From My Viewpoint

Winter is over. Spring is here, my favorite time of year. The grass is green, the robins are singing, and I smile when I see my colorful pansies blooming. The short, dark days of winter tend to depress me, but I keep hoping (and expecting) spring will drop from the blue skies in about ninety days. I’ve never been disappointed. As someone said, “Hope is the pass port to a better tomorrow.”

Oliver Wendell Homes wrote, “A ship in the harbor is safe but that’s not what ships were made for. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but sail we must, and not drift nor lie at anchor.”

Those are my sentiments. For many years ‘my’ ship was a somewhat troubled one, since I believed that when death struck us down there would be no tomorrow. I felt, “This is it. There is nothing ahead but oblivion.” I hid those thoughts - that was the ‘hidden’ side of me, and I continued as a more or less normal person - sailing, sailing, sailing...

As most of you know, in October 1976, I changed my path, amazed at what was revealed through a simple tape recorder. “That’s not enough!” I told myself. “I must share what I have learned with others.” So, I did, and the AA-EVP saw the light of day with the publication of the first newsletter in May 1982. That makes us eighteen years old and with the publication of this newsletter, seventy-three newsletters have gone out to the world. Since most newsletters run close to 5,000 words, we can get technical and say that’s over 350,000 words. Not important! What is important, is what do the words say? How much light do they bring to the readers? This question is constantly answered by letters and phone calls. So many of the words are your words, your comments, and your ideas. How much longer will we be on the scene? That’s hard to say. Things do change uphill - downhill, sometimes a smooth, easy road but that unfortunately often doesn’t last too long, and there are always bumps here and there. We will see...

Letters have come over the years, from distraught, grieving people, about the death of a loved one - mostly human, but there have been more than a few who lost a beloved pet. I have been able to reassure on both counts. Others write, fearing death is the end, and wanting me to try and convince them that isn’t so. One woman years ago wrote: “Sarah, I am so consumed by fear of death, I can’t do a thing. Can you try to tell me, these fears are irrational?” I tried, and she was reassured by me - and from what she read in the newsletters from our members.

All of us have choices, many choices, to make as we travel the road, the sea of life from here to there. We can decide to stay with our ship in its harbor, not venturing out of a place where we have found some comfort. Or, we can raise the sails and leave for the open, perhaps stormy seas. On my calendar for the year 2,000, the words of wisdom for March are:  “Your attitude almost always determines your altitude in life.” Well, yes it does. We can reach for the stars or we can put ‘blinders’ on, more or less through the years of our earth-plane life. The decision is yours. Keep in mind the words for July’s calendar: “Hold to the hope, the belief, the conviction, that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.” My belief is that we are here in this life to try to make the lives of others better; we are here to help. I don’t deny that our own life is important, and that we all want, and need, some icing on the cake now and then, but other lives have always been extremely important to me. We are something like the ‘head domino.’ When I touch another life, it in turn touches one, and it... The light in enlightenment starts spreading and reaching into the dark corners of planet Earth. In closing, I will quote the October calendar. “In the midst of change we find the seeds of the future.” I suggest we all become busy gardeners.

Most Significant Messages Received

When the Winter Newsletter was mailed the end of January, I asked some of our members to try and send me several of what they regarded as the most significant messages they’d received. Carol Karajohn, MA State Coordinator, in spite of some very serious family health problems, kindly obliged.

Quoting from her letter she wrote: “I have to say my three favorites are: When my dad passed away and I first tried to contact him, a man’s voice (not my dad’s) said in a Class A voice, ‘Praise be the dead; the dead didn’t die!’”

Carol wrote that in her early taping years, she fell asleep while taping. Upon playback she heard a very loud clear whisper saying, “Too bad she fell asleep!” Carol feels that was very evidential that it was not her subconscious putting it on tape as some non-tapers believe. Carol said of course she knew better, but this message offered proof.

She wrote that her favorite message was one she received from an AA-EVP member after his death. She’d had a number of letters from Harry before he died, as well as telephone and audio tapes he’d sent her while he was still here. Harry’s wife wrote and told Carol about his death, and the next time she taped, a man’s voice came through and said, “Harry’s gonna be on this evening.” Carol wrote in her letter, “Not wanting to miss that appointment, I taped again that evening. A clear Class A voice which I knew to be Harry’s said excitedly, ‘I’m alive!’” She sent a copy of the tape to Harry’s family, and they agreed it was him, and since she has a before death audio tape of him while he was living and now an after death tape of his voice, she closed her letter by saying:  “Same voice! I was thrilled!”

Sleep Experiments

Carol mentioning the message that had come through when she was asleep, brought to mind a series of sleep experiments I did and which were mentioned in the February 1983 newsletter. I knew as Carol did, that skeptics often claim our mind is psychokinetically putting messages on tape. Of course, this is not true for many reasons. Wanting to prove to myself that the voices could speak whether I was conscious or unconscious, I did four experiments while sleeping. My portable tape recorder was on my bedside table, connected to a timer, and set to come on at two AM, when I was reasonably sure I’d be asleep. It would tape for thirty minutes and then shut off automatically. In the four nights that I did the experiments, I received a total of thirty-three messages, some Class A. Some of them were: “Help carry,” “Sally,” (close friends call me that), “She is best for him,” “We wait here.” In the February newsletter, I suggested members might like to try the same thing. Four did, and each reported results. In my own messages, as well as those received by others, the male and female invisibles showed an awareness of us lying asleep in our beds. They are around us at all times. Their messages showed that there was more than one entity, and they were talking among themselves. As I’ve said upon more than one occasion, it is as if we are eaves droppers at the gate to eternity. Many people tell me, “I’d tape, Sarah, if I could just find the time.” “No problem,” I tell them. “You can tape while you are asleep.”

Some of you might like to try sleep experiments. Please let me know your results, so I can publish them in a future newsletter.

A Letter from Friedrich Jurgenson

In March a letter came from Luise Fuchs, Germany, a charter member of AA-EVP, having joined us in October 1982. She was our first member from another country and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the international conference held in Basel, Switzerland in the autumn of 1989, in which I took part. We kept a translator busy, as we chatted back and forth on Sunday morning. Luise has long been an outstanding taper and receives many good pictures through her television.

Luise wrote in her letter that she started taping in 1977, but had written to Jurgenson in 1979, asking if she could come and learn more about transcommunication from him since he was known around the world as the pioneer in taped voice phenomena. He gave her permission, and she stayed in Sweden studying with him for awhile. Luise sent me a copy of one of his letters he mailed to her after her visit, and since it was in German, translated it for me. One of his statements was: “When you start taping, it is not only necessary to learn to listen but to adapt an attitude of sincerity, self-awareness and alertness.” Jurgenson felt a person needed to transform his entire way of thinking and feeling and that it required his utmost attention and energy.

Luise wrote, “I believe that this still applies today and I consider this approach as important and essential as Jurgenson did. I feel that someone who does TC needs to have such an attitude or else he/she will not be able to establish a decent bridge to the spiritual world.”

At the close of her letter, Luise wrote she has very fond memories of her time in Sweden. She said that Jurgenson encouraged all participants of the training period and supported us in our efforts to learn more.

A Visit To Another Dimension

Jackie Colligan, NV AA-EVP member, wrote about an experience that she had some years ago, while she was supposedly asleep.

Quoting from her letter, Jackie wrote, “One night in the 1980s, I suddenly found myself in a light green room. The lighting was dim and there were plain benches along all four sides of the wall, filled with people. They were of all ages and sitting quietly but there were no children. There was one regular size door that opened to another building, and when my name was called, I was told to go to the next room. When I did, I was shocked to see that there was at least a foot or more distance of black space separating the rooms. I could see molecules and I instantly knew we were in space. I was scared about stepping over this space, thinking if I did, I would be lost for ever. However, it was almost as if I had no choice, and it seemed to me that space was there to test us as to whether we would be afraid to make the step. So I made the step and entered the next building, which consisted of two green rooms. There was a woman sitting at a desk covered with files and also more benches with people sitting and waiting. A woman looked at what I guess was my file and said, ‘You can’t come over.’ I knew she meant I had to return to earth even though I wanted to stay, but not in the green rooms of course. I told her, ‘I want to come over now.’ She replied, ‘You can’t because you still have responsibilities.’ That quickly it was over and I lay in bed thinking over what had happened. It was so vivid that it seems like yesterday. The dream/visitation helped change my life and resulted in many positive affects in my life as well as the lives of my children and husband. I have come to the conclusion that we all have a certain time to pass over to the Other Side and then continue living forever without the fear of death stalking us.”

A Joint Experiment

Jacques Blanc-Garin, of France and Sonia Rinaldi, of Brazil tried a joint experiment. Both of their large groups held a meeting at the same time – Jacque’s group in France and Sonia’s group in Brazil. They wanted to see if some of the messages that came through their tape recorders would mention the other group that was also meeting. Both groups received many messages. Jacques held a question and answer session, and some of his questions were, “Dear friends, can you contact us in the same time that our Brazilian colleagues are meeting?” “Here is Landell, Big hope. Hooray for France.” (Sonia has heard many times from an unseen entity whose name is Landell). “Can you send us a beautiful message?” “There is peace here.” “Are there French spirit friends in your group? If yes, what are their names?” “Calling from French (Thibault)? That is beautiful here, it is normal. I help you my dears.” “We feel better.” Can you deliver a ‘crossing’ message for us and for our Brazilian colleagues?” “(We have)? To love together all the time. Finished (near)? you.” “Together big kiss.”

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Ever since I bought my new computer at the beginning of November, I’ve heard a strange voice shouting at me, each time I click the ‘Sign Off’ icon. It’s always the same - same voice, same message. Let me hasten to assure you, I know it’s not an unseen entity speaking from Heaven, or some other dimension. I’m not the only person who hears it - there have been several others. What I wonder is if the computer manufacturer ‘built in’ a special psychological message, for all (or at least most) of us to hear subconsciously? I’ve read more than once, that producers of audio ads often do this to encourage their listeners to do something that will benefit the manufacturer. Since I’m accustomed to listening to invisible voices, I swear I hear it. I won’t tell you in this newsletter what the two words are, but I ask you to listen carefully to your computer when you turn it off. If you hear anything, please let me know what they say, as well as the make of your computer. Stay tuned! I may report this in the next newsletter!

Phone line to tape recorder interface

Jeff King, New Zealand AA-EVP member, has al ways been very busy in research and development, trying to make contact with other dimensions easier for both here and there. The above diagram is one of the newest areas of his R/D. Jeff is very generous in sharing his ideas with others and happy when those who become aware of them try them out to see how well they work.

The diagram shown is the one he sent to me the middle of March. He mentioned earlier newsletters in which I wrote about Sonia Rinaldi’s experiments with the telephone, and then my own which brought outstanding success. Quoting from his letter, he wrote: “I feel a different use for a telephone has great merit. To this end, I have a couple of older telephones connected up on a simulated local network to do some experiments. I feel that the use of two telephones may provide advantage over a single unit for the purposes of EVP reception, as there is a circulating interaction of simultaneous audio currents between the two units. In my setup, I am not using the phone network, but a local power supply to energize the phones. Also, the use of the older rotary dial models may be preferable over the newer push-button dialing ones. In regards to the connection of the telephone to tape recorder, or computer soundcard, I have attached to this a Word 97 document that I have created for an interface circuit. This will allow the connection of phone (and phone line) to the recorder or computer for recording purposes. The device connects directly to the phone connection wiring, with the output having a mic (or soundcard) audio plug via shielded cable.”

After reading the above, which he sent to me e-mail, I had several questions. He promptly replied and said that “the telephones are used as a modified form of microphone, so are for receiving voices as per the standard mic connection. A faint background sound may be useful. I recommend the older version of telephone for several reasons, one reason being due to them having the older carbon mic, rather than the more modern electric version.”

Circuit Details: Jeff wrote: “The two 100N caps connected to the line are to isolate the line DC from the transformer, preventing any call set-up requests to the phone exchange when the device is connected (phone exchange will not sense this device). Device connects to red and green wires of phone termination. Do not remove any existing wires at termination. The transformer provides balanced input to unbalanced output, so the mic plug can be grounded via the recorder. The 100K/4K7 resistors drop the line audio level so to be compatible with normal mic input sensitivities. The two cross connected diodes ensure that any ringing voltages do not damage the tape recorder.” Jeff recommends a metal enclosure to avoid hum pickup.

Please let me or Jeff (he’s on the cross-country and e-mail network lists) know if you follow his suggestions and receive results. Then they can be shared with other members. One more note. It is not necessary to have a computer to try using two phones to contact other dimensions. Just a tape recorder is all that is needed.

Computer Results

I mentioned in the winter newsletter that I had just bought a new computer with many bells and whistles. It was giving me some problems, and I felt I needed to wear a crash helmet. Now we have become better, if not best friends, and the helmet has been placed on a nearby shelf. I started trying to record voices with it and have been reasonably successful. First, I used the sound recorder built into it, and received voices. Sonia Rinaldi was a great help in answering the many questions I had about computer taping. Some of the messages I received through my computer are: “I sit. I sit here.” when I asked for the first time, “Are you here?” Some of the others are: “Hold on Pickford,” (reverse side), “We will come back,” (forward side). After several weeks I went to the “Cool Edit” program (http://www.adobe.com/special/products/audition/syntrillium.html) that had been strongly recommended. It is a marvel, no matter what kind of recording you do, and the results I received improved. The messages became longer and clearer, with more Class A. Most taping mornings resulted in one or more messages. Some of them were: “I know he didn’t still (go) back up.” (Class A-Reverse). “We just stand beside. They going up.” (Class A-Reverse). “So far help her to talk.” (Class A-Forward). “That’s Estep. Bring her in.” (Class A-Forward). None were earth shattering but some were interesting and evidential. One of those was, “Well she heard. She won’t have inner slept so the words rely on his head.” (Class A- Reverse). I had an appointment with the doctor later that morning and had an idea of what my ailment was. I think they meant I hadn’t ‘inner slept’ about my condition, but I should rely on the doctor’s head. I did. He was right, and my idea was incorrect.

When doing computer taping, it is very easy to play a recording in reverse. Sonia helped me simplify computer taping, and now anyone who has a computer with a built-in sound recorder can try to contact the other side. If you would like the methods I follow, please send me a self addressed stamped envelope, and I will be happy to send them to you. I just ask that you let me know your results, so they can be shared.

Tapers Reports

A number of tapers have reported contact in the last three months. This is always evidential, in that not just two or three say they are in contact with other dimensions, but a fair number. Members often tell me, especially in their renewals, they are taping and having results, but as I mentioned in the winter newsletter, they don’t always specify what they are. In an e-mail from Jackie Colligan, she wrote that she had gone to a jailer friend’s home in Las Vegas, who was having a lot of ‘knocking.’ The knocking stopped after they were there, but followed Jackie home to her trailer and there have been several knockings since then, along with her tapings. Art Counts, MD, enclosed a short note with his April renewal and said he tapes at least once every morning. His results are sporadic but often interesting. He wrote, “A couple of days ago a voice came in speaking almost as clearly as someone on the telephone, in a slow, deliberate voice and said, “It’s always there for you.” Clara Laughlin, VA State Coordinator, wrote about a nice message she’d received from somebody who said, “Walk with the Light, Clarissa. You gotta mission lady.” Dan McKee, FL & IN State Coordinator sent me a short tape, which was excellent. Some of the messages were: “On Earth, well that’s what is here.” “Solid becomes the system.” “Well the survey, our grounds gave and show it.” “The problem is more with the federal.” “The Earth is standing. It should be just as I saw.” “You know the Venetian are involved.” Al Rauber, a friend in PA, spends much of his time flying from one country to another on business. Al has done a great deal of taping, and appeared on a number of national television shows. While in London he checked his voice mail (not answering machine) in his hotel room. Just before a client started to speak on it to give him a message about a meeting, a Class A emotionless EVP voice said, “Yes.” He wonders if any AA-EVP members have ever received messages on voice mail? Please let me know if you have. Monique Simonet, France, wrote that she’d taped for a woman who had lost her 35-year-old son. She received 26 messages from him, many Class A. He expressed love for his parents, saying how happy he was in his new world, and gave his name clearly. He also gave the correct name for his sister (which Monique didn’t know at the time). The strangest Class A message from him was, “We have Internet...among the angels!” Monique sent all of the messages to his mother, who called a few days later and said how happy she was with her son’s communications. She then told Monique that her son had bought a computer shortly before his death, and planned to sign up for Internet.  Dale Sizemore, SC, enclosed a letter with his renewal. He wrote that he often has messages on his answering machine. His church has a monthly mens’ meeting the first Sunday of each month, and the club president always calls Saturday night to remind the men to come. When Dale isn’t there, the president leaves a message for him. Recently, during a brief gap between his words, an adult female EVP voice said, “He thinks of you.” Another time two different female voices spoke. The first said, before the chairman’s message, “Don’t forget” followed immediately with the second voice that added, “Come if you can.” Dale said the voice giving the second message sounded like the same voice a few weeks earlier that said, “He thinks of you.” Anne Smisko, VA has also received some very interesting messages. Some of those are, “Job for you.” “Get that hobby.” “You’ve been hurt.” “I’m not away.” “I’ll help you.” “Don’t give up hope.” Rozella Roberts, CA, wrote that she has shared some of her messages on the radio.

News From And About Members

Lloyd Bradshaw, NJ, sent me a clipping from the April issue of FATE Magazine. He’d written a piece for the Philadelphia Enquirer about Egyptian Mummies, that he’d researched and then sent it to FATE where it appeared under “I See By the Papers”. Tom Butler, NM, has a new web-site address. Edna Drake, Canada, wrote in her e-mail that in her meditation class she is often shown her sister’s face very clearly. Many times in her dreams they walk together, always having something to do and places to go. Edna closed her letter with, “I wonder if I am living in Two Worlds?” John, CA, wrote he has taken several classes in dowsing, which he passed with high scores. He is still doing Time Travel Experiments. John described them as, “Wow! What an experience!” Betsy Moyer, VA, wrote she’d just finished reading the French book: A L’Ecoute De L’Au-Dela by Rev. Father Francois Brune & Remy Chauvin (1999). She said Father Brune made a number of thoughtful references about my book Voices of Eternity and me. He also refers to Clara Laughlin, who I mentioned in Voices.  I met Father Brune at the international conference in Switzerland where I took part in several workshops, and we felt a ‘connection’ between us. Philip, MD, wrote how much he enjoyed the winter newsletter. He referred to my mentioning ‘Time’ in “From My Viewpoint”. Philip had readings at one time with a London medium who said that people in the spirit world saw time differently and couldn’t always distinguish between what had happened and what was about to happen. Exciting news has come from Sonia Rinaldi. She is having two books published this month of April. The most traditional Brazilian publisher, Editora Pensamento, is publishing Sonia’s book: Contatos Interd miensionais (Interdimensional Contacts) that will include a CD of voices from other dimensions. The other publisher is Editora DPL. The title of the second book is Transcommunicacao-Espiritismo e Ciencia (Transcommunication - Spiritualism and Science). Both publishers will present them at the yearly Book Fair event from April 28 to May 5 This event is attended by 5 million people. We wish Sonia much success with her two books, which, as I told her, will probably become best sellers in South America. If you have any knowledge of Portuguese or Spanish, you might want to contact Sonia and ask how these books can be purchased.

Counting Noses

With the spring newsletter, I always try to give an update of the AA-EVP. We have members in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and 15 countries. For the 18 year in a row, men outnumber women, with 23 more men then women. CA with 29 members leads in membership. MD is second with 18. We have been happy to add 57 members to our membership list.

A Special Note To Our Foreign Members

As you know, dues are just $20 a year. Most members in other countries send me a $20 bill, or a check made out to a specific bank in the U.S. Some foreign members, though, send me a postal money order or a check made out in their bank that specifies, “U.S. Funds.” Neither works. My bank charges me $5 to make such a deposit. The AA-EVP is the only organization I know where dues are just $20 a year - they’ve been that for over 15 years, in spite of many rises in cost of printing and postage. The Association is also the only one I know of that doesn’t charge more for foreign members - usually $10 a year extra, because of added postal expenses. So I must tell all dear foreign members, in the future I will have to re turn whatever you send me, unless it is actual U.S. currency or a check made out to a bank in the U.S.

Some Bouquets

“Just a note to thank you for your persistent efforts through the years.” Robert Camburn, PA “Thank you for your devoted work.” Ray Dielz, MD

“When I think of what vast potential is touched by the AA-EVP I am awed. Your organization has organized what would undoubtedly, otherwise, be a haphazard effort to make sense of tapings.” Charles Gaston, MD

“Thank you for your continuing inspiring work in EVP. “ Martha Mikova, CA

Prodigal Members Are Blessed, However...

Blessed are they who promptly renew when their yearly notices come due

“No second reminder for us, they say,

for in the folds of the AA-EVP we’ll always stay.”

Odds And Ends

We have done nothing odd the last 18 years. Thanks to you for making it all possible. Deadline for the summer newsletter is June 24^th.

Always my best wishes, Sarah Estep