A
Absent healing ~ Treatment of a patient not in the practitioner's vicinity through magic, meditation,
prayer, spirit doctors, or telepathy.
Afterlife ~ The belief that the human soul or spirit survives after it leaves the body from cause of death.
How the spirit survives will depend on which culture you are referring to.
All Hollows Eve ~ This day of dressing up in costumes and passing out candy on October
31st started out as a pagan festival of the dead. This night is still believed by many to be the night when
spirits, demons, and other supernatural beings are at their strongest.
Agent ~ 1.Person who attempts to communicate information to another in an ESP experiment.
2. The subject in a psychokinesis experiment.
3. Person who is the focus of poltergeist activity.
Angels ~ In Christian belief, angels are Gods messengers, and protectors of mankind. Angels are
creatures between God and man that work as intervenor's
Angelology ~ A term used to describe the study or science of angels.
Animism ~ Religious practices based on the belief that all living things and natural objects have their
individual spiritual essence or soul
Anomaly ~ Deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule. Typically, anomalies
cannot be explained by science. In the paranormal field, anomalies are usually seen as a bright band of
energy, or an orb or apparition that shows up on cameras or video recorders.
Apparition ~ A paranormal related, visual appearance of a dead person, living person, or beast
Astral Body ~ The word astral on its own means relating to, resembling or emanating from the stars.
However an astral body can be defined as the ethereal counterpart of a human or animal body. In other
words it is a supersensible part of the body which theosophists believe exists alongside the human or
animal body and it is that part which survives the death of the human, animal or physical body. It is also
thought to be the supersensible part of the body used to travel on the astral plane and through the
Akasha.
Astral projection ~ A term used by occultists, spiritualists and theosophists for the out of body
experience. It is believed to result when the astral body separates from the physical body
Aura ~ A field of energy believed by some to surround living creatures. Certain clairvoyants claim to be
able to see the aura (generally as a luminous, colored halo).
Automatic writing ~ The ability to write intelligible messages without conscious control or knowledge of
what is being written
B
Banshee ~ In Gaelic belief, a female entity who heralds a death by groaning and screaming
Bigfoot ~ A mythical bulky, hair covered, humanoid which appears to possess both human and ape-like
characteristics.
Black Magic ~ Magical spells or rituals practiced with the intention of harming others
C
Celestial ~ A term which refers to something of, or relating to: heaven, the divine, or the spirit
Channeling ~ Receiving messages and inspiration from discarnate entities
Claivoyance ~ A general term that refers to the paranormal obtaining of information about an object or
event. In modern usage, this does not necessarily refer to obtaining information visually.
Clairvoyant medium ~ Or clairvoyant. A person who obtains information paranormally (often by spirit
communication) without the need to enter into a trance state
Cleansing ~ A less religious form of exorcism that is done to remove spirits.
Cold Spot ~ An area where the temperature is lower than the surrounding environment. Cold spots are
believed to be created when a ghost is presence within that area.
Collective Apparition ~ An apparition seen simultaneously by more than one person
Continuance ~ Commonly refered to as life-after-death, survival of the psyche post cessation of the
biological organism which had generated it.
Crisis Apparition ~ An apparition in which a person is seen within a few hours of an important crisis such
as death, accident or sudden illness
Cryptozoology ~ The study of creatures, such as the Abominable Snowman, Sasquatch, Werewolf and
Yowie, whose existence has not yet been substantiated
D
Daemon ~ A guardian spirit who communicates inspiration and advice
Death ~ Generally understood to be the extinction of an organism's life. Many doctrines assert some form
of mental or spiritual survival of physical death
Deathbed Visions ~ A phenomenon, whereby a dying person has an awareness of the presence of dead
relatives or friends. These deceased persons who visit the dying, are said to visit at the time near death,
to help the sick person 'cross over to the other side'.
Deja Vu ~ Comes from French, which literally translates to 'already seen'. In English the term is
associated with seeing or doing something entirely new, but having the distinct feeling that the
experience had been done before.
Dematerialisation ~ A strange, unusual or paranormal fading and/or disappearance of an object.
Demon ~ Hostile and resentful entity, supposedly of non-human origin, which some believe to be "fallen
(from grace) angels."
Doppelganger ~ A mirror image or double of a person. See also astral body
E
Ectoplasm ~ A semi-fluid substance exuded by a physical medium from which materializations may form
Electromagnetic Field ~ The field of force associated with electric charge in motion. It has both electric
and magnetic components and contains a definite amount of electromagnetic energy.
Electronic voice phenomena ~ Disembodied voices or sounds that are not hear by the human ear
but are captured on a recording device.
Electrokinesis ~ The the term used to describe the generation of electricity from the mind. This electricity
can then be used to do a variety of things, such as charging watches and batteries.
Elemental Spirit ~ A spirit associated with one of the classical four elements (fire, earth, air and water).
EMF Detector ~ A device that measures and detects changes in the electromagnetic field.
Entity ~ A spirit or non-material entity. Often used to refer to the personality of a deceased individual.
Evocation ~ The summoning of (often evil) spirits using a magical incantation or ritual
Exorcism ~ A religious or quasi-religious rite to drive out evil spirits
Extrasensory Perception (ESP) ~ Paranormal acquisition of information. Includes clairvoyance,
telepathy and precognition
Extraterrestrial ~ Originating beyond planet Earth. Not normally considered to be extradimensional
F
Fairy ~ A mythical small being with human form, popularly believed to possess magical powers and a
capability to interfere in human affairs (with either good or evil intent).
Focal Person ~ Person who is at the centre of poltergeist activity
Fortean Phenomena ~ Strange phenomena, especially those which challenge conventional scientific
knowledge. Named after the American researcher and writer Charles Fort. Fortean phenomena include
those generally considered paranormal, but also bizarre non-paranormal events such as monsters and
prodigies, extraordinary coincidences, and unusual rains.
G
Gargoyle ~ A name given to a grotesque carving which is usually in the form of a human or animal mouth,
head or body, projecting from the gutter of a building. This type of carving is often found in Gothic
architecture and its practical function is usually to act as a spout or drain to channel away rainwater. The
grotesque nature of the carving is also thought to serve as a frightening deterrent to ward off bad luck or
evil spirits.
Ghosts ~ Believed to be the spirits of dead people. When they appear, they are said to appear in bodily
likeness to living persons and often haunt their former habitats. Some believe that ghosts are the souls
of the deceased, demons or spirits.
Ghost hunting ~ Means literally what is says i.e. hunting for ghosts. Various research groups have been
set up to investigate the phenomenon of ghosts; some do it as a hobby and some take the subject
much more seriously.
Ghost lights ~ Strange, paranormal lights that have no scientific explanation, usually appearing n remote
areas.
Ghostly Transport ~ A phenomenon that challenges the commonly held view that ghosts are spirits of
the dead. There are a wide variety of reports about phantom vehicles or ghostly forms of transport some
forms reported more often than others.
Glossolalia ~ Unintelligible speech generally uttered in a dissociated or trance state. Also known as
"speaking in tongues".
Guardian Angel ~ An angel believed to protect the individual
H
Haunting ~ Paranormal phenomena such as apparitions, unexplained sounds, smells or other
sensations that are associated over a lengthy period of time with a specific location.
I
Incubus ~ A demonic entity capable of sexually arousing and sometimes assaulting women.
Infestation ~ Repeated and persistent paranormal phenomena.
Intelligent Haunting ~ Paranormal activity that takes place around a person or location that is caused by
an intelligent or conscious spirit. The spirit has the ability to see people and try to interact with them.
J
Jersey Devil ~ "the supposed mythical creature of the New Jersey Pinelands, has haunted New Jersey
and the surrounding areas for the past 260 years. This entity has been seen by over 2,000 witnesses
over this period. It has terrorized towns and caused factories and schools to close down, yet many
people believe that the Jersey Devil is a legend, a mythical beast, that originated from the folklore of the
New Jersey Pine Barrens.
K
L
Levitation ~ The phenomenon or ability of a person or thing to rise into the air and float in apparent
defiance of gravity by apparently supernatural means
Lore ~ Collective beliefs and legendary relating to a subject
M
Malevolent ~ A malevolent spirit is one that wishes to do harm.
Manifestation ~ The appearance or taking of form of an entity
Materialisation ~ The strange, unusual or paranormal formation of an object(s) and/or human figure(s)
that manifests or appears.
Matrixing ~ When the mind attempts to manifest images as something they are not. "filling in the blanks"
Mediums ~ Persons who claim they can communicate with and even rely messages from deceased
persons. These messages are thought to come from the beyond the grave and are normally intended
for the living relatives of the deceased. Typically some mediums appear to be more "accurate" than
others and many mediums profess to seeing deceased persons, or hearing their voices since early
childhood.
N
NDE’s (Near Death Experiences) ~ This phenomenon is usually experienced when someone is really
close to death. Often persons who have experienced a near death experience report a feeling of having
left their physical body, moving through a darkness or tunnel, encountering the presences of deceased
loved ones, and sometimes other entities which have been likened to both God and the Devil.
Necromancy ~ The practice of communicating with the dead to obtain knowledge of the future, others'
secrets, and so forth.
O
Occultism ~ Esoteric systems of belief and practice that assume the existence of mysterious forces and
entities.
OOBE (Out of Body Experience) ~ Probably one of the most reported and documented forms of astral
projection. It is thought to be when a person's consciousness leaves the physical body. Out of body
experiences are often associated with accidents or anesthesia.
Ouija Board ~ An instrument which allegedly can be used to contact or channel spirits of the deceased.
P
Paranormal ~ Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation: such paranormal
phenomena as telepathy; a medium's paranormal powers. Ghosts, spirits, and even U.F.O.s are
considered paranormal.
Paranormal Mist ~ Swirling energy that resembles fog illuminated by light. It has been captured in still
photos and video and is usually white and luminous in nature, although occasionally it is red. It is also
called ectoplasm.
Parapsychology ~ Term coined by J.B. Rhine to refer to the experimental and quantitative study of
paranormal phenomena. Now generally used instead of 'psychical research' to refer to all scientific
investigation of the paranormal
Phantasm ~ An apparition
Phantomania ~ Paralysis that occurs when someone is under attack from supernatural or preternatural
forces, also known as psychic paralysis.
Possession ~ A persons body, spirit, and conscience being taken over by a ghost, demon, or other
entities.
Poltergeist ~ German word meaning noisy or troublesome spirit. Poltergeist activity may include
unexplained noises, movements of objects, outbreaks of fire, floods, pricks or scratches to a person's
body. Unlike hauntings, which are associated with specific locations, poltergeists typically focus on a
person (the focal person or poltergeist agent) who is often a young child or adolescent
Precognition ~ The paranormal awareness of future events
Preexistence ~ Belief that the personality or soul exists prior to birth
Premonition ~ An experience believed to foretell future events
Presence ~ A subjective feeling that a person, animal or discarnate entity is present
Psychokinesis ~ Objects being manipulated from afar either happening suddenly or on purpose by
someone with this paranormal ability.
Psychometry ~ The practice of gaining paranormal insights or knowledge from a physical object which
is used as a focus.
Q
R
Reincarnation ~ The spirit of a deceased person being reborn into another body to live a new life.
Retrocognition ~ Paranormal knowledge of past events
Residual Haunting ~ Believed to be a psychic imprint of a scene that keeps repeating itself. With this type
of haunting no interaction with the ghost occur.
S
Séance ~ A group effort to contact the spirit world. In standardized format, the lighting of the chamber in
which the séance is conducted is subdued, and the participants sit around the table, either holding
hands or with hands palm down, flat against the table's surface and with fingertips touching those of the
adjacent partners.
Shadow People ~ Shadow people are a supernatural phenomenon seen as a dark form at the edge of a
field of vision that disintegrates, or moves between walls, within a split second. Shadow people have no
human featues and never trys to communicate.
Shaman ~ A tribal priest who, following much preparation and rite of initiation, uses the forces of magic to
effect healings and divinations.
Shape-Shifting ~ Paranormal ability to assume the form of another person, an animal or other entity.
Soul ~ The non physical core of a living being that exists even after their body has died.
Sleep Paralysis ~ An (often frightening) state of seeming to being awake but unable to move
Spectre ~ A ghost or apparition
Spirit ~ Another name for soul or it can also be a paranormal force of some kind.
Stonehenge ~ An arrangement of mysterious stones standing at Salisbury plain. Stonehenge consists
of two circles, the outer one being sarsen stone (sandstone) pillars, formerly supporting lintels (only six
remain), the inner one of blue stones.
Spirit Photography- Photographs of figures or faces, believed by some to be those of deceased
persons.
Spontaneous Human Combustion ~ Refers to cases in which a badly burned human body has been
discovered in circumstances suggesting that the fire originated spontaneously in or on the body of the
victim
Stigmata ~ Unexplained markings on a person's body that correspond to the wounds of Christ
Succubus ~ A demonic entity said to inspire lust in men and then assaulting them.
T
Table-Tilting ~ These are the movements which tend to come from the table which is used during a
séance. It normally occurs when there are a group of people with their hands on the surface of the table
used in the séance. Some believe that these movements constitute spirit communications and others
believe that it is simply the participants moving the table themselves.
Telekinesis ~ Paranormal movement of objects
Telepathy ~ Paranormal awareness of another person's experience (thoughts, feelings, etc.). In practice
it is difficult to distinguish between telepathy and clairvoyance
Teleportation ~ The strange, unusual or paranormal movement of an object to another place.
Trance ~ A dissociated state of consciousness, generally involving reduced awareness of surroundings
and external events
Trance Medium ~ A person who enters a state of trance in order to produce mediumistic phenomena
U
Ufology ~ The study of UFOs or Unidentified Flying Objects.
Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) ~ Unexplained sightings of lights or objects in the sky, often taken to be
evidence of extraterrestrial visitations
V
Vampires ~ Mythical creatures who try to avoid their own deaths and demise by literally sucking out the
blood of their victims. The fear of vampires has been around for a very long time. Indeed there are a
number of countries such as: Bulgaria, Russia, the Orient, Babylon and Greece that have been cited as
being the origins of the vampire lore.
Voodoo ~ A spiritist and ancestor religion, originating in Africa, and now found predominantly in Haiti,
Jamaica and Cuba. Magical rites, trance states and possession all play a major role in Voodoo
Vortex ~ A vortex is a form of paranormal energy in the shape of a whirlwind or cylinder. A popular belief
is that they are some kind of portal or doorway between this world and the spirit world.
W
Whistling Ghosts ~ A phenomenon that is native to a tiny coral isle in the Southern Gilbert Group. The
whistling ghosts are also known as the taani-kanimomoi or whistlers. They are believed to be the
ghosts of newly deceased relatives, who live in the air and fly up and down the islands learning
everything that is going on. They are said to pass on their knowledge to anyone capable of
understanding their whistling speech.
X
Xenoglossy ~ The ability to speak or write in a language that has not been learned
Y
Yeti ~ A creature usually described as a shaggy man-beast that is only ever briefly seen moving across
snow swept landscapes, leaving behind very large footprints. The yeti is also known as the abominable
snowman.
Z
