“Totenfunk”: Investigating the Techniques and Theologies of the Electronic Voice Phenomenon

In 1963, the artist Friedrich Jürgenson announced to the Swedish press that he had established contact with the deceased through messages delivered via radio or tape recorder. This proclamation sparked a debate regarding the authenticity of his recordings. Were the voices truly those of the dead? Jürgenson attracted both critics and supporters, initiating a movement that would reach its peak in the 1970s. This paper focuses on the technical and theological aspects of the electronic voice phenomenon (EVP). How did the movement explain the technique used to transmit messages from the realm of the dead to our world? What did the dead wish to communicate—what kinds of messages were conveyed? Who were the transmitting spirits, and how did they describe their realm? This investigation is conducted through an analysis of the texts written by practitioners of the electronic voice phenomenon regarding their encounters with these spirits.