Paranormal Vocabulary:

Afterlife- The place to which the human soul is believed to go after the body dies. Many people believe that a soul in the afterlife can contact the living, although it does not haunt the Earth.

Akasha- is believed by some mystical doctrines to be a mystical, spiritual substance where "memories" are stored since the beginning of time.  It is one of the five elements in Hindu philosophy and is often described as a form of atmosphere or ether.  The Akasha is thought by some to contain a record of everything that has ever happened, but also everything that will ever come to pass in the future.  Theosophists believe that persons with special psychic powers can tap into the Akasha or "Astral Light".  They achieve this by using their astral bodies or "astral senses" to search for spiritual insights which have been stored for all eternity.

Alchemy - The Science of turning the baser metals into gold or silver by chemical means. The byproduct, "Quicksilver," was thought to have magical powers. This was a very perfected science in Egyptian times and lasted all the way up into the 14th-16th Century A.D. when some of the alchemy methods were lost due to wars and fires that were amid in those times.

Angel- a spiritual being that is believed to be much more powerful than a human. Angels are composed of ethereal matter, thus allowing them to take on whichever physical form best suits their immediate needs. In Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other theologies an angel can be one who acts as a messenger, attendant or agent of God.

Animal Mutilation- a term which refers to cases of animal corpses (usually cattle), which have been found with strange injuries.  These injuries are often difficult to explain in terms of accident, predators and illness.  Often the corpse has missing body parts (e.g. genitals), has been drained of blood and many injuries appear to have been carried out with surgical precision.

Anomaly- Something that is different, abnormal, peculiar or not easily classified within a scientific aspect.

Anti-Christ -- Satan. The enemy of man and God who, according to many religious cultures, will establish a reign of evil on earth, before being overthrown by the second coming of Christ

Apparition – refers to a ghost, spirit, or dead person. The part of the human personality that survives the physical world after the death of the body. Usually a visual image.

Astral Projection-  is thought to be the process whereby our etheric body, spirit or mind separates from the physical body, while maintaining a level of consciousness.  Once separated from the physical body this etheric body then begins to operate at a higher frequency allowing it to travel on the astral plane.  This astral plane also operates at a higher frequency than that of the physical plane and can possibly be likened to the Akasha.

Aura- an emanation, breath or radiation that is invisible to the naked eye. It is often thought to be an invisible surrounding glow emanating from each individual.  Some persons believe that they can actually see the aura of a person and depending on its color and form, this is taken as an indication of the mental and physical well being of that person.  Kirlian photography deals with the supposed art of photographing this type of phenomena.

AUTOMATIC WRITING or AUTOMATIC ART - To freely channel your higher self or another soul's words, music, or art without the interruptive interference of the mind.

Banishing: Formal, ceremonial, procedure to cast an invisible presence or influence out from an area. This term can refer to a spiritual cleansing.

Banshee- is a name given to a female spirit, which can be found in Irish and Scottish folklore.  The wail of a banshee is associated with the foretelling of an imminent death in the house, outside of which the banshee has previously visited.  An omen of impending death in a house, a banshee is a female entity said to herald death by groaning and screaming.

Benign Spirit - A spirit that is not evil or harmful to man. Angels and spirit guides fall into this category as would spirits of loved ones that come back to tell us something.

Bilocation - When an object is seen in two locations at the same time. Padre Pio was said to exhibit bilocation.

Black Dogs- There are countless reports of phantom like creatures of canine form, which have been termed, black dogs, devil dogs or hellhounds. Allegedly they are as large as Labradors or Alsatians and are usually described as being black, often with shaggy coats.  They are said to exude a distinctly sulphurous smell and their crimson eyes glow like fire.  Although appearing to be solid they can apparently disappear at will, sometimes in a fiery explosion. It is said that anyone who touches one of these beasts usually dies shortly afterwards.  Even the act of seeing a black dog is believed to be an omen of doom. These beasts are said to frequent more restricted localities such as a specific country lane, churchyard or riverbank.  They are not known for straying very far from their established territory that is often associated with ancient monuments, or ley lines marking out postulated channels of earth energy.

Channeling- Uses communication with the paranormal through a state of trance. Some channellers allow the spirit to use their vocal chords to communicate. Others choose to let the spirit through by allowing them to use their hearing, vision and intuition.

Clairvoyance - To have lucid mental perceptions and keen insights about people and life situations and to have clear visual mental images, pictures, to "see" auras and other psychic phenomena.

Cold spot - an isolated area of dramatically decreased temperature in contrast to the ambient air temperature of the surrounding area.

Curse - To speak a wish of evil against someone or call down forces to hurt someone.

Crypto-zoology: The branch of paranormal research, which deals with the exploration of legendary creatures such as Bigfoot, lake and sea monsters, thunderbirds, etc. It should be noted that the Giant Squid (the "Kraken"), orangutans (the "Red Men of the Forest"), Komodo Dragons and gigantic Nepalese elephants all were formerly included in the roster of fabled creatures!

Deja Vu - Certain events and experiences seem as if you are re-experiencing the event or situation that has happened at another time. As familiar as the experiences are, you cannot recall nor figure out when they happened.

Demon: Hostile and resentful entity, supposedly of non-human origin, which some believe to be "fallen (from grace) angels.

Demonology - One who studies and practices the art of demonology. An individual who specializes in the removal of evil or demonic forces from a given environment using the art of demonology.

Discarnate - Spirits that exist without a physical body.

DMILS - Abbreviation of Direct Mental Interaction with Living Systems. Used to denote instances where one person is attempting to influence a distant biological system, usually the physiology of another person. As it is unclear whether this represents an influence (see psychokinesis), a case of ESP on the part of the influencee (see ESP) or an opportunistic selection process, the term 'interaction' has been adopted.

Dowsing - To be able to find underground water and/or underground minerals. Some use dowsing rods to detect graves and/or the presence of energy thought to be spirits.

Doppleganger- Also known as a fetch, this ghost is supposed to be the double of a living human being. If people are unfortunate enough to see their own doppelganger , it can be an omen that they will die in the near future.

Ectoplasm – a cloudy or mist like substance that may materialize after an orb and before an apparition. It is said to possibly be the energy of a spirit before any manifestation occurs. Usually a milky white vaporous color.

Empathy - the popular usage of this term refers to a low-level form of telepathy wherein the empath appears to be aware of the emotional state of a distant person. An empath may also be able to "broadcast" emotions to others.

ESP - Extrasensory perception (ESP) is the knowledge of external objects or events. A sixth sense beyond the five man already uses. Animals seem to have it.

Electronic Voice Phenomena - E.V.P: Disembodied "voices" and sounds imprinted on audio recording devices, audible remarks of seemingly paranormal origin on sound recording media, such as reel-to-reel tapes, audio cassettes, video tapes and recently, computers.

Exorcism: Ceremonial expulsion of invading spiritual/demonic entities from a person or dwelling, present in virtually every worldly culture. The Jewish and Catholic Christian faiths each have a formal 'Rite of Exorcism' to be conducted by the respective Rabbi or Priest

Extra-terrestrials: Life forms originating on planets other than our own. This term usually refers to highly advanced visitors from other worlds, who journey to our sphere in spacecrafts with the probable intention of observing and studying our species.

Fading Ghosts- A haunting ghost often fades away with time. But there are stories of ghosts of Roman legionaries which have been haunting for at least 1,600 years

Faith Healing - To know that you and others can heal yourselves by simply believing it.

Ghost: The image of a person witnessed after his/her death, reflecting the appearance of the living, physical body yet less substantial. These forms often seem to exist in a dream-like state of semi-awareness, at times though not always cognizant of their human observers.

Ghost Hunting/Investigating- The use of investigations to determine whether a location is actually haunted or can be scientifically be explained using natural explanations.

Hallucination- An image which seems real, even though it does not physically exist.

Haunting: The manifestation of a ghostly presence, or presences, attached to a specific locale. A materialization/appearance of an often-unexplained happening repeated often and over a period of time. Hauntings are usually connected to a certain place or residence.

Incubus: Stemming from medieval lore, a demonic entity capable of sexually arousing and sometimes assaulting human females. Cases of apparent incubus attacks continue to be documented, suggesting a germ of reality behind the myth.

Inner Voice - Receiving guidance and assistance from inside of you.

Intuition- Act of knowing without the use of usual rational processes.  Based partly on subconscious pattern association of known information, and partly on subconscious psi impressions.

Kirlian Photography - The photographing of the human aura. Two Russian scientists, Semyon and Valentina Kirlian founded this process.

Knowingness/Intuition- To get information without knowing where it came from.

Ley Lines- were 're-discovered' by a man called Alfred Watkins (1855-1935), on the 30th June 1921.  'Ley lines, or Leys, are alignments of ancient sites stretching across the landscape. Ancient sites or holy places may be situated in a straight line ranging from two to several miles in length.  A ley may be identified simply by an aligned placing of marker sites, or it might be visible on the ground for all or part of its length by the remnants of an old straight track.' Ley lines and water lines are found at most ancient monuments and sacred places such as Stone Henge. These magnetic lines and underground water systems are thought by some to be an easy way for spirits to travel or move around by using the extra energy supplied by this naturally occurring earth phenomenon. 

Lucifer: Name taken from the Latin "luci" (light) and "fere" (to bear), originally a Roman lesser deity, "Son of the Morning," formerly the name for the planet Venus when observed at dawn, in Christian theology indentified with the Devil: arch regent of fllen angels. Lucifer is sometimes called upon in pagan ceremonies and rituals. (See also Satan)

Marshlights- Shimmering, moving flames that are sometimes seen at night in marshes and other wet areas. They are also known as Will-o'-the wisps. Marsh lights are caused when the gases of rotting vegetation begin to burn of their own accord. It was once said that they were the tiny ghosts of young children.

Mediums- A 'sensitive' person who attempts to communicate with the paranormal.

Moon Madness: As the Lunar cycle waxes to its full point, incidents of psychotic behavior, violence and crime seem to escalate. To a lesser degree, the phase of the New Moon seems correlated to a rash of abnormal behavior. Current understanding of human psychology and physiology refutes the observation that our moon can exert significant influence on the human mind, 'though statistics support it. (Hence the term "lunatic" for crazy person.)

Moon Phases- displays the moon's current phase and estimates the time of the next full moon, using a calculation of the moon's rotation and the date. Paranormal activity is thought to increase during a full moon due to the increased magnetic field.

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.

Night Vision ^TM - a trademark used for a technology that enables vision at night, as by amplification of low light to create visible images or by detection of infrared wavelengths.

Orb – a sphere of light energy that may appear as a white or colored light indicating a possible spirit.

Optical Illusion- An instance in which people's eyes play tricks on them. What they see at that moment is not really there at all.

Ouija (Board): A divining implement consisting of a small, round or more often rectangular platform with letters, numbers and various symbols printed upon it, and a "plancette" which, when the fingers of two participants are lightly placed along its edges, is intended to glide across the smooth surfaces of the inscribed platform and indicate messages. Conceived of as a parlor game in the wake of popular spiritualism, this is potentially a very dangerous tool for inviting in unpredictable, invasive forces. Experienced researchers vehemently advise against their usage.

OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE or ASTRAL PROJECTION - To be able to leave your physical body and project your soul, consciousness or what appears to be your mind to another place.

Paranormal: The realm of occurrences and phenomena removed from those which people are accustomed and comprehend, and presently uncategorized by standard academia.

Parapsychology - Literally beyond psychology. The study of apparent new means of communication, or interaction, between organisms and their environment (commonly referred to as psi, or psychic ability), beyond those presently understood by the scientific community.

Past Life Recall- To remember or have mental flashes about living in another lifetime.

Phantom- Another term for a ghost. Yet another word for a ghost is spectre.

Poltergiest- A general term applied to a variety of site-, or sometimes person-, specific physical phenomena. These can include temperature variations, anomalous sounds, and movement of physical objects. The word 'poltergeist' literally means 'noisy spirit' and was coined back when such phenomena were thought to be due to the presence of some sort of mischievous entity. Currently, poltergeist phenomena are usually considered to be related either to unusual physical conditions at the affected site, or to be related to psychokinesis. Anecdotal reports suggest that many poltergeist focuses on an individual under some form of emotional stress.

Precognition- Pre-knowing; where nondeductible information about a future event is acquired.

Precognitive Dreams - To have dreams of events or incidents before they happen.

Prediction- To be able to predict future events before they occur.

PSI - A general term for parapsychological phenomena that includes informational (RV, ESP) and energetic (PK) effects. Psi, or Y, is the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet.

Psychic - Popular term used to denote a person who regularly uses, or who appears to be especially gifted with, psi abilities. Also refers to general phenomena related to the mind (from Greek psyche).

Psycokinesis(PK) - See Telekinesis.

Psychometry - To touch an object with your hands and get information about the object, it's creator, its owner, or it's history.

Reincarnation: The belief that a person's soul will, following bodily death, inhabit a new body in a long cycle of rebirths, purportedly for the soul's evolution through gaining experience.

Remote Viewing (RV) - Ability to access distant or shielded information primarily of visual character, such as natural or structural features, via an unknown mental process. RV can include other sensory modes, such as feelings, motion, or sound. Some individuals associate specific approaches, or protocols, with RV. Other similar terms: remote perception, enhanced perception, extrasensory perception (ESP).

Residual Haunting – a haunting or spirit that does not interact with or recognize anyone else as being there. A replay of a past traumatic emotional event over and over. Some describe it as though it is a film loop or tape playing itself over and over.

Séance: A group effort to contact the spirit world. In standardized format, the lighting of the room 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. A candle generally is set on the center of the table. The appointed director or "medium" addresses the spirit(s) with whom contact is sought.

Sensitive – a person or medium that has the ability to detect spirit energy with more awareness than the average person through some or all of their senses.

Smudging - smudging is the burning of sacred herbs in tribal cleansing, purification, and prayer ceremonies.

Soul- The spirit of a person. It is not part of the physical body and it cannot be touched or seen. It is believed to be immortal, surviving after the body dies.

Spirit- The essence of a person that is said to remain after death.

Spirit Photography – phantom-like figures or exact replications of deceased people that appear on photographs. One may also see whitish spots, “lights”, or “flashes” on the photographs.

Subliminal Perception - Sensory impressions below the threshold of conscious awareness.

Superstition- A not always rational belief that certain objects and actions have supernatural meanings and in some way can bring about unlikely events, or good or bad luck

Supernatural- Departing from what is usual or normal, especially if it appears to defy the laws of nature

TELEKINESIS , PSYCHOKINESIS, LEVITATION - To move an object or your body without physical means.

Telepathy - To know what others are thinking as if to hear thoughts in your head. Thought transference including the sending and receiving of thoughts.

Time Travel - To project your soul's consciousness out of your body and into a past or future time.

Tone Healing - Your tone of voice affects others by disturbing, catalyzing, soothing, lulling, inspiring and quite often healing them.

Touch Healing - To impart through your hands soothing and healing vibrations of energy.

Vampire: An entity in the form of a deceased person, which perpetuates itself by draining the blood or psychic energy of the living.

Vortex – a term used to describe a flash of light sometimes bent at odd angles. Sometimes looks like it is made up of numerous small orbs.