Join List

David Vee–Past Recorded in the Wall

(C)David Vee 2003, all rights reserved.

David Vee, who founded Ghosts-UK in 1987, sent us an interesting EVP recording in 2003. It was recorded on a mini disc in one of England’s most haunted castles. On the recording, you hear people speaking in what sounds like Medieval Latin and then you hear the definite sound of a drawbridge being raised (or lowered). The site did have a drawbridge but it was removed in 1550!

 

 

We have lost contact with David and cannot vouch for this example. We post the slightly enhanced recording here as a possible example of what are referring to as the “Stone Tape Theory.” Like this example, the idea of the theory is that inanimate object–rocks, the earth–might be able to retain information from the past such as activity in a room.

We do not know if the theory has merit. As of this time, we do not have a sense of how it might be integrated into what we think we do know about things paranormal.

Join List

ITC-EVP

Butler ITC Gallery 2

butler7

Pictures from the Summer 2002 AA-EVP Newsletter Also see Butler ITC Gallery 1,  Butler ITC Gallery 3, Perception of Visual ITC Images and Video-Loop, Visual ITC Recording Technique We have continued to receive interesting…

Butler ITC Gallery 3

19aa-cow-frm-122003

Pictures from the Winter 2003 Also see Butler ITC Gallery 1, Butler ITC Gallery 2, Perception of Visual ITC Images and Video-Loop, Visual ITC Recording Technique Collecting photographic quality Video ITC features…

Babcock’s Photographic ITC

cbabcock2004_two_elves_and_an_old_man

Previously published in the Fall, 2004 ATransC NewsJournal (Vol. 23, 4) Last quarter, we described how Arthur Soesman of the Netherlands was able to capture faces with a video camera…

ITC Contacts with Animals?

Previously published in the August 2008 ITC Journal: www.itcjournal.org Since 1998, I have received several Direct Radio Voice (DRV) communications from a little voice that identifies itself as Nisha’s, one…

Debbie Caruso EVP

Examples are ©Debra Ann Caruso – All Rights Reserved Also See: Jenny and Brandon – The Newlyweds Please note that Debbie has made her transition to the other side Debbie…

Bill Weber ITC

by ©Bill Weber – All Rights Reserved Member Bill Weber has provided us with some very good EVP voice samples.  In the first one, you can hear an entity say…

Butler ITC Gallery 1

articl7

Also see Butler ITC Gallery 2,  Butler ITC Gallery 3, Perception of Visual ITC Images and Video-Loop, Visual ITC Recording Technique About the Butler Video ITC technique We have captured the…

Carol Barron-Karajohn-EVP

c2006aaevp-think_positively

©Carol Barron-Karajohn – All Rights Reserved Carol Barron-Karajohn, wrote “ This is my favorite Class ‘A’ EVP Message, largely because I knew the fellow who had just crossed over and…

EVP of Tom and Lisa Butler

John Belushi We were invited to help Universal Pictures to help them market the movie, White Noise. For the DVD release party that was held in the famous and haunted…

Downey Synthesized Speech EVP

recorded by Margaret Downey ©Margaret Downey – All Rights Reserved Speech Synthesis can be tricky to work with, so please be sure to use a witness panel. As the technology…

Face on the Wall

examples_photography4_3

Note, this would be an example of Type II ITC as described in the Classification Best Practice The Reverend Catherine Stewart of the Spiritualist Desert Church in Las Vegas, NV…

Diana and Alan Bennett ITC

Diana and Alan speaking at the 2006 ATransC Conference. Also, see Diana and Alan Bennett- ITC and Diana and Alan Bennett – Crystal Imaging Extracted from Winter 2002 The Spiritual…

Diana and Alan Bennett ITC-2

Diana and Alan speaking at the 2006 ATransC Conference. Also, see Diana and Alan Bennett- ITC and Diana and Alan Bennett – Crystal Imaging ©Diana and Alan Bennett – All…

Karen Mossey EVP

©Karen Mossey – All Rights Reserved Karen related this story to us about cross-correspondence told to her by her friend. (paraphrasing some) “When we went to my friend’s house, my…

Join List

Diana and Alan Bennett ITC-Crystal Imaging

Interdimensional Experiments of Diana and Alan Bennett

Diana and Alan speaking at the 2006 ATransC Conference.

Also, see
Diana and Alan Bennett- ITC and Diana and Alan Bennett – ITC 2
First published in the Fall 2006 ATransC NewsJournal


We have carried the ITC work of Diana and Alan Bennett in the NewsJournal a number of times. Through their presentation at the 2006 AA-EVP conference and through the Updated Edition of The Scole Experiment: Scientific Evidence for Life After Death, we are able to share more of their fantastic results as well as information on their experimental methods.

An image of a man. The top of his face is very clear, even showing his hair. He appears to have a beard. The facets of the crystal can be seen although blurred (out of focus). This blurring is sometimes the result of the magnification, as we have to enlarge some of these images quite a lot. ©Diana and Alan Bennett – All Rights Reserved

The Bennetts are experimenting with refraction and reflection of light as a means of conditioning optical energy for image formation. As they explained in the updated version of the postscript of The Scole Experiment, “With our light experiments, we generate a vast spectrum of color and intensities bypassing the light source through a crystal. This source itself is variable, which, in turn, causes many different light patterns and colors to be formed. Some of the light frequencies generated are of course beyond our own visible spectrum, so the resulting light contains much more information than we realize.

An image of a person facing you. ©Diana and Alan Bennett – All Rights Reserved

“We may include a mirror between the source and the crystal (focus) or beyond the focal point, allowing the light to flood back onto the subject. Apart from ordinary mirrors, we have used convex and concave mirrors to very good effect. We have also experimented with polished metallic disks such as brass (yellow) and copper (red), which have created some of the more striking images.”

As you can tell from some of the pictures taken by the Bennetts, they may use water along with a mirror. The camera that they presently use is a Fuji FinePix set on Fine (4048 x 3040 pixels), which produces a computer file of about 12Mb. They focus a concentrated light source onto the side of a crystal and then capture images. The resulting images must be studied in the minutest detail and may have to be magnified as some of the faces can be very small.

A film camera mounted on a tripod and pointing down at an illuminated crystal. ©Diana and Alan Bennett – All Rights Reserved

The examples shown here display the flaws, facets and textures of the natural quartz crystal used in the experiment. Keep in mind that these characteristics of the crystal may help to make the phenomenal features possible, so a perfect crystal may not be desirable.

The apparent scale of the imperfections should give you some sense of how much the photograph has been enlarged to display the phenomenal feature. Also, the great enlargement is supported by very high-resolution cameras. While the Bennetts are recording files of 12Mb per picture, a video camera will only produce a file of 0.9Mb which will not support such drastic enlargement.

During the conference, the Bennetts strongly suggested that people who plan to work with this technique should also consider the spiritual aspect of the experiment. As world-class mediums, they have learned that contact is often a function of the experimenter’s spiritual attunement.

©Diana and Alan Bennett – All Rights Reserved

At this time, the updated version of the Scole Experiments is not available in the USA and must be purchased via Amazon.co.uk. Grant and Jane Solomon are writing a book called the Norfolk Experiment and for updates on their work visit www.thescoleexperiment.com.

Join List

A Model for EVP

First published in The Journal for Spiritual and Consciousness Studies. November 2017 (ascsi.org/)

Abstract

This is an explanation of the model being considered by the Association TransCommunication (ATransC) to help study Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). The model is based on lessons learned from instrumental and personal forms of mediumship, theories related to psi functioning and mainstream emerging understanding of the relationship between unconscious and conscious mind. The model is applicable to the study of many forms of transcommunication and may further understanding of mindfulness.

Introduction

EVP are voices detected in electronic equipment that, based on currently understood science, should not exist. They may occur in just about any electronic device capable of processing voice. In fact, they were reportedly found in early wire recorders and now are found in answer machines and cell phones. EVP are typically discovered during review of recordings. They are often interactive, in that they answer questions or comment on activity around the practitioner or an interested observer. It is common for people to recognize the speaker, (Gullà, 2004) leading to the belief EVP are initiated by discarnate loved ones.

For this discussion, it is necessary to at least tentatively agree that there is a nonphysical aspect of reality referred to here as the psi field or etheric. The trans- prefix is used to mean across the etheric-physical interface, as in transcommunication.

Characteristics of etheric space that are important to this model:

  • Etheric space is conceptual, as opposed to the objective nature of the physical.
  • Intention is modeled as the motive force for expression in the etheric.
  • Influence is comparable to the physical concept of kinetic energy.
  • Potential future is comparable to the physical concept of potential energy.

Point of View

Speaking in general terms, the three major contending points of view related to EVP are:

Normalist: This is the Physical Hypothesis point of view which holds that EVP are delusion, fraud or are mundane, mistaken as paranormal. In this view, the necessary science supporting mechanisms for EVP formation are not established, and therefore any reference to paranormal must be pseudoscience. This is being addressed these days as Anomalistic Psychology. (APStaff, 2015) Consciousness is a product of brain and ceases to exist when the brain dies.

Psi+ Normalist: This point of view is the Super-Psi Hypothesis, which is the Physical Hypothesis modified with the contention that the physical universe is permeated by a psi field. (Sudduth, 2009) In parapsychology, psi represents influence associated with psychic functioning. For Psi+ Normalists, if not mundane, delusion or fraud, the information in EVP is produced via psychic access to residual memory or the mind of still living people. This is beginning to be addressed as Exceptional Experiences Psychology. Consciousness is a psi field phenomenon originating from the brain.

Dualist: This point of view is represented by the Survival Hypothesis. It is the point of view that we are immortal personalities temporarily entangled with a human for this lifetime, that our conscious self existed before this lifetime and will continue to exist in a sentient, self-aware form after this lifetime.

Dualists and Psi+ Normalists generally agree that EVP are formed by way of psychokinetic influence of the practitioner on electronic equipment. Studies indicate that it is also possible that information in the message is psychically accessed from a living person’s mind or from residual memory impressed into the psi field. However, the working assumption for Dualists is that some of the messages are communication from discarnate personalities.

Pay close attention to the terminology used in parapsychology. While we expect mainstream academics to reject the Survival Hypothesis, most people actively studying things paranormal seek to prove reported experiences are not paranormal (Normalists). Others seek to show that paranormal phenomena are psychic functioning (Psi+ Normalist). For both, the arrow of creation of consciousness flies from the origin of the human body. For Dualists, the arrow of creation flies from the origin of reality.

Normalist and Psi+ Normalists speak of consciousness as a product of brain. Psi+ Normalists speak of survival as survival of residual memory which is neither sentient nor interactive in the usual sense of communication.

The Trans-Survival Hypothesis described in Your Immortal Self provides the foundation argument on which this model has been designed. (Butler, 2016) (Butler, 2015-3) The trans- prefix is used to distinguish this version to avoid confusion with the usual “Oh and some people think they survive death” version referred to in most parapsychological discussions about psi models.

Model of Consciousness

Be aware that the model of consciousness presented here is derived by an engineer via a technique known as black box analysis. In that, known input and outputs are presented to a hypothetical black box which must contain a set of functions which respond to known inputs to produce known outputs. The functional areas in the Life Field Complex Diagram represent the sort of processes I would design for a computer so as to emulate the actual processes associated with consciousness.

A person trained in consciousness studies would not necessarily recognize the functions or agree that they are reasonable representations. Nevertheless, the diagram has been useful for the study of transcommunication.

life-field-complex

The resulting model, referred to as the Implicit Cosmology, is explained in detail in Your Immortal Self. An earlier version is available on ethericstudies.org under the Concepts tag. It is implicit because it is the consequence of survival based on the Trans-Survival Hypothesis.

Our Natural Habitat

If we existed before this lifetime and will continue to exist after, then the first point to conceptualize is that we are not our body. Think of our body as an avatar. We, as conscious self, share our human’s instincts and the early part of this lifetime is consumed with learning to override them with our more rational awareness. We are taught to think of ourselves as our body, and virtually all environmental cues reinforce this perspective. The task, then, is to learn how to think of ourselves as outside of our body in much the same way we are outside of a virtual reality device.

An important assumption of this model is that we are nonphysical in nature. Our mind is nonphysical. It is useful to think of our brain as a transmitter-receiver converting physical senses of our body to psi senses able to be processed by our mind. This seems to be a necessary consequence of our avatar relationship. We are more in agreement with our pre-lifetime awareness during the dream state.

As is illustrated in the diagram, our life field anatomy is modeled as:

  • Conscious self, which is entangled with our avatar and which is the direct experiencer of our life field (the box marked Physical Point of View).
  • Mostly unconscious mind, which processes sensed environmental information (Attention Complex).
  • Intelligent core (Personality), which includes our purpose and acts as the nexus for our life field.

Think of a field as a zone of influence relating many elements into a single object. The source influence is the nexus. In the conceptual space of the etheric, fields are the building blocks of reality. Life fields are the top field in the hierarchy of fields. (Butler, 2015)

Worldview

The most important functional area in the Attention Complex is Worldview, which functions as a library containing memory, understanding and instincts. At birth, it is populated with human instincts inherited from the Body Mind, and spiritual urges, and a degree of understanding about the nature of reality, inherited from our Personality.

As we mature, worldview is also populated with cultural beliefs and some degree of new understanding as we learn to manage our human instincts. Spiritual instincts involve the urge to turn toward kinds of experiences most likely to provide opportunities for desired understanding. More a nuisance in our youth, for some people, spiritual instincts begin to dominate their actions as they mature.

During transition out of this lifetime, and when we are free of human instincts, it appears we experience a sorting out process as we make sense of the understanding we have gained. It is beyond the scope of this model to explain whether or not we enter into a new venue for learning. Since our purpose appears to be to gain understanding, my speculation is that we will quickly find ourselves in a new venue … physical or not.

The Perceptual Agreement Organizing Principle states: Personality must be in perceptual agreement with the aspect of reality with which it will associate. (Butler, 2016) (Butler, 2015-2) Based on that, each lifetime would presumably result in greater understanding, and therefore, our access to reality would be increased. If true, this would make other venues available to us.

In this model, our actual self is our personality (core intelligence). What we think is our actual self is only our conscious self, which is the experiencing part of our life field. All information into and out of our life field is by way of our Attention Complex (mind). No part of us, core intelligence or experiencer, is immune to the filtering of information or able to avoid the coloring of our intended action caused by worldview. Thus, in this model, the Perceptual Agreement limitation applies to all parts of our life field.

As conscious self, the only way you can change worldview is with the expression of specific intention. As I will explain below, even then, you will only be able to make incremental changes. This is why mindfulness is a life-long process. (Butler, 2014)

Morphic Fields

The idea of what I refer to as our personality acting as our intelligent core is based on a concept proposed by Rupert Sheldrake as the Hypothesis of Formative Causation. (Sheldrake) [paraphrasing] Sheldrake proposes that an organism can be modeled as a top field enfolding a hierarchy of nested fields. Each field is an organizing agent for the formation of a part of the organism. For instance, each cell in the body is organized by a field with instructions specific to that cell’s function in a many to one manner. Larger parts of the organism such as skin, bone and muscle, are represented by fields enfolding subordinate fields, and so on in a hierarchical manner.

The process of organizing the field according to Nature’s habit is referred to by Sheldrake as morphic resonance. Each type of species has a common memory or habit. Creative solutions to environmental challenges are able to change the habit, and thus effect all of the related species.

Nature’s habit is comparable to the worldview functional area in the diagram. Both have considerable momentum, meaning that they resist large changes, but will respond to influences causing small, incremental change.

As a person, we are an immortal personality entangled with human body in an avatar relationship. We share the Attention Complex with our human, and therefore our worldview. But, note that I have modeled the influence of body image on the human body as a link to the body which bypasses the Attention Complex.

The morphic field that organizes our body is based on the memory of its species. Thus, when we seek to influence our body, the model predicts that we must do so by way of the Attention Complex as a well-visualized expression. For instance, worldview is typically programmed to assume a mature body means a worn-out body. Therefore, our task is to change worldview rather than the body image. (In actuality, aging may be a cultural artifact.)

First Sight Theory

First Sight Theory proposed by James Carpenter holds that everything produces a psi signal which we are able to sense. (Carpenter, 2014) He also maintains that our every expression produces a psychokinetic signal which influences our environment according to the intention of the expression. He proposes twelve corollaries to the psi sensing and psychokinetic expression theory that can be used pretty much without modification as the ruleset for operation of the Attention Complex.

Keep in mind that First Sight Theory applies to our mostly unconscious mind. I say mostly unconscious, because our ability to consciously sense and influence functions in the Attention Complex (mind) depends on our lucidity. Lucidity is a measure of how well we have learned to quiet our mind and pay attention to those small impressions radiating from our mental processing.

Corollary 7, the Bidirectionality Corollary, indicates that we unconsciously turn toward or away from information depending on our interest as it has been expressed to our mostly unconscious mind. This corollary is important as a mechanism for our spiritual instincts to guide our unconscious decision making. It is also the mechanism we seek to influence with our conscious intention to produce changes in worldview.

The Nature of Awareness

An important consequence of this model is that we do not directly experience reality. Instead, we experience what our worldview thinks about what we experience. This is not the conjecture of an engineer speculating about phenomena. Mainstream psychology is increasingly reporting findings indicating awareness of stimuli only after the mind processes the information. (Carpenter, 2014) (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 2008) (Dockrill, 2016)

If you contemplate your thought processes, you will note that you visualize what you are going to say, compose the wording, and then speak, in that order. This very fast process is triggered by your intention to speak, but we only become aware of what we express as it emerges from our unconscious mind.

Since your mostly unconscious mind pre-processes information, it is simple for it to ignore some information if your worldview is so conditioned. The Attention Limiter function in the Attention Complex is based on the consequences of Corollary 7 in First Sight Theory. In fact, we ignore much of the environmental information coming to us.

Since other minds also send psi information to us, we probably ignore psi information coming from the mind of our loved ones unless our worldview is conditioned to acknowledge it. We are all natural mental mediums. It is just that some of us have a worldview that is conditioned to accept mind-to-mind information. Mindfulness is the tool by which we can take control of that conditioning task to improve lucidity.

Summation of the Model

The consequences of surviving beyond this lifetime, the fact that we are only aware of the results of unconscious processing of environmental information and the fact that we share the database for that processing with our body, must be part of our sense of who we are. The alternative would seem to be self-delusion.

This model, or one like it, must also be part of the explanation for the phenomena we experience. If the model is largely correct, the etheric aspect of who we are is the same as our discarnate communicators. The only difference is our entanglement with a human avatar.

The relationship of our five physical senses to our mind, what we sense psychically and mediumistic communication with a loved one, are only different in intention and the meaning for them we have been conditioned to assign.

The only conscious influence we have on what we sense and express is our intention, and even that is conditional, based on the momentum of our mostly unconscious worldview. The awakening mystics speak of is a person’s emerging realization that there is a difference between personal reality dictated by worldview and actual reality … followed by the determination to align personal reality with actual reality.

As is discussed below, a person (spirit entangled with a human) is the conduit through which paranormal phenomena must pass to cause physical effects. This may be facilitated by our avatar relationship, while our discarnate communicators do not have the physical perspective apparently necessary for their worldview to assign physicality.

Anomalistic and Exceptional Experiences Psychologists are correct in thinking point of view influences experiences, but they ignore the reasons. If we believe in paranormal phenomena, then we are telling our Attention Complex to process environmental information deemed paranormal, rather than rejecting it because it does not agree with worldview. Based on the Principle of Perceptual Agreement, people who accept what their worldview shows them tend to be blind to more of reality than those who question their perception.

Formation of EVP

Using ATransC nomenclature, the most common forms of reported EVP are transform, opportunistic and left message: (Butler, 2010)

Transform EVP: Available noise is transformed into voice. Collection of transform EVP examples is accomplished by using a simple audio recorder. If there is not sufficient ambient noise, it might be added with a small fan. A common practice used in the early days of EVP, but discouraged today, was to tune a radio between stations so as to produce radio static for voice formation. Although the voices might be heard when they are formed, they are typically not heard until playback of the recording.

Transform EVP is the most common form and the only form ATransC considers useful for research. The models being developed to help understand survival and our etheric-physical nature also support the formation of transform EVP.

Opportunistic EVP: This is typically a live voice technique, meaning that a physical person’s speech is recorded and used for background noise. The live voice is thought to be changed between the source and the recorder. Foreign language is usually used.

In the radio-sweep technique, the tuner of a radio is swept to opportunistically produce an output stream formed of the required bits of radio broadcast sound. It appears to be necessary for intended order to be in the form of compelling a person to produce the required sound at the needed moment. (Possible violation of self-determination; think Seth’s “Do not violate.”)

A third technique for opportunistic EVP is storage of pre-recorded voice in a digital buffer, and then the random selection of buffer addresses to produce an output sound stream composed of bits of voice from the pre-recorded voice. A random process in the computer program may be used for selecting storage addresses, but an environmental detector, such as a radio-frequency, magnetic or temperature detector might also be used. EVP are thought to be formed via psychokinetic manipulation of the random process.

After experimentation and review of hundreds of examples, it has become ATransC policy that the frequency of false positives produced by opportunistic techniques makes it virtually useless for any but the most informed research. (Butler, 2011) (Butler, 2012) (Heinen, 2010) (Leary, 2013) (Butler, 2009)

None of the models being developed to help understand survival and our etheric-physical nature support the formation of radio-sweep EVP.

As a compounding factor for evaluation of these techniques by less experienced practitioners, transform EVP may be found in the resulting noise stream inadvertently produced by all such techniques.

Left Message EVP: This category includes messages left on telephone answering machines and phone calls. There is much less known about this form of EVP, as they are typically spontaneous events while transform and opportunistic EVP are typically induced, in that contact is initiated by a practitioner. The mechanisms involved in the formation of left message EVP appears to be the same as for transform EVP.

Stochastic Resonance

The only physical process we have identified that accounts for the physical changes in an audio stream is stochastic amplification. (Abbott, 2009) In that, a small signal can be amplified when mixed with a broad-spectrum noise signal in a nonlinear analog amplifier circuit. This phenomenon is sometimes used in telecommunication as a way of extending the range of transmission between signal regenerators.

In one view of this, a small psychokinetic influence is thought to be amplified via Stochastic amplification as if it were a physical sound stream. The second theory requires an understanding of how the intended order concept is used here.

Intended Order

The Expression Organizing Principle is important to this discussion. It is defined as: Reality is expressed via personality’s attention on an imagined outcome with the intention to make it so. (Butler, 2016) (Butler, 2015-2) If it is true that every act is intentional, then reality is the product of intention or intended order. (This is also the definition used for the creative process.)

We have noted that a random process is involved in most paranormal phenomena. For instance, at least some of the examples of precipitation art require the availability of raw, randomly organized material to be used in the art. Most visual forms of ITC require chaotic noise as the raw stuff for feature formation. Noise is transformed into voice in transform EVP.

The Random Event Generators (REG) used for consciousness research respond to attention by becoming less random. In terms of order, the only difference between an REG signal and audio or visual noise is scale. As I read the physics, the impression of intention on noise by way of stochastic amplification holds for all of these.

Etheric-to-Physical Interface

Etheric space is conceptual while physical space is objective, and so, a transforming process is necessary for one to influence the other. In this model, a concept is defined as a fundamental idea; a root thoughtform from which systems of thought can be derived. Objective means those aspects of our world we can experience with physical senses. Sensed information is transformed into psi signals to which we assign physicality, even though they are not otherwise different from other signals we receive.

An important concept concerning this interface is energy well. In a single-tone sound stream, each next cycle is the same as the preceding cycle. Such a signal is very stable, and conceptually, great stability represents a very deep energy well which is more difficult to influence than a shallow well. This can be seen in EVP formation, as the psi influence necessary to change a single-tone signal appears to be greater than that needed to change a more random signal.

In this model, it is not the size or mass of an object to be concerned with for psychokinetic influence. It is the energy well associated with the idea of its stability. Both views may have the same result, but the difference in focus helps us understand why noise with few variations produce fewer EVP than noise with many perturbations. It appears that noise spikes help initiate voice formation.

Cultural Contamination

A common factor in EVP is apparent coloring of the message according to the practitioner or interested observer’s worldview. In the simplest example, two people will record for EVP in the same room. The one who is not afraid of the dark records useful information and the one who is afraid, records scary messages such as “Get out!” and “I hate you!” We also see this sort of cultural contamination in mental mediumship, as mediums color messages based on personal beliefs.

In fact, we see no evidence in any of our ITC to support the notion of evil in the biblical sense. Yes, we find people behaving poorly, but not kill your soul evil. We also see no evidence or foundation in the metaphysics for earthbound souls. The Principle of Perceptual Agreement is the only organizing factor we have noted that limits our access to reality via self-determination.

The takeaway from the cultural contamination concept is that a discarnate communicator may initiate an EVP but the message is first sensed by the practitioner or interested observer’s mostly unconscious mind as a conceptual thoughtform. There, it is matched up to worldview before being expressed into the physical as intended order. In this way, an intended message of “Please leave me alone” from a discarnate communicator may produce a “Get out” EVP if the practitioner or interested observer expects scary messages.

Cultural contamination is easily seen in EVP. The same model used for EVP is used for mental mediumship or channeling or watching television. A person who has learned to be more lucid by way of mindfulness will probably be subject to less contamination, but in practice, it is a part of the human condition.

Concluding Comments

Emerging understanding about how we think is making it difficult to ignore the part our nonphysical aspect plays in our daily living. This idea of an inner, spiritual self and an outer, physical self is no longer the domain of mystics and New Age believers. While scientists are more willing to say that mental processing comes before conscious awareness, a decidedly etheric concept, they are reluctant to merge their theories with parapsychological models.

Be pragmatic. It is well-established fact that EVP exist as anomalous voices found in electronic equipment. Fraudulent EVP are not EVP; they are fakes. If a person mistakes ambient sounds for EVP, he or she needs training, rather than their error being evidence of delusion. Training is our community’s biggest problem and one only you can fix.

Be clear about the consequences of what you accept as true. Beware what your friends think is true, and examine beliefs of the author whose literature you depend on for learned guidance. Question the consequences of every thought and claim.

EVP are a well-established form of transcommunication. If you have examined it and remain unconvinced, perhaps your source needs more training. Certainly, there are examples that can only be reasonably discounted by ignoring known natural principles.

References

Abbott, Mark D. McDonnell and Derek. 2009. “What Is Stochastic Resonance? Definitions, Misconceptions, Debates, and Its Relevance to Biology.” NCBI, PMC, US National Library of Medicine. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660436/.

APStaff. 2015. “What is Anomalistic Psychology?” Goldsmiths, University of London. gold.ac.uk/apru/what/.

Butler, Tom and Lisa. 2012. “Using Live Voice Input Files for EVP.” Association TransCommunication. atransc.org/live-voice/.

Butler, Tom. 2015. “Etheric Fields.” Etheric Studies. ethericstudies.org/etheric-fields/.

Butler, Tom. 2011. “EVPmaker with Allophones: Where are We Now?” Association TransCommunication. atransc.org/evpmaker-study-where-are-we-now/.

Butler, Tom. 2010. “Locating EVP Formation and Detecting False Positives.” Association TransCommunication. atransc.org/locating-false-positives/.

Butler, Tom. 2014. “Mindfulness.” Etheric Studies. ethericstudies.org/mindfulness/.

Butler, Tom. 2015-2. “Organizing Principles.” Etheric Studies. ethericstudies.org/organizing-principles/.

Butler, Tom. 2009. “Radio-Sweep: A Case Study.” Association TransCommunication. atransc.org/radiosweep-study1/.

Butler, Tom. 2015-3. “Trans-survival Hypothesis.” Etheric Studies. ethericstudies.org/trans-survival-hypothesis/.

Butler, Tom. 2016. Your Immortal Self, Exploring the Mindful Way. AA-EVP Publishing, Reno, NV. ISBN 978-0-9727493-8-1. ethericstudies.org/immortal_self/.

Carpenter, James. 2014. “First Sight: A Model and A Theory of Psi.” James Carpenter.  drjimcarpenter.com/about/documents/FirstSightformindfield.pdf.

Dockrill, Peter. 2016. “Consciousness Occurs in ‘Time Slices’ Lasting Only Milliseconds, Study Suggests.” Science Alert. sciencealert.com/consciousness-occurs-in-time-slices-lasting-only-milliseconds-study-suggests.

Gullà, Daniele. 2004. “Computer–Based Analysis of Supposed Paranormal Voice: The Question of Anomalies Detected and Speaker Identification.” Association TransCommunication. atransc.org/gulla-voice-analysis/.

Heinen, Cindy. 2010. “Information Gathering Using EVPmaker With Allophone: A Yearlong Trial.” Association TransCommunication. atransc.org/information-gathering-using-evpmaker/.

Leary, Mark. 2013. “A Research Study into the Interpretation of EVP – Three parts.” Association TransCommunication. atransc.org/radiosweep-study2/.

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. 2008. “Decision-making May Be Surprisingly Unconscious Activity.” Science Daily. sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414145705.htm.

Sheldrake, Rupert PhD. “Morphic Resonance and Morphic Fields.” Rupert Sheldrake. sheldrake.org/research/morphic-resonance/introduction?.

Sudduth, Michael. 2009. “Super-Psi and the Survivalist Interpretation of Mediumship.” Cup of Nirvana. michaelsudduth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/SurvivalMediumship.pdf.

Join List

Tina Laurent EVP

©Tina Laurent – All Rights Reserved

AA-EVP member, Tina Laurent, lives in Wales.  As a long-time EVP experimenter, she offers lectures on ghost and paranormal communication.  Tina is a considerable authority in the subject.

On the EVP example of Tina’s that is offered here, you can hear Tina ask if the communicating entities “Pray to God.”  She was using a French speaking radio program for background noise, and you can hear the French words as they are remodulated to form recognizable English words.  We believe the answer to her question from the entities was, “Of course I pray, the very idea.” Look for French words at the beginning of the answer, and then the words turn into recognizable, “Of Course I pray.” This is followed by more French words and then ends with, “The very idea.”

Please note that the original sound track has been selectively amplified and filtered.  It is the filtering that causes a slight “tinkle” sound in the sound track.

Join List

Transcommunication Via Telephone Calls

montel_williams-waveform

Copyrighted Material
Previously published in the Spring 2012 ATransC NewsJournal, (Updated 12-12-2013)

Transcommunication via telephones has been around for years. In their groundbreaking 1995 book, Hello From Heaven, Bill and Judy Guggenheim (after-death.com) identified twelve of the more common types of After Death Communication (ADC). One was telephone calls, about which they wrote:

“These ADCs may occur during sleep or when you are wide awake. You will hear a phone ringing, and if you answer it, your loved one will give you a short message. Two-way conversations are possible. His or her voice will usually be clear but may seem far away. If you are awake, you will probably not hear a disconnect sound or a dial tone when the call is completed.”

Please note that the ATransC has not received official permission to use it here, and is doing so with the hope that the owner will contacts the Association to provide background information.

Possible Cellphone Message from a Person Still in the Physical

Shortly after an appearance on the Montel Williams Show, the Butlers were contacted by one of the show’s staff, asking for an opinion about a cell phone message a viewer had submitted. They were told the woman was sleeping in one room and her husband, John, was sleeping in another. They were also told that he was snoring rather loudly.

The first part of the recording is a confusing sound similar to the sound of quickly turning a radio dial between a strong station and noise. During that sequence, a woman’s voice can be heard to

saying “speak,” something about “Johnny,” “John” and several unintelligible words, all intersticed with bursts of noise and short intervals of relative quiet. The last of these sounds are shown in part (1) of the waveform to the right.

“Johnny” raw file

“Johnny” part discussed below enhanced

montel_williams-waveform

As if the intelligence controlling the signal finally found the right frequency, there is a strong burst of noise (2) which tapers off to relative silence and a woman’s voice says “Johny” (3). This is followed by the same voice singing “Johny, I’ve got Johnny in my ear, in my ear, in my ear.” (4-8) After this, you hear the telephone company announcement that the message is complete.

Even though we provided a detailed analysis of the recording, the Montel Williams staff did not respond to our questions and we do not know who made the recording. It is a very interesting example and we would like to know more about it. We are interested in receiving other examples.

Other examples have many of the same characteristics as the Montel Williams example, leading to the speculation that the study of these messages might shed light on a form of transcommunication that is not normally experienced with transform or opportunistic EVP.

Characteristics

As the Guggenheims described telephone call ADCs, the voice typically sounds “far away.” Other characteristics include:

  • The circuit often sounds hollow as if there is a little echo, but echo that is unstable as if blown by the wind.
  • There is often a “tuning in” or “breaking in” of the signal. As in wave shape (2) in the figure, this “tuning in” is heard as a gradual suppression of noise and momentary emergence of a coherent signal.
  • Both in the Montel Williams example and in the one sent by the website visitor, speakers often seem to be speaking near the limit of their vocal range as if trying to project their voice to be heard.
  • The message is not always personal or even meaningful to the receiver. As with the Montel Williams example, the message is more like the subconscious musing of a sleeping wife.
  • In the calls referred to in the article on Bobby (page 3) received by the Michael Hauser family, the calls came first on an answering machine and then showed up as coming from various family members’ cell phones without any physical record of them coming from those phones.
  • In other examples that we have received, there are no telltale telephone circuit sounds. The calling number may be shown but the calling telephone is turned off or broken, again leaving no evidence the call was made by that device.

These characteristics lead to the speculation about some form of discontinuity in time, much as Ken Webster described in his book, The Vertical Plane. In that book, he reported a spontaneous series of messages in 1984 from a person living in the past, and later, a person living in the future–all via his low-tech computer. *

Are some of the telephone calls evidence of a slip in time, rather than messages from people on the other side? If some of the messages are via slips in time or even slips in space, are trans-etheric messages (EVP and the telephone calls from loved ones) made possible by the same technology? Some EVP are clearly communications from transitioned loved ones, but some are also from people still in the physical.

This is one of the reasons we speculate in the Implicit Cosmology essay that our personality is always in the etheric–whether we are still in the physical or transitioned to the other side. If this is true, then all phenomena involving subtle energy are probably a trans-etheric influence. Considering this, then do all of the messages Alison is recording–slips in time and normal EVP– involve the same technology?

It is interesting to speculate about these phenomena, but there is considerable work that needs to be done before we can speculate with any authority. More telephone call examples need to be studied and it would be nice to receive more examples of messages that seem to be from the past or from time slips. On her part, Alison has agreed to work with scientists to better understand the nature of her communication but that would need funding and qualified scientists to carry out the work. And as always, what our members are interested in studying does not even come close to what mainstream science is interested in studying. The issue of money continues to be our biggest problem with research.

Let us know if you have other examples or ideas that might further our understanding of these phenomena. The website article will also ask for input and you can use that as a reference.

* Senkowski, Ernst, (1995) Instrumental TransCommunication, Chapter F-38, WorldITC.org

Join List

Sarah Estep EVP

c2006aaevp-estep-i_found_you_there

The following examples have been recorded by Sara Estep, the founder of AA-EVP (now the ATransC).  She usually used an audio tape recorder and external sound source; however, she also has had great success recording in the field with little more than a simple hand-held cassette recorder.

c2006aaevp-estep-i_found_you_there

  • Sarah had been setting in her office reading the night before this recording was made.  She noticed a black and silver object spinning about a foot off the floor, several feet from her.  It was in view for about two seconds.  The following morning, she asked what the object was.  On the reverse side of the tape, a voice replied, “We’re down beside ya.”  You can hear Sarah’s voice in reverse followed by a male voice.

Please read before emailing us about this EVP: It is interesting that we have had several messages from visitors to this site that have wanted us to know that they hear the EVP we call, “I was seeing the war,” in other ways. For instance, “I was seeing the water” or “I will see you no more.” We can understand how these alternative interpretations are possible. Sarah was in a lighthouse that was used as a Civil War hospital, and it is natural for her to have been looking for a Civil War related interpretation. Someone listening to the EVP in a different setting could very easily hear the utterance in a different way. Sarah has given her permission for Universal to use this example with the interpretation that better supports the story in White Noise. We do not know who the person is to which Universal attributes the voice.

The Butler’s were on-site for a television program and standing in front of the video camera for an interview. On cue, the “I was seeing the war” example was played over a pair of very large studio speakers that were on the floor directly behind them. There was no doubt that there was a “ter” sound at the end of the utterance. This might be a good example of how EVP are not made like normal voice, and how they are listened to has a lot to do with how they are understood. See the online listening trials report for a discussion about this.

Please see the FAQ: Beethoven did not speak English, so why would his ghost be able to?


Did Sarah Estep invent the Class A. B and C classification system?

We originally understood Sarah to say that she “invented” the system when we read her book, Voices of Eternity where she wrote:

It is astounding to receive any communication from another dimension. Even hearing raps, which many people who sit in séance circles have reported, boggles the mind. How much more startling if the unseen can come through with even one word on recording tape! Most messages, I discovered, are faint, whispery voices I call Class C. Headphones must be worn to hear them, and rarely can all the words be interpreted.

Class B messages are louder and clearer and can often be heard without headphones.

Class A voices are the most gratifying. Loud and clear, they can be duplicated onto other tapes. No headphones are required.

It has been recently pointed out to us by a friend in the UK that Konstantin Raudive wrote about the Class system in his book, Breakthrough, which we attribute as the book that brought EVP to the English-speaking world. Raudive wrote:

The microphone voices fall into three classes of audibility:  Class “A” voices can be heard and identified by anyone with normal hearing and knowledge of the language spoken; no special training of the ear is needed to detect them.  There are several hundred microphone-voices amongst my recordings that fall into this group. It is easy to make tape copies of “A” voices, and they can be repeated as often as desired. Thus, I have analysed roughly 25,000 voices according to speech content, language and rhythm. By this method of repetition, the acoustic reality of the voices can be established beyond doubt, and hallucinations of the ear are excluded. 

Class “B” voices speak more rapidly and more softly, but are still quite plainly audible to a trained and attentive ear. The ability to differentiate increases with practice, but this is a slow and wearisome process. For this reason it is difficult to use non-regular participants for experimental purposes with class “B” voices.

Class “C” consists of the most interesting voices; voices that give us a great deal of information and much paranormal data. Unfortunately, these can be heard only in fragments, even by a trained ear, but with improved technical aids, it may eventually become possible to hear and demonstrate these voices, which lie beyond our range of hearing, without trouble.

This grading and my comments are but a rough guide in the present stage of our approach to the psycho-acoustic aspect of the investigation.  We do not know if that was the first use of the A, B and C classification system but we know that Sarah was at least the second person to use it and it has become a very popular system.

Join List

Phyllis Delduque Visual ITC

©Phyllis Delduque – All Rights Reserved

Phyllis Delduque is a Brazilian researcher who has been working with ITC since 1998.  She works with both voices and images.  She told us that ITC not only changes one’s ideas about the continuation of life but also transforms the consciousness of the individual.  Her contacts from the other side share teachings as well as messages from friends and relatives who have already gone to the other side of life.  Phyllis feels that the majority of what she receives through ITC is related to spiritual mediumship with the other factors being the equipment and methodology.

Phyllis has a blog with examples at transcomunicaoinstrumental.blogspot.com

 

Please note: Phyllis worked with Paulo Cabral between 1998 and 2007 when Paulo made his transition. The Video loopback pictures below were recorded by them.

Join List

Martha Copeland EVP

©Martha Copeland – All Rights Reserved

Martha Copeland’s daughter, Cathy, transitioned as a young woman. Martha had accidentally left Cathy’s dog, Dojo,  in the house when she left to go shopping.  She had also left her voice activated IC recorder on.  No one was in the house except for the animals.  Dojo tore up a potted plant and made a great mess.  You can hear an EVP from Cathy as she scolds the dog saying, “Doja No.”

“Doja No.”

Martha was repeatedly recording the voice of a grumpy old man. She decided that it might be her grandfather. When she asked, “Can you tell me the grump’s name,” you hear the sarcastic response, “Tell her it’s Satan!” The “Tell her it’s Satan” portion has been amplified.

“Can you tell me the grump’s name”? … “Tell her it’s Satan!”

Join List

Linda Williamson EVP

©Linda Williamson – All Rights Reserved

Linda has sent us a number of interesting soundtracks.  Included here are three that you may find interesting.  Linda began recording when she encountered a “negative entity” where she once worked.  She purchased a Dictaphone to keep oral notes about this continuing encounter at her workplace.  As you might guess, she discovered unexpected sounds and voices mixed amongst her recorded thoughts.  Thus, began her search to understand EVP.

We should note that Linda is Scottish.  Thus, you will note that her EVP have a detectable Scottish accent.

The first track is a man saying, “I need a match.”  The voice is thought to be that of the grandfather of a person who was present for the recording session.  He was always running out of matches.

A man saying, “I need a match.”

A woman saying, “I see her.”

A man saying, “Good luck.”

Join List

Faces in Light Reflected from Crystals

We have been so inspired by the amazing results of Diane and Alan Bennett, and their results from reflecting light off of crystals, that we had been wanting to also try experimenting in this way. Diana and Alan had been kind enough to provide a couple of diagrams of their experimental setups, and we now had a higher resolution camera, so set up an area in the ITC room to run a couple of crystal experiments. After arranging the camera, lights and crystal in a configuration we felt would work, we did our normal meditation and then took a few pictures. We actually recorded some interesting results on our first attempts. The fourth experiment brought several more faces along with this interesting three-dimensional face. We were very pleased with the open mouth, as the mouth is often obscured in many of our pictures.

cbutler2006-light_from_xtal-marybeth_fatherOur next success with the crystal experiments was quite a surprise. We met with a small group every Sunday morning for an hour of meditation. After our meditation, one of the members, Mary Beth, handed Lisa a picture of her parents and ask us to keep a lookout for them in our experiments. Lisa asked her to write the names of her parents on the back of the picture and then put it on her desk when we returned home. That afternoon we did another meditation on our own and conducted a few EVP experiments to test various settings on the two recorders we would be using at a video session for a shoot with the Sci Fi channel. We also worked with reflecting light off a couple of different crystals. When we looked at the results, the image of a man was clearly seen on the very first picture. The resemblance between the ITC picture and Mary Beth’s dad was noted with surprise. It was like he had heard her and stopped by during our experiment to make sure she got an ITC picture of him.

cbennett2006-visual_itc_setupMary Beth felt that it was her father. We were so surprised with his answering her request so quickly that we wondered if he had been a powerful medium or something, but she explained that she had never known her father. He had left her mother before she was born. He had crossed over many years ago and they had never met. Mary Beth also told us that she had received a message from a medium at a Spiritualist church who had asked her who Franklin was (this was her father’s middle name). The medium told her that Franklin was saying that he was sorry that he had not been part of her life. We were honored that the picture was so meaningful to Mary Beth and we also felt that the positive result was also due to the wonderful positive energy of our meditation group.

Join List

Karen Mossey EVP

©Karen Mossey – All Rights Reserved

Karen related this story to us about cross-correspondence told to her by her friend.
(paraphrasing some) “When we went to my friend’s house, my son Alex went right to a bedroom and stood there. My friend Deb said ‘Alex do you see something ?’ and he lifted his hand and pointed straight to the corner. [at an orb?] Deb went in the room with her camera and the orb went straight from the corner right into the closet. We felt the spirit to be one of a little girl that had lived in the house and had been abused by the grandfather and often locked into the closet. Deb (she is a medium) spoke to her and told her not to be afraid. As we stood there, the home owner’s cat ran into the closet. I (Karen) captured the EVP attached below. We later found out from Linda the name of her cat is Frank and it is obvious the little girl knew and loved the cat.

Comment: This is an example of establishing cross-correspondence with more than one form of phenomena. The event included a child who is known to be able to sense “spirit” energy, several witness of an orb that moved in a meaningful way, speech in an EVP that correctly named the cat at the right time to be meaningful and historical record of the place.

“Its Frank”

When Karen recorded this EVP she immediately recognized the voice to be that of her father.  Other friends and relatives also recognized his voice.

“I love you”

Karen’s father was a legislator in life and worked on passing laws.  You will see that this is exactly the same voice as the “I love you” EVP.

“I’m gonna pass a law … to pay you.”

Join List

Diana and Alan Bennett ITC-2

Diana and Alan speaking at the 2006 ATransC Conference.

Also, see
Diana and Alan Bennett- ITC and Diana and Alan Bennett – Crystal Imaging
©Diana and Alan Bennett – All Rights Reserved

We are pleased to be able to share with you some of our more recent work in the field of ITC imaging.

Since our Scole Group days, Diana and I have been continuing our work in trans-dimensional imaging. As some of you may know, this new work has taken us on quite a different path from those interesting experiments back in ‘96 – ‘97. In those days we relied entirely on ‘spirit’ communication for direction, now it is a combination of communication and (more recently) allowing our ‘higher minds’ to guide us.

We have felt for some time that the chances of getting good results are greatly improved if we offer as many variables as possible within the experimental framework. By this we mean, thinking of the experiments themselves as multi-dimensional and not just a singular attempt to get a singular result. We firmly believe that by supplying a randomized source of material for the ‘other side’ to use, we (and they) stand a far greater chance of success. Having found a working ‘formula’, we then attempt to get repeatable results until inspired to change direction.

Faces seem to be the most common results up to this time. From the many images we have, around 90% are faces, or parts of faces. Sometimes the images are very small, so we cannot overemphasize the importance of studying in detail when checking the results.

Our current experiments mainly take the form of a joint meditative session, where we raise our consciousness and focus together on our objective for that experiment. The equipment is pre-configured and ready to run, allowing us to focus on providing the best energy conditions. We usually have several ‘takes’ during a typical session, again leaving it to what feels right.

Refraction and Reflection

c2005bennett_man_mirrored_web
Man with beard created using a mirror—left side is reflection of right

We have used mirrors in a variety of ways. For example, to reflect a light source back into the point of focus (where we capture the images), to give the subject depth. Have you ever looked through a simple microscope and seen how adjusting the mirror (light source) gives the object greater depth and makes it stand out against its background? This is similar to what the camera sees during our experiments.

Within our light experiments, we generate a vast spectrum of color and light intensities. Some of the light frequencies generated are of course beyond our own visible spectrum, so the resulting light contains much more information than we realize.

We may include a mirror between the source and the subject or even beyond the focal point, allowing the light to flood back onto the subject. Apart from ordinary mirrors, we have used convex and concave types to very good effect. We have also experimented with polished metallic disks such as brass (yellow) and copper (red), which have created some of the more striking images.

Clarity

c2005bennett_man_with_hand_to_mouth_web
Man looking down, apparently with his hand near his face.

We are now experimenting with other cameras and video, trying to increase the clarity of the images. Without getting too technical, it is the resolution of the captured image that governs the quality. If you haven’t captured a particularly clear image to start with, enlarging it (often necessary) only makes it worse not better. We have found that most video cameras ‘off the shelf’ offer a far too low resolution for what we need. Having said that, they certainly have their place and do allow us to capture a ‘stream’ of frames all in one go. As a point of interest, we have captured at 25 frames per second but get better results at 10 fps. The reasoning behind this, again, is image (frame) quality. We also capture as a stream of individual bitmaps and not frames (more on this perhaps another time).

Another factor that governs resolution and image quality is transferring your images into your computer. This requires imaging software and a ‘Capture card’ to be installed. We have found that some of these capture devices can be insufficient in their capture capabilities, so it’s money well spent when buying the best you can.

Some of our best images have been obtained using ordinary photographic film. The results, whether transparencies or not, can be magnified many times without losing quality, allowing for a very fine image definition. This is due to fact we’re working with the ‘grain’ of a film and not ‘pixels’ as in digital photography. In an ideal world we need the best of both systems, and it is to this end that we are now working toward with new equipment.

Join List

Diana and Alan Bennett ITC

Diana and Alan speaking at the 2006 ATransC Conference.

Also, see
Diana and Alan Bennett- ITC and Diana and Alan Bennett – Crystal Imaging

Extracted from Winter 2002 The Spiritual Scientist Bulletin
©Diana and Alan Bennett – All Rights Reserved

Most of our members know about the Scole Experiments. The four members of the Scole Experimental Group (Sandra and Robin Foy and Diana and Alan Bennett) sat over a period of four years. The Spirit Team at Scole was prolific, using a new spirit-world technology that did not require the use of ectoplasm for the production of physical phenomena. Phenomena included solid spirit beings and fifty small objects received as apports. People, such as psychic researchers from the SPR, witnessed physical phenomena including pictures, handwriting, symbols and messages that appeared on factory-sealed unopened photographic film.

The phenomenal success of the group and their Spirit Team resulted in the book, The Scole Experiment, by Grant and Jane Solomon and 32 issues of The Spiritual Scientist Bulletin, a quarterly magazine, which was temporarily retired with the Winter 2002 issue.

With the sadness of seeing the last publication of the Bulletin also came excitement. The Scole mediums Diana and Alan Bennett have been exploring their own particular interests in psychic phenomena and healing. They felt that they owed so much to those in the higher realms and knew in their hearts that they would continue to experiment in one way or another. Alan wrote, “I have always seen in my mind’s eye, a phoenix rising from the ashes with renewed vigor to live through another cycle. Diana has always had that wonderful gift of ‘far sight’ and receiving guidance in her dreams, so it was no surprise when she told me that she had ‘seen’ the two of us working together again. She was told how we should take the first step in the form of a shared experience. We followed her vision of a simple experiment using a crystal, where the two of us linked together mentally and shared a journey of exploration.

“This experience was incredible; as we were both shown such wonders and places. We were guided by a sentient being through a wonderful ‘magical mystery tour’ where we met another being whom we conversed with. Through several other forms of communication, we were shown how to set up an experiment that would, they explained, enable us to glimpse into other worlds (dimensions). We found that it was necessary to continue to follow our intuition, and to be ‘guided’ by them, if we were to achieve satisfactory results. It has required total dedication and perseverance as well as an open but still discerning mind.

“Before I continue, I would like to mention one very important factor, and that is that old chestnut ‘total darkness.’ We were ‘guided’ to do this new work in full light. After so much criticism in the past regarding physical phenomena obtained in total darkness, we decided that we would only continue to work as mediums in full light. This has proven not to be prohibitive in anyway whatsoever, as we have achieved very encouraging results.

“These experiments are primarily attempts to see into, and capture, visions of other dimensions of existence. To be more precise, these visions are more like frozen images or pictures, of different moments in time as we look into these dimensions.”

Since that first experiment, the Bennetts have conducted many more experiments, progressing and building on what they have learned. Alan told us, “It seems that the possibilities are endless, as we modify and introduce other equipment into the experiments. The experiments are based on the idea that there are dimensions not only beyond our own but within them also. By using a combination of electronic and photographic equipment coupled to image enhancement computer software (for magnification purposes only), we have been fortunate enough to obtain fleeting glimpses into these ‘other’ dimensions during our experimental sessions. The experiments also require focused visualization by the two of us to create a central focal point for the experiment.”

Diana writes, “The images pictured here were obtained with the use of an ordinary camera and a good lens (not digital). The process requires us to strategically place crystals, according to instructions given by spirit. (This varies with each experiment.) Light is focused over the crystal area, some through mirrors, colored filters and/or reflective surfaces. We intuitively know when it is the optimum time to take the picture. When the pictures are developed, they are digitized, enlarged and then examined using Photoshop. As you can see, the images and colors are fascinating. Sometimes, the images take up most of the frame sometimes only a small part.”

What excites Alan is that, “this new approach is only now possible with the advancement in electronics and the related computer technologies. Therefore, where will we be and what will we discover in the years ahead?”

We are very excited to be able to report on Diana and Alan’s work and thank them for sharing some of the results that they have achieved.

The face of a woman. She is a helper and the Bennetts have been given her name

bennett_2
An old man facing right

bennett_3
White Owl

bennett_5
Man facing left

bennett_6
Child-like face

bennett_4
A face

Join List

Our Introduction to Faces in Light Reflected from Water

cbutler2004_bottle_drawing

Visual ITC can be encountered in many different ways. The common denominator is the availability of chaotic light somewhere in the field of view of a camera. For instance, the video feedback loop is used as a chaotic light generator. As you will see below, light reflected from many different surfaces is also chaotic, and when closely examined in photographs, may support phenomenal images.

©Arthur Soesman – All Rights Reserved

cbutler2004_bottle_drawingThis example was collected by Arthur Soesman using what is sometimes referred to as the Arthur Soesman method. It is illustrated in the accompanying picture (right). In this technique, the bottle is partially filled with liquid and then agitated while a  picture is taken of the surface of the water.

In the picture at the left, you can see the face of a man inside of the red square.

Join List

Face on the Wall

examples_photography4_3

Note, this would be an example of Type II ITC as described in the Classification Best Practice

Wall in the Spiritualist Desert Church in Las Vegas, NV

The Reverend Catherine Stewart of the Spiritualist Desert Church in Las Vegas, NV brought this interesting and phenomenal image to our attention.  If you look closely at the wall just behind the organ in the church, you can see the outline of a face in the variations of the paint.  As you can see below, it is a light blue wall and the image is also shades of light blue, so we have enhanced a photograph of the face and provided it below for clarity.

Look just to the left of the large round speaker, which is at the upper-right of the first picture.  The face is in the middle (left to right) of the picture and about even with the center of the big speaker.

If you look closely at the woman, you can see evidence of a lapel and a slender neck.  See also, the bottom picture.

The center section of the church wall. Look closely. You should see the slightest hint of a face.

 

examples_photography4_3
The above photo, but with contrast and intensity changes via a photo editor.

examples_photography4_4There is evidence that the communicating entity is able to use any chaotic, well illuminated optical environment to produce their images.  One person even found a decent face in well illuminated piece of sandpaper.  (See the example here) This would be predicted by our working hypothesis.

The Rev. Catherine Stewart wrote, “We do see other faces…  The one face is always there, but sometimes her face is full, sometimes thin, sometimes she appears to be wearing a garden hat.  One Sunday as we were singing our closing hymn several of us heard from that corner, a beautiful choir singing along with us.  Years ago, I was given a message that we would have physical phenomena in the church that would draw many people to witness.  That’s why I’ve been working with the trumpet; I thought that would be it—-maybe not.  I do know that Spiritualism will reign.”

We understand that such images are believed by physical scientists to be the chance arrangement of random events, but you should know that this argument does not accept the existence of a nonphysical reality or personal survival.  If you take those two most important aspects of our reality into account, then it is more likely that communicating entities seize the opportunity offered by physical noise to impress their likeness.

New Chapter for the “Face on the Wall.”

A recent ITC experiment conducted by Tom and Lisa Butler with their development group resulted in two images that look a lot like the woman whose face is shown above.  The picture on the left most resembles the face on the wall, but the one on the right also has the narrow chin.  If you look closely, you can see that they both have a hairline similar to the face on the wall.  Again, both of these images were collected during the same ITC experiment.

face_on_wall_itc_1    5a_simlr_to_face_kitWe cannot make the claim that they are the same, but other than the obvious similarities in facial characteristics, when the image was collected is evidential.  The church congregation conducted a meditation at the church just before it was closed for the summer.  At that time, they asked the lady on the wall to appear to other people.  That was on a Sunday and the ITC images were collected by a Spiritualist development group in Reno, NV the following Monday evening.

Join List

Downey Synthesized Speech EVP

recorded by Margaret Downey
©Margaret Downey – All Rights Reserved

Speech Synthesis can be tricky to work with, so please be sure to use a witness panel.

As the technology of EVP recording evolves, new techniques have brought new forms of the phenomenon. The most common and best understood is the technique using a recorder, microphone and supplied noise for voice formation. It is theorized that actual voice formation is accomplished by amplifying a small telekinetic signal in the active region of transistors via stochastic resonance acting on ambient noise energy. This is a hypothesis, but it answers most of the evidence. We refer to this form of EVP as “Transform EVP,” and most of the examples on this website are of this kind.

A currently popular technique for EVP collection is referred to as “radio-sweep.” This may be automated or manual, and depends on the live voice of broadcast radio as a sound source. Small fragments of sound are formed into a new sound stream by rapidly sweeping the radio dial. This form of EVP may be referred to as “opportunistic EVP” because it depends on the availability of sounds necessary to form the message just when they are needed at the moment each station is selected.

A second approach to opportunistic EVP is EVPmaker. This computer program loads an input sound file into a buffer, and then using a random process to determine which part of the buffer to use as the next fragment of the output sound stream, forms a new sound stream. Several “random” sources are available and the fragment length is determined by the operator. Assuming prerecorded voice is used, the output is a staccato sound that contains randomly arranged voice fragments. Meaningful messages are sometimes found in the output, and it is thought that the communicating entity is influencing the random process to access the buffer to select the needed sounds.

A great deal is known about transform EVP and false positive results are usually easily detected. Radio-sweep and EVPmaker pose the problem that normally occurring words and phrases in the live voice are easily mistaken as phenomenal message, and use of live voice makes these technology unlikely candidates for research. See Locating EVP Formation and Detecting False Positives for a discussion of this problem.

A new technique for voice formation involves speech synthesis, rather than live voice. For instance, Stefan Bion introduced a set of SpeekJet allophones on his website. These are fragments of sound used for the synthesis of speech for robotics. A few words may naturally occur when the allophones are used with EVPmaker, but in general, if a word is formed and it seems to be meaningful, then it is unlikely to be a natural product of the technology.

Real-Time Conversation Using EVPmaker and Allophones

Margaret Downey has recorded convincing examples of EVP using just about every technique she has tried. In the example provided here, she used the allophones with EVPmaker in an attempt to conduct a real-time conversation.  The output of EVPmaker is a steady staccato string of pieces of voice. Margaret spoke over this, so that you can hear her voice and the EVPmaker output in the background. She then lowered her voice in the recording and removed the non-relevant EVPmaker output for clarity. Here is the script:

Margaret: Can you say A.B.C.?

    EVP: A.B.C.D.E. (this is buried in the main sound)

Margaret: How about Tom Butler?

   EVP: Tom Butler.

Margaret: Do you know the name of either of Tom Butler’s cats?
   EVP: (Sh)asta’s their cat. (the “Sh” sound is weak or missing)

“Shasta” is the name of one of the Butler’s cats.

Margaret: Do you have any pets?
   EVP: I have a pet.

Margaret: I heard you say I have a…?
   EVP: Pet.

Margaret: You have a what?
   EVP: Pet.

Margaret: What kind of pet do you have?
   EVP: An animal. (Ask a silly question, get a silly answer!)

Margaret: I understand you have a pet animal, but what is the species?
   EVP: A purple deer.

Margaret: OK, I could have sworn you said you have a purple deer.
   EVP: I told you, purple deer.

Margaret: OK, I’m gonna close for the evening. Can you tell me goodbye?
   EVP: I love you.

Margaret: I heard you say I love you. Love you too.
   EVP: Thank you.

Conversation With Arthur

It is important to note that it is common in in transform EVP to recognize the voice of the person thought to be speaking, sex and approximate age of the speaker. This added information helps people recognize loved ones, and a message from a loved one is often very therapeutic. The output sound stream of EVPmaker can be transformed into voice as in transform EVP, but it is more common for EVP made with current applications of speech synthesis to be a more robotic voice with little personality.

Another point that needs to be made is that, even though the voice is an emulation of live speech made by transforming noise into voice, transform EVP often includes the nuances of speech, such as plural and accents. Opportunistic EVP is more often an approximation based on available sounds that are close to what is needed. Thus, “I love you” might actually sound like “eh ove u.” In speech synthesis, the word can be more closely matched, but we do see novel spelling when the words are translated to text.

Real-Time Communication Using the Paranormal Puck and Allophones

A recent innovation in technology for EVP is the introduction of the Paranormal Puck by Digital Dowsing: Owner and developer is Bill Chappell. This device connects to a Windows computer via a USB port. It includes temperature and electromagnetic sensors and a SpeekJet microchip. In one mode, the output is an environmentally stimulated string of allophones.

Margaret Downey conducted sessions with the Puck by asking a question, and then turning on the puck for thirty seconds. She then turned off the puck and asked another question for repeated sessions. The result is the appearance of conversation, but be aware that this is a very new technology and it is difficult to know what is actually occurring. The impression is that questions are ask and correctly answered.

In this example, Margaret had the device turned on but had not decided whether or not she was going to conduct an experiment so she had said nothing.

Puck: Talk to him.

Margaret: In this I asked, “Please say my grandson or granddaughter’s name.” (Dylan Scott or Hazel Ann – both on the other side)

Puck: Scott

Margaret: This wasn’t the answer I expected, but I like it, “Who are the babies with?” At 16 seconds, I heard, “Margaret” followed by “Dylan” at 23.5 seconds phoneme: ovrat (for Margaret) oops, forgot to note what it was for Dylan. Timing altered.

Puck: Margaret, Dylan

Margaret: The previous three questions were answered the first time I asked. This was the third time in a row I had asked this question (and would have been my last attempt before moving onto the next question.)

It is important to remember that the technology being used in these examples should not normally produce recognizable speech. Yes, there is the probability of an occasional string of sound bits producing a recognizable word. A good comparison is that a thousand typing monkeys will eventually produce something meaningful; however, what is the likelihood of the monkeys producing something meaningful that is also a correct answer to a question just asked?

Join List

EVP of Tom and Lisa Butler

Tom and Lisa Butler on the porch of the Marlin Monroe Cabin at the Cal-Neva Casino, Lake Tahoe.

John Belushi

We were invited to help Universal Pictures to help them market the movie, White Noise. For the DVD release party that was held in the famous and haunted Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, we were asked to record for EVP in the hotel and play the resulting examples on camera. During that process, Lisa recorded, “John Belushi” in the Lombard-Gable Penthouse. We later learned that Belushi lived in the hotel when he first moved to LA, and that he learned to love the old hotel.

 

Prepare to die

We are often asked about the dangers involved in opening communication with the other side. All and all, recording for EVP is safe. Some message can be a little unnerving, but we are pretty sure those are a reflection of our own fears. It is in the eyes or ears of the perceiver. In this case, we recorded the EVP, “Prepare to die,” when we asked, “Do you not want people here?” The words are spoken by what sounds like a southern gentleman about to engage his opponent in a duel, and we feel that the utterance being so dramatic, is more a humorous response than something that should be taken as threatening. This was recorded in the Levi House in Reno, Nevada.

 

We keep looking for peace

In an investigation of the Cal-Neva Resort at Lake Tahoe for the Dead Famous television series, we were able to record in the theater built by Frank Sinatra while he owned the casino. Several mediums had reported a threatening personality lurking at the back of the stage area. In that same area, we recorded, “We keep looking for peace.” Our sense is that it was spoken by one of the bodyguards who protected some of the famous personalities who visited there.

 

Hidden morphine

On the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe is the Thunderbird Lodge built by George Whittell. We have participated in a couple of media events there that included opportunities to record for EVP. In this example, you will hear the voice of a woman say, “Hidden morphine.” We later learned that Whittell was addicted to morphine and his lady friend was a nurse who gave him morphine shots.

 

Betty’s in there

One of the bonus features on the White Noise DVD includes us recording in the haunted, Hollymont Castle in Beechwood Canyon, near Los Angeles, California. Lisa recorded “Betty’s in there” as we approached a bedroom. The Bedroom is at the top of the same stairs near which an orb was seen in the DVD bonus feature at about three minutes. As you can see in the picture below the white arrow is pointing at the black, fussy puff. It is shown a little clearer in the inset. The orb was rapidly moving and was only in a few frames.

 

(cc)aaevp2006-audacity_noise_levels_web
c2005universal_orb_wn_dvd.jpg

 

Think Positively … instantly away

When we visited Alcatraz, we recorded for EVP at a place from which San Francisco can be seen through a barred window. The city is beautiful and seemed very close. We knew it must have been terrible torture for the inmates to see freedom so close, yet so far away. Lisa said as much while recording, and captured this voice saying, “Think Positively … instantly away.” 

 

c2006aaevp-think_positively

 

Paolo Presi … Alexander MacRae

We had expected to encounter angry and confused personalities, but instead, recorded many positive remarks. We even recorded several voices saying “Paolo Presi,” an Italian ITC researcher we sometimes work with. This is followed by other voices saying, “Alexander MacRae.”

 

Please don’t come

An example of an EVP being appropriate to a circumstance is an EVP recorded by Lisa Butler. The Butlers were asking a woman about the upstairs lighting and sound room for the Frank Sinatra Theater at the Cal-Neva Casino at Lake Tahoe, CA. They had heard that the heavy door to the room often shut for no apparent reason, scaring the crews setting up lights and sound systems for shows. The woman told them that she would never ever go up there. Lisa’s recorder was on while she thanked the woman for her assistance. On the recording, Lisa can be heard saying, “Thank you very much.” Underneath her voice, is a clearly heard paranormal voice saying, “Please don’t come.”However politely said, it seems obvious someone did not want to be disturbed.

 

The Death Knell

Lisa and I were asked by Universal Studios to help them market the Mickael Keaton movie, White Noise. They took us to a few reportedly haunted places where we did a walkabout while recording for EVP. One such place was the -Excalibur night club in Chicago. It was used as a temporary morgue for bodies from the ship, Eastland. Western Electric was having a company party on it, and before the ship left the dock, it rolled over and many people died.

Lisa recorded the EVP “Death knell.” You can hear her ask, “Why do I feel so much sadness here?” Then a pause, followed by what sounds like a water drum “Da-dum!” and then the voice “The death knell.” Alternatively, it may say “The death toll.”  See The Eastland Disaster Killed More Passengers Than the Titanic and the Lusitania. Why Has It Been Forgotten?

The first version below is as it was recorded. The words are Class C so I amplified it for the second exampled. We speculate that the drum sound is a lot like what rescue workers heard through the metal hull as trapped passengers tried to get out.

Original The Death Knell

 

Amplified The Death Knell

Join List

Carol Barron-Karajohn-EVP

c2006aaevp-think_positively

©Carol Barron-Karajohn – All Rights Reserved

Carol Barron-Karajohn, wrote “ This is my favorite Class ‘A’ EVP Message, largely because I knew the fellow who had just crossed over and it sounds just like him!  I have an audio cassette of his voice while living and it’s the same voice.”  The enthusiastic voice states “I’m Alive!”

This one of Carol’s can be heard to say, “Hello Mother.”

 

Join List

Butler ITC Gallery 1

articl7

Also see Butler ITC Gallery 2Butler ITC Gallery 3,
Perception of Visual ITC Images and Video-Loop, Visual ITC Recording Technique

About the Butler Video ITC technique

We have captured the following images using the Klaus Schreiber method for video Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC).  We use a Canon 8mm ES2000 analog camcorder that is (most often) set about six inches from a Sony KV20TS32, 20 inch Trinitron color TV.  The camera was usually focused well past the screen surface and the composite video out of the camera was connected to the video input of the TV so that the camera was “seeing” its output on the television screen in a video loop.  The camera was (usually) zoomed so that about five inches of the screen was revealed to the camera.  The television was not connected to cable or antenna and was switched to VIDEO IN.  A taping session was typically 30 seconds.

The resulting video clip was loaded into a personal computer and Pinnacle Systems Studio DC10 Plus was used for capture and review.  The video was examined frame by frame and interesting frames were “grabbed” as individual pictures.  Because the camera was focused on an area of the screen that had considerable optical texture, the resulting frames tended to be dark.  The video was also strobing from light too dark.  While this seems to have provided ITC, it has also frustrated attempts to display the images with the usual methods of printing newsletters using black and white, laser type 600 dpi printers.  Unless otherwise noted, the frames were further processed using an early version of Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business Edition.

Even as pictures on the computer screen, these images are often difficult to make out as anything more than optical noise, so we ask that you look very closely at any pattern you might first notice in the image.  The offered text will help explain what you are looking for.

Except for a possible few exceptions, we do not know who or what these people shown here are.  It is clear that people of many time periods, and possible worlds, are represented.  We know how we collected these images, but we do not know how they are formed in the video or why.  Perhaps the most we can gather from these images is that there is a phenomenon, the phenomenon is indicative of an intelligent manipulation of video noise and the represented entities exist outside of our known reality.  We take from this a certain sense of friendliness and assurance that there is more to reality than meets the eye.  From this, we think we have reason to believe that there will come a time in which we will also be finding a way to imprint our likeness on a video system.  We think that when we do, it will be to tell the person in the flesh that we survive and that we are part of a larger reality.

We have developed something of a specialized vocabulary to describe these images:

  • Frame = One frame of a video clip.  There are some 15 frames per second in the video clips we generate with our camera.
  • Image = A portion of a frame.
  • Feature = A recognizable cluster of noise such as a face that is found in a frame and that is displayed in a frame or an image.
  • Major Feature = A feature that dominates a frame.  These are often suggestive of human or other forms, but are not usually well defined.
  • Inserted Feature (Insert) = A feature that is better defined than other features in the frame.  These often look like human or other recognizable forms.
  • Holographic Feature (fractal) = A feature that is suggestive of human or other forms but that is not as well defined as an insert and that is accompanied by numerous other face fractals.
This is an example of a frame that has a major feature with an inserted feature and numerous fractal images.  The insert-like feature of Image 4 (below) has been outlined in Image 3 has.
articl4Using editing software that came with Erland Babcock’s Toshiba PDR-M70 digital camera, the insert feature outlined in Image 3 was clipped and enhanced.  You can see that the color has changed considerably; however, as things often are with EVP and ITC, the resulting color shift appears to provide a likely rendition for the man.  You should be able to see a man from the chest up, wearing a black hat and a full beard.

There are two points that we would like you to note in this and other examples shown on this page: hats are a common feature; the detail of the hat’s curves; and, that the inserted image does, indeed look like an inserted image with much greater detail than the surrounding video noise.

articl2dhomeThis feature appears to be a standing man wearing light-colored pants and a black blazer.  He has a handlebar mustache and apparently short-cut or slicked-back hair.  You can see that he is holding something in his right hand.  It is hard to see in this version of the image (different photo editing software tends to highlight different features of these images), but the man has his left hand near his throat as if he has something slung over his shoulder.  The picture at the right is of  the famous medium Douglas Home.  We believe this ITC example may be Douglas Home; however, there is of course, no way of being certain and we do not make the claim here.

If you look just under the white beard of the man in Image 4 above, you will see a pink to orange field of color.  You cannot see it in Image 1, but if you turn Image 1, 90 degrees to the left, and focus on that pink/orange field of color, you will see that the man in Image 2 is just under the white beard of Image 4.  You are welcome to download Image 1 and see for yourself.  This is another example of how video ITC can show up by rotating an original frame.  This may compare with the fact that some EVP are found by listening to a sound track in the reverse.

butler_frame_example_1butler_frame_example_2The frame to the far left is the original of this series.  The second frame is the first, but enhanced to better show the detail.  If you look closely, you will see a major feature that looks a little like the left side of a man’s face.  The nose would be just to the right of the red dot, which is the reflection of the “Record” light of the video camera.  However, we do not claim that this is a very convincing image.  What we want to show you is what you see when the frame is rotated 180 degrees.  This is shown in the third image of this series.

butler_frame_example_3The lower lob of the “chin” in the above frames is cropped and enhanced to the left.  You will see a bald head, two large eyes and an apparently determined look on a face–human or otherwise.

This brings us to another rather interesting aspect of the ITC images we are collecting.  As is shown below in Image 7 (below), we are collecting a large number of faces that seem to belong to extraterrestrials.  You must be the judge of this.

articl7Look closely.  This looks like an extraterrestrial who is standing in front of a round window.  Again, this image has been enhanced to make it clear.  The original frame was nearly all black.
butler_elf_1Of course, we do not know who or what this image represents.  However, if you are familiar with the Irish legion of Little people and the popular New Age concepts of nature spirits, you will see that this man is very reminiscent of an elf.  We see a little man mostly cloaked by green foliage.  he seems to have something of a beard and mustache and is definitely wearing a domed hat with a dark brown band.  We collected several such images in this ITC session conducted just before Saint Patrick’s Day.  The image below was also in this session.
butler_elf_face_in_hatThis is another ‘Elfish” feature.  We will not further address the question of the Little People here, but we would like to point out a most fascinating aspect of the features we are collecting.  The feature at the left appears to be that of a man who is looking to your right.  He is wearing a tall hat and has a rather elongated chin.  You can see his right eye rather well and most of his left.  Focus your eyes until you can see this.

Now refocus your eyes so that you can see a man looking straight at you.  Most of his face is illuminated by the spot of light at the center of the image.  He is wearing the same hat.  The left eye of this second man is the same as the right eye of the first.

Now take a good look at the man’s (men’s) hat.  Do you see the face feature there?

This is typical of the way face features are appearing in our ITC sessions.  This is an example of an inserted feature being composed of numerous holographic or fractal features.  As is shown below, we are finding face features in just about every possible arrangement of optical noise.

butler_indianThis feature was found by rotating a frame to the left 90 degrees and represents only three or four percent of the original frame.  It appears to us to be a person, possibly a woman, wearing a breastplate and some kind of headdress.  Obviously we cannot know for certain, but we tend to think of this person as a shaman or one of the “Little People.”

If you look closely at the light area that defines the left side of the headdress, and elsewhere in the image, you can see the suggestion of holographic features.

butler_faces_1     butler_2_faces_1Here are two examples of holographic feature.  You should be able to see at least four faces in the first image.  The features are not well developed but they are obviously features that look like faces.  The frame has been rotated 90 degrees to the left.  It is common for us to find bands of light and dark video noise which is a product of the video feedback loop.  It is also common for us to find rows of faces in these bands of lighter noise.

The second image shows two faces that look as if they can be twins.  Sometimes, we will find a row of faces that all look alike and sometimes they will be different from one another.  The problem with the second image is that it could, indeed, be twins and not a holographic feature at all.

butler_hat_2As we said earlier, we are collecting quite a number of people wearing hats.  As with this feature, most are not particularly clear.  This is offered here as a typical example.  You should see a person (probably a man) looking just to your left.  He has a black hat.
butler_face_4     butler_face_3     butler_face_7     butler_face_1     butler_face_5     butler_woman_1

This is a sample collection of some of the faces we are collecting.  The face in the second image has several holographic features, as well.  It is interesting to note that the fifth face (across) seems very familiar to us.  Please contact us if you think you recognize anyone in these examples.