Looking for Skeptics

[Daylightstar]

At last, a file I can listen to on my Mac computer!

And if that's the best candidate, it's even less than I had expected. How anyone could hear Wimbledon, let alone anything else, in that little lot, I don't know! ...

Here's attached (zipped mp3) another one from post 1649 by flaccon, where she refers to the file with the pinkish thumbnail, 6 to 9 seconds in the file.
File 7 in Alderbank's file renaming appeared to me the pinkish one, so I took that file and exported from 6 to 9 seconds from the audio of that file, somewhat amplified, at normal speed.


Is it perhaps an idea to get (from Alderbank or flaccon) all the original EVP content divulging original file names and test flaccon's 'EVP accuracy' on all the relevant bits from the recordings?

 

[Daylightstar]

My guess: because that was how she first stumbled across the sounds. Maybe she was going to record something on her webcam, but hit "record" when she wasn't ready yet, and stopped it 12 seconds later. When she played it back (for whatever reason), she thought she heard voices. Turned up her speakers, and thought she heard them a little better. Put her ear up to the speakers, heard it even better. Listened over & over, and made out words from the voices. So ever since then, she repeats what works: record 12 seconds of silence on webcam, then play it back repeatedly, turned up loud with her ear to the speakers, until she hears words.

You might be right, concerning flaccon's earlier comment:

Wishing I could add my thoughts here regarding audio technology. I haven't tried any other formats, but willing to follow instruction.
...

 

[Daylightstar]

I do not really see the point in listing the number of people who cannot hear words on those silent recordings when flaccon herself has said that old recordings lose words that once were there, or suddenly have messages that were not there before.

Clearly, flaccon now must claim that the words be produced at the moment of playing, rather than the moment of recording the recordings, and as far as we know, the recordings only contain voices when flaccon is present.

This is entirely consistent with a pareidolia explanation, or that the spirits really are there, but only speak to flaccon, or when flaccon is close by. The spirits also tend to speak in riddles, and they want to avoid being tested, all of which again indicates a pareidolia explanation, guided by flaccon, who might suspect what we already know: that the spirits are not there, and nothing is talking to her from beyond.

I don't know, in this post:

...
For instance, the recording that Alderbank uploaded last night, with the pinkish thumbnail, when it reaches to a flat high-pitched tone (@6 to 9 seconds) there is an electronic voice within/or behind that flat tone. One needs to replay at 6 to 9 seconds over and over, the EVP is in there.

she states that the EVP is there. And why else would she give Alderbank files for him and others to listen to?

 

[steenkh]

I don't know, in this post:

she states that the EVP is there. And why else would she give Alderbank files for him and others to listen to?

You are right. Even though she claims that old recordings change, she also continues to think that there is something in them for everybody to hear. Perhaps she thinks that the spirits actually change the recordings so that - if the spirits want to - they can speak to anybody.

She probably does not realise the nature of digital recordings, that they are always exactly the same, no matter how much they are copied. From our point of view, it has to be so that if there is any change, it has to be in the play back, not in the recording, because that one can never change.

Well technically, a recording could change, but then the spirits would need to know how to fiddle with digital recordings, possibly even compressed digital recordings, and if we are not to detect the exact change, they will need to change all recordings of the same voice at the same time!

 

[PartSkeptic]

Initially I just wanted to help her devise a meaningful test but as it became clear just how much distress her belief in the supernatural had caused her in the past, and to some extent still was causing her, it seemed worth trying to help her see that this distress was completely unnecessary. I never had much hope of success so I'm a little disappointed, but not surprised, at the outcome.

I accept your explanation. Good for you. Trying to help others is highly commendable.

I must stop posting on this thread. I have things to do. Need to install solar geysers among other things. Here in sunny South Africa (and sunny winters in Johannesburg) they work well. Thanks and cheers to all.

 

[Daylightstar]

..
She probably does not realise the nature of digital recordings, that they are always exactly the same, no matter how much they are copied. ..., but then the spirits would need to know how to fiddle with digital recordings, possibly even compressed digital recordings, ...

Excellent point worthy of repetition.

 

[IXP]

Excellent point worthy of repetition.

Why? She ignored it when I pointed it out early in this thread, and continued to say that the files were altered when copied.

IXP

 

[Alderbank]

Why? She ignored it when I pointed it out early in this thread, and continued to say that the files were altered when copied.

IXP

Don't take it personally, IXP. She ignores every suggestion I make.

'Falling on Deaf Ears' would have been a much more apt title for this thread, for a number of reasons

 

[Daylightstar]

Why? She ignored it when I pointed it out early in this thread, and continued to say that the files were altered when copied.

IXP

I know .... it's still a good point

 

[IXP]

True, just don't expect flacon to understand it. In her world, anything might happen, there are no laws of nature.

IXP

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Where are these recordings from?

They are not recordings. They are compression artefacts I generated from silence. This does not mean that I also have spirits talking to me, it means that the sounds you hear in your files which sound similar to these are compression artefacts, rather than spirits.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

As for you not? hearing anything on those few recordings I played you, I'm afraid you are the only one out of 10 so far who has heard nothing. Being that one is a GP and the other a Priest, I shall continue to test further. Thank u for your time.

The story on your website states that the priest didn't hear voices in your recordings. In fact, he was adamant on this point.

 

[Pixel42]

You guys do realise that flaccon isn't coming back? She hasn't accessed the forum since her "thank you for your help but Alderbank is the only one of 10 people who has listened to the recordings who hasn't heard the voices so I'm going to ignore everything you've told me and carry on regardless" post two days ago.

 

[laca]

Yeah, when someone starts out like flaccon did (never once questioned the existence of the "spirits", just trying to decode some message from "them") the course is already set. I would love to be pointed to a case when that did not happen like in this case.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

People on JREF who cannot hear voices in these files:

1 Alderbank
2 Donn
3 Biscuit
4 Orphia Nay
5 Slowvehicle
6 IXP
7 AdMan
8 Drs_Res
9 jsfisher
10 blue sock monkey
11 trustbutverify
12 John Jones
13 Blue Bubble
14 Maurice Ledifficile
15 Abaddon
16 Jack by the Hedge
17 pakeha
18 xterra
19 Quinn
20 Empress
21 tsig
22 Daylightstar
23 Agatha
24 asydhouse
25 Old man
26 Squeegee Beckenheim

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

You guys do realise that flaccon isn't coming back? She hasn't accessed the forum since her "thank you for your help but Alderbank is the only one of 10 people who has listened to the recordings who hasn't heard the voices so I'm going to ignore everything you've told me and carry on regardless" post two days ago.

You're probably right, but you never know. How many times has Robin1 flounced?

 

[Daylightstar]

... She hasn't accessed the forum since her "thank you for your help but Alderbank is the only one of 10 people who has listened to the recordings who hasn't heard the voices so I'm going to ignore everything you've told me and carry on regardless" post two days ago.

Might it have anything to do with flaccon's earlier statement that she's going to try for some prize money ....

... I'm going to try for some prize money. ...

... in that she's come to belief that the prize money is not ... ehm ... realistic, so posting here does not support her belief in anyway?

 

[Daylightstar]

True, just don't expect flacon to understand it. In her world, anything might happen, there are no laws of nature.

IXP

Considering what she has written here, it's apparent flaccon even rejects it. People this deep in an irrational belief are not 'rescued' with a couple of good (well documented) arguments.

 

[The Norseman]

You're probably right, but you never know. How many times has Robin1 flounced?

Lots. She's listed as 'guest' now, though. It's possible she'd come back as a sock.

 

[John Jones]

You guys aren't trying, I've transcribed three completely unknown Beethoven symphonies, two versions of Abraham and Isaac* and an autobiography of Jesus.

*He kills him but god heals.

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