Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Paranormal Investigations: Avoiding contaminated evidence while using digital voice recorders


This article comes from Ghost Hunting Guide


Anyone involved in paranormal research knows the importance of collecting audio evidence of electronic voice phenomena (EVP) free of contamination. Contamination is defined as any sound or noise which is man-made which provides a false positive or could be improperly deemed paranormal when in fact it is not.

In the paranormal field, there are a variety of instruments used which if not used carefully could result in contaminated evidence. In this article, we will examine the digital voice recorder and offer some tips on how to avoid contaminated evidence while using this instrument.

Digital voice recorders are one of the most commonly used tools by the paranormal investigator but using them requires extreme care to avoid false positives. First and foremost, when conducting EVP sessions it is always important to identify the who, what, when, and where of the session. Paranormal investigators should always verbally “tag” this information. This can be accomplished by simply stating this information into the voice recorder. An example might be, “EVP session, Jones residence, the date, John, Mike, and David, in the living room.” Also any man-made noise such as coughing, yawning, of footsteps should be verbally “tagged”. Simply say, “Traffic noise in the background” or “That’s John coughing.” Making these statements for the recorder will help tremendously when reviewing the recordings for EVP evidence.

While using the digital voice recorder the paranormal investigator should consider implementing the use of an external microphone which helps to avoid picking up sound emitted from the recorder itself. It also helps to avoid picking up any “jostling” sound picked up by the recorder while the recorder is being handled in the record mode. Digital voice recorders should also be set down on a table or other object during the recording of EVPs to further help eliminate “jostling” sounds. And finally, try to avoid walking while conducting EVP sessions to avoid picking up the sound of footprints while walking.

On some occasions the paranormal investigator may choose to leave the digital voice recorder alone in a room and allow it to simply run without EVP questions being asked. This is a common technique which again requires some careful planning. When leaving a digital voice recorder in a room as a “stand alone” recorder, consider closing any doors to the area and seal it off with a piece of colored tape. By doing so, it indicates the area is sealed off and no one should enter the room if possible. Even walking close to the door can create footsteps which can be picked up by the recorder so again, caution should be taken even getting close to the room. If you have to enter the room, implement the use of verbal “tagging” to identify that you’re entering the room. When placing the recorder in the room, look for any other sources of noise such as fans, air conditioners, or anything that has timer which make turn something on in the room while the recorder is in use.


Consider limiting the number of paranormal investigators in the area or building being investigated which can significant reduce the possibility of contaminated evidence. Fewer people mean less likelihood of capturing false footprints and other man-made noise. If other investigators must be in the building, try to put as much space between them and those conducting the EVP recording session.

And finally, no article on eliminating contamination of evidence would be complete without mentioning whispering. Paranormal investigators should never whisper. Whispering is probably more to blame for false evidence more than any other noise out there and must be eliminated. Always speak in a clear, conversational tone so that it will not be confused for a false anomaly.

As you can see by taking some simple steps you can greatly reduce or hopefully eliminate contaminating your evidence. By doing so it will provide EVP session which is easier to review and possibly give greater credibility to your EVPs.

Related posts:Coming next month.

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