Do We Really Need to Ask, or Should We Just Listen? 

For many people entering the world of Electronic Voice Phenomenon, the first thing they are taught is to ask questions. Turn on the recorder, ask who is present, wait a few seconds, then ask again. This approach has become so common that it is often assumed to be the only way EVP works. Television, social media, and public investigations have reinforced the idea that communication requires constant interaction. If you are not asking questions, you must not be doing anything at all. 

That assumption deserves to be challenged. 

At EVP Explorations, EVP is approached first and foremost as a listening discipline. Over time, and through years of trial, error, and honest analysis, it becomes clear that asking questions is not always necessary and in many cases can work against the integrity of the evidence. The methods I use and teach are based on restraint, patience, and the understanding that communication may not occur on our terms or follow conversational rules. 

The Question and Answer method itself is simple in concept. An investigator asks a question out loud, pauses, and later reviews the recording to see if a response was captured. On the surface, this makes sense. Human communication is built around dialogue, so it feels natural to assume that any form of communication beyond us would work the same way. There are times when this method can provide helpful context, especially when questions are used sparingly and with intention. A carefully placed question can act as a marker during analysis and can help frame a session without overwhelming it. 

The problem arises when questioning becomes constant. 

When investigators talk more than they listen, they introduce expectation into the process. Once a question is asked, the mind immediately begins searching for an answer, and that search does not wait for evidence. It happens subconsciously during analysis. Background noise, environmental sounds, and natural audio artifacts suddenly take on meaning because the brain is already primed to hear a response. This is not a failure of character or honesty. It is simply how human perception works. 

Another issue with over questioning is contamination. Every spoken word introduces breath noise, mouth clicks, movement, and subtle disturbances to the environment. Silence is not empty space. Silence is the baseline that allows anomalies, if they occur, to stand out. When that baseline is constantly disrupted, it becomes far more difficult to separate potential EVP from the investigator’s own presence. 

This is where passive listening becomes important. 

The passive listening method removes the assumption that spirits require prompts or questions in order to communicate. Instead of engaging in constant verbal interaction, the investigator sets a clear intention, begins recording, and allows the environment to exist without interference. The recorder captures whatever it captures, without the investigator shaping the narrative through speech. Analysis happens later, in a controlled setting, free from the excitement or expectations of the moment. 

What often surprises people is how effective silence can be. Without questions guiding interpretation, any potential anomaly must stand on its own. There is no mental framework trying to force meaning into sound. Either something is present, or it is not. This dramatically reduces false positives and strengthens the integrity of the review process. 

A question that rarely gets asked in paranormal circles is whether spirits actually need us to ask anything at all. If consciousness continues beyond physical form, why would it require repeated prompts or conversational cues? Why would it respond on our timing or within our pauses? Passive listening allows for the possibility that communication, if it occurs, may be spontaneous, subtle, or entirely unrelated to what we think we should be asking. 

This does not mean questions should never be used. It means they should be respected. At EVP Explorations, questions are treated as tools, not requirements. They are used deliberately, never back to back, and always followed by long periods of silence. Many sessions involve no questions whatsoever, and that is intentional. The goal is not interaction for the sake of interaction. The goal is evidence. 

Through years of work, I have found that the more disciplined the silence, the stronger the analysis becomes. True EVP research is not fast, flashy, or exciting. It is quiet. It is methodical. It requires patience and the willingness to accept that sometimes nothing happens at all. That is not failure. That is honesty. 

Before asking another question during a session, it is worth pausing and asking something else instead. Am I trying to communicate, or am I trying to confirm what I already believe? The answer to that question often determines whether the work that follows is research or simply expectation. 

At the end of the day, EVP is not about filling the silence. It is about respecting it. That philosophy is at the core of how EVP is approached and taught by Todd Bates, and it remains the foundation of EVP Explorations. Listening comes first. Everything else follows.