Guest Author - Kim DeLeary

Recording an EVP can be one of the easiest ways to capture evidence of life beyond death. Some people record EVPs to communicate with loved ones who have already passed on, while others simply record EVPs as part of their own paranormal investigation. The results of an EVP recording may not be what you expected.

Sometimes you may not capture anything while at other times, you may get something but not be able to figure out what is being said. Usually the voice can convey some type of emotion even if the words are not clear. Many recordings are of low voices that may even whisper. Some paranormal investigators believe that some spirits need some practice before they are able to communicate in a clear manner.

You can get EVP recordings at any time of the day, so if you are reluctant to show up at the cemetery late at night, do not worry, timing does not matter. Get permission from cemetery staff if you plan to investigate a cemetery or graveyard. These staff members may even be able to point you to the haunted areas of the place. If you are going to a cemetery to record, remember that not all cemeteries or graveyards will produce EVPs.

If you are going to stay with the recorder during the recording and whether or not you will be interviewing the entities, focus on the entities being recorded by either just thinking of them or reading their headstone to get started. Many paranormal investigators say that attitude is a very important part of successful EVP recordings. Make sure that everybody is getting along and there is no dissension as this can effect results. Also, make sure all participants will be respectful to the spirits. If in doubt about a person's conduct, send them home and get them out for the next appropriate investigation.

One way to approach EVP recordings is to leave your recording equipment on in a place that is haunted and the other way is to conduct interview types of sessions where you ask the entity questions. While the first is the easiest, many paranormal investigators will enter a haunted area and announce their intentions to any nearby spirits in a moderate and calm voice. It is recommended that you speak in your normal tone when recording so that your voice will be readily identifiable if necessary. An investigator may also say a protection prayer before starting or even ask permission of the spirits to do the recording.

If you are going to do the interview approach, you should know that ghosts may not be very quick to answer. Therefore, before going on to the next question, pause and pretend you are answering the question yourself so you can gauge how long it will take the spirit to answer. Give them a little extra time to make sure you do not cut them off.

Be respectful; do not ask touchy questions that will anger a spirit. Stick with safe questions about name, age, year and family members. You can also ask why the spirit continues to stay at the location. Close by thanking the spirit for their time and ask them not to follow you home.

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