Mike Sears, Director of VSPR will be on Coast to Coast AM with host Connie Willis this Saturday night! June 4th/5th
Link below for more information on where and how to listen to the show.
Mike Sears, Director of VSPR will be on Coast to Coast AM with host Connie Willis this Saturday night! June 4th/5th
Link below for more information on where and how to listen to the show.
Video of part 1 of the ITC session using the Echovox app.
Thank you to Eric Freeman Sims for having Mike Sears, the Director of VSPR as his guest on his podcast “Unseen Paranormal” on Sept 9th 2020. You can listen to the show on the link below. Mike talks about what inspired him to research the Paranormal and the Afterlife. He talks about experiences of investigations he has done at locations like; Octagon Hall, Rippavilla Plantation, Clement Railroad Museum, Charlotte jail house, Columbia High School and other locations.
Click here to listen to the show –> Unseen Paranormal
Seance and Ghost Hunt
October 30th Wednesday, 2019 at 6:30pm- 9:30pm
Join Volunteer State Paranormal Research Group’s founder Mike Sears, Psychic Medium Suzie Wright and Mystic Jamie London for a seance and ghost hunt of an historical home in Nashville that is very haunted.
Psychic Medium Suzie Kerr Wright and Jamie London will lead the seance and channel messages from your loved ones on the other side as well as spirits in the home.
Mike Sears of VSPR will use his vast array of technology and years of experience as a paranormal researcher and investigator to confirm/validate the existence of the presence of spirit and to communicate with them through recordings, spirit boxes and photography.
Guests arrive at 6:30pm a meet and greet/Q & A with Mike, Suzie and Jamie, followed by the formal seance/ghost hunt.
$75
*ONLY 12 SEATS AVAILABLE!!!
Tickets on sale here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seance-and-ghost-hunt-tickets-74699358793
Includes light hors d’oeuvres and beverages, ghost hunting experience and seance.
Address provided upon ticket purchase as this is a private home.
For more info and updates on the event, You can also check on Facebook.
Basic EVP Recording Technique
Article by Joyce Dierschke
What is EVP?
Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) are intelligible voices found in recording media that have no known physical explanation. Many of the voices are thought to originate from deceased people. This is the primary reason that people first began experimenting with EVP.
Characteristics of the Voices
The recorded voices may be very quiet and may be difficult to hear and understand. Most EVP experimenters say that they have developed an “ear” for the sounds after learning to distinguish them from background noise. In transform EVP, the voices can often be recognized as male or female, young or old. Messages are seldom longer than two to four words. The words may be spoken very quickly, and there is often a distinctive cadence to the voices. An analysis shows that they are simulations of voice made from whatever sound is supplied, and are often missing voice box frequencies and have oddly arranged formats.
Types of Recording
In controlled conditions recording, it is possible to control ambient noise and supply special forms of background noise. Auric energy is thought to accumulate in a “special” recording area, which is thought to help make contact. In field recording, it is difficult to control environmental conditions or supply background sound, but in known “haunted” locations, the energy helpful for contact may already be present.
EVP formed in an audio recorder by transforming available background sound is referred to as “transform EVP.” In this, it is sometimes possible to recognize the voice of the speaker. EVP Formed by sweeping a radio dial, or with a computer program such as EVPMaker, are referred to as “opportunistic EVP” because sounds for voice formation must be made available on an “as needed” basis. Radio sweep, and in some applications, EVPMaker, depend on the use of “live” voice. The AA-EVP will not use live voice examples for research because of the problem of undetected false positives. EVPMaker using synthesized voice is preferred for opportunistic EVP.
Environmentally stimulated speech synthesis is a relatively new and promising technique, but it should be noted that all speech synthesis approaches currently being tried do not support speaker recognition.
Recording Procedure
Recording Equipment—Digital voice recorders are recommended to transform EVP. Less expensive models produce more internal noise which is useful for voice formation. High-quality units will probably require added background noise. A computer can also be used, but will probably require added noise.
Scheduling—Entities will speak at any time of day or night. In the beginning, however, it is advisable to record at a regular time and place. By doing this, the entities learn when there will be an opportunity for contact and expectation of the upcoming session helps focus attention on the process. Try to find a place that will be quiet and free of interruptions. Background sounds are okay, but it is important to be aware of these so that they can be distinguished from the EVP. Tagging background noises during recording is best so you will know during data review.
Background Sound Source—Research has shown that for transform EVP, the entities use sounds in the environment to help form the words. Most recording situations have some background sounds, but it may be necessary to add noise with something like a fan or running water. Some people use foreign language radio, crowd babble or audio tapes, but the AA-EVP discourages the use of radio static or live voice of any form.
Preparation—Begin with meditation and a short prayer to ask for only those intending the highest good and an invitation to friends on the other side to participate. It is best to record when personal energy is the highest.
Recording—Vocalize your comments during an EVP session. The entities will often come through as soon as the recorder is turned on. These beginning messages may be the loudest, so it is a good idea to turn on the recorder and wait a few seconds before speaking. Questions should be recorded, and a period of time between each comment should be left for the entities to respond–about ten seconds. At the end, ask if the entity has something to say.
It may help to make an “appointment” with the intended entity the day before, during prayer or meditation. Some also provide feedback before the session so that the entities will know what worked in the last experiment. It is not necessary to record in the dark. People often try different devices and energy sources to help the entities communicate. Leaving written questions in the EVP experiment area the day before has worked for some.
Keep recording short. Recordings should be closely examined, at least until it is understood where to find the voices. A best practice for field recording is to use two recorders. As a rule, EVP will only occur on one recorder or soundtrack, making it possible to avoid mistaking local sounds for EVP (false positives).
Playback—In transform EVP, the voice is usually not heard until playback. Experimenters report that the voices tend to become stronger and clearer as the entities gain in experience, but at first, the voices may speak in whispers. Voices may not be recorded in every session and it may take several sessions to discover the first voice. Hearing the voices is a learned ability. It might take thirty minutes to examine a three or four-minute recording.
Classes of Voices—A Class A voice can be heard and understood over a speaker by most people. A Class B voice can be heard over a speaker, but not everyone will agree as to what is said. A Class C voice can only be heard with headphones and is difficult to understand. Class B or C voices may have one or two clearly understood words. Loud does not equal Class A.
Keeping a Log—Maintaining a record of recording results is very helpful. Include the date, time, seconds into the recording, the message itself and the question asked. Be sure to label and save the audio file so that they can be found at a later time. Experimenters report that they feel weather may affect results, but this has not been well studied. The aaevp.com site has geomagnetic and solar reports. There is also a link for moon phase information.
Digital Voice Recorders
Digital voice recorders are recommended for EVP experiments. Today, all soundtracks—digital or analog—should be listened to on a computer and with a headset. Unlike tape recorders, the built-in microphone is usually satisfactory for EVP. There is a selection guide for audio recorders here. The section includes a setup guide for Audacity, which is an effective audio management program that can be downloaded at no cost. VSPR uses Audacity and Wavpad for sound editing.
Computer Recording
A computer instead of a digital recorder can be used for recording EVP. It should have an audio input jack, speakers, headphone jack and sound player application such as Audacity. Most experimenters use the computer to analyze and store examples. If the recorder does not have a USB interface, it is possible to play the recording into the computer while recording with a recorder program. The Earphone jack of the recorder can be connected to the Microphone or Line 1 jack via a cable. The sound source should be set to the correct jack via the pull-down menu in Audacity. Recording with a sample rate of 11025, mono and 16-bit resolution is sufficient for EVP. Files should be edited as *.wav format but shared as *.mp3.
Analyzing the Recording for EVP
Always use headphones when listening to the recording on a computer. The earmuff style that completely covers the ear is best, but also good are the soft rubber earbuds that are inserted in the channel of the ear.
Be sure to set up a method of saving your recordings in your computer that will allow you to easily locate examples. A good practice is to save the raw recording session in a dated folder and then also save clips containing the EVP in the same folder. Field recordings are saved under the name of the location and the date. It is helpful to keep a separate folder for your Class A examples for easy retrieval for demonstration to friends. The AA-EVP follows the labeling practice of: (c)lisa_butler2008-what_evp_says.mp3. The (c) symbol indicates the intention to protect rights to the example. Using first and last name helps sort many examples in the folder for easy retrieval. The underline and dash symbol with no use of capitals helps assure that computer systems and the Internet accept the name. A 200 kb audio file can be reduced to around 15 Kb when converted from a *.wav file to an *.mps file. This makes it easy for sharing files via the Internet.
In Closing
These guidelines represent the most common technique for recording transform EVP. EVP may occur in any technology that will record voice. With this in mind, it should be clear that there are no hard and fast rules. There is additional information at the http://aaevp.com, including membership information. The AA-EVP Idea Exchange (a benefit of AA-EVP membership) is excellent for asking questions and receiving help in analyzing examples.
AA-EVP is an association of people who are EVP and ITC experimenters and people who have an interest in this phenomenon. Membership helps fund efforts to bring information about EVP to the public. With the help of the public, the AA-EVP is also funding research via the Sarah Estep Research Fund, so please consider joining in this most important endeavor.
Source: American Association Electronic Voice Phenomena (n.d.). Basic EVP Recording Technique. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from
http://www.aaevp.com/techniques/techniques_evp9.htm
Script for Recording Electronic Voice Phenomena
Turn on the recorder.
My name is (provide your name).
Today is (provide day of week, date and time)
I/We am/are at (provide the name or location of investigation)
With me are (provide the names of all people with you)
Also make notes of any loud noises like ticking clocks, traffic outside the building, body noises, etc. (This is often called “tagging”.)
The most important thing to remember is to make no unnecessary noise. This includes fidgeting, talking, etc., and especially DON”T WHISPER!! When listening to the playback, whispering is very easily mistaken for a spirit. Better to speak loudly so everybody will know it is you, than to whisper and contaminate data.
Some Sample Questions – Remember to pause after each question to give the spirit time to communicate. 10-15 seconds is a good pause time limit.
Is there anybody here who would like to
communicate with us today?
We would really like to hear what you have to say.
Would you like to talk to us?
Can you tell us your name please?
Are you male or female?
How old are you?
How are you feeling?
Are you sad or angry?
What is your favorite color?
Do you know what year it is?
If so, please tell me.
Why are you here?
Are you here all the time?
Are you alone?
How many of you are here?
Is there anyone else with you?
What are their names?
Are there children there?
Do you know who we are?
What is today’s date?
Are you a spirit?
Are you resting here?
Are you happy?
Do you know what happened to you?
Can you see us?
Do you know my name?
Would you like us to leave?
Is there any way we can help you?
Is someone keeping you here?
Are you afraid where you are?
Do you have anything to tell us?
Mike was interviewed back in 2016 for the first airing of this story. Channel 2 reaired it this year (2018) for Halloween. The story is part of several locations of haunted locations of Middle Tennessee. Mike was interviewed to share his experiences that happened at the Clement Railroad museum; when he was a docent and curator at the museum.
The Halbrook Hotel is located down town Dickson,Tennessee.
The hotel was built in 1912 and opened in 1913. Mainly the hotel was used by traveling salesmen( that were called Drummers) and railroad workers. The hotel over the years later became a restaurant, barber shop, telegraph office, legal offices, Farm Bureau, a private residence and a museum.
Click on the hyper link to see the article and video of the news story done by Bret Remanda for Channel 2 News ABC.
Click here —>Channel 2 News Story
Photos of the Clement Railroad Museum/Halbrook Hotel.
click on photos to enlarge and read the write ups about each photo.
Click on the link below for information about the museum.
Link for Clement Railroad Museum
This is a disembodied voice I captured on the recorder I left running in the kitchen while I was outside sweeping the back patio. It captured my mother’s voice calling for me “Beth”.
March 8th 2017
Mike the director of VSPR was asked to be a guest on the Paranormal Sideshow,hosted by John and Stacey Edwards.
John and Stacey had seen some of VSPR’s videos that were shared on Facebook of the ITC and EVP data from Mike’s house. Mike’s home was extremely active during the year of 2016 and 2017. Specially when Mike had bought a Halloween decoration and brought it into his house. The spirits in the home were not pleased what was brought in. Mike talked about the research and data that the VSPR team collected during this time period.
Mike -Always a pleasure talking with John and Stacey. They have a fun show that covers all kinds of topics on the supernatural and mysteries.
You can access the show by watching it on the Youtube video.
John and Stacey’s Paranormal Sideshow (Your bizarre destination of macabre oddities and curious mysteries) Visit their website for the latest episodes, paranormal news, and more! http://www.paranormalsideshow.com
Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParanormalSideshow/
Follow them on Twitter @sideshow97 You can also find them on iTunes and Google Play!
November 23rd 2016 the director of VSPR-Mike Sears was a guest speaker on the Art Bell production radio show “Midnight in the Desert” Hosted by Heather Wade.
Mike shared his personal experiences of the paranormal and the Afterlife with Heather and the listeners. The show was so well liked, the show was replayed on Dec 15th.
Click here to access –> ” Midnight in the Desert ” Website
Mike Sears- Thank you again Heather Wade and the staff of Midnight in the Desert for having me as a guest. Heather was an amazing host. It was a honor and pleasure to be on the show sharing my personal experiences and being able to talk to the listeners who called in.
2015 Year Review
As you can tell from our last update on the website it has been awhile since VSPR has done a posting. The Fall of 2014 Mike the director of VSPR had to take a break due to health and to focus on his college class work. We do have a team page on Facebook that is updated often each month. You can click here VSPR FACEBOOK to LIKE the page so you can follow and see any new updates on our research.
The past year the VSPR team has had changes with loosing and adding new members. You will see on our team page the new members who have joined.
Beth Lunceford who has been the lead investigator with VSPR for several years; is now the Co-director of the VSPR team. This decision was made in the month of May 2015. Beth has proven to be a great researcher,leader and has been doing some great ITC research with the use of the Echovox App. Beth has been sharing her research on her personal website and Facebook page Music City Ghost. During 2015 Beth and the VSPR team has been doing extensive amount of research using the various ITC apps created by Daniel Roberge .
Columbia Center of the Arts- Public Investigation
Since the last website posting in 2014. VSPR did a public event at the Columbia Center of the Arts in Sept 2014. A nice turn out from the public. Many thanks to Susan Manning for having Mike guest speak and the VSPR team helping with the event. We also like to thank all those who were able to attend the event.
October 2014 Mike was suppose to guest speak at the Rippavilla Whispers From the Past Paranormal event and the VSPR team was to have a booth there. Due to Mike’s health at the time we had to cancel attending the event. Hopefully in the future Rippavilla will have another event that VSPR can be there.
During the month of November 2014, Brent Raynes from Alternate Perceptions Magazine, did an interview with VSPR Director Mike Sears. You can read the interview by clicking on the link- below
December 2014 a paranormal magazine from the United Kingdom called ” Chat is Fate” did a story about the extreme haunting Mike and his mother lived with in Florida. They were featured in the January 2015 issue that came out in Dec 2014.
Photo from the magazine article.
You can also read the experience here: Mike’s Haunting Experience
2015
Galactic Expo
During the month of May, VSPR returned at the Galactic Expo for the 5th year. VSPR was set up at the Luminearth booth. This year was the first time that Mike guest spoke at the Galactic expo.. Many thanks to Luminearth for having us back and the Galactic Expo for having Mike guest speak at the event. Looking forward to be back for the 2016 expo.
During the month of June the VSPR team returned to Octagon Hall in Franklin, Kentucky. The VSPR team did a joint investigation with Spectral Forces. Was a great learning experience for the VSPR team working with another team. Spectral forces did a great experiment with the use of balloons. We also had Mary Jennings sing some period songs in the house to hopefully create some activity with the spirits if the house. Below are some photos from the investigation at Octagon Hall.
Octagon Hall June 2015
Columbia High School
During the year 2015 VSPR returned to Columbia High School for further research several times during the year. We had some great interaction with the equipment and some great personal experiences during the investigation. You can see some of the data on our Facebook page and the Music City Ghost Facebook page. We are planning to return in the New Year of 2016 for further research and data collecting. Many thanks to Garland Brown and the Columbia School for allowing us to find answers and to research at the school.
Month of October Mike did several guest speaking’s for the Halloween season. A big honor was the Tennessee State Archives who asked Mike to guest speak at the Nashville Metro Library. Many thanks to Ken Fieth from Tennessee State Archives for putting it together. Mike did a lecture on paranormal activities that the VSPR team and he personally experienced in the middle Tennessee area. The Nashville Public Television channel 3 recorded the lecture and you can watch it on Youtube.
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During the months of November and December 2015 the VSPR team conducted team meetings and reviewed data from our past investigations. The month of December we had our team Christmas meeting with an investigation on Dec 4th. We conducted some great ITC sessions using the Echovox. You can see some of the videos of the data we captured on Beth’s Music City Ghost Facebook page from the VSPR Christmas meeting.
Many thanks to all of our followers. We are looking forward to 2016 .
Wishing Everyone a Happy and Safe 2016!!