Electronic Voice Phenomenon: Spirit Communication in the Digital Age

Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC) is a term coined by Ernst Senkowski in the 1970s and refers to the process of communicating with spirits through the means of electronic devices, such as tape recorders, video cameras, television sets, telephones, fax machines, or computers. These practices are the evolution of a much earlier method of instrumental spirit communication known as electronic voice phenomenon, or EVP. EVP sessions are now commonly performed in the paranormal field, but people have been experimenting with this process since the 1940s. An EVP is a recording of a disembodied voice that is not heard at the time of the recording.

One of the earliest successful experimenters was Latvian psychologist, Konstantin Raudive. Raudive was able to capture over 100,000 recordings of voices that he claimed came from discarnate people, and he readily invited the public to listen to them for their own evaluation. In 1968, he published a book about his accomplishments called Breakthrough: An Amazing Experiment in Electronic Communication with the Dead.

In the 1980s,

a device called “The Spiricom” was constructed by EVP experimenter, William O’Neil. O’Neil claimed to receive the instructions for building “The Spiricom” from fellow scientist George Mueller, who had actually died six years earlier. The self-professed psychic also stated during a press conference in Washington DC in 1982, that he used the device to hold two-way conversations with the dead. Although O’Neil provided his device’s design to other experimenters, no one was able to replicate his results.

The “Ghost Box” or “Frank’s Box” is another device that was designed to capture disembodied voices in 2002 by Frank Sumption. His invention differed from others in that it was supposed to allow the user to communicate with spirits in real time. Sumption’s device was said to be a combination of an AM radio receiver and a white noise generator that sweeps the AM band selecting only brief seconds of sound. The device has been criticized by skeptics because the effect is unable to be replicated since it depends solely on radio noise.

There are various theories out there to explain EVPs. They range from natural explanations, like the idea that it is just pareidolia, or the psychological phenomenon where the mind perceives a pattern in an image or sound where one actually does not exist, to the paranormal concept that living humans imprint thoughts onto the electronic medium through psychokinesis. It has even been postulated that meteor showers playing a role in the disturbance of radio waves cause the sound of voices.

Since there is currently no reliable explanation for electronic voice phenomenon, I encourage you to try your own experiments. Hand-held digital recorders are usually used by paranormal investigators today, but any type of audio recorder will work. There are even apps that can be downloaded right to your mobile phone.

Some EVP enthusiasts recommend doing your experiment in a quiet place, while others encourage having a bit of ambient white noise such as a radio tuned between stations. Either way, simply record yourself asking a few questions and remember to pause in between to give space for an answer. You may not be successful your first few times, but don’t be discouraged. It often takes several attempts to actually get a response. After your experiment, you can draw your own conclusions. Is this phenomenon just a figment of imagination or are you hearing voices from beyond the grave?