Is Ghostly Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) Real? The Science Behind White Noise

Is Ghostly Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) Real? The Science Behind White Noise

As a long-time fan of supernatural horror movies and a self-proclaimed radio enthusiast, I found “White Noise” to be a chilling yet intriguing exploration of electronic voice phenomena (EVPs). Growing up with a ham radio set and a fascination for the cosmic mysteries, this film resonated deeply with my own experiences.


The 2005 horror film “White Noise,” currently available on Peacock, revolves around the idea of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVPs), a belief that spirits can communicate with the living through electronic noise. Although there’s no solid scientific proof supporting supernatural messages hidden within radio static, researchers have discovered cosmic messages encoded within white noise itself.

In the movie, Michael Keaton portrays Jonathan Rivers, a character whose wife, Anna, vanishes under puzzling conditions. Even as the search continues, Rivers encounters a man named Raymond Price (Ian McNeice) who educates him about Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVPs). Price asserts he’s obtained an audio recording of Anna’s voice, implying she isn’t merely missing but deceased. Following the discovery of Anna’s body shortly afterward, Rivers develops an unhealthy fascination with communicating with the afterlife, leading to potentially harmful outcomes.

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Explaining Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVPs), as portrayed in White Noise

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As a gamer, I’ve found an intriguing aspect in the supernatural world: white noise, static, or electronic hum is believed to be a medium for interaction with the spirit realm. There are numerous designs crafted to catch these fleeting messages, all rooted in faith that entities like ghosts, spirits, demons, and more can influence electronic gadgets and signals to convey meaning.

Some EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) devices function as regular radios set to a frequency between stations, while others are adapted to sweep through every AM and FM frequency continuously. This leads the listener to hear bursts of static interspersed with fragments of songs, dialogues, or ads from radio broadcasts. On the other hand, certain devices increase the background noise, amplifying the electrical noise they produce, which results in sounds resembling open vowels.

Listeners often hear sounds produced or recorded by their device and attempt to detect words or phrases from seemingly unrelated sources. In non-paranormal contexts, EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) are typically attributed to pareidolia – a cognitive function where our brain perceives patterns or meaning in random data. This is similar to seeing shapes in clouds or faces in Martian geology. Essentially, EVPs can be likened to an auditory Rorschach test, suggesting more about the listener’s perception than any supposed meaning within the actual recordings.

What is Radio and TV Static, Anyway?

Is Ghostly Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) Real? The Science Behind White Noise

The device you’re using, whether a radio or an analog television, isn’t aware of what it’s receiving. These gadgets are outfitted with instruments for identifying and converting radio frequency (RF) signals. RF signals travel through the air and are captured by the TV or radio antenna.

Just as the name implies, a tuner helps adjust your antenna to catch particular broadcast frequencies, enabling you to zero in on a specific station or channel. This is made possible because the station’s signal at that frequency is stronger than general radio background noise. When you dial into a channel without an ongoing transmission – either a vacant one or one between stations – the antenna picks up and amplifies that radio background noise, resulting in static.

Constantly enveloped by radio waves, we can’t perceive or listen to them without the proper equipment. They originate from atmospheric phenomena, like lightning bolts, and from our sun. Some of these waves are remnants from the universe’s inception, a cosmic imprint called the cosmic microwave background – a relic of its spatial-temporal birth.

When you tune a radio or TV to an empty channel, you’re receiving a mix of ambient radio static, electrical interference from various devices, heat-related noise from the device itself, and a variety of environmental sounds. Essentially, you’re hearing a disordered symphony of reality, conveyed through sound and visuals. In a way, static embodies messages not from spirits of people, but from stars and the universe as a whole.

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2024-10-22 22:31