From My Viewpoint

A proverb that I like and one I think is especially apropos for we who work in the field of EVP is, “Patience is a bitter cup that only the strong can drink.” Rarely a day goes by but I find it in my thoughts. We each have our own reasons for wanting to contact other dimensions through our tape recorders but we all learn very quickly this contact does not come easily. Some work for months before we receive our first message from an unseen entity. No one forces us to sit day after day and ask, “Is anyone here?” We sit because we want to, for whatever reason or reasons, and in time our efforts are usually successful, Eventually some of us decide that what we are learning is so monumental it should be shared with everyone.

Most of us are familiar with the work of Raymond Bayless as a psychic investigator and author. In the July, 1978, Fate magazine book review of, Natural And Supernatural: A History Of The Paranormal by Inglis, Fiodder and Stoughton, Bayless mentioned the incredible refusal of most parapsychologists to give a fair hearing to taped voice phenomena. In the September, 1978, issue of Fate, he reviewed the book, Psi Search. Although he felt the work was a generally useful introduction to modern parapsychology, he wrote that the authors “...are skeptical of the (voice) phenomenon as is the parapsychological establishment which treats the problem with the same studied disregard it once afforded the photographs of Ted Serios.”

Not much is written about EVP in professional journals, and what is, is usually negative. Time has not changed the tenor of what is said and while this does not bother me to a great extent, the closed minds, and yes, even the lack of moral fairness does excite my sensibilities. In the Autumn, 1982, issue of Theta published by the Psychical Research Foundation of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, we find the article, Involuntary Whispering, Conversational Analysis, and Electronic Voice Phenomena, by Gerd H. Hovelmann, Mr. Hovelmann is a graduate student in linguistics, philosophy, and literature at Marburg University in West Germany, and while he may know a good deal about linguistics, he obviously knows little about EVP. Although we might be dazzled when we note that he used twenty-five sources as references, we are less impressed when we notice that fourteen of these sources are seven or more years old and have little to do with EVP. Indeed, one source is forty-two years old, long before the discovery of the electronic voice. Mr. Hovelmann goes on at great length writing that many of the messages we record, and which we think are paranormal, are really the result of whispering taking part between the experimenter and others who sit with him during a recording. I do not deny that this might happen at times, and for all of you who record with a friend, I advise you to be extremely careful when making a joint recording. Most EVP experimenters to whom I have talked have told me that they record alone. Out of the thousands of recordings I have made in the last six years, less than thirty have been done with someone else in the room. Whispering is clearly not the answer to the electronic voice.

In the January, 1982,issue of Fate, the Psychical Research Foundation offered twenty tapes for sale. I ordered Paranormal Voice Phenomena. This tape was a lecture given by Davis Peck in 1977. Many of us know Dave personally and have great respect for his sincere efforts in the field of EVP. During the lecture, Dave went into the history of EVP and discussed some of the efforts of EVP experimenters. At the end of his talk he played a number of messages recorded by one individual with whom he had been working. They were of poor quality. This individual is a close friend of mine and when I called her about the tape she was surprised. No one had gotten in touch with her about it, then or since, and if it hadn’t been for my call she never would have known. In the last several years this person’s “voices” have improved tremendously and she now has many excellent quality tonal voices. I later learned that Dave also knew nothing about his lecture being reproduced and sold commercially.

Besides my feeling that it is not quite the thing to sell someone else’s lecture and voices without their consent and the ethical, if not legal, nicety of such an act, I have to question the decision to sell the tape to the public at all. By so doing it is implied that this is the state of the art today. It isn’t. Those of us who have worked for some time taping voices know that progress is being made. We are learning how to better communicate with unseen dimensions and, more importantly, I feel they are becoming more adept at communicating with us.

Over the years I have become acquainted with some well-known professional parapsychologists. Many still want nothing to do with the voices, but a few are starting to come out more openly and indicate a willingness to at least consider EVP. One or two are beginning limited experiments.

We as individuals and as a group can contribute a great deal to the eventual acceptance of the electronic voice as voices speaking to us from other realities. What we say, how we act, our very lives must reflect the highest qualities. It won’t come soon, it won’t be easy, it demands that bitter cup of patience, but in time EVP just might change the world.

Interpretation of the AA-EVP Logo

Some individuals have asked what the logo means, so for the benefit of all who may have wondered, let me explain. The tape recorder is the way we communicate with other realities, and, in respect to the electronic voice, it is the way they communicate with us, We cross the bridge to them and they cross the bridge to us and so, for that reason, we have an arrow pointing in both directions. The links joining the tape recorder to the bridge are a result of a message I received one day when I asked how they were able to find us sitting at our tape recorder. Someone answered, “I found the link,” thus the links in the logo.

Death Notice

The following was translated for me by Thomas Roers from the German magazine Esotera.

“The Viennese Engineer Franz Seidl, a recognized pioneer in magnetic tape voice research, died on 2 June, (1982) shortly before his 71st birthday. He died in Vienna after a short, serious illness. He was one of the most active pioneers of tape research. Seidl became recognized especially through his invention of the “Psychophon” which was accepted the world over among voice researchers and which serves as an instrument for high quality voice phenomena. Up to the moment of his sudden death he was busy in the Vienna working group of voice researchers as well as in the completion of his inventions.”

Roll Call

During the summer months the rate of new members decreased. Evidently gardens, vacations, and picnics claimed the attention of many. How about you? Did your work with your tape recorder slide as you fought tomato blight or tried to conquer the beetles on your roses? Most of us are guilty of playing hooky now and then. But now fall is with us. I live on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, and as I write a large flock of geese going southward has just honked their way as they fly over my home. For those of us who have been laggard the last few months in respect to our tape recorders, it is time to return. In spite of summer delights, we have added some members and additional states to our list. Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey and North Dakota have joined and we are happy to give them a special greeting. At the present time twenty states and Canada are represented in the AA-EVP.

Report on Research Project in Progress

In the August NEWS, I wrote about Pat Canavan, a professor of art, and two of his friends, also professors, from the University of Maryland. Members of the Association were invited to try to contact Calbraith Perry Rodgers and Wiley Post, two early pilots, and let Mr. Canavan know if such contacts were successful. He and his two friends planned to fly cross country in August, re-tracing the early routes of Rodgers and Post. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the plane and they were unable to go. They have firm plans to make the trip between January 15-22. Bill Tutor, musician and composer from the University, and one of the three members of the team, has developed a smaller version of SPIRICOM which weighs less than twenty-five pounds and can be carried in one hand. They will use this system along with their battery operated reel to reel tape recorder to see if voices can be recorded while they are in flight. The plane will be making a number of stops along the way. If you would like to meet these gentlemen and see if you can record voices in your home using their electronic system, write to Mr. Canavan. Provided your home is on their flight path, they will make every effort to stop and will get in touch with you beforehand. Mr. Canavan’s address is: (Address removed)

New Research Project

A new member of our Association, and one who heeded my Help Wanted-A Chance To Serve feature in the last newsletter, is Shirley Starke of North Dakota. Shirley has volunteered to be state coordinator for her state so she joins the other five state coordinators with my special thanks. Shirley has an idea for a new research project in which everyone can take part. A close friend of hers, known as “the Belfast poet,” has died. He lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and according to Shirley some of his poetry will soon be published. The name of this poet, musician, and song writer is known to Shirley as well as a professor at Concordia College. It is Shirley’s hope that perhaps some AA-EVP member might be able to pick up a song or poem from him, as yet unpublished, from his existing body of work that can be later verified. Since those who speak to us through our tape recorders are largely, at this point, unable to have long sustained communications, even a short, unique phrase from one of his unpublished poems or songs would be considered evidential. Furthermore, if you can record on tape the name of this man, or that of another noted poet who reportedly is with him, this would appear to be a communication from another dimension. Shirley suggests that those who do not have a tape recorder could still take part in the project by trying to have contact through automatic writing. Anyone who feels they may have been successful in hearing from or about “the Belfast Poet,” please write directly to Shirley. Her address Is: (Address Removed)

The Dead Are Alive-Second Edition

In the May issue of the NEWS, I mentioned a recent book by Harold Sherman titled, The Dead Are Alive. Harold is recognized by many as this country’s premier psychic and sensitive. He is author of numerous books and founder of ESP Research Associates Foundation. In the book he describes different ways the dead try to communicate with us and there are several chapters devoted to EVP. Harold has recently come out with a second edition of the book, and so for those of you who have not had the opportunity to read it, you might want to order the book directly from him. The cost is 9.95 postpaid. His address IS: (Address Removed)

Reports From and About Members

David Lothamer, state coordinator for California and I talked recently by phone. He told me about contacts he has had with California Association members. David has been doing some interesting EVP experiments using a remote mike. He hopes to soon conduct experiments with a wireless microphone.

Leslie Bugbee, state coordinator for Maine, and I are working with a well-known free-lance writer who lives in Maine. This gentleman is writing an article about EVP for a prestigious magazine. He has talked to the editor who has encouraged him to go ahead with it. Leslie and the author have plans to visit a purportedly haunted house near them to see if they can record voices.

Clara Laughlin, an AA-EVP member from Virginia, reports her first real break-through in recording voices. Ever since her husband died about a year ago she has tried to contact him through her tape recorder. Although feeling discouraged because of her lack of success, she continued. Finally, two months ago different voices began speaking to her. These are of good quality. One person asked her, “Are you making this a habit Clara?” evidently referring to her patient persistence in recording. Another voice asked, “Can I help you, Tom?” This was followed with, “Does that help?” Tom was the name of her husband. Clara receives messages on both sides of her tapes.

Mercedes Shepanek, state coordinator for Virginia, has gotten a computer, She is going to go through all of her messages and divide them according to subject area. Although she has been working with it for only a few days, Mercedes feels it will be a great boon to her as she makes a more systematic study of the taped voice. She will try to have a report ready for us in the February NEWS.

Odds And Ends

Some of you will receive a mailing list, along with your NEWS for the first time because many states who had one member previously now have more than one. Since all those on the mailing list have indicated they want to be in contact with other state members, call or write to them. They are new, you are “old” (figuratively speaking of courses) so you make the first move.

Let me hear from you. I know it takes time, which few of us have in abundance, but even a short note will be cherished. Some Association members I know well from letters, phone calls, or personal meetings. Others, are just a name. Won’t you change that? I would like to know your feelings about EVP whether you are recording voices or not, and if so, what method(s) you use.

Pass on the enclosed yellow flyer. Several individuals wrote to me after the August NEWS and asked for additional flyers to hand out to organizations to which they belonged. Let me know if you would like more.

The next newsletter will be mailed the first week in February. Please let me have all of your news on or before January 15.

Always, my best wishes.  Sarah Estep

Established to Provide Evidence of Survival Through the Electronic Voice and to Share Results With All.