Topic: I saw a ghost tonight.

[shelovesyou]

Is that it?

Ok, first time round, i heard nothing, I heard a bit of jumbled noise that sounded a bit like a voice or running a tape backwards, but it wasnt nothing like a "middle eastern voice saying in life hear a mans echo for this is not."

Second time round, after going to the part in question and reading the words aloud, you can sort of adjust your hearing to hear "In, life...a man..." then the rest is inaudible.

Seriously, thats nothing mate, you are reading into the events of when you first listened to it and finding something you want to find that isnt there because there is a bit of something on the tape that isnt quite right.

Also, have a watch of this video (think its this one anyway) which explains perfectly these sort of things (not sure where abouts it is in the video, but all of it is great viewing):

 http://www.ted.com/talks/james_randi.html

Edit: sorry, wrong video, the hearing things where there isnt anything is this video:

 http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_shermer_on_believing_strange_things.html


Watch them both. EVERYONE, watch them both.

How you cant hear anything on that is beyond belief to me, its so clear that something is on it.
Im not arsed if you believe or not mate, but there just is no denying that something is on there that sounds very odd.
EDIT: And now ive just read yer PM. Seriously dont get how anyone cannot hear it tho ?!

Its not about finding something that I want to find, I didnt know it was there until I played it back for the first time and it clearly stands out as something
that doesnt belong on the recording.
Id like to hear a simple definitive explanation to it if anyone has one. Cos I dont.

[shelovesyou]

Change the attachments from .txt to .mp3...

First.mp3 is the snatch at 17 - there is something that sounds like a voice but I can't make out any words at all, even when normalised and time stretched.

Endvoice.mp3 at at 39 there is a definite voice "I can't see what's fucking  ******* [an unintelligible word - perhaps hanging?] in front of my eyes."
Sounds like the engineer to me....

Is this in response to me mate ?
If so, yep defo something going on, as for the part at 39 ? Thats me saying its really dark in the room, which it was at the time.

[Beav]

How you cant hear anything on that is beyond belief to me, its so clear that something is on it.
Im not arsed if you believe or not mate, but there just is no denying that something is on there that sounds very odd.
EDIT: And now ive just read yer PM. Seriously dont get how anyone cannot hear it tho ?!

Its not about finding something that I want to find, I didnt know it was there until I played it back for the first time and it clearly stands out as something
that doesnt belong on the recording.
Id like to hear a simple definitive explanation to it if anyone has one. Cos I dont.

I heard it roughly after I knew what I was listening for, which is the point. It's a little odd, but it's not anywhere near as clear as you suggest. Without knowing what I was listening for, I couldn't make anything out, it was a little bit of weird noise on the tape but wasn't anything definitive.

You thought it was odd and looked harder at it, and put some words to it that sort of sounded like in the tape. Humans look for patterns in things, you subconsciously try to find these patterns and a few times they find one where there isn't anything, like your tape.

I'm not clued up on music recording equipment but what I will say is that tapes are not the best quality for recording sound on and like anything that records it isn't perfect. Cameras both film and digital, microphones, video cameras, they can pick up things that you might not have heard in the studio or didn't notice and create an odd noise.

It goes back to the Stairway to Heaven thing, played backwards you can make out a whole verse, but that doesn't mean its there for a reason. You pick up a pattern (voice) in it because that's what we are good at. It's why we think we hear whispers on the wind and see faces in wooden doors. We have evolved to find patterns, that's how you explain all of these kind of things.

[RideTheWalrus]

Can't be proven, can't be disproven. Until then I'll remain open minded, and research the topic as it entertains me.

[Phil M]

Can't be proven, can't be disproven. Until then I'll remain open minded, and research the topic as it entertains me.

It's a bit like God and the Bible isn't it.

[shelovesyou]

I heard it roughly after I knew what I was listening for, which is the point. It's a little odd, but it's not anywhere near as clear as you suggest. Without knowing what I was listening for, I couldn't make anything out, it was a little bit of weird noise on the tape but wasn't anything definitive.

You thought it was odd and looked harder at it, and put some words to it that sort of sounded like in the tape. Humans look for patterns in things, you subconsciously try to find these patterns and a few times they find one where there isn't anything, like your tape.

I'm not clued up on music recording equipment but what I will say is that tapes are not the best quality for recording sound on and like anything that records it isn't perfect. Cameras both film and digital, microphones, video cameras, they can pick up things that you might not have heard in the studio or didn't notice and create an odd noise.

It goes back to the Stairway to Heaven thing, played backwards you can make out a whole verse, but that doesn't mean its there for a reason. You pick up a pattern (voice) in it because that's what we are good at. It's why we think we hear whispers on the wind and see faces in wooden doors. We have evolved to find patterns, that's how you explain all of these kind of things.

I take yer point but yer right, you are not clued up on Music Recording Equipment because Tape is Brilliant for recording , and that sound on there is nothing to do with Equipment, and Ive no agenda here, its clear as crystal that something comes on the tape, and it doesnt belong there.

[Marty 85]

That's the one that's always pissed me off about this stuff. Do they somehow make only the soles of their feet tangible? When they walk through walls they must surely have to make them ethereal again to go through the wall, so why the fuck wouldn't they just fall right through the earth every time they go through a wall? You never really hear of them taking a running jump through a wall, which would make a tiny bit more sense.

hows your knob?

[Golden_Child]

hows your knob?

Still purple mate. In fact, this thread makes me wonder if a ghost raped me last night. Spooky.

[Marty 85]

I'm wondering if you got caught in that rain?

[Alan_X]

Further to my previous post, Quoted above, I have found said Audio and here is a link, Judge for yourselves.

Mystery Voice on Tape by dickywaters

Huh? That is just a vague mumble. There are no words there, no accent and although it does sound like there is some sort of 'voice' it could be anything. How was the microphone mounted? You sometimes get low-level rumble if the microphone stand or cable are rubbed or knocked. Was the mike inside the piano? - it could have picked up muffled speech from outside... and so on.

One thing is pretty certain - that's not a 'ghost'. 

[Beav]

I take yer point but yer right, you are not clued up on Music Recording Equipment because Tape is Brilliant for recording , and that sound on there is nothing to do with Equipment, and Ive no agenda here, its clear as crystal that something comes on the tape, and it doesnt belong there.

So its nothing to do with the equipment, you think it can't be a simple issue with a mic picking up something you didn't notice or like Alan said a little bump of the wires or something.

It's not clear, it's very muffled. I agree that it sounds odd, but to think that's a middle eastern voice is stretching it massively. There will be a simple explanation to it and someone with better knowledge of recording equipment will be able to give you more towards that.

[Billy The Kid]

It's not clear, it's very muffled. I agree that it sounds odd, but to think that's a middle eastern voice is stretching it massively. There will be a simple explanation to it and someone with better knowledge of recording equipment will be able to give you more towards that.

There's a voice there for sure. It sounds french to me. There are numerous possible explanations for it

[Billy The Kid]

I take yer point but yer right, you are not clued up on Music Recording Equipment because Tape is Brilliant for recording , and that sound on there is nothing to do with Equipment, and Ive no agenda here, its clear as crystal that something comes on the tape, and it doesnt belong there.

I'm an Audio Engineering Society member and I've years of experience as a recording engineer yet I'm a little confused here mate. On one hand your saying that tape is brilliant for recording, yet in the next breath your saying that the sound on that tape has nothing to do with the equipment. I would contend that the equipment has everything to do with it. Without equipment, you can't capture sound on tape.

There's a voice in there for sure, I'll give you that. It's not middle eastern though, nor is it saying 'In Life Hear A Mans Echo For This Is Not'.

The fact that its tape which uses magnetic polarity, gives numerous possible explanations straight off the bat. And that's before I even need to ask if your 100% certain that the tape was never used before

[MichaelA]

Billy takes ownership of shelovesyou. I love RAWK.

[Alan_X]

I've listened to it ten times now and still don't hear any distinct words. A few questions:

What was the tape recorder, what and where were the mics, was it a recording studio, was there a mixing desk, was it cassette or reel to reel, etc.

A the beginning there's what sounds like an electronic instrument making a slow 'siren' sound. Was that playing while the pianist played, laid down before, or overdubbed? Was it fed straight into a mixing desk or on the same mic or a separate mic?

At about 6 seconds there's a sound that's a bit like drumsticks being placed on a snare drum with loads of echo? Again, where were the mics placed, how much reverb/echo was being used and how many people were in the room/what were they doing?

There's a really bad noise to signal problem. Really deep rumble and hiss all over the shop. It all sounds really cranked up to pick up the piano but that would mean the chances of picking up extraneous noise would be increased.

The sound in question might be a voice, but it's not a ghost. There are a thousand and one explanations and all would be down to equipment, environment, set up and people talking while recording (it happens).

If it is a voice it sounds more like Rowan Atkinson in this sketch than anything else:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrdKe5sDVI4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Beav]

If it is a voice it sounds more like Rowan Atkinson in this sketch than anything else:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrdKe5sDVI4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Great shout.

[Brian Blessed]

Why would a ghost say 'In Life Hear A Mans Echo For This Is Not'?

As it doesn't actually make any fucking sense.

[Beav]

Why would a ghost say 'In Life Hear A Mans Echo For This Is Not'?

As it doesn't actually make any fucking sense.

Ghosts love to piss about, he was probably drunk. Ghosts love a beer.

[Alan_X]

Why would a ghost say 'In Life Hear A Mans Echo For This Is Not'?

As it doesn't actually make any fucking sense.

It was Sabu Pundit talking about the Wigan game.

[A weatherfield winter wonderland]

I'm an Audio Engineering Society member and I've years of experience as a recording engineer 

The Internet search for Billy's PDF loving female boss just became that little bit easier...

[shelovesyou]

So its nothing to do with the equipment, you think it can't be a simple issue with a mic picking up something you didn't notice or like Alan said a little bump of the wires or something.

It's not clear, it's very muffled. I agree that it sounds odd, but to think that's a middle eastern voice is stretching it massively. There will be a simple explanation to it and someone with better knowledge of recording equipment will be able to give you more towards that.

My interpretation of it is it sounds like a Middle Estern accent, not stated it as Fact mate, nor did I say its a Ghost, its just bizzare.

[shelovesyou]

I'm an Audio Engineering Society member and I've years of experience as a recording engineer yet I'm a little confused here mate. On one hand your saying that tape is brilliant for recording, yet in the next breath your saying that the sound on that tape has nothing to do with the equipment. I would contend that the equipment has everything to do with it. Without equipment, you can't capture sound on tape.

There's a voice in there for sure, I'll give you that. It's not middle eastern though, nor is it saying 'In Life Hear A Mans Echo For This Is Not'.

The fact that its tape which uses magnetic polarity, gives numerous possible explanations straight off the bat. And that's before I even need to ask if your 100% certain that the tape was never used before

Tape is brilliant for recording mate, you know that, but I can see why Ive confused people here upon reading back my quote.
What I mean was that the apparent voice on there is irrelevant to the equipment used at the time, in my view, it was recorded on a handheld recorder, plus it would of been more apparent during the rest of the recording surely and im pretty sure it would of been a blank cassette, although I cannot 100% guarantee that. 
Yes the accent and words are my personal interpretation, but the fact remains that it just doesnt belong on there, and when you consider the circumstances surrounding the actual recording it is quite freaky, again just my view that I thought Id share with people.
Beav said he cant hear anything, but its so apparent to me that you can.
Of course, there may well be many explanations but im not so sure anyone can narrow it down to one single factor. Thats all Im saying.

[shelovesyou]

I've listened to it ten times now and still don't hear any distinct words. A few questions:

What was the tape recorder, what and where were the mics, was it a recording studio, was there a mixing desk, was it cassette or reel to reel, etc.

Handheld recorder, dictaphone.

A the beginning there's what sounds like an electronic instrument making a slow 'siren' sound. Was that playing while the pianist played, laid down before, or overdubbed? Was it fed straight into a mixing desk or on the same mic or a separate mic?

Answered above. The siren sound is a delay pedal ringing out.

At about 6 seconds there's a sound that's a bit like drumsticks being placed on a snare drum with loads of echo? Again, where were the mics placed, how much reverb/echo was being used and how many people were in the room/what were they doing?

Reverb of the very large room we were in, drumsticks being placed down on the wooden floor mate

There's a really bad noise to signal problem. Really deep rumble and hiss all over the shop. It all sounds really cranked up to pick up the piano but that would mean the chances of picking up extraneous noise would be increased.

Again answered above.

The sound in question might be a voice, but it's not a ghost. There are a thousand and one explanations and all would be down to equipment, environment, set up and people talking while recording (it happens).

Whilst I agree with the fundamentals, and Ive always been aware of the possibilities as im a budding Sound Engineer myself and doing a degree on the very subject, I still find it very bizarre , although my view may be tempered with the fact that it happened at a time when I didnt know shit about sound etc. I still believe its very weird tho mate.

[Billy The Kid]

im pretty sure it would of been a blank cassette, although I cannot 100% guarantee that. 

I don't doubt your sincerity for a second mate, but if you can't guarantee 100% that the tape was blank then it blows a pretty big hole in your argument.

The first thing I thought the second I heard it was "failed over write". In other words, there may have been something else recorded on the tape prior to you using it for your practice session. The artifacts of the older recording may not have been properly over written due to a temporary lack of proper magnetic fluctuation on the tape head. Therefore if you can't guarantee it was a blank tape then your case doesn't really stand up I'm afraid, in my honest respectful opinion

There is just one more thing though, some dicta phones have radios on them also. Was there a radio on your one?

[shelovesyou]

I don't doubt your sincerity for a second mate, but if you can't guarantee 100% that the tape was blank then it blows a pretty big hole in your argument.

The first thing I thought the second I heard it was "failed over write". In other words, there may have been something else recorded on the tape prior to you using it for your practice session. The artifacts of the older recording may not have been properly over written due to a temporary lack of proper magnetic fluctuation on the tape head. Therefore if you can't guarantee it was a blank tape then your case doesn't really stand up I'm afraid, in my honest respectful opinion

There is just one more thing though, some dicta phones have radios on them also. Was there a radio on your one?

Thats fair do's mate, but you must understand im not saying it is a ghost, its just very spooky to me.
No radio no mate.
I sent it to an expert a few years back and he pretty much said the same, that there are many possibilities due to Magnetic fluctuation and the like.

[Kopite B205]

Bump....

Anybody have any good ghost stories to share?

[Upinsmoke]

Bump....

Anybody have any good ghost stories to share?

I've not seen anything but I've heard things. Only happened once, recently, just moved into a new house. It was morning, I was just getting out if bed, my 20 month old son (then 18/19) with me in the room, as I sat on the bed I heard it speak. A childs voice, it said "hello dad". I shit myself, my son can't talk, not that clear and he turned around too as if he heard it, it came from the chest of drawers, at first I thought it was the baby monitor, connected to the one downstairs (not like that explains the voice) but it wasn't on.
Very weird, I know what I heard and I know my son heard it too.

[Lee-87]

Just spent about an hour reading through these stories. On the last one about the recording, i got a question for Billy. If and im thinking this may be the case, it was a used cassette, and what we are hearing is sound from a previous recording, is it possible for the remnants of said old recording to come out backwards?

Listened to that sound a few times now, and it all seems pretty inaudible to me, but i seem to hear "Yako".. which sounds like nothing when said aloud, but when said backwards could it be "Okay" it definitly sounds to me like a voice, but in rewind.

Oh and for me, ghosts are about as real as werewolves, vampires or God.

[Drinks Sangria]

I'm deeply skeptic surrounding these ethereal sightings, but have a story or two myself. Still think there's a logical explanation, I just haven't found them yet.

First story- My house is very old, and it's known that a previous owner hung himself from the roof beams in what we use as the study. Well, we had a wasps nest (hang on with the circuitous story) up in the corner of the roof on the outside of the house. We called a fumigation guy to come and sort it out. He shows up and will not touch the thing. Will not go round that corner of the house. Says 'there's a man watching me from the study.' I was thinking that he was just a bit strange and to ease him, I went and stood up in the study and opened the window. Said he could still see a man standing with me (that sort of freaked me out) and was adamant that he would not go up and remove the nest. He was genuinely scared. Said some strange dark stuff about death and ended up leaving without doing it.

A few days after this (I was about 15 at the time and my parents had gone on holiday, leaving me at home on my own for an extended period for the first time). I don't have to tell you that when you're a kid on your own in the house (ours is a big, old country cottage), day time is brilliant and your a bit jumpy at night. Well, I settle down for bed. I hear the curtains draw downstairs, a distinctive sound. I then hear, slowly, the sound of someone climbing the stairs. I'm justifiably bricking it now, covers pulled up, as I think someone has broken in. Keeps climbing the stairs, slowly. The footsteps come outside my door and stop. It's as if they've stopped to listen at me within the room. Silence for a while, the steps turn and move away, then dissipate. At this point, I get up, get the cricket bat out my wardrobe and tentatively venture out of my room, put on every light in the house and make sure everything is locked. No one in the house (Even checked potential hiding places!) and quiet too. I went back to bed and slept ineasily, shit me up at the time.

I laugh about it now (5 years later) and do think there's a logical explanation, but those two events in close proximity to eachother made me think and still do from time to time. That guy had no reason to lie (although maybe he's an Oscar quality actor who played with an impressionable and malleable teenage mind, then planted an idea in it  ) and the footsteps and curtain thing definitely happened. Thought I'd add my story for scrutiny.

[rowan_d]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wih7WwwBCEk

Amazing

[Upinsmoke]

Gave me a few goosebumps that mate

[fingermouse]

In the 60s my old man used to play bass guitar in a band, travelling all over the country.

The had finished a gig in Selkirk, up in the Scottish borders, and were travelling home in the van.

Not long after they left, they spotted a bloke running at full tilt along the grass verge at the roadside. He was dressed like an undertaker, with the big old fashioned top hat, and he was attempting to wave them down.

My dad says he distinctly remembered that they all saw this bloke as they commented on his outfit and wound down the windows and gave him a bit of the "get off the road ya daft looking twat!!" Knowing my dad they'd probably all had a good skinful and didnt really give a fuck if the guy looked like he needed help, and they continued on their merry way.

My dad says about 20 years later he was watching tv with me mam, when this programme about ghosts comes on. Then a story starts about a ghost called the 'running man of selkirk'. He was described exactly as my dad remembered him - seeing it on telly really gave him the heebie jeebies.

[A weatherfield winter wonderland]

My dad says about 20 years later he was watching tv with me mam, when this programme about ghosts comes on. Then a story starts about a ghost called the 'running man of selkirk'. He was described exactly as my dad remembered him - seeing it on telly really gave him the heebie jeebies.

I've read about that. It was a bloke who was on his way to a fancy dress party in 1965 and was left for dead in a hit and run incident by a Ford Transit said by witnesses to be driving erratically.

[Rudolph the red nose griffin]

I've read about that. It was a bloke who was on his way to a fancy dress party in 1965 and was left for dead in a hit and run incident by a Ford Transit said by witnesses to be driving erratically.

[JimmyGrunt]

I've read about that. It was a bloke who was on his way to a fancy dress party in 1965 and was left for dead in a hit and run incident by a Ford Transit said by witnesses to be driving erratically.

Ha ha!

[Caston]

My family have told me some stories about 'ghosts'

About 5/6 years ago when everybody used to go on MSN, my sister was on webcam with her mate and I was sitting at the other end of the room, with a blue t-shirt on. When you are on webcam you can see the other persons webcam and also see your webcam. So shes on MSN and looking at her webcam window thing, and a person walks past behind her quickly with a blue top on. She assumed it was me and turns to look at me but im still sitting down watching tv and I didnt go behind her, thought that was weird.

Also we used to own a caravan, and one night about 1/2am my mum and 2 sisters were driving to our mates caravan on the site to pick my brother up who was round there, and they say that about 3 men/figures, went down this hill that goes down to the lake all on their bikes. Baring in mind this hill was quite steep and its pitch black, and they all say they saw 3 people going down there on bicycles very fast. Obviously it could have been just 3 people being stupid but it was pitch black, just some stories they have that scared me a little haha

[Billy The Kid]

The first thing that springs to my mind on the camera one is that it is quiet possible that there could have been some sort of interference in the streaming signal. A bit like when the radio in your car starts receiving 2 signals that are close in frequency depending on your location. One signal can bleed into the other one intermittently to the point where 2 stations are playing at once. Considering that there are hundreds of millions of people on line every second of the day using webcams to communicate then its quiet possible that what your sister saw were frames being transferred to her screen from another camera due to a transfer error. As for the bikes one. Well, as has been said countless times in this thread, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. 3 blokes cycling down a hill could hardly be described as extraordinary. Even if it was at 1am in the morning

[Caston]

The first thing that springs to my mind on the camera one is that it is quiet possible that there could have been some sort of interference in the streaming signal. A bit like when the radio in your car starts receiving 2 signals that are close in frequency depending on your location. One signal can bleed into the other one intermittently to the point where 2 stations are playing at once. Considering that there are hundreds of millions of people on line every second of the day using webcams to communicate then its quiet possible that what your sister saw were frames being transferred to her screen from another camera due to a transfer error. As for the bikes one. Well, as has been said countless times in this thread, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. 3 blokes cycling down a hill could hardly be described as extraordinary. Even if it was at 1am in the morning

I agree about the bikes one, but just think its weird how it was pitch black and they are going very fast down a steep hill with no lights on, probably some drunken nutters though.

[Outer Mongolian Red]

I've read about that. It was a bloke who was on his way to a fancy dress party in 1965 and was left for dead in a hit and run incident by a Ford Transit said by witnesses to be driving erratically.

[Kopite B205]

Spooky stuff that mate.