Classifying Your EVPs

COMMENT??? Got A Question??? A Click on the Wizard opens a direct E-Mail Link to the Research Center. Technical questions or just want make a report, just CLICK the Wizard!

Actually there are several. Maybe one of these days all researchers will come together but until they do I use the following system to classify my EVPs. It is loosely patterned after the Vallee System used for UFO research in that both a number and letter is assigned. The EVP is classified both on quality and type. They are:

• Quality Grading: (EVP Research Standards)
  
  
  • A_ Heard and understood clearly without any signal processing at all, Like a normal voice (rare)
  • B_ Processed using analog filtering, but most who hear it can decipher the content. There is little disagreement on what is recorded. (Great EVP if you get one like this!)
  • C_ Processed using analog filtering, but still hard to hear. Some disagreement on content and some may not hear it at all. (Most common valid EVP)
  • D_ Digital processing employed to make out anything at all. Disagreement over content, some may not hear anything. Digital artifacts are a possibility (Also common but not reliable)
  • E_ Most hear nothing; some may claim to hear a voice. Processing may result in different messages being heard. Likely these EVPs are artifacts of processing. (Probably not a true EVP at all, likely wishful thinking on the part of the listener)
    
    
• Content Grading:
  
  
  • 1_ Easily related to surroundings. For instance: A soldier who was killed mentioning the battle, etc.
  • 2_ Unrelated but meaningful, such as a statement "I love you". Could be for anyone, or maybe no one present.
  • 3_ Gibberish. Meaningless groups of words but still recognizable as words or phrases.
  • 4_ Utterances. Vocalized sounds not words. Includes grunts and groans. Before classifying here make sure you are not dealing with a foreign language which should actually be in categories 1-3.
  • 5_ Non vocal sounds. Thumps Bangs, Pops, Footsteps, etc.
    
    
• Source Grading:
  
  
  • M_ Multiple voices heard, unable to differentiate.
  • U_ The gender or age cannot be determined.
  • W_ The voice is clearly that of a child.
  • X_ The voice is clearly that of a woman.
  • Y_ The voice is clearly that of a man.
  • Z_ The recording is of an animal sound (Barking, Meowing, Vocalizations only)
  
  
  
• Note that many EVPs may contain portions falling into multiple categories. Parts may be clear then fade out. Vocalizations may be preceded or followed by non-vocal sounds. Thus a particular EVP may have multiple classifications. If you are classifying the overall EVP, use the most predominate characteristics.
  

It is evident that the investigator has some control over the final classification. If he used digital processing, it would move it to a D2Y category. This is because of the error factor that might be introduced by processing in this manner. While it would be acceptable to do this as a deciphering tool, it also points out the importance of maintaining the original recording for your records. You can always go back to it later for additional work if you decide to do so.

Another problem with digital processing is that while it may help to hear the content of the message, it also can easily render the Source unidentifiable as to gender or age. If you have the original as well you can do both types of processing. Many times digital will allow you to get a handle on the content, then when you hear the original raw recording it will be easier to understand it.