A GLOSSARY OF PARANORMAL TERMS

Below are some of the most widely used terms used in the paranormal field today.

Agent

The apparition or ghost seen by a human being. Also can be a spirit guide for a medium.

Amulet

Any object that is believed to be endowed with supernatural powers allowing it to fend off ghosts and evil spirits, or to bring good luck.

Ancestral Ghost

A discarnate being that communicates or makes his presence known to an earthling who is capable of psychism.

Anomaly

An anomaly (literally, no law or rule) is an irregular or unusual event which does not fit a standard rule or law.

Alchemy

The exploration and application of the sciences, particularly chemistry and the pseudo science of astrology, such as they were understood during the middle ages and early Renaissance period. Alchemists were chiefly dedicated to the worthy pursuit of producing gold from baser metals and various materials.

Apport

An object created by mediums and poltergeists, which materializes out of thin air and takes solid form. These objects can be coins, jewellery, or anything that would have significance to the members of the séance. Also known as Materialization. Some mediums have been caught fraudulently producing objects such as flowers from hiding places

Astral Body

The invisible spirit of a person (or, more unlikely, animal). See Astral Projection.

Astral Projection

Is also called Out of Body Experience (OBE), and is a phenomenon where a spirit double (or astral body) leaves the body (of a living being) and travels to another location.

Atmospheric Apparition

Also referred to as Atmospheric Imprinting, or Residual Haunts. When an event is so traumatic that it actually imprints itself onto the atmosphere and then replays over and over again. This is most commonly seen at battlefield sites. In the case where a ghost is seen only on the anniversary of the event, the phenomenon is referred to as a Recurring Apparition.

Aura

Some psychics claim to be able to see auras, the body’s electromagnetic field which produces a colourful display forming a full-body ‘halo’. It can be used by healers for diagnosing illness, and it is the aura that Kirlian photography (qv) is said to depict. Although it is the same word, it has nothing to do with the fancy light displays and pretty zigzags seen by migraine sufferers before an attack.

Automatic Writing

Is a type of automatism-unconscious muscular movements that are guided by spirits, in this case, writing. Automatic painting has also been documented-where a former artist spirit guides the brush of a living artist.

Awakening

The exact moment when paranormal activity suddenly and unexpectedly emerges from a location where no paranormal activity has been reported before, (or that has not been recorded for a long time).

Crowley, Aleister

(b. 1875, d.1947) Scottish-born occultist, metaphysician, sorcerer, adventurer, poet and author of many occult treatises and manuals, including ‘Magick In Theory And Practice.’ Crowley once dubbed himself “The Great Beast 666,” one of the few of his many monikers which stayed with him, and the press referred to him as “The Wickedest Man in the World.” Although in some respects brilliant, Crowley gave himself over to excess, amorality and eventual dissipation. His writings are still studied and analysed by many present day, serious students of the magical arts.

Banshee

An ancient Irish and Scottish tradition of a female spirit foretelling a tragedy or death. They are said to emit a sound similar to a mournful crying.

Ball lightning

Little understood, this luminous ball may float in mid air or move rapidly along solid objects. It is described as typically the size of a grapefruit but sometimes as small as a pea, and it may change colour as it floats along. Ball lightning has also been known to bounce. It is a rare electrical phenomenon associated in nature with thunderstorms, but can also be reproduced in the laboratory using Tesla oscillators. Believed to be a portal between dimensions though which ghosts/spirits travel. Another explanation is that they are more powerful orbs that are travelling at high speeds and look as though they are milky contrails that bend in different directions. They can also show on photographs as wiggly neon streamers of red, blue, white or yellow. They never leave s shadows, so if one shows up in your photograph and it has a shadow, it’s probably not a vortex. Compasses go out of whack and sensitive electrical equipment fails. Vortexes can occur anywhere, inside caves, in riverbeds, within a house, or on the grounds of a cemetery. The Chinese call this energy Yin and Yang. Ancient civilizations built scared temples and holy shrines on locations believed to be vortexes and believed that these areas amplified energy and spiritual enlightenment.

Baphomet

Demon character supposedly worshiped by the Knights Templar in 14th century France. Some present day practitioners of the black arts regard Baphomet as a “god” of lust and regeneration, or as symbolic of the Devil.

Beelzebub

One of Satan’s chief Lieutenants

Black Magic

Magical spells or rituals practiced with the intention of harming others.

Clairvoyance

The extrasensory perception manifesting in the form of either an internal or external vision of present or future events, objects, places and people. Clairvoyance usually occurs through dreams or flashes of events while the clairvoyant is awake.

Clairaudience

The psychic ability to hear sounds or voices normally not heard by most people.

Channelling

To allow an spirit to enter one’s mind and impress thoughts upon the consciousness to be spoken aloud.

Cold Reading

A fraudulent technique used by charlatans to obtain information about a person. It is usually accomplished by a series of statements and questions by a fraudulent medium, responding to verbal and non-verbal answers of the person being “read.”

Circumambulism

Ceremonial walking around an object or person to secure protection.

Collective Apparition

A case where more than one person sees the same spirit phenomenon.

Crisis Apparition

A specific type of apparition where the agent projects his or her astral body at a time of crisis or death, usually to a loved one.

Direct Writing

Writing that materializes on a previously unmarked surface without the aid of a medium’s hand.

Demon

An evil entity hostile to humans. A lower level evil spirit working for Lucifer.

Direct-voice mediumship

This is the ability of an entranced medium to provide the facility for a deceased communicator to speak in something resembling his own voice. The phenomenon is normally aided by the use of a séance trumpet, which levitates and which amplifies the sound of the voice, directing it towards a particular sitter.

Déjà-vu

This is the uncanny feeling that you recognize a place or situation although you know you haven’t actually been there before.

Devil

An upper level evil spirit working for Lucifer. (Beelzebub, among others)

Dowsing

A method of locating people, animals, objects and water by the use of a forked rod, or a bent pair of wires. It is believed that we all have this skill, but it is usually untapped.

Doppelgänger

This rare phenomenon is a ‘ghostly’ double of a living person, seen by the person himself. The Norwegian vardøger is similar but equally rare. German author, scientist and statesman Goethe famously reported meeting his Doppelgänger, who passed him on horseback, wearing the clothes he would wear eight years later when his real self finally carried out that action. Research on the internet shows that this seems to be a particular weakness of literary figures and a popular literary motif.

Disembodied Spirit

An entity functioning without a body.

Ectoplasm

From the Greek words, “ektos” and “plasma,” which means “exteriorized substance.” “Ghostbusters” Theory: slimy residue left over by a spirit who was recently in the area. More accepted explanation is that it is electro magnetic energy from a spirit. It is almost always white and changes form quickly. At times it is expelled from a medium’s body while in a trance-like state. Ectoplasm is warm to the touch, and has a wax-like consistence. It can also be rubbery and disappears when exposed to bright light. Vaporous ectoplasm is light, and resembles clouds of smoke.

Electromagnetism

In physics electromagnetism is one of four forces (the others being gravity and the weak and strong forces in atoms). It is commonly experienced in such phenomena as light, radio and magnetism. It is thought by some researchers to be responsible for various apparently paranormal phenomena. It is known from laboratory experiments that low frequency electromagnetic waves can directly induce hallucinations in humans. There is no credible evidence, as yet, that such a process actually occurs in the real world, but it is being sought.

Extrasensory Perception (ESP)

The acquisition of information by means beyond the five human senses. Sometimes referred to as the “Sixth Sense.”

Elemental

A lesser spirit associated to the fundamentals of nature (Wind, Water, Fire & Earth).

Empath

An individual who is particularly sensitive to the psychic emanations of his or her surroundings, even to a degree of telepathically receiving and experiencing the emotions of others in their proximity. Obviously, psychic empathy can be regarded as a mixed blessing, and the empath must learn to gain a measure of control over this ability.

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP)

A “spirit” voice on recorded on an analogue or digital recording device. Most often not in audible range at the time of recording but present when the tape is replayed.

Earthbound

A spirit being trapped on or remaining on the earthly plane.

Exorcism

A religious rite performed by a holy man for the purpose of expelling an evil spirit or demon. An exorcism performed by the Roman Catholic Church is known as Rituale Romanum.

Fallen Angels

Discarnate entities who live close to earth and are desirous and capable of haunting humans.

Familiar

A cat, rat, toad, owl or other animal owned by a witch upon which she transfers psychic energy in cases of evil-oriented activities.

Ghost Lights

Lights that resemble orbs, but are much larger and are usually seen from a distance. They can also be associated with a spirit who would have normally carried a light while living, (i.e. and railroad worker or monks carrying candles.) Also called “ignis fatuus” meaning “foolish fire.”

Gabriel

The archangel in charge of the moon, a genius of mysteries, who has worked psychically through the great masters during their earthly incarnations. Also a protector.

Hobgoblin

Mischievous sprite (fairy, spirit) who delights in perpetrating pranks upon hapless humans, once widely believed in and dreaded throughout Europe and Celtic regions. (Caution: It is theorized that these diminutive denizens of the netherworld will, upon occasion, interfere in psychic investigations by devices such as misplacing and draining flashlights and camera batteries).

Infestation

Repeated and persistent paranormal phenomena, generally centred around a particular location or person(s). Also known as a haunting.

Incantation

To sing and chant formulaic words, phrases or sounds to special rhythm and tonation.

Karma

Sanskrit, Buddhism, Hinduism, Theosophy, the principle that makes every man or woman the cause of their present global location, lifestyle, intelligence, relatives and physical body condition.

Kirlian Photography

The process for taking pictures of the emanations and radiations surrounding living objects.

Ley Lines

The invisible alignments between sacred or mystical locations, which are usually built on sites with energy vortexes. When sacred sites or energy vortexes are plotted on an area map, the straight lines connecting these locations are the Ley Lines. These pathways often have much more paranormal activity than other surrounding areas.

Lucid Dreaming

A person having a lucid dream is usually not aware that they are dreaming. The dream seems real and it appears impossible to determine whether the person is still asleep or has actually woken up. There might be telepathy, precognition, or clairvoyance involved when two people have the same dream. Past life experiences are also commonly projected through lucid dreams.

Lucifer

Satan, leader of the rebellious angels and the adversary of God

Levitation

A phenomenon sometimes encountered in hauntings, particularly with Poltergeists, rare yet credibly reported, where solid objects (including persons) are moved and lifted by an unseen force. The first historically documented occurrence was that of St. Francis of Assisi in the 14th century.

Limbo

A level of consciousness which comprises one of the seven planes in the density in the etheric world.

Magic Circle

An imaginary circle drawn with a pointed finger or consecrated magical tool during ritual.

Materialization

The appearance of spirits in material form on the physical plane.

Meditation

A disciplined mind technique for a set time to achieve a high state of consciousness.

Medium

A person who makes contact with discarnate or inhuman spirits on the astral plane.

Mystic

One who brings new knowledge of spiritual truths ( proven or not) incorporates psychic skills and psychic healings with religion.

Near-Death Experience (NDE)

An experience where a living person actually dies, or comes close to actual death, and is revived. Many people recount their experiences of rushing though a tunnel toward a bright light, seeing deceased relatives, and other visions of the afterlife. The phrase was coined by Dr. Raymond Moody in his book recounting patient’s NDEs.

Necromancy

The practice of communicating with the dead to obtain knowledge of the future, others’ secrets, etc. An archaic term, the necromancer was said to employ magic spells and conjuration to summon, then banish, the spirits of the dead.

Nexus

The transitional, or joining point connecting physical matter (which, in a sense, is energy condensed) and pure energy, and containing properties of both definites, i.e. the physical brain producing a mind through its network of dendrites and firing axions, or the body’s connection to the spirit. The concept of the Nexus is the basis for much conjecture and postulating.

Objective Apparitions

Actual entities that appear independent of our mind, thoughts and feelings.

Orb

Always appears as a sphere or ball that looks as if it is emitting its own light. It seems to “glow” as it hovers or moves. They are usually white or blue. Orbs most often appear on photographs and/or video, but they are rarely seen by the human eye. No one is really sure what if true paranormal orbs exist, but most can be explained away with a natural explanation.

Out of Body Experience (OBE)

Is also called, Astral Projection, and is a phenomenon where a spirit double (or astral body) leaves the body (of a living being) and travels to another location. This usually occurs when the living person is asleep or in a trance-like state. The Astral body, (spirit, soul) returns to the living person and is reunited.

Occult

Pertaining to the supernatural; that which is beyond the range of natural knowledge.

Ouija Board

A wooden Board consisting of the number 1-10 the letters A-Z and the words “YES & “NO”, primarily used for spirit communication.

Paranormal

Beyond the simple human experience and scientific explanation.

Parapsychology

The avenue of paranormal studies and research relating chiefly to psychic abilities (e.s.p., telepathy) and spiritual phenomena.

Phasmophobia

Fear of ghosts.

PSI

The factors responsible for a variety of paranormal phenomena, free from the cultural and personal assumptions of the paranormal.

Possession

The state in which a living person is controlled by a malevolent entity.

Psychic Attack

Paranormal assaults on humans or animals that can cause physical or mental distress, cultures, the “Evil Eye” or curses are also examples.

Poltergeist

A non-human spirit entity that causes mischief and can be destructive. Believed to be caused by an adolescent with latent psychic PK abilities. Not ghosts! Poltergeist is a German word translated, “Noisy Spirit.” Most studies have concluded that the agents of poltergeist activity originate from females under the age of twenty. Poltergeist activity is accumulative as the activity progresses.

Precognition

Knowledge of future events.

Psychometry

The ability to acquire knowledge of people, places or object by touching an object associated with it.

Psychokinesis

The movement of objects through the use of one’s mind, without the aid of physical persuasion. The force of Mind over Matter. Sometimes it is done without the conscious knowledge of the person using it. This is the case with Poltergeist incidents, and usually is brought about by a young adolescent. Uri Geller was believed to possess this ability.

Reincarnation

The belief that a soul comes back to earth many times through many lives for the purpose of attaining knowledge of every experience and to ultimately achieve perfection. Once perfection is achieved the soul returns to God and becomes a part of Him. The Christian religion is the only major religion of the world that does not accept this philosophy.

Remote Viewing

The term used when a person is able to “see” a remote object and explain it’s characteristics and location without ever physically been to the particular location. Used heavily by the US Government, during the height of the Cold War, for spying.

Retrocognition

A sudden shift or displacement in time in which one finds himself/herself in the past seeing or experiencing events of which they had no prior knowledge. Also known as Postcognition.

Ritual

A prescribed event or a particular form or ceremony that is built up by tradition, and with it, a great amount of energy.

Scrying

A form of fortune-telling in which the seer perceives visions of the future while gazing into a mirror, crystal ball, bowl of water, or other reflective surface.

Séance

Soon after it became public knowledge that the Fox sisters (in mid-19th century USA) had devised techniques to actively communicate with the entity in their house, small groups of sitters would come together to try to emulate their results. These small-scale, private meetings soon became known as séances, the French word for sitting. The word ‘sitting’ itself is also used for a private face-to-face reading from a medium.

Spiritualism

A philosophy, and religion using the doctrine of metaphysics, belief in the continuity of life after death and communication with this life for the advancement of civilization and personal growth.

Spiritualist

One who believes in the communication between this world and the invisible world, and who endeavours to mould his or her character and conduct in accordance with the highest teachings derived from such communion.

Sprite

A radiant, small nature spirit whose energy blends well with good deeds for earthlings, brings guidance, confidence, honour and security regarding money and opportunities, changes dimensions to be recognized by humans

Stigmata

Persons have been observed periodically bleeding from points on their bodies corresponding to the wounds of the Crucifixion. Although the physiological mechanisms which produce this effect are not understood, it is apparently and externalization of religious fervour. Stigmata has been thought to be an indication of sanctity. St. Francis of Assisi was said to have displayed the stigmatic bleeding, and the best documented case is that of Padre Pio (b. 1887, d. 1968).

Sensitive

Someone who is aware of or can feel paranormal presences that cannot be picked up by the normal five senses. Usually does not have the ability to openly communicate with a spirit as does Medium, but can sense or feel what a spirit might have to say.

Shadow Person

Dark figure shaped entities of supernatural origin that appear in the peripheries of people’s vision and then disintegrate, or move between walls, when noticed. Shadow figures/people are not reported as having human features, wearing modern/period clothing, or attempting to communicate. No one is quite sure what they are, but in most cases, they evoke fear and dread. It has never been reported that a Shadow Figure has ever harmed any living person, however.
Soul

Succubus

“Female” counterpart of the incubus, a demonic entity said to inspire lust in men (and most inconveniently!), sometimes capable of physically attacking and inflicting injuries (bruises & slashes). Following a nocturnal visitation from a succubus, the human victim will always feel ill and depleted of vitality, and inexplicably “un-clean.”

Spirit

The life force or energy of a human being or animal. A person’s conscious identity that cannot be extinguished after the death of their body.

Spirit Guide

A spirit who assists a medium find and communicate with the spirit of a deceased friend or relative. Also known as a “Control.”

Spontaneous Human Combustion

The process of a human body starting on fire as a result of heat generated by an internal chemical action. The phenomenon is very rare and not ever personally witnessed. See information page on Spontaneous Human Combustion.

Subjective Apparitions

Are created by our minds and are actually hallucinations.

Telepathy

The mind-to-mind communication between individuals without the use of audible speech or hand signals. This often occurs normally between twins, mother and child, or anyone who is closely connected to another.

Talisman

Drawings of various shapes and sizes which have specific purposes of good luck.

Tarot Cards

A pack of cards for the purpose of divination using symbolism contains seventy-eight cards forming a system of communication.

Telekinesis

The production of movement in objects without contact or other physical means

Teleportation

A type of Paranormal transportation where an object or person is moved from one location to another, sometimes through solid objects, such as walls, closed doors or closed windows.

Table-tipping

An experiment in psychokenisis which can fairly easily be replicated. Three or four participants lightly place their fingers along the edges of a small table top, then in unison chant “table move, table move…” With sufficient cooperation and concentration, and after several minutes of chanting, the table should start to wobble, pivot on its legs and possibly even lead the participants on a scurry about the room.

Trance

An altered state of consciousness brought about by the willing collaboration between the medium and the etheric world intelligence for the purpose of physical phenomena.

Time Slips

Moments where the past and present collide at one point.

Transmigration

The belief that souls come back to life through many lives, ascending higher levels of life through insect, animal and then to human forms to ultimately attain perfection. Once perfection is achieved the soul returns to God and becomes a part of Him.

Transcendence

A temporary, spontaneous experience in which the life force leaves the physical body to bypass the experience of physical pain, the life force hovers close to the physical body.

UFO

Unidentified Flying Objects, considered as being alien spacecraft.

Voodoo

This religion developed from the animistic religions that enslaved West Africans took with them to the New World and to which a sprinkling of Christianity was added. It is still widely practised in, among other countries, Haiti, where it was only recently recognized as a religion by the government. Various spellings are current, and associated beliefs in the Americas include Candomble, Lucumi and Macumba. The religious practices have little connection with the flesh-eating zombies and curses prevalent in horror movies. An excellent permanent exhibition at the Horniman Museum in south-east London shows altars from various traditions and explains the place of ritual and ritual objects in the beliefs.

White Noise

A hiss-like sound, formed by combining all audible frequencies

Wicca

An ancient religion which honours the mother goddess and the Gods, a nature based religion. Wicca means “wise one”.

Witch

A woman who practices witchcraft.

Witchcraft

The practice of performing acts with the aid of a spirit.

Zener Cards

Set of 25 cards (5 each of circle, square, Greek cross, five-pointed star, three wavy lines) designed by the perceptual psychologist Karl Zener for use in card-guessing tests of ESP. Also known as ESP card