East Georgia Paranormal Forums

EVPs

Bobbysuniverse — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:08:23 GMT

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past few years or you don't own a televesion you know an EVP is an Electronic Voice Phenomenon. This is where an alleged entity imprints its voice on an electronic device. The theory is that it is easier for a ghost or spirit to manipulate an electronic device or an electronic recorder can pick up things (frequencies) that we can't hear than it is to make itself heard by the human ear. Don't ask me why, thats the theory and it seems to be working out that way so I don't question it. Anyway, there still seems to be some confusion as to what constitutes an EVP so lets try to straighten it out now.

As stated before EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Voice being the stressed word here. If the sounds of footsteps are picked up this does not constitute an EVP. Sure disembodied footsteps being picked up on a recorder is great but still not an EVP.

If you hear the voice yourself, its not an EVP. Again, very cool to pick up a disembodied voice, but what you have is just that. A recorded desembodied voice, not an EVP.

Now a bit of a grey area, Say you get a sigh, or growl, or breathing on recorder. Is that an EVP? Even though it may have not have been audible by the human ear it is still not technically a "voice" just more of a sound. This one could be debated as both. I personally would call it an EVP because the sound came from the same process as one trying to speak.

Any thoughts?

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion

New person to site, not to the adventure...

stretch — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:14:10 GMT

Hello. From the looks of it, I'm the newest person in quite a while.

My name is Mike and I have been involved with ghost hunting for right at 10 years now. I live in Conyers and am really interested in this hobby.

That's it for now, I guess.I would like to know what I could do to be a (physically) active member of EGP. If I can be, that is.

Thanks for reading.

Forum: Meet the team

Exorcism

Bobbysuniverse — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:29:51 GMT

Let me get straight to the point on this. Even though there is no scientific basis to this statement, I believe the practice of trying to remove an entity from a location to be dangerous and it should not be tried by any person or persons unless they are qualified to do so. I give this warning because I have seen people and even paranormal groups try to perform these tasks making their clients think they are removing a spirit or demon when perhaps all they are doing is making it mad.

When I say let those that are qualified to perform cleansings or exorcisms do it, I mean those who have had the training and the experience. No matter your faith or beliefs there are people in each religion who have had extensive studies over the course of several years to perform such rituals. One good and well known example are the Catholic priests that perform them. These guys spend many years studying demonology and faith based rituals to become proficient at what they do. In fact, it becomes their religious specialty so to speak. Not every priest is qualified to perform an exorcism. The same goes with native american shaman. Many of these people study most of their lives to learn rituals believed to remove spirits. And even though these "specialists" put in the time and studies to learn cleansings on many occasions it does not work. It has to be repeated several times before activity ceases. In many of my readings it seems activity gets worse before it gets better. So how exactly does a person off the street or a minister who was ordained via the internet expect to be successful in such tasks?

As a final warning to those considering having an exorcism done or doing one I will give a personal accounting of what can happen.
EGP had investigated a site where we encountered something that was thought to be particularly nasty. (One of the very few places we had been that made me nervous). The managers and staff of the property had many unnerving experiences and had even felt attacked or accosted by an unknown entity. Our team investigated the site on several occasions and in the end told them they may have a problem. Another group of investigators recommended a cleansing ceremony performed by someone I knew was not qualified. I advised against this cleansing and told them to find someone with a little more experience in that field but they chose to perform the ceremony anyway. Since that time it has been reported back to me by (now former) staff members that activity has gotten worse and some staff members present during the cleansing are now experiencing serious health issues. It is also my understanding that activity continues at the location and even though it is a public building, some areas are now off limits to the public. The new management (the old manager was one who ended up having health issues) refuses to allow paranormal investigations at the site since the cleansing. Yes, I know it could all be coincidence. But, better safe than sorry.

So in closing unless you find it absolutely necessary stay away from exorcisms. If it is something that has to be done, locate someone qualified to do such tasks. Check with local churches or your local paranormal group may be able to put you in touch with someone. Do not trust a person or group that says they can do it themselves. Don't be afraid to ask for credentials. And just remember, as far as I know there is no quick fix for this. Be prepared for the worst. Of course any qualified Exorcist will tell you these things before they begin.

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion

Digital Audio/Voice Recorder Use 101

Bobbysuniverse — Thur, 12 Nov 2009 17:03:29 GMT

Many people investigating the paranormal use digital audio recorders to document EVPs and such. These little devices are handy because they can often be clearer that a tape recorder and you dont have to deal with tapes which can prove to be unreliable. If you are going to buy a digital recorder be sure to buy one with a USB port for connection to a computer. Trust me they make life alot easier when trying to go over hours of recordings or sharing possible evidence. Another plus is an external mic port. Having the mic port expands the usefulness of the device because you can hook up a more sensitive microphone or even a parabolic mic. Besides the aforementionted features all of these devices are about the same if you get a brand name like Sony, RCA, Olympus, or Maxell. Always keep in mind that most of the time with electronics you get what you pay for.

Now on to how to use one properly and efficiently in an investigation.
First, as with all devices, learn yours in and out. Its always best to know your equipment so well that you can operate it in the dark. I know it is strange coming from a man but read the owners manual. You will be thankful you did when the boogey man appears. Always keep spare batteries, again you will be thankful you did. When using your recorder, do not hold it, instead set it on something and take a few steps away. This keeps things like the mic on the recorder rubbing against your clothes from being picked up which can lead to a false positive. It can also keep you from dropping it if you become startled and missing out on a key piece of evidence. Always be sure to "tag" natural or normal noises like someone in your group coughing or walking. This keeps the reviewer from making false positives or getting excited over nothing.

Forum: Look at all the wonderful toys (Equipment used in paranormal research

Entities and Multiple Locations

Bobbysuniverse — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:33:43 GMT

More food for thought... Can an entity haunt more than one location? Is it possible for a spirit to haunt say, their home and thier former workplace?

Here are some talking points on the matter

Theories are that ghosts or spirits haunt a specific place, object, or even person. If they haunt a specific place then the answer would be no. However, if they haunt an object or person then that entity would be compelled to follow said object or person regardless of location.
It may be possible for the same apparition to haunt different places. One apparition could be from a residual haunting while the other could be intelligent or even another residual. This means that the entity is not the same one at both locations but people connect them because they are experiencing the same thing.
In the case the entity is demonic the same theories may not apply. From my readings demons have the ability to move of thier own free will. However, many times it seems demons are also attached to a place or person.

Does anyone else have input on this?

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion

Ghosts and Language

Bobbysuniverse — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:25:21 GMT

Seems like I am always pointing out issues with paranormal TV. I can't help it I notice these things.... Why or how is it that when paranormal investigators are in a non-english speaking country do they end up getting EVPs in english. Shouldn't you get EVPs in the entity's native tongue? For example if you are in a spanish fort should the ghosts there not speak spanish? And for that matter shouldn't the investigators be asking thier questions in spanish? When a person dies do they automatically learn english? I would think they would get EVPs like "me llamo Miguel" or "si"....

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion

The Ghost Light

Bobbysuniverse — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:25:53 GMT

I saw this thing on an episode of Ghost Adventures. Supposedly it is a device that emits light on a frequency that spirits can see. How exactly did the inventor come to this conclusion? Does anybody know?
My point is, with the market being flooded by new groups and so called experts in the field we have to be wary of snake oil salesmen and thier miracle devices

Forum: Look at all the wonderful toys (Equipment used in paranormal research

The Paranormal and the Holidays

Bobbysuniverse — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:13:46 GMT

The Holiday Season is upon us. And I had a thought...Has a study ever been done to see if paranormal activity rises during these months. I wonder this for a few reasons. The first and most obvious is that emotions are high this time of year. Families are coming together, stress levels are a bit higher, some seem a bit happier while others are a bit sadder which brings us to the second reason. Did you know suicide rates are higher during the Holidays? If studies can be believed, more people take their own lives (most likely violently) during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now if the violent death theories on the paranormal are correct as well as activity by certain entities rising close to the date of death then perhaps we should see a rise. The third reason is there is just more EMF out there. Think about it, all the lights and such should raise the EMF in a home.. If anyone has seen a study on this I would be interested in reading it. I also believe that paranormal activity is often overlooked this time of year. People are busy, running around looking for that perfect gift or cooking the perfect turkey. I think for some paranormal researchers the perfect gift would be a Full Bodied Apparition on camera just saying "hi". Oh and be careful if you are a scrooge or you just might be visited by three spirits... Just some food for thought.
Happy Holidays everyone and may all your hauntings be merry!

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion

Ghost Box

Bobbysuniverse — Thur, 05 Nov 2009 15:45:51 GMT

Ok these have been around for a while but seem to have made a comeback. The Ghost box. I can understand the theory behind these machines but I have a hard time accepting that the paranormal are communicating through them. Basically a Ghost Box is a simple radio frequency scanner. there are thousands upon thousands of raido waves bouncing around earth and even out into space. Supposedly this machine sits there and scans radio frequencies and ghosts direct what words on what frequencies they want you to hear. Oooookay. I have a Bearcat scanner. One of the good ones too, before the FCC banned the ability to scan some frequencies. This scanner is in our tool kit. I have set it to scan all frequencies and on scan mode it runs through until it finds an active frequency then stops for a few seconds then moves on to the next active frequency. So I end up listening to 1 or 2 words of each conversation. Much like you would hear on a ghost box. If you put one or 2 words from many different conversations together it could possibly be misinterpeted by someone reading a transcript or predisposed to thinking it is one entity communicating accross multiple wavelengths that it is one whole conversation. For example, if I am listening to my scanner and ask "is anyone here?" My scanner might stop on a frequency where the one or two words I hear are yes or no or maybe. Does that mean a ghost answered me? The problem is that those trying to communicate with ghosts want it to be a ghost answering them so they can twist and turn the words they are recieving into a conversation with the boogeyman instead of what it really is. A bunch of random words from multiple conversations, across multiple wavelengths. made into one sentence or phrase. I would be much more impressed if an entity would hold a conversation with me and answer my questions on one single frequency instead of picking them out of many. And if they have the ability to communicate in one way theoretically they should be able to do it in the other. And for that reason, I don't think the Ghost Box is a very reliable investigation tool.

Forum: Look at all the wonderful toys (Equipment used in paranormal research

Another "Tool"

Bobbysuniverse — Thur, 05 Nov 2009 15:23:07 GMT

Something I have thought about lately... Many groups use sensitives or psychics, or mediums, or whatever you want to call them to help in thier investigations. I am wondering why more groups don't use animals. I have always heard that animals have a better sense of perception than humans do. They seem to detect natural disasters before they happen, and also know when danger is near. Animals seem to have a way of knowing when something is not quite right. I had a friend when I was younger that swore he lived in a haunted house. He said they saw apparitions and everything. He had a doberman that sure scared the pants off of visitors. Yet this doberman would never go into a certain bedroom in the home. If you tried to force it by pulling on it's collar it would plant its feet start to whine and pee on the floor. It did not like that room. The story is that the bedroom was one that a young woman commited suicide in by overdosing on pills. Now I personally never experienced anything at the house but I did see how this large, gaurd dog reacted toward that room. My friend said at times the dog would even walk down the hall until it got the that room's door, whine, and turn around and walk away. My point is, maybe we should try something like this. Use a dog as a sensitive. Think about it, unlike some so called sensitives dogs don't do any prior research, they cant make stuff up, and for all intents and purposes, they have no idea what you are looking for so they are not predispositioned for paranoia. My idea is to get a small dog, let it roam throughout a place and watch its reactions to areas. If it acts quirky or odd, for example stands at the doorway of an empty room and barks or tucks it's tail and slinks off, you set up a camera and voice recorder there. Heck you may even be able to train a dog to look for the paranormal. HA HA a new business venture. Paradog Inc.

Forum: Look at all the wonderful toys (Equipment used in paranormal research

OK its not paranormal just an Update on me (Bobby)

Bobbysuniverse — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:10:46 GMT

Well, I guess some people would call me something other than normal. Anyway, despite the lack of updates to our webpage, the lack of posts in our forums, and little to no contact from me, I am alive and kicking (although very slowly). I would like to thank Tommy for taking over and running things in my absence. I am now to the point of where I am tired of just waiting around for the docs to do anything and have decided to just go on as best as I can until they do figure out a solution to my problem. I don't think I am quite ready to come back and take the reins again, but I am kind of itchin to get back to investigating. Perhaps I'll just sit at base and watch the cameras. "Someone get me some twizzlers." (inside joke). So for the time being Tommy is still running the show. In case anyone is wondering what is going on with me here is the scoop. I have been looked over by every type of doctor there is and finally landed on an Emory professor's lap. He has officially diagnosed me with Proximal Myopathy, and Acute Stenosis of the Spine. Don't ask me what they are, they explained it to me and I still don't get it, all I know is it hurts. No one, even the emory professor and his team can figure out what has caused these issues and they keep calling my case "interesting" and "exciting". Right now they are treating me with meds, and physical therapy. They have " burnt" off several nerves coming from my spine
and it has provided some relief. At least I can walk again. Next step looks to be another surgery and a neurostimulator. Best way I can describe it is a Stun Gun for the spinal cord that blocks pain messages. It is implated in the body and runs via remote control. That's about it. Further updates as they warrant. And I am going to work on becoming more involved whether it is investigating again or just keeping the site up to date. Thanks to everyone for their concern during all of this fun.

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion

Cen-Tech Non-contact thermometer

SmokeEater — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:17:32 GMT

Hey Everyone,
Just a heads up..Harbour Freight has a Cen-Tech non-contact thermometer on sale for $29.99, normally $59.99. If you are in the market for one, this is a good piece of equipment at a great deal.

Forum: Look at all the wonderful toys (Equipment used in paranormal research

New Equipment

SmokeEater — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:38:48 GMT

Coming Spring of 2009...Black and Decker will be releasing the TLD100, Thermal Leak Detector, MSRP $39.99. It's primary use is to find drafts/air leaks in homes. It is an IR thermometer that shines a green LED light. The light turns to red with a temp increase or blue for a decrease. You set the temp threshold for color change. Temp is also displayed on LCD screen.

Forum: Look at all the wonderful toys (Equipment used in paranormal research

Paranormal TV

Bobbysuniverse — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:32:31 GMT

Those who know me know that I am not crazy about paranormal television shows. This stems from my belief that they basically make paranormal investigators look nuts in the eyes of the general public. You have Orb chasers and people that run every time they hear a bump in an old building. Some collect EVPs that I personally would throw out because you just have to strech it a little to make the garbled noise they are calling a voice say anything that makes sense. I do spend alot of time yelling at the TV during these shows... (Ok I am a little nuts)... I used to actually give TAPS some credit. They spent alot of time finding natural causes for seemingly paranormal events. Now not so much. I don't know if it is the pressure of making something normally quite boring watchable or what. But it seems lately every place they go is haunted.. If this is the case I wish they would go back to the old way. I have some advice for Mr. Baggins from Ghost Adventures too.. Don't be so confrontational, sure at times it is ok to provoke but the way I see it ghosts were people too and if you were that much of a jerk to me I might just tell you to screw yourself and hide out. Also take into consideration the people that have to be in there the next time.. You tick off whatever entity is there especially if it is "evil" as you say and it just might take it out on the next person. The Most Haunted group should just give up an as Forrest Gump says "Thats all I have to say about that".

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion

Paranormal Investigation, Is It Really a Hobby?

Bobbysuniverse — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:05:52 GMT

I have had many people refer to this as my hobby.. Yes, technically it is a hobby but also more like a job. You see, "ghost hunting" is not just showing up at a dark place and looking for ghosts. There is some planning and legwork that needs to be done. Setting up an investigation takes almost as much work as a regular job as any legitimate group will tell you. First you have to find a site, whether someone comes to you or you contact them, there are conversations to be had and appointments to be made. You have to research the place on history and even construction. Once all the talking and research is complete then you have the logistics of setting up equipment and managing the people on your team. Things such as where do I get power for a camera in the attic and how many people can participate in this thing without it being overcrowded? Throughout the whole investigation you have members of your team being everythng from electronics techs, to building inspectors, to cameramen (women). Fortunately I am lucky and our team knows their strengths and weaknesses and pretty much manage themselves while on site. They are eager to learn every part so if one person can not show or do thier normal duties someone else can fill in. After the investigation there is the cleanup and making sure you left the site the same if not better than when you showed up. Now everyone has to go over all the recordings, pictures, and video the team collected. Then its another appointment to reveal your findings. As anyone on my team can attest this is not just a hobby, its more like a job we dont get paid for. But it is a job we like :-)

Forum: General Paranormal Discussion