklore, of whom it is often said that the most recently buried must assume the role of graveyard watch for a year or until another new burial releases it from this duty. (In fact, there are reports of families fighting to avoid this dubious honor when two persons have died at the same time, each family literally running to the cemetery, dead relative in tow, in an attempt to avoid the fate of the latest buried falling on their loved one.)

After a period of time, however, (and not as long as some have suggested) the spirit of the dead person is finally released into the astral realms through the experience many experts call the “Second Death.” This means that they are no longer “adrift” near the physical plane of existence they formerly shared with us, and, presumably, they may be contacted only with the skills and guidance of a trained spiritual medium, or alternately, if they initiate contact.

So, for instance, if you want to “talk” to your Uncle Joe after he has passed on, the best time to do this is when the event is still recent, the rule of thumb being not to wait longer than a year. By this time, the recently dead (or at least those who persist in lingering on this earthly plane) ought to have come to understand that they have, indeed, died, and hopefully should be ready to depart to the adventure that awaits them in their life on the other side.

Obviously, then, the explanation of the “what’s in there” of the old Southern cemetery fable is: Not just the dead.

“How long are you going to stay with [Regan]?”

“Until she’s dead and lies stinking in the earth!!”

From, “The Exorcist”

Whenever the living have occasion to walk among the cemeteries, the “Cities of the Dead,” it should never be assumed by us that everyone who has been committed to the tombs and soil surrounding us got there via the usual religious rites. Nor should we take for granted that just because a person’s corpse is accorded religious rites at burial that the person it used to be automatically merited such rituals or honors, or would have even sought out such religious trappings in life.

Graveyards are full of people who outwardly were the model of all Christian piety and neighborly goodwill, but who may have spent a lifetime concealing hidden and unthinkable crimes. Others, and we all know them, are outwardly and inwardly so unrepentantly miserable, mean and offensive that no amount of blessings at the graveside would be able to expunge a life thus spent, incurring the ill will of everyone met.

It should also be remembered that the earth of cemeteries receives many dead about whom no pretense of godliness can be made: there is always an area, even in modern cemeteries, where criminals, and other reprobates of society are buried together, though set apart from the other, “goodly” dead surrounding them. This tradition is as old as burial customs and was known to have been openly practiced in American burial grounds as late as the 1850’s; thus it is safe to assume that in most of the older cemeteries that are still receiving burials, there is a plot of land so designated, though not always easily spotted.

“Hello. Is there anybody in there?”

Pink Floyd, “The Wall”

Anyone at all familiar with “investigations” of cemeteries and burying grounds will attest to the atmosphere in these places. Indeed, for centuries, this atmosphere – the overwhelming feeling of chill, melancholy and vague threat – has been a primary insurance against intrusions by the merely curious as well as those posing actual danger to the resting dead (graverobbers – who mostly got over it -- and necrophiles, for instance). Though in the present day, when more advanced scientific understanding of (at least) the death process has taken the place of most overt superstitions concerning the dead, and with the encouragement of self-proclaimed “investigative” professionals seeking proof of their convictions, the living have exhibited more bravery in their expeditions into Death’s dark acres.

Nevertheless, few willingly proceed there alone. Many will propose that this is part of the investigative process, that having more than one witness to a thing is better and will make the event more believable, if something were to happen. But in the end, it is simply the presence of another warm body that usually wins out over cold, impersonal – and completely independent – investigation.

But what is the source of this latent fear, this feeling of melancholy, this watchful silence in the atmosphere of gloom? Surely it can’t be the sleeping dead? Though many believe this to be the case, the often overwhelming, vaguely troubling feeling is not the fault of the dead at all, but of the beings that keep the dead company. And, like it or not, they’re as eager to talk to us as we are, apparently, to talk to them.

“The cast-off etheric shells of dead human beings . . . and other stray bits of etheric substances serve as food to these entities.” Greer

In other words, the dead are never alone, and when we, the living, enter cemeteries with anything other than caution, we are simply playing into the hands of spiritual intelligences and elemental energies that have been at this a lot longer than we have.

Certainly, if we go into cemeteries and begin to ask questions, to speak out loud to what we think are simply “the dead,” these entities, to whom we are usually connected only as a decomposing food source, are going to be ready, in fact, eager to respond. Positive responses, responses that apparently seem to answer questions or identify significant individuals or facts, are often all that are necessary to assure future “investigations” and the continued connection with living human beings – something decidedly new to these basic and mostly unbalanced spirits.

Cognizant responses, assuming the names of deceased loved ones, even providing “proof” with intimate knowledge – discarnate spirit entities are capable of all these things and more. Ultimately, the symbiotic relationship is established. The human interest intensifies, guaranteeing repeat visits; the appetite of the discarnate spirit intensifies, and slowly but surely they begin to turn the situation to their advantage.

It is interesting to note, while sifting through the real-life experiences of hobbyists and investigators who frequently visit cemeteries on “ghost hunting” expeditions, just how many accounts there are of entities apparently following these individuals home. In many cases, a full-blown haunting begins at the new location with all the attendant “proof” present – more EVP (surprise!), anomalous photographs, and often visual manifestations and poltergeist activities. Invariably, the individuals who begin to experience this activity will be amazed by it and, in some cases, actually delighted that they have been favored with a visit from beyond the grave. At this initial stage a kind of “haunting envy” is not uncommon, with other investigators in the original group wondering why they haven’t had the opportunity to experience this themselves. Rarely, at this point at least, does anyone seem to stop to think about what it may be that has followed him or her home. Most often, it’s not just – or not even – “the dead.”

This kind of pervasive naïveté is highly problematic and is usually most apparent among self-styled “experts” in the paranormal field; these are usually people who know a lot, but who, evidently, don’t know enough to be scared like their less experienced peers who still approach every encounter with the spirit world with a wise dose of caution.

Another fascinating thing that occurs frequently and can be found a great deal in the massive files of EVP evidence posted on the myriad paranormal websites is that, in nearly every collection, there are usually several examples of disturbing, threatening, “angry voices” that have been recorded. More insistent than the goosebump-producing pleas to be left alone, these voices, as anyone can hear, sound as if they were never human, and the aggressive, demanding tone they often display makes this argument even more convincing. These horrible, disturbing voices appear out of nowhere, often hissing or growling, but always insisting: “GET OUT!”

It is important to remember that there are many kinds of beings without physical bodies, and only a certain percentage of them were once living human beings . . . equally well it may be some other sort of spirit. Ghosts play so large a role in surviving folklore traditions that almost any non-physical entity is likely to be identified as a ghost, whether it has any connection to the human world or not.”

Greer

It seems apparent, then, that a large percentage of the “voices” and sounds being recorded by EVP investigators and enthusiasts ought to be considered of highly dubious origin. This is not in the least to say that these individuals are not recording EVP, nor is it to imply that they are not receiving respondent interaction with some discarnate entity. But it should be obvious to any individual who has spent any amount of time researching the paranormal and who has any experience in recognizing the activity of non-human spirit beings that most of the recorded EVP material presented as “evidence” of the existence of the human spirit after death is in reality the product of human interaction with discarnate spirits who have never walked the earth in the flesh, the true inherent nature of whom can only be speculated upon.

Put bluntly, if some Civil War soldier interred in 1864, for example, is still hanging around his grave and talking to modern interlopers, then there’s a real problem present, and instead of pestering this beleaguered spirit to respond like a robot to insipid questioning, a truly compassionate individual would seek a way to help this “lost soul” find his way to the other side!

Unless one is standing beside a newly placed pile of dirt under which a coffin has just been laid, or next to a grave whose resident has only been in place for several months – and whom you are calling directly by name – there is no knowing just who – or what – is talking to you in EVP encounters. In more cases than it is probably comfortable for most people to know, the voices being recorded as EVP are the mimic reflexes of discarnate (and very likely malevolent) spirits who set up their domain among the decomposing human dead millennia ago and who are happy to oblige the living who come among them. Spirits who feed on the dissipating etheric energy of dead corpses will no doubt happily oblige living humans in an effort to more closely interact with the potent, living energy they provide. This more than anything is the real danger in presumption, in taking for granted that there is a place for everything and everything is in its place, and that you KNOW this for a fact - especially where the world of the spirit is concerned.

“In outdoor settings or places where ritual magic has been practiced, in particular, the possibility of a non-human spirit should always be kept in mind.”

Greer

Many times, paranormal investigators and other paranormal enthusiasts who frequent cemeteries and burial grounds will admit when they feel uncomfortable in certain places. Across the US and the world there are cemeteries and consecrated burying grounds that have unwholesome reputations because visitors are aware of the fact that ritual magick has been performed there in the past. Some cemeteries are avoided and ultimately abandoned after having acquired such disconcerting reputations; as with any legend, there is often a kernel of fact buried at the core.

Some people who live a “Gothic” lifestyle and others who have taken up ghost-hunting as a hobby because they want to be “like the guys on TV,” will often deliberately seek out cemeteries that have this disturbing reputation. In fact, the more grisly the “facts” about what has happened in a place, the more attractive, apparently, it becomes to some individuals. Everything from weddings to frat parties, to really, truly legitimate research has occurred in these sinister locations which makes one wonder if a lifetime of valid paranormal investigation couldn’t be accomplished by just following-up with these indiscrete folks to see how often their disregard for the darker side of the paranormal has been found standing by their bed on a moonless night…

Devotees and practitioners of the “left-hand way,” of bokor Voodoo, or what is commonly called Black Magick, can often be found connected with cemeteries in one way or another, either as a source of materials for use in rituals or as a location for the rituals themselves. So it should surprise no one that the residual effect of these black practices should remain imprinted on the area where they have occurred for many years to come. In particular, places where blood rituals or rituals involving the sacrificial spilling of human or animal blood have occurred, will be “polluted” by these activities for a very long time. Other rituals, such as necromantic ritual magick or the deliberate invocation of demonic entities (known as Goetic or Enochian magick) could leave a residual effect that generations of Christian burial rites and prayers cannot allay. This should always be kept in mind since, really, no one really knows what goes on in the acres of the dead when no living being is around.

Among the numerous folk beliefs concerning cemeteries and their occupants – and there are literally thousands of superstitions worldwide – there is always a sapient reason for something being the way it is. There is a fence around a burying ground for a reason, ostensibly to keep “us” out but in reality it is to keep “them” in. The headstones in most older cemeteries are always facing away from the fence or gate. Why? So that any dead inclined to wander out of their grave will be confused and remain confined in the cemetery. Circuitous routes to and from burial of a corpse are designed to confuse the corpse and keep it from rising and following the mourners home.

Whistling when you pass a graveyard at night is supposed to keep you safe from becoming the next person to enter, but it is also recommended so that you will not hear the voices calling to you from within.

“None but a coward dares to boast that he has never known fear.”

Gen. Ferdinand Foch

Recently, a movie was released about the subject of EVP. “White Noise” was largely derided by critics and skeptics, though in the paranormal community it was welcomed, even if not wholly endorsed, because for the first time it introduced to mass audiences a subject that is dear to the heart of dyed-in-the- wool fans of ghostly phenomena.

Though the plot was tedious and much of the technology would seem dissimilar to what is actually used by experts who have had success in the field of EVP, there is an underlying and very important fact at the root of the film – the kernel, for lack of a better word. Without intending to, the makers of this bonafide thriller actually touched on the most important caveat in the world of paranormal research. In fact, they weren’t the first to do so because this particular caution was ingrained in most of our psyches by that dinosaur of paranormal movies, “Poltergeist.”

Simply put, it is this, opening a channel to the unknown, be it a digital voice recorder, a “white noise” static channel, a television channel with no broadcast, or, most succinctly and perhaps most dangerously, our minds, is taking a risk of such possibly tragic and disastrous proportions that it is hardly within human ability to contemplate. The bizarre and unbalanced that inhabit the ether and astral planes around us do not live by any rules and are certainly not cognizant of human concepts of honor and fair play. These entities, who feed on our discarded physical bodies, will eagerly and willfully attach themselves to a living human being to feed on our illnesses, our arguments, our guilt, our fears, and, ultimately, our souls, until we go to join them in their “Kingdom of Shells.”

If you are someone who enjoys the activity of hunting for EVP, remember that a little caution can go a long way. No matter how much you think you know, or how empowered you feel by all the information you’ve read on all the websites and in books, leave arrogance and naïveté at the gate. Treat the dead with respect. Treat their captors with caution and intelligence.