The Ovilus - Just a high-priced 'Speak-and-spell'?

"As more and more TV programmes are made the more and more equipment is designed and/or upgraded. And the more and more people are parted with their cash by the claim that these devices 'detect' or 'communicate' with ghosts...

Do not be fooled by these TV programmes as they are edited to make you think they actually work!"

The Ovilus...

When one hears the name Ovilus then one instinctively knows the name Bill Chappell and Digital Dowsing... and perhaps Ghost Adventures springs to mind too. Bill is an electronics engineer and has designed numerous devices that many a ghost hunter uses on investigations - especially Zak, Aaron, Bill and Jay from GA. The devices have sold in their thousands around the world... probably on the back of brilliant advertising as on Ghost Adventures... and at an expensive price tag it is a lucrative business!

The Ovilus is 'alleged to be' a device that allows ghosts and spirits to communicate with us by manipulating both temperature and electromagnetic waves in the environment. It supposedly detects these fluctuations and from a predefined database of 2048 words it picks out words. As the manufacturer states - in their own words for the current Ovilus 5b (2015) version:

"The Ovilus V converts environmental readings into words. The Ovilus V is the latest in our equipment line. Based on the original Ovilus and all preceding, the Ovilus V is an ITC device. The goal of the device is to facilitate communications. Just like doing EVP or ITC feedback, nothing is instant or guaranteed to produce results. Like all Ovilus and Talker devices, the device NEVER uses random generators".

The same goes for the Ovilus M... the Ovilus III... Ovilus IV... the same wording in all the user guides - all except the version number!

There is also a Disclaimer to the device on numerous 'Ghost Hunting Equipment' websites that reads:

"The Ovilus II is sold without any expectation. It is to be considered experimental. The Ovilus II is sold as an entertainment device only. We make no claim to the validity of the data received by these devices. We make no claim as to Spirit communications, Aliens, Ghosts or any other type of phenomena".

The words 'experimental' and 'entertainment' are to be taken on board by anyone who thinks that these devices will communicate with the other side.

From one such 'Ghost Hunting' equipment website the Ovilus 5b is advertised as:

"...is the newest Ovilus! It takes intelligent spirit communication to the next level by translating audible EVPs into writing. Having the EVP written out helps to understand EVPs that may have otherwise been misunderstood and gives more visual evidence during your paranormal investigation.

The Ovilus converts EVP readings into written words, similar to text messages on a phone, while also speaking these words. It has 4 different voices: male English, female English, male Spanish, female Spanish. The latest version, the Rev B, simplified from the first release. Some of the changes include increased speaker size and a single power switch for less confusion. The 5b no longer has wireless connectivity as this feature was rarely used and prevented a larger speaker".

And it is not my intention to disrespect the Ovilus, Digital Dowsing or even Bill Chappell... as claimed it is "for entertainment only" and for those groups who are in the business of arranging 'Ghost Hunts' and 'Paranormal Evenings' then this device will please the paying masses who have seen it used on TV and want to use it themselves.

But you have to remember that all these "so-called" paranormal experts on TV all claim that these devices "...allow ghosts and spirits to communicate to the living through the white noise...". Even the dreaded KII Meter... can you all remember on Ghost Hunters that a certain investigator claimed during their 3rd Series episode on the Manson Murders that the KII Meter "measures magnetic fields, and it’s been specially calibrated for paranormal investigators”.

Really?

Anyhow, back to the Ovilus...

The Word Database...

So regarding the word database... it is very strange that none of the newer models ever increased the amount of words. Well the Ovilus 2 (2014) claimed in the User Manual: "The Ovilus II can actually hold @ 6000 words. However the current firmware only uses the first 2048".

And isn't it surprising that the word database has also stayed the same with no increase in words? Even though the Ovilus II stated "...can hold 6000 words..." the newer version V has no more added words. Strange! Even though they claimed about the 'current firmware only uses the first 2048'.

At this juncture I will point out that Sarah Chumacero of Living Life In Full Spectrum has already approached this subject on one of her blogs called "What Are The Odds?". Now Sarah has covered this with a vast research... and this is where I decided to go a bit further...

So what of this Word Database? Let's go into a bit more detail shall we?

Like Sarah I downloaded the Word Bank from the Digital Dowsing website. Yes there is a download you can view all the words in the Ovilus range (and like I say there has been no difference... they are all the same). I placed all words into an Excel spreadsheet and then set about filtering and placing into several categories like 'Colour', 'Names', 'Places', 'Religion', 'Medical', 'Numbers', 'Maths and English', 'Emotions/Feeling/Thoughts', 'Paranormal', etc. I even had a column for "Really? Why?" (this was for those words I felt had no reason to be in the database as they served no realistic purpose at all).

So what are the findings?

Well before I get to the stats I should point out that some of the words do cross-over into other categories - so accordingly I did place them as such into the findings. And also to add that my placing of certain words into certain categories is in my opinion only. Also I might have missed placing of some words into their categories by accident... it is a huge list of words to go through!

So what did I find...? Well the list below indicates (in my opinion) the words on the Ovilus database and the percentage (%) of the possibility 'odds' of these words coming up on the device...

• 187 (9.13%) are of 'Emotions, Feelings and Thoughts' - so it is safe to assume that 'sad', 'happy', aggression', 'mad', 'hurt', 'eerie', 'afraid', 'trapped' all fit into this category and might just come up and get one thinking that a ghost is emotional...

• 118 (5.76%) are of the 'Maths and English' derived wording and meaning - things like 'add', 'amount', 'area', 'count', 'decimal', 'less', 'logical', 'similar', 'paragraph', 'suffix', 'total', 'words', 'write'...

• 107 (5.22%) are 'Names' - like 'Adam', 'Barry', 'Carol', 'Cathy', 'David', 'Edna', 'Fay', 'Frank', 'John', 'Karen', 'Steven'...

• 106 (5.18%) are of 'Places and related' - like 'Africa', 'Attic', 'Basement', 'Building', 'Castle', 'Closet', 'Europe', 'Kansas', 'Jupiter', 'planet', 'region', 'sky', 'stars', 'track', 'Washington', 'zoo'...

• 89 (4.35%) are the "Really? Why are they on the device?" (more on these later)

• 75 (3.66%) are 'Religious-based' - like 'apocalypse', 'bible', 'cloister', 'faith', 'hallow', 'prayer', 'reverend'...

• 62 (3.03%) are 'Paranormal and related' - like 'afterlife', 'demon', 'ghost', 'haunting', 'incubus', 'paranormal', 'poltergeist', 'stigmata'...

• 54 (2.64%) are linked to 'Death' - like 'coffin', 'dead', 'death', 'homicide', 'stabbed'...

• 52 (2.54%) are related to 'Time' - like 'age', before', 'continued', 'forever', 'hour', 'minutes', 'noon'...

• 46 (2.25%) are 'Food-related' - like 'apple', 'bacon', 'cupcake', 'eggs', 'lamb', 'mustard', 'vinegar'...

• 38 (1.86%) are linked to the 'Human Body' - like 'eye', 'face', 'leg', 'mouth', 'shoulder'...

• 30 (1.46%) are 'Animals, Mammals, etc.' - like 'bear', 'birds', 'chicken', 'fish', 'insects', 'wolf'...

• 29 (1.42%) are 'Family-orientated' - like 'baby', 'child', 'cousin', 'father', 'mother'...

• 28 (1.37%) are 'Written Numbers' - like 'billion', fifteen', 'hundred', 'seventy', 'six', 'zero'...

• 27 (1.32%) are linked to 'Electrical' - like 'batteries', 'cable', 'energy', 'power', static'...

• 19 (0.93%) have a 'Monetary' theme - like 'bank', 'cent', 'coins', 'dime'...

• 18 (0.88%) are just letters from the alphabet (not sure why not all 26 are in there) - this to me indicates that 'C', 'J', 'K', 'O', 'Q', 'T', 'X' and 'Y' are not required... but they must be to create the words in the database that need them...

• 17 (0.83%) are 'Weapons and related' - like 'army', 'axe', 'knife', 'gun', 'war'...

• 13 (0.63%) are 'Colours' - like 'black', 'gold', 'green', white'...

• 12 (0.59%) are the 'Months' of the year

• 12 (0.59%) are 'Numerical-related' - like 'first', 'matrix', 'percent', 'odd', 'total'...

• 10 (0.49) are the numeric 'Numbers' 0 through to 9

• 1 (0.05%) is the day 'Monday'

So what does all this mean?

Well what I can determine is as follows:

1. 'Monday' is the only day of the week in there, but all the 'Months' of the year are in there... why? What is wrong with having the other days of the week in there?

2. There is no 'red' in the list of colours! The word 'Color' (US spelling) is there... It is just strange not to have all the primary colours in there.

3. Regarding the written numbers, all are there from 'zero' to 'thirteen'... then the next is 'fifteen', then 'twenty'... 'thirty', 'forty', 'fifty', 'sixty', 'seventy', 'eighty', 'ninety', hundred... then 'thousand, 'million', 'billion', then 'trillion' (reasoning on the double-barrelled double figures like '35' is fine I suppose due to the 'possibility of 'thirty' coming up then 'five' straight afterwards)...

4. Why are those 8 letters of the alphabet not actually listed in the database? Surely they must be somewhere on it for it to produce the spelling of the words.

5. Many of the animal-related words just seem not likely to ever have a reason to come up.

6. As point 5, the list of food-related words seem unlikely to be really required as needed.

7. The paranormal-related words are high up the listings, which is understandable for a unit of this creation. I mean, God forbid these words were missing from the database!

8. As point 7... the religious-based words seem to go hand in glove with the paranormal... so would be a travesty not to include them.

9. Top of the list is the Feelings, emotions and related words. Now it is obvious we all feel something so all of these words would relate to people including those who have passed.

So where does this all lead?

Well it seems that out of all the possible names there are out there there are only a handful in the database. This means that it would be huge odds to actually get the correct name coming through. Even if one were to truly believe that this device will allow spirits to communicate and they pick only one of the letters of the alphabet in there to say what their name begins with (only 18 remember) again the odds are high on the actual name coming through...

Take the letter 'D' as an example... what name could they be implying? David, Dave, Davina, Deborah, Deb, Debs, Daphne, Dena, Dina, Dinah, Diana, Dirk, Derek, Derrick, Dylan and Diego just to name a few. Check out a few baby-name websites just to see the vast array of names around that begin with all letters of the alphabet!

The category I am more concerned with is that of the "Really? Why are they on the device?" words. I mean words like like 'anti', 'applet', 'drone', 'LMAO', 'placebo', 'quantum', 'saliran', 'trillion'... it is extremely unlikely these have any benefit of providing a communication route. Applet, drone and LMAO are very modern terms so a spirit from before 1980s (yes drone was used in the 1940s but more so today) would not know what they mean, let alone manipulate a device to bring the word forth. 'Saliran' means drainage... so unless one is investigating in a sewer system then this would have no relevance at all.

'Hipid Hop', 'Jupiter', 'Mammoth', 'Metaphysics', 'Meline', 'Palatine', 'Gravity', 'Cesium', 'Quantum', 'Raster', 'Saturn', Sacra Res'... these are on the database. Again why would these be of any relevance?

Regarding places, etc. Why would 'Kansas' and 'Washington' be on there but none of the other 48 states?

The mind boggles on the point that if the database can hold 6000 words then why has there been no increase from the 2048? And just to add the latest model offers Spanish words now.

Conclusion...

To be perfectly honest - from a sceptic's point of view - I am not at all convinced that the Ovilus (in whichever format or version from the physical device to the app-based versions for smartphones and tablets, etc.) is such a device to allow spirits to communicate with us. Some people will argue, however, that the device is merely an electronic device that parallels what Mediums can do. And why would that be? Has someone like Bill Chappell managed to do a living autopsy on a Medium to see how their brain is wired and configured to speak with spirits so he can create the Ovilus? I'd say that is a no!

So why do these devices get designed and manufactured for the masses? Simple logic really... for money and for profit.

With TV shows like Ghost Adventures using these devices then it is not hard to see how people in the paranormal field will look how they use it and want to have one. But one must remember that TV shows are edited for the duration they have on air-time. So Zak and the crew will have done a lockdown for 12 hours plus and have hours of footage to go through. So when they use the Ovilus and those 'credible' words come through they will have had lots of other words not relevant to that location and its history... so after the 'edit' will look more convincing.

Remember there are no devices that can talk with, allow communication with or detect ghosts and spirits. Electric meters detect electricity as we know it has been generated and is a form of energy created. Gas detectors pick up the myriad of gases depending upon the type of gas it is designed to pick up.

We do not have any proof of ghosts and so we do not know what they are made up of. Until we do then we will never have the type of technology to detect or communicate with the other side.

But if you want to use it for fun and entertainment then go right ahead and enjoy yourself!