What is it about? How did he do it? What’s the significance of it? Those questions are answered briefly in three recent reviews of Mark L. Cowden’s new book Spirit Voices: The First Live Conversation Between Worlds. First, from Reviews of the Mysterious Kind, we have Nick Redfern who writes: Spirit Voices is “an utterly absorbing study of how Mark—an audio-visual technician from Oklahoma—found himself in Ireland, in 2010, investigating apparent contact from beyond the grave. And when I say contact, I mean precisely that: the capture and recording of apparent conversations with discarnate entities from beyond…What particularly stands out for me is that Spirit Voices is as much about the potential for something, some essence, maybe—call it what you will—surviving bodily death, as it is about Mark’s very own, and deeply personal, quest to come to terms with the incredible data and experiences that crossed his path during the course of his adventurous trek in search of the truth…” Then we have Tom Ruffles of the Society for Psychical Research describing a bit of the author’s unique methodology: Cowden “is an expert at using audio-visual equipment, and inventive in developing technology to improve Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC). He came up with the idea of the ITC Orchestra, adding a violin and cello to his set-up to act as ‘natural amplifiers’ which extended the range of his audio equipment into the infrasound and ultrasound ranges, beyond that which humans can hear. His approach, in contrast to the one adopted by many groups, is to blend the technology with a spiritual approach…He appears to have achieved promising results with his set-up, and hopefully he will publish more on his work… In the meantime this is a very readable account of one person’s journey in the field of paranormal investigation.” And lastly Micah A. Hanks of The Gralien Report indicates just how important this book may turn out to be: “I would venture to say that while the readers interested in paranormal phenomena and psychic research will find this book interesting and enjoyable, it may very well also be one of the more important books available regarding Electronic Voice Phenomenon and the study of ghosts and the spirit realm. Indeed, if the data represents what Cowden and his associates have claimed it does, then Spirit Voices details what must be considered one of the most remarkable circumstances ever to unfold in the midst of a paranormal investigation, ever.”

When Mark L. Cowden first proposed his book to us, we thought, “Okay, here is another guy who thinks the Electronic Voice Phenomena he’s captured is worth a book.” We were skeptical to say the least. But reading his manuscript turned us around—big time. First of all, Mark is not just an expert audio/visual technician, but a very special person. He is “spiritual” in the true sense of the word. And the phenomenon he’s captured is “extraordinary,” also in the true sense of the word. What he did essentially is capture a “live” conversation between this world and the next. And it was all broadcast on television—in Ireland. It didn’t make newspaper headlines around the world—at least not in this world—though it certainly should have. Spirit Voices: The First Live Conversation Between Worlds is Mark L. Cowden’s very personal, quite amazing story. Says Mark: “This book is for everyday people, not just folks interested in the paranormal. It’s for people like me. I was fortunate enough to be someone who was in the right places, at the right times, with the right frame of mind, to witness and record some things that most people say is not possible. I’m not one of those people who has made it a life mission to experience something and then prove to the world that it is possible. The experience happened first. I find it fascinating, I find it inspiring, and I’m constantly trying to find ways to develop myself, remain a decent person, and continue to have more experiences. I believe that it is too amazing to not write about and, if possible, show people on television, but I would never be daft enough to fall into that trap of trying to prove something in a world governed by scientific laws, which, at present, have no way of explaining what this ‘something’ is, or how it works. I’m an observer and will offer my own personal opinion, which I believe is just as relevant on this topic as anybody else’s, scientific minded or not, but I won’t play games with the scientific community.”