EVP Recording Experiment: Borley Rectory Location - Did I Get Something Real?

I've been experimenting with EVP recording for about three months now, mostly in my flat in East Anglia (near where Borley Rectory actually was). I use a decent digital recorder (Tascam DR-05X, about £120) and I follow the standard protocols - asking questions, leaving gaps, recording in quiet environments.

Last week I did a session in Borley churchyard (daytime, fully legal access, no trespassing). I've cleaned up the audio files and isolated three distinct clips that sound like actual words rather than just random noise.

Clip 1: Sounds like 'don't' or 'gone'
Clip 2: Possibly 'help' but could be interference
Clip 3: This one's mad - sounds like 'Harry' or 'here'

I'm cautious about pareidolia and confirmation bias (probably thinking I hear patterns), but they're distinct enough that I thought I'd get expert feedback. Has anyone else done serious EVP work? What's your take on these kinds of results?

EVP is genuinely fascinating but also genuinely difficult to validate scientifically. The human brain is brilliant at finding patterns in noise - it's called pareidolia and it happens to everyone. That doesn't mean EVP isn't real, just means you need more rigorous controls. Have you recorded the same location with no intention to contact anything? That's your control. If you get similar 'messages' in random noise, you know it's pareidolia.

Borley's absolutely crackling with activity according to paranormal lore, so that's a decent location choice. The 'Harry' one is interesting because Borley had actual residents with documented names and experiences. Not saying that proves anything but it's more interesting than random syllables. Do you know if there were any specific spirits or hauntings associated with that location? That might help contextualise what you're picking up.

I've been doing EVP for years and honestly most of my 'results' fall apart under scrutiny. But I've had maybe three or four recordings that genuinely sound like deliberate communication - clear words in response to questions I asked. The problem is proving it's not just clever audio tricks my brain is playing. If you're serious about this, you need independent verification from other researchers. Have you considered reaching out to any of the paranormal investigation groups in Norfolk?

The Tascam's a solid recorder but that's exactly where confirmation bias sneaks in. You're primed to hear things in EVP. What you should do is run your recordings past someone who doesn't know what you were trying to find. See if they hear the same words independently. If they do, then something's actually there. If they hear different words, it's pareidolia.

Borley Rectory's fascinating from a historical perspective but I'd be interested to know what percentage of EVP recordings from non-'haunted' locations also produce seemingly intelligent responses. My guess would be quite high. That's not skepticism, that's just methodology. Have you done control recordings in regular locations?