Wednesday's Word(s)

Well, it's been several days.. I've been experiencing some technical difficulties... and I've been snapping a lot of pictures of the local scenery.

First, a shout out to Bob of CT Ghost Seekers for the kind words once again.

I know I missed last week's Wednesday Word so this week's post will be an extended version and will also be directly related to the ghost hunt that I was involved in last night. I wanted to be better prepared to record evidence of what TheCrimeBrat and I experienced. So, today's post will be about some of the equipment used for investigating the paranormal.

1) EVP (recorder) - EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena... as defined by Haunted Realm Paranormal Investigators... "A voice recorded on a tape or digital recorder from which there is no known or logical source".... or "Disembodied voices and sounds imprinted on audio recording devices".

Ok, that makes sense given the definition of phenomena... obviously, some of us are "lucky" enough to physically hear these noises - at the descretion of the spirit. But, most often these voices can only be picked up by a recorder as the frequency with which they are spoken is not within the range heard by the human ear.. BUT, if you have a pet (dog).....

As I last posted, I had tested and determined that my Blackberry had too many drawbacks to be an effective device for the recording/analyzing of EVP. So, I picked up an Olympus WS-400 S digital voice recorder....
...and am I glad I did!!!! With the stereo XHQ recording mode, the clarity of the playback instantly proved to be far superior than that of the crackberry. And with the built-in USB port, tranferring a 2-1/2 hr recording to my computer took about a minute - and that time included the device being installed on my machine... and I was immediately able to open the file with Windows Media Player, proving the files recorded by the WS-400 S (in .wma format) are 100% compatible with windows based software applications.

Going hand in hand with a recorder is an audio editing program in order to analyze those faint "voices" that are picked up by the recorder. I've decided to initially try a program called Wavepad - although the possibilities are endless once the recording is save on my computer. In checking into the different programs available, I happened across the site of paranormal investigator Billy Connelly at paranorbill.com. Bill's software of choice is Wavepad... whom am I to argue??? ... especially after viewing several of his investigations that are posted on his website... great job and some great info there...

Note: I also most recently installed the Nero 9 multimedia suite which has audio and video editing modules.... I'm not sure of their functionality as of yet, but I'm looking forward to testing them.... maybe I'll turn myself into a video producer !!!!*

*Update on Nero 9 Wave Editor... great program too, but uses a LOT of resources, leaving me on the fence....

2) EMF meter - EMF stands for Electro Magnetic Field.... um, energy field... Whereas it is widely speculated that over exposure to high levels of electromagnetism can be an agent to the development of cancer, EMF meters, like digital recorders, are common instruments that have been around for many years.... and also used by more that just scientists.

Each and every electronic and electric device emits electromagnetism... yes, appliances, computers, CELL PHONES .... so EMF meters were produced in order to determine "safe levels" of electromagnetic exposure... although I have yet to find a chart that specifies what is safe... or even a report....

Anyway, it is also a common belief among paranoramalists that the presence of electromagnetism signifies the presence of a spirit.... or that spirits themselves emit (AND attain energy from) electro-magnetic fields.... again, research of several investigations have shown investigators using EMF meters as a means of communication with spirits... you be the judge.

That being said, I felt the need to acquire an EMF meter, if only to feel more professional.... so, once again I scoured the Internet in search of (RIP Leonard Nimoy) a trust-worthy yet affordable EMF meter.

Again my diligence paid off as I found (and purchased) a K2 meter...

....a simple to read yet somewhat sophisticated, accurate and trusted piece of equipment among paranormal investigators - from...........................

The K2 appears to be a staple in an investigator's arsenal of equipment and perhaps one's initial step into the science of the paranormal.... the next step will be a "Mel-meter"...

3) Dowsing (Divining) Rods - These are probably one of the more primitive and controversial, yet most highly recognizable, items to be used by a paranormal investigator.... I will admit my ignorance here !!!!! uh, if you've never heard of or pretended to use a divining rod to find water, you must have been born yesterday...

For the purposes of paranormal investigating, a pair of "L"-shaped metals rods are used, as opposed to the universally known, "Y"-shaped stick....

.... as a means of either direct communication with a spirit or to signify the presence of a spirit... ie, questions can be asked with the reply to be a certain movement of the rods... or, unsolicited movement is believed to be either the presence of electromagnetism or a spirit physically moving the rods.

Like with Ouija boards, skeptics debunk the usage as the holder's personal magnetic energy or movement... but, as a true believer in the power of the Ouija.... I believe in their validity (ESPECIALLY after my personal experience - tomorrow's post).....

Well, there you have THREE Wednesday's Words... I should be good for a week or so.. tomorrow I will report on our personal experiences with the equipment and investigation from last night. I wanted to post this on Thursday but had MANY computer related issues and wasn't able to... maybe that was for the best...

HAPPY H(A)UNTING !!!!!