EVP Warning: The Potential Dangers...?

[ttjoon]

Came across this article today.  Does anyone have any opinions either way?

http://www.paranormaltaskforce.com/evpwarn.html

[MichaelF (FPIE)]

I don't believe it is true, and think it is just a tactic to scare people.  Everything I see about this group seems like an attempt to make themselves seem professional, and others less so.  This is the group that wears paramilitary gear.  I think this is just an attempt to scare others away.

To me, there is a vast difference between a seance of Ouiga board and EVPs, in those you are attempting to use yourself as a conduit to an entity.  With an EVP, you are merely asking entities in the area to communicate with you, not THROUGH you.

[johnny]

Came across this article today.  Does anyone have any opinions either way?

http://www.paranormaltaskforce.com/evpwarn.html

I've been under the impression one can have spirits follow them home but only if they allow them to and sometimes they will tag along unwanted. But I had never heard (before this) of EVPs causing paranormal activity, I guess it could be possible.  I do question the state of mind of those experiencing things when listening to EVPs (maybe it's a completely different experience that's not related to the EVP). I've learned that during investigations, credible EVPs are often correlated with shadows, orbs (real orbs) and other documentable data such as temperature changes, barometric pressure drops, during the recording of the EVP. They also mentioned children in the article too. Personally, I would never let a small child listen to EVPs, I think that's asking for some expensive therapy sessions for the child as they get older.  :

I've seen EVPs or recordings cause activity in movies and books, which makes me believe this is more lore than truth, however, because of the direct contact and working with disembodies voices, it wouldn't be difficult to believe that the bodies of these voices followed one home. Also one person's EVP is another person's garbled noise so take it with a grain of salt in my humble opinion.


Someone willing to test out the theory from the article posted

[Suzannah]

Came across this article today.  Does anyone have any opinions either way?

http://www.paranormaltaskforce.com/evpwarn.html

I've been under the impression one can have spirits follow them home but only if they allow them to and sometimes they will tag along unwanted. But I had never heard (before this) of EVPs causing paranormal activity, I guess it could be possible.  I do question the state of mind of those experiencing things when listening to EVPs (maybe it's a completely different experience that's not related to the EVP). I've learned that during investigations, credible EVPs are often correlated with shadows, orbs (real orbs) and other documentable data such as temperature changes, barometric pressure drops, during the recording of the EVP. They also mentioned children in the article too. Personally, I would never let a small child listen to EVPs, I think that's asking for some expensive therapy sessions for the child as they get older.  :

I've never heard of an astral= traveling, bi-locating EVP ...  ...just kidding. I agree with you Johnny. I think an EVP is either a residual or a verbal communication.  If it is neither, then its a fake to start with.  Verbal communication does not "travel" ....well,except when I yell at my bf Thomas and then my voice "travels" as far as Safeway.

I also can't figure out why anyone would let their kid listen to an evp.  What purpose does that serve?   

I've seen EVPs or recordings cause activity in movies and books, which makes me believe this is more lore than truth, however, because of the direct contact and working with disembodies voices, it wouldn't be difficult to believe that the bodies of these voices followed one home. Also one person's EVP is another person's garbled noise so take it with a grain of salt in my humble opinion.
Someone willing to test out the theory from the article posted

Yeah...i will...wanna join me???
I'm not scared....
"DUDE! RUN!"
'
lol
Entities do attach themselves to living beings but I think it is actually quite rare for ANY entity to follow someone home.  There's a lot of superstitious nonsense that goes on in my opinion with some people....they sport tattoos that they swear will protect them from "harm" and so on...that silliness is something we can all do without.  But I would like to see even an informal survey of paranormal investigators asking how many times this has actually happened (an entity following an investigator)  on their team...I think the results would be interesting.

[MichaelF (FPIE)]

It is possible for an entity to follow you home without your permission.  However, I doubt (hope) this is not very common.

I do agree though that if there is any "danger" involved, it's not due to doing an EVP session, but just by being in that enviroment.

[ttjoon]

I don't believe it is true, and think it is just a tactic to scare people.  Everything I see about this group seems like an attempt to make themselves seem professional, and others less so.  This is the group that wears paramilitary gear.  I think this is just an attempt to scare others away.

To me, there is a vast difference between a seance of Ouiga board and EVPs, in those you are attempting to use yourself as a conduit to an entity.  With an EVP, you are merely asking entities in the area to communicate with you, not THROUGH you.

This is some really great feedback.  Thanks for chiming in everybody!  I think that Michael said it best with this post. I think he hit the nail on the head. 

Personally, I believe that it is possible for something to follow you home.  For me, I pray before every investigation and afterwards as well.  Might not be everyone's cup o' tea, but it works for me.  As far as Suzannah stating that a person's forum of protection (i.e.: a tattoo) is silly, I don't agree.  The mind is very powerful and if you have something which makes you feel more comfortable and protected, why not utilize it.  What is the harm in it?  As far as silliness goes: Define "silly".  Isn't sitting in the dark in a stranger's house in the middle of the night talking to something you cannot see a bit silly?  Not to us, but to some it surely is.  

[MichaelF (FPIE)]

Kind of derailing the topic, but I want to piggyback on what Tracy said (I'm not heavy.)    This kind of steps into the realm of belief systems as well, but I think that "a" key ingrediant in a symbol is faith that it will work.  If I strongly believe that the post-its on my desk will protect me, then on some level they may.  This protection is probably mostly due to self-confidence and a feeling of empowerment that makes you less likely to be messed with.  Ever see a teeny tiny dog back down a dog that could eat it in a single bite?  That being said that whatever symbol soebody uses, whether it be a tattoo or my post-its, they are far better off then without it.

Now that being said, I believe (and it's just simply that, MY belief,) that is enough to protect you 99% of the time.  Yet once in a while, you may find yourself against something really nasty.  At this point a persons solo beliefs may not be enough, but you are forced to draw upon the beliefs or energy of many people, such as an organized religion.  During an excorcism for example, the power of that entire church and all it's faithful is being utilized.

Bah, I could go on forever, and would probably start to offend people... lol.  To conclude though, I think that self-empowerment through symbols of your choosing is a great place to start.

[PPI Brian]

I agree... it's a load.    I recognized this group from their appearance in the Booth Brothers "Children of the Grave" film, and they struck me as a bunch of posers. How many paranormal groups dress in paramilitary outfits when they're conducting serious investigations? They obviously have a vested interest in the Ghost Tour hype, and they're putting on a good show to lure in the rubes.

I agree with Tracy; if you have something that makes you feel protected, then by all means use it. However, in certain circumstances, it is best to leave religion out of the investigation.

[Suzannah]

I don't believe it is true, and think it is just a tactic to scare people.  Everything I see about this group seems like an attempt to make themselves seem professional, and others less so.  This is the group that wears paramilitary gear.  I think this is just an attempt to scare others away.

To me, there is a vast difference between a seance of Ouiga board and EVPs, in those you are attempting to use yourself as a conduit to an entity.  With an EVP, you are merely asking entities in the area to communicate with you, not THROUGH you.

This is some really great feedback.  Thanks for chiming in everybody!  I think that Michael said it best with this post. I think he hit the nail on the head. 

Personally, I believe that it is possible for something to follow you home.  For me, I pray before every investigation and afterwards as well.  Might not be everyone's cup o' tea, but it works for me.  As far as Suzannah stating that a person's forum of protection (i.e.: a tattoo) is silly, I don't agree.  The mind is very powerful and if you have something which makes you feel more comfortable and protected, why not utilize it.  What is the harm in it?  As far as silliness goes: Define "silly".  Isn't sitting in the dark in a stranger's house in the middle of the night talking to something you cannot see a bit silly?  Not to us, but to some it surely is.   

Well, I guess I shouldn't have used the word silly/nonsense etc...all I really meant was this:  we should be careful not to fall into abject superstition.  As investigators, we should be looking to debunk everything, and that includes our own attitudes, superstitions, etc.  I certainly agree that the power of the mind is very powerful indeed.  That's an area of psychology that I certainly respect.  I simply think that there's a certain amount of alarmism on the part of some groups that this area of research can do without. 
So thank you for your thoughts and for giving me an opportunitity to clarify what I mean...I did not intend to suggest that all use of such things is silly...just a cautionary note that people who fall into superstition tend to hurt our credibility. 

I know that people have their rituals just as I have my prayer and I certainly don't want anyone to think that I was insulting their religious orientation or belief system.  That is not my style at all.  I just want people to be logical and level headed about all this.  If I am facing the devil himself on an investigation, I don't want someone who is flippant and glib next to me who says "Not to worry. I've got my cross and my silver bullets."  I want someone who is going to actually have the faith (or if one is non-religious, the power of mind) to back that up. 

I still would be interested in seeing a survey of paranormal investigators done, to see how often entities follow the investigators home.  I tend to think it is quite rare, especially for a disembodied EVP to cause an increase in activity in an unrelated person's life.  Now, the person who got the EVP, and then experiences an increase in activity, that would be certainly considered "normal" since the entity may be intelligent (not residual) and may know that the person has made contact.  (Am I making ANY sense???)

[Suzannah]

I agree... it's a load.    I recognized this group from their appearance in the Booth Brothers "Children of the Grave" film, and they struck me as a bunch of posers. How many paranormal groups dress in paramilitary outfits when they're conducting serious investigations? They obviously have a vested interest in the Ghost Tour hype, and they're putting on a good show to lure in the rubes.

I agree with Tracy; if you have something that makes you feel protected, then by all means use it. However, in certain circumstances, it is best to leave religion out of the investigation.

:o  You mean, you guys don't wear paramilitary outfits?  That's it...I don't think you have any credibility....
Only a group with paramilitary outfits could possibly be serious.
:

[johnny]

I believe EVPs invoking activity is a far fetched but not impossible idea, I would be really worried if I heard an EVP rolling out names of Demons and Angelics, threaten me or threaten someone else.     However, should one take protection before listening to EVPs? It may be common practice for some and not for others. I respect other religions, beliefs and cultures and I believe protection for those who are faith based, should been done on site before they partake in an investigation. As Brian and Tracy say, if you feel it will protect you, by all means, use it.

I think we've all heard about haunted objects. But I never come across a haunted EVP.  In theory, that means someone can put a "haunted" EVP out there on the Web and if people listen to it, they should experience activity. Where I HAVE seen this plot is in many films, books and urban legends to scare people. Where spirits can be matrix'd into anything electrical, even via mobile phone, web pages, a phone message, online videos, etc... causing activity, death or even possession. A plot device taken from the classic Poltergeist movies, old stories adapt to new technology.

I'm inclined to put this as urban legend #59 in my books, until substantiated evidence is presented to sway that opinion.  Should one fear listening to EVPs, I hope not! 


hehehehehe, yeah.. the berets and paramilitary outfits are much.   Why not JumpinJammerz? 

http://www.jumpinjammerz.com/

[MichaelF (FPIE)]

I agree... it's a load.    I recognized this group from their appearance in the Booth Brothers "Children of the Grave" film, and they struck me as a bunch of posers. How many paranormal groups dress in paramilitary outfits when they're conducting serious investigations? They obviously have a vested interest in the Ghost Tour hype, and they're putting on a good show to lure in the rubes.

I agree with Tracy; if you have something that makes you feel protected, then by all means use it. However, in certain circumstances, it is best to leave religion out of the investigation.

Brian, that is EXACTLY the impression that I got as well.  At least my military gear I wear wont be fake, I can just grab the real thing 

To clear things up, I wasn't advocating religion on an investigation, at least not openly.  I was just saying that each person should use whatever symbols or rituals they think they need to protect themselves.  Yet as Brian said, that should be done in such a way as to not intrude or offend the belief systems of others.  If you feel the need to run around gesturing and invoking the name of your deity every 10 seconds it's not going to work.

When to actually invoke a religion?  Well I accept the fact that FPIE isn't equipped to handle every case.  Some are past debunking, evidence collection, and advice on handling phenomena.  If I come in contact with a case that is truly Demonic in nature, I mean nasty mean Demonic, the type that is very rare, working towards or already possibly in the possesion stage; I accept that my role is to get them people that can actually help.  Probably clergy of some sort.  Maybe PPI is equipped to handle such a thing, but I know we are not.

[Suzannah]

I propose these as the official paranormal investigator's uniform of choice:

[MichaelF (FPIE)]

Only if you are sensitive, but you also need to have a little hood.

[johnny]

    

[ttjoon]

I agree with Tracy; if you have something that makes you feel protected, then by all means use it. However, in certain circumstances, it is best to leave religion out of the investigation.

Just to clarify....I pray in my car before hand and afterwards.  I never pray in front of a client or in their home.  I swear to.....oops.  Sorry.

[ttjoon]

[
If I am facing the devil himself on an investigation, I don't want someone who is flippant and glib next to me who says "Not to worry. I've got my cross and my silver bullets."  I want someone who is going to actually have the faith (or if one is non-religious, the power of mind) to back that up. 

I

Amen, Sister!  Amen!

[ttjoon]

I propose these as the official paranormal investigator's uniform of choice:

OMG!  TOO FUNNY!

I WANT THE PINK ONE!! 

[johnny]

I propose these as the official paranormal investigator's uniform of choice:

OMG!  TOO FUNNY!

I WANT THE PINK ONE!! 

[PPI Brian]

I agree... it's a load.    I recognized this group from their appearance in the Booth Brothers "Children of the Grave" film, and they struck me as a bunch of posers. How many paranormal groups dress in paramilitary outfits when they're conducting serious investigations? They obviously have a vested interest in the Ghost Tour hype, and they're putting on a good show to lure in the rubes.

I agree with Tracy; if you have something that makes you feel protected, then by all means use it. However, in certain circumstances, it is best to leave religion out of the investigation.

:o  You mean, you guys don't wear paramilitary outfits?  That's it...I don't think you have any credibility....
Only a group with paramilitary outfits could possibly be serious.
:

One of our investigators has been known to wear a SWAT tactical vest on occasion...   

[PPI Brian]

I still would be interested in seeing a survey of paranormal investigators done, to see how often entities follow the investigators home.  I tend to think it is quite rare, especially for a disembodied EVP to cause an increase in activity in an unrelated person's life.  Now, the person who got the EVP, and then experiences an increase in activity, that would be certainly considered "normal" since the entity may be intelligent (not residual) and may know that the person has made contact.  (Am I making ANY sense???)

Most of the cases I've read over the years of entities following invetigators home tend to be the non-human variety. These non-humans can range from bothersome to downright negative. Jay and Grant often speak of their own experiences with these entities, and they are not pleasant. Thankfully these types of cases are very rare.

Residual (human) paranormal activity appears to be bound to a particular location or object. These entities don't interact with residents and/or investigators, they just do their own thing and they're oblivious to all that's around them. This type of haunting is the most commonly reported. Intelligent (human) paranormal activity also appears to be bound to a location or object, although they do interact with residents and/or investigators, they rarely wander from their focal point. These tend to be the "classic" style of haunting that's reported.

There has been a lot of discussion lately about "free roaming" intelligent human paranormal activity, and many researchers including EVP gurus like the Constantinos claim to "attract" these roaming spirits because they pay attention to them. Perhaps some of the reports of paranormal activity following investigators home are just these "free roaming" types that are being mistaken for something else...

Just my two cents

[Suzannah]

Interesting!  Thanks Brian for clarifying the subject.  I agree that it is not impossible and I don't doubt that it happens...I just am interested in how often in comparison with cases where it doesn't. (20 percent of the time? 10 percent? see what I mean?)

The use of alarmism to make oneself appear more "professional" is just really distasteful to me and I think it just leads back into the dark ages of superstition rather than bringing these things into the light of day and reason.  It isn't that I don't advise caution: I do.  I just don't like the scare tactics in this article.

[ttjoon]

Interesting!  Thanks Brian for clarifying the subject.  I agree that it is not impossible and I don't doubt that it happens...I just am interested in how often in comparison with cases where it doesn't. (20 percent of the time? 10 percent? see what I mean?)

The use of alarmism to make oneself appear more "professional" is just really distasteful to me and I think it just leads back into the dark ages of superstition rather than bringing these things into the light of day and reason.  It isn't that I don't advise caution: I do.  I just don't like the scare tactics in this article.

well said