Ozzy Osbourne (fake EVP, 2020)

– It's worth mentioning a somewhat humorous yet instructive incident: in 2020, rumors began circulating online about the death of legendary Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne (who was actually in failing health, but was still alive at the time). Capitalizing on this rumor, someone posted a "spirit box session with Ozzy's ghost" on YouTube – with a clickbait title suggesting the rocker had died and spoken from the afterlife. The recording contained distorted snippets of Ozzy-esque speech, supposedly confirming his death. Some fans, unaware that it was a fake, panicked and began sending condolences. It wasn't until the official media denied Ozzy's death that the video was dismissed as a dark joke (or a vulgar ploy to garner views). The entire situation demonstrated just how far internet creators can go in transcending reality—creating "afterlife content" even with the participation of people who are still alive! This is an extreme case, but it reveals the nature of the problem: for a moment of fame, some people are willing to fabricate literally anything .

It was no different after Ozzy's actual death in July 2025 – EVP and spirit box recordings began to appear like mushrooms on social media, with messages supposedly coming from the deceased rock legend.

In the past, there have also been more "traditional" media contacts with deceased celebrities: for example, mediums appearing on popular television programs attempted to communicate with the spirit of Princess Diana , and books featuring "transcribed conversations" with deceased film and music stars appeared. However, these forms were usually niche or treated as controversial curiosities.

In the internet age, the phenomenon has become more widespread. For example, there are numerous TikTok videos where amateurs "talk" to the spirits of famous artists shortly after their deaths (e.g., Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Robin Williams, etc.). While they may not achieve such notoriety individually, their sheer number contributes to a trend in which any high-profile death has the potential to become a paranormal viral phenomenon .

It's worth noting that Polish internet users are also experimenting with publishing alleged messages from deceased celebrities and public figures. One example is Marek Szwedowski , a renowned parapsychologist and author of books on the afterlife, who has for years claimed to receive messages from spirits – both anonymous deceased individuals and well-known figures. He publishes his readings in the form of media reports, often presenting them as serious evidence of contact with the spirit world. Commentators who are more critical of his work call publishing such material directly a trade in alleged messages from deceased celebrities