Glossary of Paranormal Definitions

 

One of our members who is also a Paranormal Investigator, Randy Williams (bean), has contributed with this Glossary of Paranormal Definitions to put up here on the site.

 

 

Alien Abduction: The act of having been taken, kidnapped or abducted by creatures or beings from a different planet or galaxy.

 

Aliens: Creatures or beings that come from other planets, galaxies, universes or even a different dimension. Sometimes referred to as extra-terrestrials.

 

Amulet: An object that is worn, believed to have the ability or power to ward off evil spirits, witchcraft or disease.

Jewelry worn for protection against things considered to be bad.

 

Angel: A spiritual or celestial being superior to humans in power and intelligence sent to earth as a messenger, protector, or to help someone in their transition to the afterlife.

 

Anomalous Phenomena: Any strange naturally occurring phenomena that science cannot define or explain.

 

Anomaly: Something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified. An irregular image that appears on either photos or videos taken by film or digital media.

Apparition: The appearance or image of a deceased person. Apparitions are often seen from a distance or in the peripheral vision. A full-bodied apparition shows the whole body. More commonly, a partial apparition will only appear as a portion of the body such as, from the waist up, arms, or legs. Apparitions can appear to "float" without contacting the ground. They can appear as white, gray, or a solid black.

 

Apport: The sudden appearance of an object or objects that previously disappeared during a haunting, that seem to come from nowhere.

 

Archangel: An order or hierarchy of angels. In medieval angelology, archangels were high ranking angels who belonged to the eighth of the nine ranks of the Celestial Hierarchy.
Pseudo-Dionysus, a scholar, gave us possibly one of the best known forms of the Celestial Hierarchy.
1) Michael-Who is as God, patron of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness.
2) Gabriel-God is my strength, patron of communications and postal workers.
3) Raphael-God has healed, patron of travelers.
4) Uriel-Fire of God.
5) Chamuel-He who sees God.
6) Jophiel-Beauty of God.
7) Zadkiel-Righteousness of God.
8) Raguel-Friend of God
9) Remiel-Mercy of God.
10) Sariel-Command of God.
11) Raziel-Secret of God.

 

Asport: The disappearance or movement of an object or objects during a haunting that will reappear again at a later time.

 

Astral Body: The astral body refers to the concept of a *subtle body which exists alongside the physical body, as a vehicle of the soul or higher consciousness. It is usually understood as a being of an emotional nature and, as such, it is equated to the desired body or emotional body.

However, some philosophies conceive that the astral body is a body made of ether, the soul body, built by each individual during the current **evolutionary stage, which is said to give support to the desire, emotional, body during the ***astral projection.

New Age thought incorporates many ****theosophical ideas, including the concept of subtle bodies and planes of existence. While there is no consensus position, the general idea is that the Astral body corresponds to the astral plane which is sometimes also referred or called the 5th dimension. The astral body is also widely understood here as the subtle body in which astral projection or OBE occurs. The term "light body" is sometimes used in this context.

*Subtle Body: According to the teachings of Yoga and various esoteric, occult and mystical teachings, human beings are constituted not only by a gross physical form but by a series

of energetic psycho-spiritual subtle bodies each of increasing subtlety and metaphysical

significance.

**Spiritual Evolutions: The philosophical, theological, esoteric or spiritual idea that nature and human beings and/or human culture evolve along a predetermined cosmological pattern or ascent, or in accordance with certain pre-determined potentials.

***Astral Projection: A paranormal interpretation of an out-of-body experience achieved either awake or via lucid dreaming or meditation.

****Theosophy: A doctrine of religious philosophy and metaphysics originating with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. In this context, theosophy holds that all religions are attempts by the "spiritual hierarchy" to help humanity in evolving to greater perfection, and that each religion therefore has a portion of the truth.

 

Astral travel/projection: This is a process in which a human spirit can travel outside the physical body. Also known as Out Of Body Experience, OBE or OOBE.

 

Automatic Writing: The ability to write messages or text without being consciously aware of what is being written. At times, automatic writing is done with the assistance from spirits, spirit guides, Angels or other spirit beings. It is often used in conjunction when trying to channel a spirit or entity into yourself. This can be dangerous. As with all channeling methods you are opening a doorway and have no control over who or what may come through, and no way to make it leave and "close the door".

 

Ball Lightning: An unusual phenomena and exceedingly varied in form. Typical descriptions include a spherical shape of any color and ranging in size from a marble to a football. Normally the appearance of ball lightning coincides with a thunderstorm. The phenomenon can materialize within confined spaces and buildings and their duration can be anywhere from seconds to minutes. It is common for the spheres of ball lightning to appear as if they have a "sense" of direction or "purposeful" motion rather that simply drifting around.

 

Banshee: Found in Scottish and Irish folklore, this is a female spirit which is believed to be an omen of impending death. It is said that when a banshee is heard outside a home, wailing, screaming or groaning, someone will die within the residence.

 

Base Line Readings-BLR: The recording of environmental conditions at the onset of an investigation. Such conditions include temperature, electro magnetic fields, humidity, etc. Base Line Readings are used as a control to judge changes during the investigation.

Black Eyed Kids (BEK): Children or younger appearing spirits that have eyes black as coal with no sign of an iris or pupil, and said to be possible demons or ghosts. A feeling of dread or uneasiness is often felt when in proximity or contact with one of these beings. There has never been an explanation as to why the eyes are black but it is thought to be representative of evil.

 

Case Study: An in-depth investigation of an individual subject or haunting.

An intensive analysis of an individual or location stressing developmental factors in relationship to environment in respect to paranormal activity.

 

Celestial: Relating to, or referring to the Divine, Heaven, the Spirit or a Heavenly place. A god or and angel. The term, Celestial Bodies is used when describing the planets and galaxies as they also refer to the heavens and the sky.

 

Clairaudience: Means clear hearing, a psychic ability which enables someone to hear voices or noises unheard by other people.

Clairgustance: Means clear tasting, a psychic ability which enables someone to experience a sense of taste associated with a spirit.

 

Clairvoyance: Means clear seeing, a psychic ability to see an object, people or events not perceived by the 5 senses.

 

Contagion: The action of being followed by a paranormal entity, such as an earthbound spirit from an investigation or a haunted location.

 

Cold Spot: A small localized or defined area of intense cold, dropping at least 10 degrees colder than the surrounding area that cannot be explained by natural, mechanical or scientific causes for example, drafty windows or doors, vent systems, breezes or weather conditions.
In the paranormal field it is believed that when an entity is trying to manifest itself it will draw on energy sources, one being the heat energy that is found in the air. As the entity draws the heat out of the air to manifest, that specific location will experience a temperature drop.

 

Crisis Apparition: Visions of a person or people, to a loved one or close friend, who at the time of their appearance are experiencing some form of crisis or illness. The sick or dying person will send out an image, telepathically, of themselves to someone they have had a close relationship with.

Crossroads: A point where two roads intersect believed to hold supernatural energy.

Cryptozoology: The study of and search for animals and especially legendary animals such as Sasquatch, the Skunk Ape, Mothman, etc. usually in order to evaluate and substantiate the possibility of their existence.

 

Crystals: A body that is formed by the solidification of a chemical element, a compound, or a mixture and has a regular repeating internal arrangement of its atoms and often external planes.

Crystals are formed in caves, cavities or hollows in the earth's surface, growing from natural solutions in a fixed pattern. This pattern will vary with the different types of crystals. The crystals patterns are believed to interact with a person's aura or energy field producing many different benefits. Crystals are often used in healing or communicating during a seance.

Agate: Calming and/or general healer.

Amethyst: Spiritual gem, general healer, helps insomnia, stress conditions or nervousness.
Blue Lace Agate: Helps clear mental and emotional conflict, and calming.

Moss Agate: Helps memory, good for energy, general tonic, helps the skin, blood and digestion.

Jasper: Helps the kidneys, liver, epilepsy, and improves the sense smell.

Malachite: For asthma, rheumatism, and ulcers.

Quartz: Energy giving crystal, good for development, general healer.

Rose Quartz: Relieves migraines and headaches, aids the imaginations and calms the emotions.

Turquoise: Absorbs harmful vibrations, a sacred stone and a great protector.

 

Death: The point in time where all life sustaining functions cease, believed to be when a person either passes on to the next "plane", or remains on the earthly "plane" as a spirit or ghost.

 

Deathbed Visions: This is a situation that is said to occur at a person's death where they are visited by a family member or friend that has already passed or died. The spirit is believed to be helping the dying person cross over to the other side, or to be helping the dying person with the transition from life to death. There have been documented cases where people dying will speak to or see other people not visible in the room that have already died.

 

Debunk: When a simple and logical non-paranormal explanation can account for a reported paranormal event. Even when a genuine paranormal event occurs, because of the ambiguity, an investigator has to reply on the debunking method as a scientific means of explanation.

 

Deja vu: The feeling of remembering scenes and events when experiencing them for the first time.

A feeling that one has seen or heard something before.

Something overly or unpleasantly familiar.

 

Delayed Crisis Image: The appearance of an apparition of someone that has died, hours after their demise.

Seeing a person hours after their death.

 

Dematerialize: To lose or appear to lose form, solidity or material substance.

To disappear or fade from visual existence.

 

Demon: A being or spirit which is said to have not resided on earth in the form of a human.

A source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin.

 

Demonic Haunting: A haunting by a spirit or entity of power that is not from a human form. Often, these hauntings will start out relatively simple and escalate quickly to stronger activity. A demonic haunting most often affects people or families that are already under great personal stress from conditions such as drug or alcohol use, emotional problems or psychological problems, family or marital problems. The entity will take advantage of the weakened psychological and emotional condition or state of mind.

 

Demonology: The study of demons.
There are specific "rules" set forth by God that govern what demons can and cannot do. This is scriptural. Some of these rules are as translated:
1. Demons would like nothing more than to sweep across the Earth and literally destroy all mankind. God does not allow that.
2. Demons cannot appear in whole/natural human form. They must have some obvious deformity, a missing limb or other body part, a twisted, grotesque face, etc.
3. Demons do not know the future.
4. Demons have to be invited in to your life either directly by calling for them, seeking them out, or by allowing them in which is why techniques as seances and Ouija Boards are dangerous.

 

Demonic Possession: The act by which a demonic spirit takes over a human being. This can also be in the form of a location where a demonic spirit will take over a building or house.

 

Disembodied Voice: A voice that is heard and has no known source or explanation.

 

 

Doppelganger: A spiritual or ghostly double or counterpart of a living person, especially one that haunts its human counterpart.

 

Dowsing: The ability to use a pair of rods, often metal, to locate sources of energy or most commonly, water.
In the paranormal field, Dowsing Rods are used to locate energy sources that could be of a paranormal nature.

 

Earthbound Spirit: A spirit bound to the earth plane usually referred to as a Ghost. This can occur for several reasons, an individual may not realize they have died, they may be afraid to move on to the next dimension, they may feel they have unfinished business or they feel they still need to provide for or protect their loved ones.

 

Ectoplasm: An ethereal substance associated with the manifesting or dematerializing of a spirit or ghost.

The transparent presence of a ghost or spirit.

Ectoplasm usually appears in photos as a thick white smoke or mist in nearly straight lines. However, such mist can in fact be smoke, or condensed breath in the air.

A substance that produces spirit materialization and telekinesis.

 

Entity: A generic term used to define a paranormal spirit, ghost, or object.

 

E.V.P: Electronic Voice Phenomena: Believed that a spirit, ghost or soul can communicate from the "other side", this is a process by which these communications are picked up on an electrical audio recorder. Usually with "white noise" in the background, these communications or voices are not heard by an investigator at the time of recording.
EVPs are heard during the analysis of the information collected during an investigation on an audio recorder.

The hearing of unexplainable voices from an investigation that were not audible by the human ear during the investigation.

The ability to record voices from an unexplainable source on an audio recorder, answering machine, TV, or other electronic devices.

 

Ghost: A disembodied soul, the soul of a dead person, believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world and or to appear to the living in bodily likeness.

A spirit of a dead person believed to haunt a person or previous residence or location.

 

Haunting: The event of paranormal phenomena that can occur frequently in an area, building or location.

To visit or inhabit as a ghost or spirit.

The spirit of dead person that frequents a location, person or building.

 

 

Hot Spot: An area or location where frequent paranormal activity occurs.

A place of higher activity of paranormal phenomena.

 

Incubus: A demon taking male form that seeks sexual intercourse with a woman.

An evil spirit that lies on a female in their sleep.

 

Intuition: The ability to sense or know something without the use of the five natural senses; taste, sight, touch, hearing, or smell.

Imprint-Imprinting: It is believed that strong emotional events can leave an impression or recording in a location or furniture that can result in or cause a residual haunting.

 

Lights Out: The point in an investigation where all equipment has been set up and all electrical items, e.g.: lights, heaters, air conditioners, appliances etc, are turned off. Equipment used by the investigator during an investigation are more sensitive in the dark and better results are achieved.

 

Living Ghost: A spirit or ghost that is not the result of a human having lived on earth, sometimes referred to as angels, demons, devils, etc. These encounters are rare and usually very dramatic.

 

Matrix-Matrixing: Something within or from which something else originates, develops, or takes form. In the paranormal this is the mind seeing something from nothing or believing there is something from nothing. The mind forms its own conclusion as to the perception of sight. The correct term to use is Pareidolia, but Matrixing is commonly used among paranormal investigators.

Moment of Mortality: A manifestation of a spirit or ghost that occurs at the exact same time of death. Usually the manifestation of a close family member or friend at their time of death.

Near Death Experience: A form of spontaneous OBE, out of body experience, refering to a broad range of experiences associated with physiological, psychological and transcendental factors such as subjective impressions of being outside the physical body encompassing multiple sensations ranging from detachment from the body, extreme fear, security, total serenity, feelings of levitation, or warmth, the experience or interaction of a light interpreted as a deity, or the feeling or experience of absolute dissolution. NDEs are usually reported after someone has been pronounced dead, clinically dead, or very close to death.

 

Occult: Beyond human understanding, mysterious or secret.

Designating or of certain arts, studies, or practices, as magic, alchemy, or astrology, involving mysterious powers that some people believe can affect the way things happen. Something that deals with or is related to the Supernatural.

Usually something that is mysterious, hidden and not easily comprehended.

Orb: Orbs appear to be a form of energy of an unknown source which are believed to be created by spirits. They seem to defy gravity and change direction quickly. Orbs, usually caught with cameras, appear to be dense and emit their own energy source or light. False orbs tend to be transparent, pale white or blue. Recent studies show that 99.9% of all orbs are explainable and not paranormal.

 

Ouija Board: Ouija board, often pronounced "wee-gee" or called weegee box in English is any flat surface printed with letters, numbers, and other symbols to which a planchette or movable indicator points, supposedly in answer to questions from people at a seance. The fingers of the participants are placed on the planchette which then moves about the board to spell out messages.

Out Of Body Experience: Related to or involving a feeling of separation from one's body and of being able to view oneself and others from an external perspective.

 

Paranormal: Events or occurrences above and beyond the everyday experiences. Occurrences or events that can not be readily explained by known conventional reasoning or commonly accepted by science.

Pareidolia: The act by which the brain incorrectly interprets patterns of light, shadows or textures as being familiar patterns such as faces, or human forms, sometimes observed through the peripheral vision area.

Planchette: A device or pointer used with a Ouija Board, used to communicate with spirits or ghosts.

Poltergeist: A noisy, usually mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises, moving object and sometimes destructive behavior. They have been known to play pranks on human beings living in the house.

 

Precognition: Having knowledge of an event prior to the event happening.

Premonition: The insight or forewarning of a future event or activity.

Presence: The feeling that an unseen person, spirit, being or ghost is nearby, being there without your knowledge.

 

Residual Haunting: A haunting that stays in the same location replaying the same event over and over again, usually on a timed or rhythmic cycle or pattern. A Residual Haunting can sometimes cause electrical interference to occur. It is often compared to a video recording that automatically plays itself over and over.

 

Shadow People: Shadows referring to possible paranormal apparitions which appear as dark human forms of manifestation. The true nature of this type of paranormal event is still unknown and is the subject of much research.

 

Sixth Sense: The power of perception independent of the five senses:  touch, sight, smell, taste, or hearing.

 

Skeptic: A person disposed to having no decision on the validity of the paranormal, usually discrediting any evidence available.

A person that is yet undecided as to what is true.
A great asset to an investigative team being able to broaden the thought process and use critical thinking in order to determine whether something is paranormal in nature or not.

 

Specter: An unusual appearing ghostly figure or image.

A visible disembodied spirit or something that haunts or perturbs the mind.

 

Spirit: The essence, energy or soul of a living or deceased person, animal or being.

 

Succubus: A demon taking a female form who seeks sexual intercourse with a human male.

 

Supernatural: Of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe.

Relating to God, a God, demigod, spirit, or devil.

Departed from what is normal or usual especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature.

Attributed to an invisible agent, spirit or ghost.

 

Touched: The experiencing of physical contact from a spirit, ghost or other paranormal entity. This can include touching, pushing, tugging, scratching, or sometimes burning. Usually, physical injury is rare.

 

Ufology: The study of unidentified flying objects.

Vortex,Vortexes, Vortices: A concentrated area of high electromagnetic energy, usually brief in nature, found in photographs taken at paranormally active locations. They often appear as solid opaque white or silver tubes, elongated ovals or rods. They often have the appearance of being braided like a rope and care has to be taken to ensure it is not a camera strap. Another thing to note is that vortexes can sometimes be a result of taking photographs incorrectly (slow and fast shutter speeds).  A vortex is not a spirit, ghost or entity but believed to be a momentary portal or doorway to another dimension or realm that allows entities and other paranormal phenomena to enter into our world of existence. From the scientific approach, it is believed vortexes are associated and linked to the earth's own electromagnetic field.

Walpurgisnacht: German, The eve of May Day on which witches are believed to ride to an appointed rendezvous. It is also believed to be the night when the dead walk. Something, as an event or situation having a nightmarish quality, dated 1823

White Noise: A heterogeneous mixture of sound waves extending over a wide frequency range. The sound covers and combines all wavelengths and frequencies. In this manner, it is like the color White which is a combination of all colors. Hence the name: White Noise.

A constant background noise used in the paranormal field to set a "norm" for the collection of all sound waves for use in Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP's.

 

Wicca: A religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and practices of western Europe that affirms the existence of supernatural powers such as magic, and of both male and female deities who inhere in nature This religion emphasizes ritual observances of seasonal and life cycles.

A reconstruction of the Nature worship of tribal Europe, influenced by Nature worship traditions of other tribal peoples from many parts of the world.

 

Also known as; Goddess worshippers, witchcraft, Norse, Paganism, Neo-Paganism, Earth Religion, Druidism and Shamanism.

 

Wraith: A spirit or ghost that returns to avenge their own death