The following is one of the seminal letters regarding early capture of Electronic Voice Phenomena in January of 1959. This letter is the first published paper on spirit voice phenomena in a journal dedicated to paranormal research. The authors, Raymond Bayless and Attila von Szalay, had worked for the better part of the 1950s to record spirit voices and finally managed to do so with some incredible luck and ingenuity in their approach.
While many regard Konstantin Raudive and Freirich Jurgenson as the fathers of EVP, I credit Raymond Bayless and Attila von Szalay as the two men who beat the others to the finish line first. What follows in their letter to the American Society for Psychical Research in January 1959, summarizing their research efforts and the results of their recording work:
Attila von Szalay
To the Editor of the Journal: On November 27, 1956, Mr. Attila von Sealay and I launched a series of experiments designed to explore certain supernormal physical effects, both induced and spontaneous in origin. These effects covered a rather wide range, including telekinesis, but the specific effect with which we were primarily concerned centered about the production of supernormal voices and sounds.
Certainly, the major physical phenomena represent one of the most contested and neglected subjects of psychical research today, and of these contested phenomena, supernormal voices and sounds are perhaps the most controversial of all.
It is true that in past years psychical research could boast of many investigations of first rank into the nature of physical phenomena. Today, however, the field is practically devoid of such experimental work. Several factors enter into the disappearance of such research and possibly the most important of these are
(1) the often-noticed increasing rarity of powerful mediums,
(2) the prevalence of fraud, and (3) the fact that research as well as dress has its fads and fashions.
Of these factors, perhaps the most easily handled is fraud. Without going into detail, a knowledge of the “art” of fraud and a practical proficiency in its application, plus a controlled experimental environment, will cope with this problem.
Raymond Bayless
The apparent scarcity of mediums can be attributed to many causes, but the course of action that this very scarcity suggests to me is the need for a greatly expanded and heightened program of investigation and an increased appreciation of the various supernormal abilities. Assuming for the moment that the major physical phenomena such as telekinesis, voices, lights, raps, etc., do in fact exist, though extraordinarily rare, then the imperative need for renewed experimentation with such phenomena becomes obvious; in fact, the recent poltergeist cases illustrate the great need for research of this type. If the work of the earlier researchers is duplicated, verified, and extended, then the field of the supernormal is immediately expanded into an enormous vista.
Having observed the increasing frequency of spontaneous supernormal happenings — sudden shrill “whistlings,” rappings, etc. — occurring under conditions of almost perfect observation, Mr. von Sealay and I held two very informal sittings with an acquaintance of ours and her daughter. These sittings yielded a number of faint whistling sounds that demanded further study. (We thought that our acquaintance was the source of the phenomenon, but subsequent experimentation shortly proved otherwise.)
We maintain an experimental headquarters for psychical research in an apartment rented for this purpose at 1708 North McCadden Place, Hollywood 28, California. For the following series of experiments, we converted an ordinary clothes closet opening into the living room into a test-cabinet. Along with other equipment occasionally used, it was furnished with a typical ordinary aluminum trumpet suspended from the ceiling and inside the large end of this trumpet was placed a microphone. A cable led from the microphone to an amplifier and tape recorder outside the cabinet in the main room. The cabinet was soundproofed. At times a loud speaker was employed which enabled observers in the main room to hear whatever transpired in the cabinet. The tape recorder was turned on at the beginning of an experimental sitting and provided an automatic recording of all events that took place.
The tape recorder was in my care from the beginning of the experimental series until March, 1958. During that time I purchased all tapes and loaded and unloaded the machine for each test. Mr. von Sealay then assumed care of the recorder, purchase of tapes, etc., and will continue to do so for an equal period of time.
As mentioned above, the apartment used for these experiments was rented for a headquarters and a psychical laboratory. All the construction work on the cabinet, electronic set-up, etc., was done jointly by Mr. von Sealay and myself, making it impossible to build in any secret devices, etc. Furthermore, the apartment and, in particular, the cabinet, is constantly under inspection due to experimental demands. Fraud under these conditions is, in my opinion, eliminated.
Experiments have been conducted under various conditions, some in full light, some in total darkness, and most frequently with no one in the cabinet. Many of our different test conditions eliminated all normal causes for the production of the voices and sounds emanating from the cabinet and provided a completely controlled situation. Under such circumstances we have received supernormal voices and other sounds from within the cabinet. Many results have been obtained in the course of our experiments and I will now give a number of examples.
On December 5, 1956, Mr. von Sealay, for the purpose of this particular experiment, sat in the cabinet alone for fifteen minutes. Believing that nothing was forthcoming, he left the cabinet. We then played back the tape recording expecting to hear nothing, but were surprised to hear a distinct voice say “This is G.” At this time I was sitting on the outside of the cabinet listening to the highly amplified loud speaker and heard absolutely nothing.
I then decided to make certain tests of the amplifying system and we both stood a few feet from the closed cabinet door and each other in full light while Mr. von Sealay made single whistles at short intervals. I was listening to the loud speaker when I suddenly realized that we were receiving low single whistles in answer. I then told Mr. von Sealay when to whistle and each time answering whistles were heard. There were at least six or seven answering whistles and at the end of this sequence, double whistles replied. We were standing within three feet of each other and were able to observe each other closely. The room was normally illuminated and fraud, under such conditions, is completely eliminated.
A sitting held on December 20, 1956, yielded a complete phrase. Mr. von Sealay and a guest sitter sat inside the cabinet and I remained outside in the main room listening to the loud speaker. During the course of this experiment, a request was made for a “voice” to repeat: “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.” Very shortly, a voice was clearly heard over the loud speaker repeating this phrase word for word.
We obtained a large upright cardboard box which we placed in the center of the room. Within this “‘box-cabinet” we suspended the trumpet previously used, with a microphone placed in one end and leading into the tape recorder. Mr. von Sealay and I sat in chairs one vard from the cabinet, which was completely closed. A blue overhead light was used which enabled us to see each other and the cabinet. During this test, three human voices were recorded spaced throughout the twenty minutes that the experiment lasted. The words that were recorded were unintelligible, but nevertheless the voices were definitely human.
In a previous test, we had taken a heavy cardboard box (15” high and 414’ long) and placed the trumpet and microphone inside. This box was then wrapped in a heavy camel-pile overcoat and, in turn, the entire arrangement was placed inside a larger heavy cardboard box. This second box was filled and insulated with newspaper. The entire system of boxes was then suspended from the ceiling of the closet-cabinet and rested three feet from the floor. The cabinet door was, of course, locked.
Mr. von Sealay sat outside the cabinet in the main room in normal light intermittently for one week, but results were obtained only during the first night while using this new set-up. During the sitting, five dull thuds followed by rolling sounds were recorded. We were able to experimentally duplicate these sounds only by tapping the outside surface of the box. Our test indicated that the sounds were produced by the box being tapped by some supernormal means.
During an experiment on July 7, 1957, we placed the upright cardboard “box-cabinet” previously described inside the closetcabinet, closed the cabinet door, and remained outside in the main room for 45 minutes. One clear human whisper was recorded. We then placed the box-cabinet just outside the closet-cabinet. Mr. von Sealay sat inside the box and I sat with my head positioned within it. While sitting, we heard a very feeble high-pitched whistling sound. ! had to leave at this point, but Mr. von Sealay continued the experiment. While he sat outside the box with the door very slightly ajar, a young woman’s voice was recorded with perfect tonal quality. However odd it may sound, this voice said “Hot dog, Art,” and then gave a happy trilling laugh. Needless to say, we can offer no explanation for these strange words.
During an experimental séance on October 17, 1957, in which Mr. von Sealay stood within the closet-cabinet, a woman’s voice was recorded saying “I’d say, seek confidently.” Later on during this séance a faint voice was recorded saying “Hello.”
On February 2, 1958, Mr. von Sealay and I sat outside the cabinet in the main room in full light for 45 minutes. At the beginning of this test, I requested that raps be produced on the cabinet door. During the sitting we heard nothing whatsoever, but upon playing the tape recording a number of remarkable effects were noted. A loud drum-roll of five raps was first heard, then a number of clear, though muted, raps sounded, followed by a woman’s voice with good tonal quality giving two words. These words were unfortunately unintelligible. Finally, a man’s voice, also with good tonal quality, said the single word “Hello.”
The examples that I have given here actually represent a very small fraction of the tests that we have made and the results obtained. I believe, however, that they do provide a cross-cut, so to speak, of our methods and findings. We have recorded voices passing the hundred mark in number and have noted many rappings under conditions of perfect control. The majority of the voices recorded have occurred when we were sitting outside the cabinet in normal room illumination and therefore a perfectly controlled situation was established. A far more detailed report has been issued, giving full experimental details.
It is my belief that we have demonstrated the reality of supernormal voices and other auditory effects in these experiments, and in establishing a case for such effects we have also demonstrated the great need for revived and renewed research into the major supernormal physical phenomena.
Sincerely yours,
RAYMOND BayLess 11748 Kiowa Los Angeles 49, California