Apparition: the appearance of a ghost or spirit, usually taking the form of a visual image of a deceased individual in either real life or on film; there are apparitions based upon each of the five senses. Usually visual, auditory, tactile, or olfactory apparitions appear in conjunction with each other, but occasionally only one of the senses are involved. Very rarely is the sense of taste involved:
Visual: the appearance of a person who was commonly associated with the area in life
Auditory: sounds of walking, voices, doors opening, or battle sounds are the most common types of auditory apparitions
Olfactory: smells or odors, such as perfume (lavender is the most common) or cigar smoke, commonly associated with the area or an individual or event
Tactile: feeling a slight wind on a closed-off room, or a slight tug on a person’s clothing with nobody in the immediate vicinity (HTBAGH)
Augary: divination from auspices or omens; also, an instance of this (some believe that a broken mirror is an augary of seven year's bad luck) [Source: online dictionary]
Aura: energy or life force surrounding all living individuals. The color of an aura can determine the mood or physical condition of an individual. Spirits can sometimes use a physical aura for energy, thereby depleting the person whose energy was taken. (HTBAGH)
Aura: energy or life force surrounding all living individuals. The color of an aura can determine the mood or physical condition of an individual. Spirits can sometimes use a physical aura for energy, thereby depleting the person whose energy was taken. (HTBAGH)
Casting the Circle: creating a circle of protection before a ritual; or used in Wicca or witchcraft to begin a ritual
Clairalience: (“clear smelling”); the sense of psychic smelling or olfactory sensation by psychic means
Clairaudience: (“clear hearing/listening” or psychic hearing) people who have this gift are called clairaudient; they hear a voice inside their head, very common to hear your name called even though on one (physically) is there (EGHB); Clairaudient: one who hears clearly
Claircognizance: (“clear knowing or psychic knowing) psychic intuition and the ability to simply know an event about to take place or what happened in the past; no physical sensation is involved, it is simply a knowledge that comes (EGHB)
Clairgustance: (“clear tasting” or psychic sense of taste); the sense of psychic tasting or a taste in one’s mouth without actual material substance in one’s mouth
Clairsentience: (“clear feeling – touching, or physic feeling) the sense of psychic feeling, what people mean when they have a gut feeling or a hunch; when people have a feeling something is about to go wrong (EGHB)
Clairvoyance: (“clear seeing” or psychic seeing) perhaps the best known psychic skill; that of the ability to “see” an image, as if one is viewing the scene through your mind’s eye (EGHB); Clairvoyant: one who “sees clearly.”
Cryptomnesia: also spelled Cryptoamnesia, is a subconscious memory of material read many years previously; Cryptomnesia occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognised as such by the subject, who believes it is something new and original. (ITP)
Cryptozoology: the study of unusual, mythical or rare animals
Devil’s Mark: a mark that indicates a pact with the devil; the were often merely birthmarks or skin blemishes that were perceived to be the mark’s of the Devil.
Dream Communication: an experience in which the departed individual (spirit) can manifest in the form of a dream in order to communicate with the living; usually associated with the very recent death of the individual attempting to make contact in order to inform the dreamer of his or her death. (HTBAGH)
Epicenter: a person or persons that a poltergeist or haunting tends to focus upon; paranormal phenomena usually increase when the epicenter is present. (HTBAGH)
ESP: extrasensory perception; most individuals have this ability, although it can be dormant in their life. In many cases, a traumatic event may allow a percipient to actually communicate with the spirit of a dead individual. (HTBAGH)
Etiology: the study of causation or cause
EVP: electronic voice phenomena; asubset of ITC. The best (prime) time for recording EVPs, according to many EVP Teams, is 3 or 4 days before and after a full moon. NAPS has not found this to necessarily to be the case.
EVP Session: a session or time where one conducts recordings in an attempt to capture EVP
Five-Fold Kiss: tradition to show respect to a Catholic priest.
Ghost: in the case of a residual haunting, a ghost is a “recording” of one or more persons or objects that had either a repetitious routine or a very intense emotional experience. This “recording” is not sentient, but rather simply something that plays over and over, gradually losing energy over time. This recording can be recharged under certain circumstances, such as the appearance of certain individuals with like auras to the individual ghost(s). (HTBAGH)
Ghost Hunter: a person who investigates hauntings to find explanations for possible paranormal phenomena involved. According to Richard Southall, there are two types of ghost hunters: the first kind is the scientific hunter who uses scientific methods and equipment in order to make accurate calculations and observations about a haunting; the second type is the psychic or intuitive ghost hunter, who uses psychic impressions or intuition to learn about a haunted area (HTBAGH); N.A.P.S. trains and develops a third type of investigator, called a holistic paranormal investigator, who does both: we use science as far as scientific methods and research will take us (instruments, meters, cameras, recorders, research, interviews, etc.); then we use intuition, experience, deduction, and spiritual gifts of discernment to learn and state even more about a haunted area. (NAPS)
Ghost Hunting: generally refers to the action of setting out to find proof of afterlife-based paranormal activity. This is typically done in a location previously deemed as active (or full of 'ghosts').
Glossolalia: comprises the utterance of semantically meaningless syllables. Glossolalia is claimed by some to be an unknown mystical language others claim that glossolalia is the speaking of an unlearned foreign language. Glossolalic utterances sometimes occur as part of religious worship (religious glossolalia).
Golem: In Jewish tradition the golem is most widely known as an artificial creature created by magic, often to serve its creator. The word "golem" appears only once in the Bible (Psalms139:16). In Hebrew, "golem" stands for "shapeless mass." The Talmud uses the word as "unformed" or "imperfect" and according to Talmudic legend, Adam is called "golem," meaning "body without a soul" (Sanhedrin 38b) for the first 12 hours of his existence. The golem appears in other places in the Talmud as well.
Haunting: any repeated appearance of phenomena commonly associated with ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, or other entities; usually a combination of cold spots, apparitions, missing objects, and other forms of paranormal activity that tend to be witnessed by more than one person over an extended period of time. (HTBAGH)
Hellmouth: a site believed to be a portal for the demonic.
IC: Integrated Circuit, another way of referring to digital voice recorder
Initial Pause: upon turning on any audio recording equipment, pause before you do you initial tag or speak, because this is a prime time for something to be caught on tape.
ITC: Instrumental TransCommunication; associated with EVP (Source INT)
Kabbalah: a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between an eternal and mysterious Creator and the mortal and finite universe (His creation). While it is heavily used by some denominations, it is not a denomination in and of itself; it is a set of scriptures that exist outside the traditional Jewish Scriptures. Kabbalah seeks to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the nature and purpose of existence, and various other ontological questions. It also presents methods to aid understanding of these concepts and to thereby attain spiritual realization. Kabbalah originally developed entirely within the realm of Jewish thought and constantly uses classical Jewish sources to explain and demonstrate its esoteric teachings. These teachings are thus held by kabbalists to define the inner meaning of both the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and traditional rabbinic literature, as well as to explain the significance of Jewish religious observances. (WIK)
Kinesthesia: sensation of a paranormal presence nearby
Ley Lines: the hypothetical alignment between underground watercourses and various ancient holy sites; believed by some to possess a mystical energy, which would explain why so many paranormal events occur in their vicinity; Thomas Lethbridge one of first researchers to postulate the existence of them. (EGHB)
Maleficium: another word for sorcery; is a Latin term meaning "wrongdoing" or "mischief" and is used to describe malevolent, dangerous, or harmful magic, "evildoing" or "malevolent sorcery". In general, the term applies to any magical act intended to cause harm or death to people or property.
Matrixing: the name given to the way the human brain sometimes fools the eyes; it makes normal situations seem strange and puts faces where we least expect them.
Metempsychosis: literally "to animate the soul"; the passing of the soul at death into another body either human or animal [Source: Webster's online dictionary]
Necromancer: a person who uses divination to gain information from the world of spirits. Necromancers may use tarot cards, crystal balls, or séances and Ouija boards. They have been known to use the mummified hands of corpses or paws of animals. They open themselves up to paranormal influences and all the dangers inherent in that process. (Source EGHB, pg 39)
Necromancy: consulting or consorting with the dead; a form of magic in which the practitioner seeks to summon the spirit of a deceased person, either as an apparition or ghost, or to raise them bodily, for the purpose of divination. In Renaissance magic, necromancy (or nigromancy, by popular association with niger "black") was classified as a forbidden art, and Johannes Hartlieb (1456) lists demonology in general under the heading. The word necromancy derives from the Greek νεκρός (nekrós), "dead body", and μαντεία (manteía), "prophecy, divination". The compound νεκρομαντεία itself is post-classical, first used by Origen in the 3rd century. The classical Greek term is nekyia (ἡ νέκυια), in Hellenistic Greek also νεκυιομαντεία, rendered in Latin as necyomantia and in 17th century English as necyomancy. (WIK)
NDE: near death experience
Numinous: supernatural, mysterious; filled with a sense of the presence of divinity; Holy; appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense; spiritual [Source: Merriam-Webster online]
Occult: as an adjective: not revealed, secret, hidden from view; not easily understood or apprehended (abtruse, mysterious); not manifest or detectable by clinical methods alone; matters regarded as involving the action or influence of supernatural or supernormal powers or some secret knowledge of them [Source: Webster's online dictionary] OBE: out of body experience
Omen: an occurence or phenomenon believed to portend a future event; see Portent [Source: Webster's online dictionary]
Paranormal Investigation: in contrast to “ghost hunting,” paranormal investigation is performed by a team who sets out to collect evidence to prove or disprove claims or suggestions of paranormal activity. This is typically performed as a result of a client requesting assistance in validating or debunking claims of paranormal experiences.
Pareidolia: the pseudo-phenomena of “seeing faces in clouds” that is brought about often by the high expectation to see or experience something that is not there (also known as "matrixing"); a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse. The word comes from the Greek para – "beside", "with", or "alongside"—meaning, in this context, something faulty or wrong (as in paraphasia, disordered speech) and eidōlon – "image"; the diminutive of eidos – "image", "form", "shape". Pareidolia is a type of apophenia.
Phantomania: the paralysis that occurs when an individual is under attack by preternatural or supernatural forces; also known as psychic paralysis. Phantomania basically feels the same as Sleep Paralysis, but is often accompanied by scratches, and/or bruises on the body of the one trapped during the paralysis.
Plasma: is the fourth state of matter. Many places teach that there are three states of matter; solid, liquid and gas, but there are actually four. The fourth is plasma. To put it very simply, a plasma is an ionized gas, a gas into which sufficient energy is provided to free electrons from atoms or molecules and to allow both species, ions and electrons, to coexist. The funny thing about that is, that as far as we know, plasmas are the most common state of matter in the universe. They are even common here on earth. A plasma is a gas that has been energized to the point that some of the electrons break free from, but travel with, their nucleus. Gases can become plasmas in several ways, but all include pumping the gas with energy. A spark in a gas will create a plasma. A hot gas passing through a big spark will turn the gas stream into a plasma that can be useful. Plasma torches like that are used in industry to cut metals. The biggest chunk of plasma you will see is that dear friend to all of us, the sun. The sun's enormous heat rips electrons off the hydrogen and helium molecules that make up the sun. Essentially, the sun, like most stars, is a great big ball of plasma. (INT)
Polyglossia: multiple languages from the same area or source.
Portent: something that foreshadows a coming event; a prophetic indication or significance (a red sky can be a portent of a coming storm) [Source: Webster's online dictionary]
Preternatural: existing outside of nature; exceeding what is natural or regular; unexplainable by ordinary means; usually refers to demons or demonic activity
Preternatural: existing outside of nature; exceeding what is natural or regular; unexplainable by ordinary means; usually refers to demons or demonic activity
Quantum Jumping: a new age technique used to tap into your subconscious mind to draw out guidance and wisdom to help you progress toward your goals. It is based on the Theory of Parallel Minds (which is a blend of the Eastern Philosophy of Multiple Lives and Western Quantum Physics). (INT)
Reiki: a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some professional bodies. Through the use of this technique, practitioners claim to transfer healing energy in the form of ki through the palms. There are two main branches of Reiki, commonly referred to as Traditional Japanese Reiki and Western Reiki. Within both Traditional and Westernized forms of Reiki, there are three forms of degrees, commonly referred to as the First, Second, and Master/Teacher degree. According to Reiki practitioners and Masters, at First Degree, a Reiki practitioner is able to heal himself and others, at Second Degree is able to heal others distantly (commonly called distant healing) with the use of specialized symbols, and at Master level (specifically Master/Teacher level) is able to teach and attune others to Reiki. A 2008 systematic review of randomized clinical trials concluded that "..the evidence is insufficient to suggest that Reiki is an effective treatment.." for the conditions studied (depression, pain and anxiety, and others).
Remote Surveillance Plan: a plan and design on how, who, what, where, and when to exactly and thoughtfully conduct an EVP or Video Surveillance Session – planning the location of the “base” away from the primary target area of phenomena, so that chaos, clutter and activity are kept to a minimum in the main area of interest; who will be where, location of equipment and base, which equipment to use, time of session begin and end, etc. There are 2 types of Remote Surveillance Sessions: Covert and Overt (most are overt, because how can the spirit not know you are there?)
RVP: radio voice phenomena; subset of ITC.
Security Camera: a secondary (but very important) camera that is positioned to capture a shot of the primary camera in case of something happening; can be positioned across the room looking back at the primary, at right angles to or even behind the primary.
Scrying: gazing into reflective surfaces, crystal balls or black mirrors (even ink, water, or crystals – any reflective surface might be utilized); it is another form of divination, often used to foretell the future and communicate with the spirit world; practitioners are called “scryers;” the premise behind scrying is that when the person gazes into the reflective surface in the proper state of relaxation, he will see images that unfold either before him or in his mind’s eye – glimpse of a future time, a far-off place, or a past event. (Source EGHB, pg 39)
Shadow People: also called shadow men or shadow beings; a type of apparition; often described as black humanoid silhouettes, usually without any details, although sometimes reported a shaving red or yellow eyes; movements are often reported as being very jiggly and abnormal, or extremely slow and slippery, like a liquid shadow. (EGHB)
Simulacrum: an image or representation; a vague resemblance to something. The phenomenon of seeing a familiar shape or form such as a face in random combinations of shadow and light is known as pareidolia or matrixing, and the thing itself is called a simulacrum. It is very common to see what appears to be a face in smoke, clouds, jagged rocks, grass, dirt, water, flames, clouds of dust, visible gas, even rumpled clothing.
Spectrophilia: sexual attraction to ghosts; engaging in sexual activity with a ghost.
Surveillant: the investigator or “ghost hunter” performing the surveillance.
Tagging: the process of voicing any natural noises that you make or hear while recording, so that when listening to audio playback, the sound you hear is explained as being caused by you, or someone or something (such as a car passing by, or dropping a pen); done especially during EVP sessions; also involves the initial "stamping" of the recording by beginning the recording stating where you are, who is present, the time and date, the target of the session (if any) and any era cues or trigger objects being used. (by MCC)
Target: the spirit or area of past or recent phenomena under surveillance.
TVP: television voice phenomena; subset of ITC.
VIT: video instrumental trans-communication.
Voodoo: there is a separate entire Vocabulary post just for Voodoo which lists many of the terms related to Voodoo - please refer to that separate listing.
Witching Hour: 12:00 midnight; True Witching Hour: 3:00AM
Wraith: the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition (ghost, spector); an insubstantial form or substance; shadow; a barely visible gaseous or vaporous column [Source: Merriam-Webster online]
Xenoglossy: the putative phenomenon in which a person is able to speak a language that he or she could not have acquired by natural means. For example, a person who speaks German fluently and as a native would, but has never studied German, been to a German-speaking country, or associated with German-speakers, would be said to exhibit xenoglossy.
Xenology: the scientific study of all aspects of extraterrestrial life, intelligence, and civilization.
Source Codes
INT – Internet
ITP – Introduction to Parapsychology textbook
EGHB – The Everything Ghost Hunting Book, by
HTBAGH – How to be a Ghost Hunter, by Richard Southall
WIK – Wikipedia
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