From Our Viewpoint

As you may have noticed, Lisa and I have just recently taken up serious experimentation with video ITC.  Lisa first began studying the audio form of TransCommunication after reading Sara Estep’s book, Voices of Eternity.  That beginning was strictly focused on EVP.  While we occasionally played around with video ITC, it was not until just recently that we focused our attention on it.  As we reported in the Winter 2002 newsletter, when we did, we were blessed with an abundance of most intriguing images.

Since that first video ITC experiment, I have been spending a considerable amount of time trying to put the images into perspective.  I believe it is especially important to correlate what we know about EVP with what we are finding out about video ITC.  You see, there appears to be important similarities, and I believe these areas of agreement point to a greater understanding of both aspects of a greater phenomenon.

These are the points of agreement that I have noticed:


•    Both appear to require physical energy that is chaotic in nature, but that has abundant, optional stable states.  In other words, audio sound energy seems to work best when it is acoustically rich with abundant harmonics and reverberation.  Loop back energy that contains a wide bandwidth of chaotic energy seems to work best for video ITC.  Photographic film emulsion fits this requirement, as does the sandpaper and illumination discussed on Page 4.  Apparently, the communicating entities “transfigure” this energy into intelligible information.
  

•    EVP are usually short, concise but complete phrases.  Any meaning in the message is often found when taking the message in the context of when and how it was delivered.  For instance a message may be meaningless unless the question asked at the time or the environment of the recording session is known.  The messages may be all but lost in the noise or they may be clearly understandable.  However, the voice is usually recognizable as male or female and may be recognized as a specific person’s voice.

In video ITC, the images are usually specific features, such as a face or head with shoulders.  By its nature, making sense of video ITC requires that one recognizes the faces because they do not come with labels.  So, to compare apples to apples, I think it is necessary to say that a clearly discernable face is comparable to a clearly discernable voice, and one that is obviously a face, but otherwise, too fuzzy to make out details, is comparable to a voice message that is nearly lost in the noise.

Thus, I think it is safe to say that audio and video ITC share similar traits in their presentation.


• Both forms of ITC have an occasional, apparently mechanical anomaly.  In EVP, this is in the form of a click preceding the message as if a microphone is being keyed.  In video, it is in the form of an apparent insertion of a surprisingly clear feature amongst a field of optical noise, as if a picture were pasted into the frame.
  

• It is apparent from the sound of the voice that most EVP are caused by a person who has once experienced a physical lifetime.  However, there are occasions in which messages seem to originate from machines, extraterrestrials; sometimes even from angels.  By comparison, human faces, apparently extraterrestrials, animals and even elfish looking people can be found in video ITC.  It is interesting that we have found so many people wearing hats and period dress.  You would expect this if discarnate people, who have experienced lifetimes in other periods and other countries, were causing the images.
  

• EVP can be found in just about any sound source.  It may be heard real-time, seemingly clairvoyantly, in the sound of a fan, the wind, even running water.  As witness the various images presented in this and past newsletters, forms of visual ITC can be found in any optically complex and well-illuminated environment.
  

• ITC appears to be holographic in nature.  A Professor working with the Noetics Institute has pointed out that he has found different EVP in each change of time domain of a recording.  Also, many people have noticed that EVP are often layered with a different message associated with each different background sound source.  Then of course, there is the EVP found on the reverse of audio tracks.

In video ITC, we have noticed that different faces can be found at just about every level of magnification possible with the photographic editing software.  In many cases, different images may become evident if the frame is rotated.  Sometimes it is possible to look closely at a portion of a face, such as a cheek, and notice that there is a smaller face in the texture of the cheek.

These comparisons suggest that both EVP and video ITC are something more than a random event or a figment of our imagination.  An important consideration in any phenomenon is its complexity.

If it is a single event or an artifact of a technology, it will have fewer characteristics than if it is initiated by an external intelligence.  Entities, in the flesh or otherwise, tend to do the same thing in different ways, depending on personality, intention and circumstance.  It is apparent that these phenomena have great depth in complexity, which strongly suggests some external intelligence is involved.

There are many possible explanations based on physical science that explain some of the characteristics of EVP and ITC.  However, these explanations do not satisfactorily explain all of the characteristics.  Physical science is based on the assumption that the arrow of creation points from the “Big Bang” through some primordial soup of creation to our present forms of life via evolution.  There is no room in this foundation of knowledge for a nonphysical aspect of reality or the presence of discarnate entities.  In this view, consciousness is an artifact of the brain and the Survival Hypothesis is not considered.

In metaphysics, physical science is considered, but so is the existence of a larger reality.  This permits metaphysicians to describe the arrow of creation as originating outside of the physical aspect of reality, and then possibly leading to the “Big Bang” and on to us.  Consciousness is hosted by the physical brain but exists outside of it and our attention returns to this greater environment when we transition out of this lifetime.  Thus, metaphysics helps to explain much of the phenomena in EVP and ITC.

A metaphysical explanation of the evidence we have before us, that employs the existence of discarnate entities as the communicating entity, better satisfies the evidence than any explanation based on physical science that is offered to date.  Even the possibility of quantum holographics fails to explain all of the evidence.  Yes, there may be some holographic aspects to EVP and ITC, but quantum holographics fails to explain its interactive nature.

We are well past the days in which we must prove the existence of these phenomena.  It is time for us to define a hypothesis and then pursue open discussion and experimentation to explain the how and why of EVP and ITC.                          Tom 

ITC Experiments and Other Phenomena

We had been concerned that our first ITC pictures were a chance occurrence but this is not turning out to be the case.  We have done several ITC experiments since the last newsletter and all have contained numerous ITC pictures.  Some are better than others; many can be seen on the computer screen but do not print well.  The pictures are mainly faces but many of them show people from different time periods.  This is apparent from the clothing, the hairstyles, and the hats that the people pictured are wearing.  There have also been some ITC pictures of animals and what seems to us to be of landscapes.

There was a period in January that we were unable to do experiments for three weeks.  Tom had been out of town and returned on a Friday.  On Saturday we ran an experiment in the early afternoon.  We use quite a bit of equipment and after an experiment it is all turned off.  The equipment is also plugged into power strips, which are also shut down.  The EVP/ITC room was entered after the experiment at least three times and the equipment was all turned off and everything was normal.

At about 7 PM I was taking my dishes from dinner to the kitchen and noticed noises coming from down the hallway.  I called to Tom and I must admit that I followed him down the hallway instead of bravely rushing down there in the lead.  As we turned the corner to the experiment room, we found a CD player turned on playing a CD recording of Portuguese babble noise that is sometimes used as background noise for EVP experiments.  The CD player has two music CDs used for meditation and the babble CD used for EVP.  The babble recording is the number two CD.

Needless to say, this was an exciting event, and naturally, we have tried to figure out a logical explanation for why the equipment turned on by itself.  In order for the CD to play, the power strip had to be turned on, the “all in one” Stereo system had to be turned on, the CD function and the second CD would also have had to have been selected.

In our last ITC experiment we ran an EVP experiment at the same time.  A few seconds into the experiment one of the radios being used for white noise suddenly increased in sound to a level that was quite disturbing.  Tom looked at me with surprise.  We were both startled and you can hear me on the recording asking Tom if I should turn it down.  You can hear him say, “I’m not sure” just as you hear the sound going down because I couldn’t stand it and turned it down.

When I reviewed the EVP recording I thought I heard voices in this very loud static.  Using Cool Edit, we were able to reduce the static by using a sample of the static in a noise reduction filter.  The first word is “Contact” and then there are voices but they cannot be cleaned up enough to definitely state what they say.

We have included two of the latest ITC pictures.  Even though they have been enhanced to make them more visible in print, we understand that none in this newsletter are very clear.  At the left, there is a person wearing something that looks like a headdress and breastplate.  Above, is the image of a man.  We have posted these on the web site, as well as others that appear to be images of the fabled “little people” of Irish legion that we collected in a session conducted just before Saint Patrick’s Day.  One appears to be an image of a man standing in bushes.  The bushes are green, the man’s face is “flesh color” and his high-top hat is brown.

It is interesting that an unusual number of our images come with hats of various forms.  These pictures help to illustrate that many of our ITC include people in “period dress.”

Fredrich Jürgenson's Voice Transmissions With The Deceased

Tom Wingert and George Wynne have translated the German language, out of print book, Sprechfunk mit Verstorbenen (or in English, Voice Transmissions With The Deceased), by Fredrich Jürgenson.  To quote Tom Wingert, “This translation should lay to rest the many claims of others to have discovered one thing or another, which Friedrich Juergenson had long discovered first, and hopefully the wheel won’t be invented over and over again.  Not only is the book incredibly interesting, but also it is somewhat of a historical account of the discovery and the many lessons learned during the following years.  He describes in great detail the many methods he used and his conclusions to certain questions.”

The translated book is now on the Fredrich Jürgenson Foundation web site at www.fargfabriken.se/fjf/.  You can download the book from this site.  A hard copy version of the book is not available.  Expect to see more information about Fredrich Jürgenson as the site matures.

Brief Remarks on the Role of the Recipient in ITC
Dr. Anabela Cardoso

(Editor’s Note: We have posted the entirety of Anabela’s article on the aaevp.com web site under Articles.  Do to space limitations, we have included but one section here.  We believe you will be interested in the sort of message Anabela is receiving from her contact known as Timestream.  Send us a SASE if you wish to read the entire article and do not have Internet access.)

The Nature of the Next World as Revealed by ITC

When I once asked my communicators from Timestream Station if the extraordinary capabilities that allow them for example to communicate by telepathy with animals and plants, to transport themselves by thought from place to place, and to function consciously and simultaneously in their world and ours, were the result of special practices, or were natural features of their world, they answered that the latter is the case.  It thus seems that they are subject to quite different laws of reality from those that appear to operate in this world.  I have yet to discuss with them whether their laws are unique to the level of existence from which they themselves operate, or whether they apply to other levels as well.

I have however been able to make quite detailed enquiries about the conditions under which Timestream Station communicate.  For example, when I relayed to them a question from the eminent psychical researcher Professor David Fontana, Past President of the British Society for Psychical Research, as to whether mediumship abilities are necessary for ITC recipients in this world, they answered categorically that no they are not.  In reply to my querying why, in that case, do some people here on Earth get ITC results after only a few attempts while others do not after months and even years of trying, they told me that, “It depends upon Timestream.”  In others words, it appears to be the communicators themselves who make the decisions, although I do not know as yet the basis upon which these decisions are made.  In reply to another of my questions, this time about the extent to which the recipient can influence the content of communications, Timestream assured me that such influence plays no part, “We speak directly through the instruments.”

From my own experience since March 11th 1998 in ITC using the Direct Radio Voice method (DRV), and before that using EVP, I can confirm the passive role of the recipient.  The communications have always taken place independently of my own will.  I can never assure anybody that on such a day and at such an hour Timestream will speak with me.  It is true that they usually tell me in advance that they intend to try to speak, and at what hour the attempt will be made, but they do not always meet with success.  The only exception to this is when Timestream goes on to confirm and reconfirm a particular date and time, though they themselves have told me that even then they can never be absolutely sure of being able to make contact.  Of course, I have always submitted the details of the experimental conditions in my studio to them for their approval.  Thus I always check with them on the suitability of my various items of equipment, of the frequencies I use for radio white noise, of the times at which I turn on the radios, and even of the intensity of white noise coming through the radios (I now use five of these simultaneously).  My belief is that since it is the communicators and not the recipients who establish the contacts, they are the best judges of what suits them best.

In my own case for example, I am told by the communicators that while recording DRVs I must not have either of my computers turned on elsewhere in the house, as the frequencies emitted by computers are highly disturbing for their work.  I am also told I must not use my mobile telephone, though I can use the house phone.  As an example of the errors that I can make, I once bought a very sophisticated CD recorder in an attempt to improve the quality and the durability of my recordings.  My intention was to record directly onto audio CDs instead of using the more perishable audio tape.  However, I only used the new recorder  once.  Foolishly I had omitted to consult with Timestream beforehand, and when I attempted to use it I was told that the laser technology of the CD recorder made it unsuitable for their work.

Even the type of questions and the topics of conversation depend upon the communicators rather than upon the recipients.  Timestream will only answer the questions or talk about the things that they feel are appropriate.  However, I have no wish to question them about the future or about mundane issues, and as I am not a scientist I also do not question them about scientific issues.  My main interest has always been to ask them about the meaning and purpose of existence, the role of animals and plants from a transcendental point of view, the life conditions on their level of existence, and the technical requisites most suited to them.  I have received very significant replies to all these questions, and therefore my communications with Timestream very much suit my own interests.

(Editor: Anabela Cardoso publishes an excellent ITC Journal that includes articles about ITC in many languages, written by researchers from around the world.  Visit Anabela’s excellent web site http://personal1.iddeo.es/acardoso or write to her at Apartado de Correos 3157 – VIGO – Pontevedra - España.)

Mathematical Foundation for Survival

There is important work being done by Dr. Matti Pitkänen in Hanko, Finland, concerning the relationship between number theory and the existence of nonphysical reality.  His focus is on p-Adic number, which we believe are in the “imaginary” number set.  This work is abstract, but we think it is important for you to know that Dr. Pitkänen is beginning to establish a foundation in math that may lead to a better understanding of how our world relates to that of the communicating entities in EVP.  We will follow his work for you, but in the meantime, you can find his writing at www.physics.helsinki.fi/~matpitka/.  We are sorry that we do not have a physical address for him.

Image From Sand Paper

In the category of, “Now we have seen everything,” Erland Babcock recently sent us an image that he photographed from a sheet of ordinary sandpaper.  He wrote, “ I have had the idea for some time now.  It is written up in an earlier journal.  It is just a section of a piece of sandpaper.  I photographed it with my digital camera when the sheet was leaning against my printer.  I then cropped and processed the image.  I used a Fresnel lens in front of the paper.  That I think is something new.

“I wasn't even careful about it.  I just took a quick shot or two to see what would happen.  I am beginning to think that most any rough surface (which represents noise) will produce a picture.  That has yet to be proven but it is a thought.”

(Editor’s Note: You must look closely to see the face.  The nose and two eyes are in the upper-middle of the frame.  There may be a second person to the left of the first man.  Hint--look for Richard Nixon.)

Signature comes from the Other Side

The Rev. Janet Tisdale has worked with undeveloped film to receive pictures and writing for many years.  This process is known as Skotography.  Janet works with photographic paper and developing solution in a room that is totally dark except for a red light.  A piece of the development paper is placed on the solar plexus or third eye while the person meditates.  The paper is then placed in development fluid.  The light switch is then quickly clicked on and off.  Spirit has told Janet to use the light switch as a shutter.  The paper is left in the development fluid for only a short time or when you can see the paper just beginning to change color.  It is then placed into a water bath to stop the development process.

Recently, Janet received a picture that seemed to have the signature of The Rev. Bernard Baker.  Bernard was a member of the AA-EVP for many years until he made his transition to the other side in September of last year.  Janet had known and worked with Bernard in the past.  The signature was shown to other people who had also known Bernard and all felt that it was indeed his signature.  A copy of Bernard’s signature was located and is shown here for comparison.  Let us know what you think.

Online ITC Cam Experiment

Richard Smedley of Ghost Safari has run a very interesting experiment.  He set up a live ITC camera on his web site and asked visitors to download the images and send him any that were interesting.  He wrote, “I'm receiving some pretty incredible captures from the online ITC Cam experiment.  At http:// (This site is closed now) you can see examples of the Class A captures I've received (and captured myself). I'm amazed at the detail and complexity in some of these captures.  It's really helped having the ‘world’ as my ‘assistant’ capturing and analyzing frames.

 “One thing I'm noticing is that once the web cam starts ‘generating’ faces there will usually be a group of them, often overlapping and interacting in strange ways.  Now I could chalk these up to the "ink blot" effect, but some are VERY detailed and photographic in appearance, where it becomes difficult to attribute this to chance alone.

“I believe the images may be ‘transmissions’ from another plain of existence.  How these transmissions arise is anyone's guess.  I can't say if the same mechanism is in effect with EVP, although it's certainly possible.  With both EVP and video ITC, however, I believe there’s a couple of scientific principles at play here.  First, I think the principle of stochastic resonance is the reason why the images become visible.  The camera/monitor feedback loop sets up the conditions to allow this to happen.  Second, Erland Babcock compares the images we see to ‘hypercube slices.’  This certainly makes sense if the images are indeed being "transmitted" from a higher dimension than ours.  There's strong evidence of this in my estimation since often the images interact and reinforce each other in strange ways, ways that would make sense if the images are 2-d projections of 3-d images resulting from slicing 4-d space.”

There is an excellent paper called, About the Ghost Safari™ ITC Cam for those who want to know more about how to do ITC experiments.  You can find this article at http:// (This site is closed now).

Members Experience
Direct Voice Phenomena

Tracy DuBois recently had to have an emergency removal of his appendix.  He wrote “Just prior to surgery I heard a distinct voice of a woman say, ‘You'll be Fine,’ when no one was in the room.”

Susan Cole wrote, “I had a similar experience post surgery myself, hope it helps support what you think you experienced.  I was awake but with my eyes closed in a Catholic hospital and I heard a woman's voice to my right say, ‘Hello Sister.’  I said hello, opened my eyes, and no one was there.  I asked a nurse and she confirmed they felt they had a nun ghost who helped them out.”

Global Consciousness Proven?

The Global Consciousness Project (GCP) consists of a team of scientists who are individually associated with a number of Universities and research organizations.  The GCP has been monitoring an array of Random Event Generators (REG) to see if they can detect unexpected variations in their collective “randomness.”  If such deviations can be correlated with events in the world, the team may have evidence of global consciousness.  They have announced that the array of REGs radically deviated from the norm moments before the first aircraft hit the World Trade Center and exhibited corresponding peaks in deviation preceding the second collision and the collision with the Pentagon.  For details, please refer to http://noosphere.princeton.edu/ or contact the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Attention: Marilyn Schlitz, 101 San Antonio Road, Petaluma, CA 94952, 707-775-3500.

There is precedence for this in the work of the Maharishi Effect, introduced by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who is credited for introducing the technique of Transcendental Meditation.  As the concept goes, the world can be influenced if 1% of the population meditates at the same time.  The idea can be expressed this way:  If 1% of the population of a town practiced Transcendental Meditation on a regular schedule over a period of time, while concentrating on the well-being of the town, the town would experience greater well-being—such as less crime.  The Global Consciousness Project seems to be verifying the required mechanism for this hypothesis to be true.

The EVP connection is important.  The mind-machine influence is called telekinesis.  Here, it has been demonstrated that we can telekinetically influence RNGs.  The Maharishi Effect holds that we can also telekinetically influence other forms of energy, such as good will or happiness, probably by influencing the underlying causes.  The collective consciousness of EVP/ITC experimenters in the world can have a telekinetic influence on the acceptance of EVP/ITC as a true phenomenon and our ability to communicate with the entities.  We do not understand this influence, but we know that the rapport and common goals of the EVP/ITC community is important in our success.

Matt Warne's ITC

Matt Warne, UK, does ITC experiments.  He uses a Hi-8 Hitachi camcorder, which is connected to a Sharp S-VHS video.  He then captures the recorded video through his PC with an ATI Studio video capture card.  He wrote, “I do the same setup like Tom and Lisa—with the camcorder viewing it’s image in a loop on the TV screen.

 “Something strange that I did notice last night as I reviewed some of the frames was some kind of reality shift.  It seemed on some of the frames that I paused to look at, they actually changed a bit while I was looking at them!  It sounds crazy, …however it definitely isn't the equipment causing it.

“One thing I have noticed is that on many frames, there are multiple faces, some overlapping each other, and it's hard to get a clear picture of the faces.  Also, another thing I have noticed is that a lot of the faces appear to be 'behind' a layer—bar-like objects and similar—it could be an artifact of the recording process, but there is no way of knowing.”

Matt also wrote that he had, “experimented with video using the Scole method of two mirrors aligned with the camera’s viewfinder and lens to create an infinity feedback effect which can induce certain types of resonance that are helpful to ITC.”  He said that it takes time to align the mirrors, and so he now usually uses the TV loop process as it takes a much shorter time to set up.

Geoweather

There has been much speculation about the influence solar flairs, planetary geomagnetic activity, moon phase and meteorological conditions have on nonphysical phenomena.  For instance, from the synopsis of a speech Robert O. Becker, M.D. will give to the American Society for Psychical Research, "Preliminary results have indicated a direct relationship between the status of the geomagnetic field and the success rate of ESP experiments.  The geomagnetic field may be a hidden variable that should be considered in experiments."

Haunting activity is thought to increase with increased solar and geomagnetic activity.  Knowing the phase of the moon would also be important as geomagnetic activity is greatest in the days around the new and full moon.

We have added solar and geomagnetic indicators on the aaevp.com home page, and a link to a site that provides moon phases.  You will need to check locally for meteorological conditions.  It may be informative to keep track of these conditions as part of your experiment records.  Let us know if you detect a correlation between these conditions and the success of your experiments.

Are There EVP on My Tape?

We often have people ask us to listen to their tape recordings to see if there are EVP messages on them.  Unfortunately, we often do not have the time to do this.  AA-EVP member, Linda Williamson has said that she would be glad to help people review their EVP recordings.  Linda wrote, “Getting the chance to help people with this would be brilliant.”

Linda says that it can take four to five days to scan a 30-minute tape.  Knowing this, please be considerate and try to keep the length of the tape that you want reviewed reasonable.  If you would like her to help you, a donation to help cover the cost of her time, postage, and tape would be appreciated.

You can reach Linda via Email at (email address) or at 32 Pitfour Street, Dundee DD2 2NW, Tayside, Scotland.

EVP Experiment

I was reading Susy Smith’s book, Voices of The Dead, New American Library, 1977.  I became interested in a remark made in Chapter VIII, “The Lamoreaux Bothers,” regarding a method of taping.  Susy writes about a letter from Joe Lamoreaux in which he is discussing communications from Bill Welch who had recently passed over.  “He gave us one suggestion that we hadn’t thought of before … while recording, after we ask our question or questions, (he told us) to turn the recorder off for about a minute.  Then turn it back on to record the voice responses.  This is to give the entities a chance to organize their thoughts and answer.  Otherwise we will be recording about a minute of disorganized thought before we begin receiving meaningful answer to our questions.”

And here is another one of those coincidences.  After reading the above we had a conversation with a member we will just call Ron, as he has concerns about his work in EVP and his employer.  Ron uses a digital recorder.  He mentally communicates his question, rather than saying it out loud.  He then waits two or three minutes and turns the recorder on for 10 to 20 seconds to record the answer.  He then asks another question telepathically; waits a few minutes and again turns the recorder on to receive the next answer.  He tells us that he has had good results with this and that his questions are answered.

Members may want to experiment with this.  Please let us know of your results.

Spirtsearchers

John and Nancy Wilton have a background of years of interest and experiments in the field of EVP/ITC.  They have been paranormal investigators in the New Jersey area since 1996.  Along with EVP, they use photography, video and various meters to detect temperature changes and electromagnetic fields.

The Wilton’s primary tool for recording EVP is a digital recorder.  They wrote, “We use a Panasonic model #RR-DR60, which has been discontinued and pulled from the shelves.  The story we got as to why they were discontinued is as follows:

“This recorder was used mostly by business people for dictation.  When they played back their message, strange sounds and voices could be heard in the background.  So, they returned the recorder as defective and Panasonic stopped production.  As soon as this story got out, investigators ran to the stores to buy up all the discontinued marked-down recorders!  Now the only place that I’ve seen this model for sale is on sites like Ebay.”

John and Nancy have an interesting web site at www.spiritsearchers.com that has many good EVP samples and other interesting information.  Along with EVP experiments, the Wilton’s experiment with ITC and direct voice using an old 1930’s tube radio.  They have also built a Raudive Box and information on how to build one is available on their web site.

Flight 93 Crash Site

According to an article at www.Earthfiles.com ©2002 by Reporter and Editor Linda Moulton Howe, the crash site of Flight 93 is haunted.  United Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11th killing 38 passengers and seven crewmembers.  Within 48 hours, the FBI and State Police had brought in a house trailer to be a command post and to store some of the evidence boxes.  Eventually the crater was filled back in and local residents started referring to it as the "mass grave."

A Security firm was hired to guard the site, using the house trailer as an office.  According to the article, guards have reported mumbled voices and footsteps.  One guard claims to have seen a woman who vanished into thin air.  He later recognized her in a photograph of passengers who were on the flight.

Go to www.earthfiles.com/earth319.htm to see the whole article by Linda Moulton Howe.  Linda's Email is (email address).

WaveClean as a Noise Reduction Tool

George Wynne wrote us about a simple software program that is useful for reducing noise in audio tracks.

“Those of you who have difficulties managing the numerous calibration capabilities of Cool Edit should take a look at the ‘WAVclean’ program that will give you entirely decent results in reducing background noise levels.

“It works in the following fashion: Look for the wav file that you want to filter by clicking on 'Open.'  Fix the filtering degree by moving the 'Strength' arrow from left to right, the further to the right the stronger the filtering.  Put a check mark in the ‘Scrub’ window, then click on the ‘Start’ button to start the filtering process.

“To compare the original wav file with the filtered version, click alternately on the ‘Play’ loudspeaker symbol in the ‘Original’ or the ‘Laundered’ window.  If you are satisfied with the result, click on ‘Save.’  Answer the question whether the original should be overwritten with ‘No’ and give the filtered file a new name in order to save the original as well.  An evaluation copy of WAVclean can be downloaded from: www.excla.com./index-E.htm.”

(Editor’s note: The license for this software is $20.00.  We have used it some and find it to be a handy, quick way for looking “into” sound for possible EVP.)

EVP on a Toy Key Chain

Ann Longmore-Etheridge wrote to describe an interesting encounter with EVP.

“There is a small parking lot by the cemetery where I usually park my car, and I always have a feeling that someone is watching me from the cemetery whenever I park and walk across the road to my house.  I've always thought of this ‘watcher’ as an angry man.”

Ann’s son has a two-inch long, battery operated memo recorder that is part of a toy key-chain.  She had just brought her son home and was playing with the recorder as they crossed the street from the parking lot.

“First I recorded myself saying, ‘Hello,’ and played that back.  Then I said to my son, ‘I think I'll take this to the cemetery and see if the ghost will talk to me.’  Then I hit the record button accidentally, meaning to actually hit the play button and hear myself saying, ‘Hello,’ again.  When I did hit play, I heard a deep male voice say, ‘No.’

“I guess there really is a grumpy man in the cemetery who doesn't want me around.”

News About Members

•    Rolf-Dietmar Ehrhardt’s Institute of TransCommunication (loTC) web site has a wealth of valuable information for any researcher.  If members have not seen this web site they should do so.  If you don’t have a computer go to the library and use theirs.  Spend some time at www.iotc.de/seite_2.htm (This site is now closed.  See www.worlditc.org ) reading the many excellent articles.  Thank you Rolf for you contributions and work in the field of ITC.
  

•    AA-EVP member Richard Hatem is the screenwriter and co-producer of The Mothman Prophecies, which was released on January 25th.  The film is based on the John A. Keel non-fiction book.  The movie tells of John Klein (Richard Gere), a Washington newspaper reporter who leaves his job after his wife (Debra Messing) dies, to investigate strange reports, including psychic visions (prophecies) and sightings of winged creatures (Mothmen) in a small West Virginia town.  Much of his investigation involves people who feel they are in psychic, sometimes physical contact with the entities.
  

•    Mark Macy will be one of many wonderful speakers at the 27th SSF-IIIHS International Conference, 2002.  The International Institute of Integral Human Sciences is a non-governmental organization affiliated with the United Nations DPI, promoting educational programs for the 21st century. They work towards the convergence of new sciences with spirituality and universal human values, creating inter-religious and inter-cultural understanding for world peace.  They will be holding a series of conferences in Montreal, May 3-12.  For information call 514-937-8359 or visit their web site at www.iiihs.com.  Mark has an upcoming events site on his web page at www.worlditc.org/upcomingevents.htm, to let people know where he will be speaking.
  

•    Charli Claypool is communicating with renowned debunker James Randi regarding proof of survival and the voices that she is receiving through EVP.  You can go to www.randi.org/jr/030802.html to see her original letter and his response.  You can hear Charli’s EVP at www.coffeepotghost.com

Thoughts From Members

•   Erland Babcock has worked with ITC for many years.  He wrote, “In most of my images, I seem to be looking at another world of people enjoying themselves. One of my images shows what appears to be mountains and has two moons in the background… I surf this other dimension like some people surf the Internet. I have received many beautiful pictures of people playing games or going swimming or just lying around.  Unfortunately, a lot of these pictures I was not able to capture. I could see it with my eyes however, when I photographed it some thing different came out. With the new 35mm scanner I will review those negatives and see what we can find.”
  

•   Michael Ostafin is a research physicist at the Mickiewicz University of Poland.  He has been using a condenser microphone with an additional 40dB pre-amp and digitally records directly into a computer with a sound card.  He recently tried EVPmaker and is thinking about using some speech recognition software to isolate and extract the voices from the raw background sound inherent in this method.
  

•   Peter Haviland wrote that, “I have set up an emf detector and thermal gauge on site recordings and have gotten electromagnetic field readings as well as temperature drops of 25 degrees during a recording session.
  

•   One member had written on the Egroup; “I'm not convinced of any real value in pursuing spirit communication, there is very little offered from the other side that can be considered as proof beyond the personal level” Ann Longmore-Etheridge replied, “BINGO.  This is exactly why I think they do communicate.  It is for the benefit/comfort/education of the taper and any who might share in this person's success with EVP via book, lecture, private conversation, etc., not to prove anything to the masses."
  

•   Gary Nixon reported that, “I have heard, over the years, that there is a code of conduct, if you will, in effect on the other side; One that requires us on this side to arrive at the answers naturally.  In other words, they're not allowed to influence us.  That's just what I've heard, but it goes a long ways toward explaining the cryptic, yes/no types of responses that characterize EVP.”
  

•   Carol Barron-Karajohn, wrote about those who think that the tapers mind is responsible for placing the messages on the recorder.   She wrote, “But, even if this were true, it would seem to me that the messages would be a little more self-serving and not things like, ‘We, the dead, speak’ or ‘Praise be the dead, the dead didn’t die!’”

Tapers Report

•   From Tina Laurent, “A few years ago I did a short thing with a local TV station in a haunted pub by the seaside.  During a break I went over the road, by myself, to a dark, very old graveyard and made a short tape.  I got a loud, clear male saying, ‘I killed her.’  I immediately played it for the crew, they all heard it, copied it, yet when I went over the same bit again an hour later the utterance had completely disappeared.”
  

•   Carol Barron-Karajohn knows that our pets can respond from the other side.  She wrote, “Shortly after my cat Bambi died, I taped a female voice saying ‘Bambi’ and during another taping (on another night) I heard a cat meow upon playback.”
  

•   Charli Claypool recorded from her coffeepot, “Your father quit Alban Tractors.”  She told us, “My Father-In Law did retire from Alban Tractors two days prior to this recording, after a fifty year career which was a big deal to him.”
  

•   Lloyd Bradshaw writes that there is a method that he has been using for the last thirty years to get his thought pattern through to the spirit folks.  Lloyd writes them a letter.  Recently he asked them what their favorite color was in order to use that color ink for his notes to them.  Many different voices answered “Blue.”
  

•   Frank Sumption recorded over the holidays, “My System Isis, Hear from Isis.”
  

•   Michele Hardison recorded several EVP’s during a sitting with a group of eight people.  One message was, “Love you Glendon.”  Michele’s husband Jim’s real name on his birth certificate is Glendon.
  

•   Dave Sircom wrote, “A few months ago I made contact with Jennifer, she gave me her last name, after two months, but swore me to secrecy about revealing it.  She has been very helpful … her voice seems to be getting stronger.  Now, I get a male voice telling me to leave, ‘his wife alone!'  Sometimes, you just can't win.”

Two Years With the AA-EVP

This issue of the newsletter marks the completion of our second year of stewardship of the AA-EVP.  We want to say that it has been and continues to be an honor.  We really had no idea what we were agreeing to when we assumed leadership of the Association from Sarah Estep.  Sarah is a fine communicator and she has substantial experience in the study of EVP.  Her shoes have been challenging to fill; however, with your help, we feel that the AA-EVP is thriving and that its future is strong.

Much of the future of the AA-EVP depends on you.  Between now and the June 2002 newsletter, many of you will need to make the decision whether or not you wish to continue with the Association.  You see, this is the renewal season for nearly half of you.

For those of you who receive the newsletter via postal service, the address label includes your renewal date by the season.  Please review that date, and if you are due, please take the necessary steps to renew.  Annual dues are still $20 for USA members and $25 US Funds for International members.  We run in the red but your dues help defray the cost.  You can send a check made out to Tom or Lisa Butler, 3415 Socrates Drive, Reno, Nevada 89512, or you can use paypal.com and submit your dues on line to “American Association - Electronic Voice Phenomena.”

“Out There”

The Sci Fi channel has begun production on a half-hour series named “Out There,” that is billed as an interactive talk show on the paranormal.  The show will be launched in the second quarter.  It will be hosted by Dan Aykrod and will feature celebrity guests and everyday people discussing topics of the bizarre and unexplainable.