Sidereal Time EVP Study — call for participation

This study is suspended due to lack of participation

Introduction

We are asking you to participate in a study to see if the ease with which you collect Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) changes with sidereal time.

Psi functioning studies (ESP, Psychic, Remote Viewing) widely vary in results. This more than expected variability in study results has undermined the repeatability aspect of psi studies and has given support to the illusion and experimenter fraud of skeptics. Parapsychologists have attempted to model this variability with speculation that psi functioning is need-based, that the researcher might have an unexpected psi influence (experimenter effect) or that the practitioner’s ability during a study might be diminished because of boredom (practitioner fatigue). None of these have sufficiently accounted for the variability of results.

James Spottiswoode conducted metanalysis on 1,468 psi functioning free response trials while adjusting the time of day the studies were conducted to Local Sidereal Time (LST, Local Star Time), rather than solar time.⁽¹⁾ A pattern emerged from the analysis showing that psi performance was actually more consistent when LST is considered. As the graph below shows, psi functioning performance peaked around 13.5 LST with a four-fold increase over mean performance.

The Implicit Cosmology predicts psi function and the collection of EVP involve the same processes. ⁽²⁾ However, the linkage between psi functioning and collection of EVP is not empirically well established. Determining if there is one might further our understanding of how EVP works and how sidereal time is involved in psi function.

Background

Sidereal time, also known as star time, is based on the motion of the earth relative to the distant stars rather than with respect to the sun, which is known as solar time. A normal timepiece displays solar time. A sidereal day is about four minutes shorter than a solar day, and a sidereal year is 365.24 solar years.

In 1997, James Spottiswoode published “Apparent Association Between Effect Size in Free Response Anomalous Cognition Experiments and Local Sidereal Time” in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol, 11, No. 2, jsasoc.com/docs/JSE-LST.pdf. ⁽¹⁾ The ATransC published an article about the sidereal time findings in the Fall 2002 ATransC NewsJournal. (atransc.org/sidereal-time-psychic-phenomena/)⁽³⁾

As of this writing, there has been no definitive explanation as to why or how LST might have an influence on psi functioning.⁽⁴⁾ Some studies have shown that the local magnetic field has an effect on psi performance so that decreased intensity of local magnetic field results in increased psi performance. Determining if this magnetic field-psi correlation also applies to EVP will test the Implicit Cosmology.

Sidereal Time EVP Study

The objective of this study is to look for possible relationships between quality and quantity of EVP per session based on sidereal time of day. Magnetic field data are also to be collected if available. Since a large sample is needed, the study is expected to continue for at least a year.

The study is based on the assumption that many people will experience essentially the same effect. As such, and assuming there will be a sufficient number of participants, individuals need not record every day, or even every month.

Study participants are asked to establish a routine of maintaining a record of local solar and sidereal time and local magnetic field at the time of routine EVP sessions. Only Class A and Class B examples are able to be used in this study, and practitioners are asked to use a witness panel. ⁽⁸⁾

It is up to the participant to characterize witness panel agreement, if any, and use the report form to register the results of each session. Sessions that do not produce an EVP are just as important to the study, so please report empty sessions as zero Class A and zero Class B.

Please submit the Registration Form below if you wish to participate in this study. Once we have received the registration form via email, you will be assigned a four-digit identification number. That number will be used to track your submissions.

For the duration of this study, you are asked to:

• In a log, routinely record local time, sidereal time, geomagnetism and approximate location during your EVP recording sessions.
• Submit a study report for each session. Our objective is to identify trends based on routine, so report the results of any you consider routine, including field investigations and recording for others.
• Use the Study Report Form to send us a record of each session. Report number of Class A, Class B or a “Zero” for sessions that did not produce Class A or Class B results. Please use a witness panel.⁽⁸⁾
• Use one form submission for each session and maintain a record of what you submit.

Examples

We are not looking for good examples. The objective is to record the environmental conditions related to good examples. That is the information we will digest into a report indicating if quality and quantity of EVP is influenced by LST and geomagnetism.

Accepted Form of EVP

Please pay close attention to the kind of example that can be used in this study:

• EVP submitted for this study must be of the transform type.⁽⁵⁾ That is, EVP formed by recording ambient sound and/or supplied background sound such as that produced by a fan or running water.⁽⁶⁾
  

Download Paper on Recording EVP

• Radio-sweep technology such as that used in Frank’s Box, Hacks and Ghost Boxes cannot be used for this study.
• Random access technology such as that used in EVPmaker and devices like the Ovilus cannot be used for this study.
• EVP formed with any live voice technology such as prerecorded foreign-language, reverse voice track and prerecorded speech randomly selected from a database cannot be used. This includes allophones and phonemes. This includes foreign language recordings as well.
• Unless there are extenuating circumstances , examples must contain more than one syllable. An exception might be a response to “What is my brother’s name?” of “John,” when “John” is the expected response. However, a “John” response to “Who is here?” is not acceptable.
• It is okay if the example is in more than one voice.
• Examples should be Type I Class A or Class B.⁽⁷⁾
• Examples should be heard and understood by a majority of a witness panel. (8)

Since we are not asking for the actual recording, it is necessary that we depend on your self-reporting. However, please do retain all examples you report on, as we may be asked to supply all raw data for further study.

 

Resources

Of course, we are available to answer your questions.

• It looks like the Magnetic Field Calculator at ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-web/#igrfgrid is useful. If you wish to use a smartphone app, there is also a Citizen Scientist project being conducted by NOAA testing cellphones for geomagnetic measurements here: ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/crowdmag.shtml.  They provide both an Android and iphone app.
  • I am currently trying out the Sidereal Clock app for Android at play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bz.bsb.sidereal&hl=en
• Download a Sidereal Clock for Your Desktop external.informer.com/radiosky.com/sidclockdownload.html.

References

1. Spottiswoode, S. James P. “Apparent Association Between Effect Size in Free Response Anomalous Cognition Experiments and Local Sidereal Time.” The Journal of Scientific Exploration. Society for Scientific Exploration. 1997. jsasoc.com/docs/JSE-LST.pdf
2. Butler, Tom. “Implicit Cosmology.” Etheric Studies. 2016. ethericstudies.org/implicit-cosmology/
3. Butler, Tom and Lisa. “Sidereal Time and Psychic Phenomena.” Association TransCommunication. 2002. atransc.org/sidereal-time-psychic-phenomena/.
4. Ryan, Adrian. “Physical Correlates of Psi.” Parapsychology: A Handbook for the 21st Century. Editors, Etzel Cardeña, John Palmer and David Marcusson-Clavertz, McFarland. 2015.  ISBN 978-0-7864-7916-0. Ebook ISBN 978-1-4766-2105-0. Amazon.com
5. Butler, Tom. “The Formation of EVP.” Association TransCommunication. 2009. atransc.org/evp-formation/.
6. Butler, Tom. “ATransC White Paper on Transcommunication.” Association TransCommunication. 2014. atransc.org/itc-white-paper/.
7. Butler, Tom. “Classifying Phenomena.” Etheric Studies. 2016. ethericstudies.org/classifying-phenomena/.
8. Butler, Tom (et al).”Witness Panel.” Etheric Studies. 2013. ethericstudies.org/witness-panel/.