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From the High Desert

A Cultural History of Art Bell

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David John Oates

David John Oates

Reverse SpeechHidden MessagesPsychology

David John Oates is an Australian researcher and the founder of "Reverse Speech," a controversial discipline proposing that unconscious messages are embedded within human speech and can be revealed through backward audio playback. As a frequent and highly popular guest on late-night radio, he has analyzed the reversed speech of public figures ranging from politicians to celebrities, sparking widespread fascination and debate.

Episodes11

1
Episode thumbnail for September 19, 1996: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

September 19, 1996: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Sep 19, 1996
2h 53m
Australian researcher David John Oates presents his controversial theory of reverse speech, proposing that human language operates simultaneously in two directions, forward and backward. A fellow ham radio operator who stumbled onto the phenomenon while debunking claims about satanic messages in rock music, Oates ha...
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Episode thumbnail for October 4, 1996: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

October 4, 1996: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Oct 4, 1996
1h 51m
David John Oates returns to demonstrate his controversial theory that human speech contains a hidden backward language revealing unconscious truths. Through dozens of audio examples played forward and in reverse, Oates presents what he claims are embedded messages in the words of Neil Armstrong, Bill Clinton, Bob Do...
3
Episode thumbnail for June 6, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

June 6, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Jun 6, 1997
3h 18m
Art Bell welcomes David John Oates, the originator of reverse speech technology, to examine hidden messages embedded in human communication. Oates explains that when recorded speech is played backwards, clear and grammatically correct phrases emerge every five to ten seconds, revealing what the speaker truly thinks...
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Episode thumbnail for June 27, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

June 27, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Jun 27, 1997
2h 55m
Art Bell welcomes reverse speech pioneer David Oates to analyze hidden messages embedded in recorded speech. Oates explains how playing spoken words backward at the same speed reveals subconscious thoughts, consistently producing statements that align with the forward conversation. He shares classic examples, includ...
5
Episode thumbnail for August 1, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

August 1, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Aug 1, 1997
2h 55m
Art Bell welcomes David Oates, the founder of reverse speech analysis, for an evening of startling audio reversals covering Colonel Philip Corso, President Clinton, and NASA. The broadcast opens with Art mourning the death of his beloved Hewlett-Packard 950 fax machine before turning to the serious business of playi...
6
Episode thumbnail for September 23, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

September 23, 1997: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Sep 23, 1997
2h 42m
Art Bell welcomes reverse speech researcher David John Oates, calling in from Anchorage, Alaska, for an evening of startling audio reversals found hidden in human speech. Oates explains his theory that the brain constructs two simultaneous messages when speaking: one forward from the conscious mind, and one in rever...
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Episode thumbnail for December 18, 1997: Reversing Harlot the Witch - David John Oates

December 18, 1997: Reversing Harlot the Witch - David John Oates

Dec 18, 1997
2h 25m
Art Bell welcomes David Oates back to the program to present reverse speech analysis on a wide range of subjects. Oates begins with his foundational research, playing recordings of infant children whose babbling, when reversed, reveals clear and startling phrases. He then moves into political reversals, including Bi...
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Episode thumbnail for February 12, 1998: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

February 12, 1998: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Feb 12, 1998
2h 4m
Art Bell welcomes back Australian researcher David Oates for an extended exploration of reverse speech, the theory that human language simultaneously produces unconscious communication when played backward. Oates demonstrates with classic examples, including Neil Armstrong's lunar landing audio reversing to "man wil...
10
Episode thumbnail for March 26, 1998: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

March 26, 1998: Reverse Speech - David John Oates

Mar 26, 1998
2h 47m
Art Bell hosts David John Oates for an extensive session of reverse speech analysis covering Kathleen Willey, Dr. Michael Malin, and Major Ed Dames. Oates begins with classic demonstrations, including Neil Armstrong's famous reversal and baby speech examples, before turning to the 60 Minutes interview where Willey d...
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