Episode Summary: "Voices in the Static: Can Technology Talk to the Dead?"

Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel
Date: October 27, 2025
Guest: Tony Rathman, ITC researcher and paranormal investigator

Overview

In this episode, host Rachel Uchitel explores the boundary-pushing work of Tony Rathman, a leading figure in Instrumental Trans-Communication (ITC)—the use of technology to communicate with the dead. The conversation delves into Tony’s journey from skeptic to expert, the development of his breakthrough device "Staticom," and the philosophical and practical implications of real-time spirit communication. Together, they tackle questions about the survival of consciousness after death, the difference between science and spirituality, and the controversial role of technology in bridging worlds.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What Is ITC and Tony’s Path to the Paranormal

• Definitions:

  • ITC (Instrumental Trans-Communication): Using technology for two-way interaction with non-physical entities, as opposed to traditional one-way EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon).
    • "EVP is a form of ITC, but ITC is two-way communication." — Tony Rathman [05:06]

• Tony’s Origin Story:

  • Lifelong skeptic, convinced after a surprise ghost-hunting Valentine’s trip with his wife led to unexplained voices and photos at the haunted Hotel San Carlos in Phoenix.
    • "I expected the weekend to go by... and then when she reviewed the recorder, I was blown away." — Tony [08:31 & 08:52]

2. What Are We Actually Talking To? Understanding ‘Disembodied Consciousness’

• Beyond "Ghosts":

  • Tony emphasizes that spirit communication is about engaging with surviving consciousness, which he frames as a universal, fractal entity.
    • "We realized through the evidence we got through the research that we were literally chasing consciousness... It survives death." — Tony [13:10]

• Nature of Afterlife:

  • Consciousness continues; individuality and personal memory persist, but without the physical vessel of the body.
    • "All you lose is the vessel or the container, the body, and that essence ... continues on." — Tony [14:33]
  • No linear time or fixed location—spirits exist in a state of "now" and can experience anything by thought.

3. The Ethics and Challenges of Spirit Communication

• Limits of Communication:

  • Spirits avoid questions about the future or anything that would interfere with a person’s life path—citing a "universal law."
    • "They cannot change that in any way, shape or form because we… are here for learning, we're here for growth." — Tony [19:19]

• Purpose of Messages:

  • Interactions can range widely: comfort for loved ones, personal details, philosophical musings, or disputes among spirits themselves.
    • "We can sit and listen. It's like a spiritual eavesdropping." — Tony [38:20]

4. From Spirit Boxes to Staticom: The Evolution of the Tech

• Historical Background:

  • Describes earlier techniques (Ouija boards, spirit boxes) and innovators like Friedrich Jurgenson, Marcello Bacci, and the concept of Direct Radio Voice (DRV).
  • Staticom:
    • Eliminates the radio entirely, uses a pure white noise generator filtered in real-time to prevent interference or audio contamination.
    • "We got rid of the radio and we replaced it with a white noise generator ... it worked." — Tony [34:07]

• Breakthrough Moment:

  • First successful communication with the spirit of Marcello Bacci through Staticom, delivered in English but with an Italian accent.
    • Voice clip: “I'd say glad to meet you.” — [29:59]

5. Validation and Skepticism

• Tests for Authenticity:

  • Consulted audio engineers, employed voice print and spectrogram analyses, experimented with AI to confirm speech is present, not audio pareidolia.
    • "This cannot happen from random warbles and artifacts of sound. It's not possible." — Tony [32:40]

• Addressing Skeptics:

  • System sidesteps criticism about stray radio voices; recordings are produced using non-radio sources.
    • "It's not a radio, it doesn't have the ability to decipher RF waves ... white noise contains no vocal data, no words, no sentences." — Tony [34:07]

6. What Are Spirits Saying? Applications and Dilemmas

• Personal & Practical Use:

  • Comforting grieving relatives, solving cold cases, and potentially providing insights into historical mysteries.
  • Example: Helped friend identify the murderer of a loved one; considering uses in police investigations.
    • "All of the answers, including the first and last name, according to them, of the person who did it is there." — Tony [42:31]
  • Inspired to try investigations into famous cases (e.g., the Ellen Greenberg stabbing).

• Limits for Public Release:

  • Staticom isn’t commercially available yet due to ethical concerns, risk of misuse, and fear of weaponization.
    • "There’s also some other dangers. Who's going to use it? What are they going to use it for?" — Tony [41:20]

7. Philosophy and the Future: What If Death Isn’t the End?

• Potential to Transform Science, Spirituality, and Society:

  • Tony argues broader adoption and acceptance could impact fields from science (rethinking consciousness) to grief therapy, religion, and even law.
  • Technologies like Staticom might one day allow real-time, non-local communication (comparing to mind-to-mind or internet breakthroughs).

• On Personal Thought and Energetic Connection:

  • Spirits can hear not only spoken words but also thoughts—demonstrated with Staticom by silent questioning.
    • "They get it through energy of the mind, so it is your consciousness or thought." — Tony [56:15]

• On Fear and Life After Death:

  • Dispelling fear of death as a fundamental benefit:
    • "If this does end up being something more tangible and real, that would be just the most basic thing to get out of this. Fear of everything, fear of making the wrong decision, fear, you know, to fear of death." — Rachel [63:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tony’s Eureka:
  • "When she got the stuff home and started reviewing it, that's when I went, wait, what?" [08:52]
• On Afterlife State:
  • "Life cannot be experienced without consciousness... and that essence continues on." [14:33]
• On Purpose and Free Will:
  • "Humans have free will. Spirits have free will to make their own choices." [20:32]
• Spirit Tech Skepticism:
  • "Science thinks you're absolutely crazy... Religion tells you, you shouldn't be doing that... Non-believers don't believe you." [51:53]
• On Challenges:
  • "This is a tough project." [51:53]
• Rachel’s Playful Moment:
  • "Are you on LSD or any weird medication?"
    • "None at all." — Tony [59:13]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro to Tony’s work and ITC: [01:32–06:10]
• Hotel San Carlos story and shift from skepticism: [07:19–10:44]
• Concept of surviving consciousness and afterlife detail: [12:28–17:35]
• Limits and ethics of spirit communication: [19:19–20:51]
• Contacting the dead, mediums vs. technology: [22:59–25:20]
• Birth of Staticom and breakthrough moment: [25:46–29:59]
• Verification and handling skepticism: [32:40–34:07]
• How Staticom works, constant voices, eavesdropping: [34:07–38:20]
• Real-life applications (cold cases, grief, court testimony): [41:09–44:39]
• Why technology isn’t available to public, fears of misuse: [41:20–46:52]
• On personal, virtual demonstrations and user experience: [47:45–53:27]
• Spirits can hear your thoughts: [56:15–57:26]
• Wrap-up: Philosophy, possibilities, overturning fear of death: [59:53–64:11]
• Where to find Tony and more info: [64:22–65:10]
• Closing takeaways: [65:21–65:51]

For Listeners Interested in More

• Website: entityvoices.com — includes Staticom samples, event updates, ways to contact Tony, and more.
• Social Media: Facebook (Tony Rathman), YouTube (search "Staticom"), TikTok, Instagram.

Final Takeaways

• Tony doesn’t strive to convert skeptics but urges listeners to keep an open mind:
  • "We're not here to influence or change, but take a look, have a listen and decide for yourself what you think is going on." [65:21]
• If the technology and its implications are validated and widely adopted, humanity’s greatest fears about death and meaning could be transformed.

This summary covers the episode’s major points, offering a window into Tony Rathman’s unusual technology, the stories behind it, its philosophical implications, and the potential for a future where the line between life and death is not so final.