Electronic Voice Phenomena: Terrifying.

[derelictjay]

Lets see, the preview of the movie did nothing to me. But as a plot hook for a modern campaign would rock. Having the PCs discussing their situation, on the phone/radio or infront of tv/computer and all of a sudden the sound turns staticy with a slightly garbled voice pleading for help, and suddenly the device explodes/breaks. This would be a great lead in for an adventure/campaign. Of course you would have this phenomenon occuring at irregular intervals thoughout the adventure/campaign, sometimes the pleading voice sometime a threatening voice, of which both are so garbled that identity and gender are are suspect. Cool concept, might use it. Thanks.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Lets see, the preview of the movie did nothing to me. But as a plot hook for a modern campaign would rock. Having the PCs discussing their situation, on the phone/radio or infront of tv/computer and all of a sudden the sound turns staticy with a slightly garbled voice pleading for help, and suddenly the device explodes/breaks. This would be a great lead in for an adventure/campaign. Of course you would have this phenomenon occuring at irregular intervals thoughout the adventure/campaign, sometimes the pleading voice sometime a threatening voice, of which both are so garbled that identity and gender are are suspect. Cool concept, might use it. Thanks.

I'm thinking: each player is driving their own vehicle, alone, in the POURING rain...

As each of them approach a particular intersection in a particular town--all from different directions-- their radio goes to static and they can hear someone talking softly within the static... it's almost melodic... and, as they are kind of sucked into the voice, they all slam into each other.

I haven't decided what the voice is going to say, yet... or if it will be male, female, or both (I really like the switching voices, thing... makes me think of The Exorcist which also terrifies me...)...

Just hoping that someone--anyone-- has had an experience or heard an urban legend that revolves around the topic... it seems it may be wishful thinking, though...

 

[Pbartender]

As such, I've been throwing around the idea of including aspects of EVP into a modern adventure.

Better yet, have the dead speak through the closed captioning of a specific television channel.

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

At one time I heard where some group was going to try and pull sound from pottery and brick, the theory was that sound is imprinted onto items during creation. Never heard any more about it but this make me wonder...

The pottery idea I'd heard of was that some types of ancient pottery were decorated by inscribing spiral lines into the pot with a cactus needle or something like that while the pot was spinning on the wheel - essentially creating a record* that could now be played back to hear what was happening near the wheel, presumably after a lot of signal processing. I've had this story in my head forever, it seems like, but can't verify whether it's ever really been tried or seriously proposed.

*RECORD : An obsolete music storage technology popular at the end of the second millennium BCE. See also vinyl, wax, LP, and DJ.

 

[Ferret]

I saw some of the photos and heard some of them and most didn't seem like they were simple blips or put in. The trailer looked cool.


I gave be an idea though... A malk(V:tM) with a hearing aid, hearing voices on the static.

 

[d20fool]

The Munchkin Effect

Wow, voices from the dead in static! That's amazing! What other explanation could there be?

Sorry to put a hose on this folks, but there is a explanation. It's not fakery (fakes would be better sound quality, frankly) it's us.

You see, Choamsky disciple Steven Pinker wrote about this in "The Language Instinct" You see, the human brain is tuned to hear language. So well tuned, we sometimes hear language even when it is not there, what he calls "The Munchkin Effect". I'm sure you can all think of repetitious sounds that seemed to form language at different times. In fact, Thomas the Tank Engine is based on this phenomenon as the author listened to trains "talking" all night as a boy. If you played these clips to someone who did not speak English, chances are they will not hear anything at all.

This ability of our brains to piece together an image (audio or visual) from fragments accounts for a lot of strangeness that we experience. The brain is a funny thing. Damn science ruining everybody's fun.

 

[Umbran]

So well tuned, we sometimes hear language even when it is not there, what he calls "The Munchkin Effect".

Yes, well, the effect isn't limited to language by a longshot. The human brain is designed to recognize patterns, and will occasionally find them when they aren't actually there. A bit silly to give it a name for language, when the human mind does it for just about every data stream it can take in.

If you played these clips to someone who did not speak English, chances are they will not hear anything at all.

While it is entirely possible that the words aren't really there, what you say above isn't really a telling point. To say, "someone not trained to notice these patterns won't notice these patterns" is rather tautological.

 

[Ferret]

Another thing is that the links to the wav files is what it says, and when you click unless you can't read english, you know what it says. This is the power of suggestion.

 

[The Goblin King]

Another thing is that the links to the wav files is what it says, and when you click unless you can't read english, you know what it says. This is the power of suggestion.

I was totally thinking the same thing. I didn't even bother clicking the links that stated what they were supposed to be. I wonder if someone has ever done a double-blind type test with these? I have a feeling that the average number of hits would be no better then random.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

I can't say that I *believe* the theory... to be honest, I don't belive in any sort of communication from beyond the grave... I'm a strict Heaven, Hell, and nothing in between kind of girl... but, that's not important...

The important part is that the brain manipulates these patterns and sounds and, for a little bit, I can be really scared... and, from time to time, that is enjoyable.

The pottery thing is a very interesting theory... I can't say I'd find it plausible... but, the combination history major and fantasy nerd in me thinks it is SO FREAKIN' COOL!!