Here you will find definitions to many of the most-used terms in the paranormal field.

 

APPARITION - spiritualistic manifestation of a person or object in which a form not actually present is seen with such intensity that belief in its reality is created. The ancient and widespread belief in apparitions and ghosts (specters of dead persons) is based on the idea that the spirit of a man, or of any object, is endowed with volition and motion of its own. Apparitions, especially particular shapes attached to certain legends or superstitions, are often considered as premonitions or warnings. They may appear in any form and may manifest themselves to any or all the senses. The most evil apparitions are said to be those of persons who have died violent or unnatural deaths, those with guilty secrets, and those who were improperly buried. However, not all apparitions are believed to be dangerous; many, especially those associated with a particular religion, are thought to be signs of divine intervention. Summoning apparitions by means of incantations, crystal gazing, polished stones, hypnotic suggestion, and various other ways is one of the oldest practices of divination divination, practice of foreseeing future events or obtaining secret knowledge through communication with divine sources and through omens, oracles, signs, and portents.

ASTRAL PLANE - The astral plane, also called the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical (particularly neo-Platonic), mediaeval, oriental and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions. It is the world of the planetary spheres, crossed by the soul in its astral body on the way to being born and after death, and generally said to be populated by angels, spirits or other immaterial beings.

CLAIRAUDIENCE - a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires information by paranormal auditory means. Clairaudience is essentially the ability to hear in a paranormal manner, as opposed to paranormal seeing (clairvoyance) and feeling (clairsentience). Clairaudience may refer not to actual perception of sound, but may instead indicate impressions of the "inner mental ear" similar to the way many people think words without having auditory impressions. But it may also refer to actual perception of sounds such as voices, tones, or noises which are not apparent to other humans or to recording equipment. For instance, a clairaudient person might claim to hear the voices or thoughts of the spirits of persons who are deceased. Clairaudience may be positively distinguished from the voices heard by the mentally ill when it reveals information unavailable to the clairaudient person by normal means (including cold reading or other magic tricks), and thus may be termed "psychic" or paranormal.

CLAIRSENTIENCE - a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person acquires psychic knowledge primarily by means of feeling. The word is from the French clair, “clear,” + sentience, “feeling,” and is ultimately derived from the Latin clarus, “clear,” + sentiens, derived from sentire, “to feel”.

CLAIRVOYANCE - The term Clairvoyance (from 17th century French with clair meaning "clear" and voyance meaning " vision") is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception. A person said to have the ability of clairvoyance is referred to as a clairvoyant ("one who sees clearly"). Claims for the existence of paranormal and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance are highly controversial. Parapsychology explores this possibility, but the existence of the paranormal is not accepted by the scientific community.

COLD SPOT - Cold spot is a term used by paranormal practitioners to describe an area of localized coldness or sudden drop in temperature that they claim to be the result of paranormal activity.

DEBUNK (DEBUNKING EVIDENCE or PARANORMAL ACTIVITY): Reported paranormal evidence or paranormal activity is said to be "debunked" when a simple, logical and non-paranormal explanation can account for the reported event(s). Even if the activity is genuinely paranormal, if a simple and reasonable explanation can also be applied, because of this ambiguity a prudent paranormal investigator has to side with the debunking explanation until further evidence of paranormal activity can be obtained. Care has to be used since it is easy to be skeptical of any report or evidence. Usually if the non-paranormal explanation is complex or requires many assumptions it may be over analyzing the situation. See our article on Occam's Razor and the Paranormal Investigator.

DEMONOLOGIST: A person who actively pursues demons and other nonhuman entitles both for study and to help people rid them from their lives. Usually demonologists are very religious people as they believe strongly that only faith has the power to combat a demon. They are also usually schooled and or experienced in the field of psychology and mental health. IMPORTANT: Active pursuit of demons and demonology is not something to be tried for fun or kicks. Serious injury - both physical and mental - can occur!

DISCARNATE ENTITY: You may hear people refer to the term “discarnate entity” and usually it evokes a negative image of a spirit.  However incarnate means “to occupy a body”, so discarnate just means “existing outside a body” and can therefore include anything that is not of flesh- spirits, ghosts (earthbound spirits), angels, etc.

DOWSING - The ability to use a pair of rods (often metal) held in the hands to locate objects, most commonly water. A Y-shaped tree branch can also be used fro finding water. In the paranormal investigation field Dowsing Rods are sometimes used to locate energy sources that could be paranormal in nature.

EARTHBOUND SPIRITS - A spirit trapped or bound to the earth plane, usually referred to as a ghost.

ECTOPLASM - Ectoplasm (from the Greek ektos, "outside", + plasma, "something formed or molded") is a term coined by Charles Richet to denote a substance or spiritual energy "exteriorized" by physical mediums. Ectoplasm is said to be associated with the formation of ghosts, and hypothesized to be an enabling factor in psychokinesis.

EMF - Electro Magnetic Field: In it's natural form it is the natural electric field (sometimes thought of an an aurora) that is generated by all living things and many inanimate objects such as metals and certain minerals. EMF is also generated by man-made electric sources such as lights, radios and wires. In paranormal investigations the theory is that entities are largely composed of energy which may be electrically based. By trying to detect EMF it may be possible to locate an otherwise unseen entity. The stronger the EMF detected the potential greater the paranormal phenomena. See our article on EMF Theory.

ENTITY: A generic all-encompassing term used to describe a paranormal object/being that is presumed to be a ghost or spirit. Since no one is yet 100% sure what paranormal objects really are the term "entity" is used as a pronoun to include any and all possible things such as ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, non-human spirits etc.

EVP - Electronic Voice Phenomena: The hearing of unexplainable voices during the playback of a recording made on a electronic recoding device. The voices can not be readily identified as persons speaking or events (mechanical sounds, background noise etc) that took place while the record was being performed. Can be encountered on both tape and digital recorders. Sometimes also found on video recorders (not film however). See our articles on EVP theory and classification.

GHOST: A spirit or shade of a dead person believed to haunt people or previous habitats/locations.  The spirit remains of a living being, strongly attached to the living realm by some form of emotional force.  Often ghosts do not realize that they are in fact dead.  Others live out the routine of the day they died, and continue this in a cycle.  Other ghosts interact with everyday life of the living.

HAUNTING - paranormal phenomena that frequently occurs in an area, building or object over a long period of time.

IMPRINTS - An imprint is often mistaken for a haunting.  An imprint is residual energy from an experience so intense that the images and feelings of the event have become part of that space or land, lingering in the atmosphere.  Examples of imprint sites that are well known are the Crucifixion of Christ, the “Trail of Tears” in Pacheco Pass, Gettsyburg, the Alamo, and more recently Ground Zero in New York.  You can still feel and see the events, however you cannot interact with them. If you ask them questions, they will not answer back… it is like a holographic image playing back, no interaction, just you watching and feeling.  If you are not grounded and protected, you may absorb the emotions of that event and feel everything they felt, causing you to feel “drained”.

IR (INFRARED): Infrared light is light from the lower end (long  wave length/low frequency) of the electromagnetic spectrum (between the visible light spectrum and microwaves). IR light is not visible to the naked human eye without the use of special equipment. IR is not to be confused with thermal imaging. While IR and thermal energy are both on the short end of the electromagnetic spectrum they are not the same thing. There is evidence that ghosts/spirits and other paranormal entities may be more susceptible to being viewed (including video and image photography) using the IR light spectrum. IR sensors are also often used for measuring temperature and detecting movement.  Click here to read our article about using alternate light spectrums for paranormal investigations.

KINETIC ENERGY: Energy needed to force an object at rest into motion.  Objects in motion have kinetic energy. Energy is neither created nor destroyed.  As the kinetic energy diminishes it changes into potential energy.

LEY LINES (aka LEY): The theoretical lines that can be drawn to connect ancient (and some modern) sites across a country, even around the world. The term "Ley Line" ("Ley" being a Saxon word meaning meadow or cleared strip of ground) was first coined by Alfred Watkins in the early 1920's. He noticed that many ancient and prehistoric structures (e.g. mounds, stone circles, temples, river crossings, ceremonial hilltops, etc.) could be connected by straight lines. Often these lines exactly fit compass directions, and sometimes at certain times of the year match up with star alignments. He also noticed that many of these lines intersect and where they intersect are significant other structures such as churches, temples, and burial grounds. Some people believe Ley Lines also follow the natural magnetic forces of the Earth and therefore are very powerful for spiritual and mystic activity. Ley lines are also known as corpse ways, church paths, church lines, and coffin lines.

MANIFEST or MANIFESTATION: The act of an entity trying to make it self appear in our world. Entities are believed to exist mainly as energy with no physical form. When an entity is trying to make itself appear or make it's presence known in our world it is said to be manifesting itself; trying to make itself into some form of physical state.

MEDIUM - A person who can communicate with deceased persons, a go-between to or intermediator of the spirit world.

NECROMANCY (NECROMANCE): The attempt to conjure, summon or raise the dead in order to learn secrets and insights from the spirits. Usually intended to gain personal advantage or fortune over others. The person who is trying to perform the necromancy process is called a Necromancer. This deals heavily into the unsavory realm of magic, spells, and dark/forbidden witchcraft rituals. Can also be attempted with Tarot cards and Ouija boards. Regardless of the process used, necromancy is highly dangerous from the point of view that you are opening a doorway and have no idea what thing may come through and into your life!

NIGHT SHOT: A setting common on hand held video cameras. Originally it was a term used to describe the night vision (total darkness) recording capability of the Sony Handicam series of camcorders. This term has since become synonymous with meaning any night vision/total darkness video camera or recording device regardless of the manufacturer.  The night shot feature uses a built-in IR (infra red) illumination source. An external IR illuminator can often be attached for additional viewing range. Click Here to read our discussion of using alternate light spectrums for paranormal investigations.

ORB: Orbs appear to be a form of energy of an unknown origin. An orb can take different shapes. They can also be seen by the naked eye, but most of the time you only get orb sightings in photographs, and on video tape (VHS). They seem to defy gravity and change directions quickly. They seem to also twinkle. The presence of people make them react. They appear both indoors and outdoors. False orbs tend to be transparent and pale white, or blue. Real genuine orbs tend to appear dense or brighter on film. To increase the probability of you getting a photograph of a genuine orb, it is good to take the photograph at the same time as other unusual phenomenon are experienced, such as sharp changes in temperature, and increases in electromagnetic energy. In a genuine orb there is a nucleus.  It has concentric circles or bands within. It can be active in visible realm, but more active in infrared. They appear abundantly in supposed haunted locations. Drops of rain, specks of dust, insects, reflections, as well as many other things can be mistaken for orbs. Read our discussion of False Evidence.

PARANORMAL: Events above the normal or everyday experiences. Events that can not be readily explained by known conventional reasons and/or commonly accepted science. Not to be confused with Supernatural that implies a deity explanation.

POLTERGEIST - A German word that literally translates as "noisy and troublesome ghost".

POLTERGEIST: Term is German for "noisy ghost". It can be dependant on a certain individual or group of individuals. They usual make the biggest impact on physical objects. They tend to be temporary. In some instances a poltergeist can appear as the psychic extension of a person, usually most common in adolescent females. Tend to be mischievous and like to play pranks. More recently developed theories move away from ghost activity to the realm of spontaneous and unconscious (unintended) telekinesis.

PSYCHOMETRY - The ability to sense information in an object, or in the surrounding environment

RESIDUAL HAUNTING: Non conscious and unintelligent (no thought or purposely actions), usually appear as person  but can sometimes be a group of people, and animal or any non living thing. An example is the famous "Flying Dutchman" legend. There are no interactions with observers. They stay in same location replaying the same event over and over usually on some rhythmic cycle or pattern (though what the pattern is can be hard to determine). Sometimes causing electrical environment interference to occur. Often compared to a video recording that automatically plays itself over and over.

SHADOWS: (Shadow Beings, Shadow Entities) Shadows refer to the possible paranormal apparition which appears as a dark human-form manifestation. We say "possible" paranormal apparition since the true nature of this type of paranormal event is still unknown and the subject of much research. Click Here for more information about shadows.

SKEPTIC - A person who is yet undecided as to what is true. One who looks for rational explanations as to why something occurs.

SUPERNATURAL: Events or happenings generally attributed to the will of a deity. Usually includes the concept of angels, demons/devils, and other G-d-like creatures.

TELEKINESIS:  (Telekinetic power)  The ability to manipulate physical objects using the body’s static electrical charges. Chi is the Asian term for telekinesis. Psychic extension of the person transported through the electrical field surrounding the individual. More commonly known as a persons' ability to move object with just their mind and thoughts.

ULTRAVIOLET (UV): Ultraviolet light is light from the upper end (long wave length/low frequency) of the electromagnetic spectrum. As with Infrared light, UV light is normally not visible to the naked human eye without the use of special viewing or photography equipment. Some paranormal investigators have experimented with using UV light to take video of ghosts and other paranormal entities. The results have been indeterminate. Other paranormal investigators have claimed UV light is an effective barrier to block demonic entities. Click here to read our article about using alternate light spectrums for paranormal investigations.

VORTEX - Vortices, Vortexes: A concentrated yet brief area of high electromagnetic energy often found in photographs taken at paranormally active locations. The often appear as sold (opaque) white or silver tubes, rods, or elongated ovals. They can also appear to be braided like a rope or chain (care has to be take to ensure it is not a rope, chain, camera strap etc). A vortex is not an entity. However, some paranormal researchers believe a vortex is a momentary doorway or portal to another realm that allows entities and other paranormal phenomena to come into our world. Some researchers also believe vortexes are linked to the Earth's own electromagnetic field which at least in part help determine when these portals open/close. It is also believed that some locations are more prone to having active vortices due to the alignment of the Earth's magnetic field and local geological structure.

WHITE NOISE: White noise is the random non-descript static sound produced by various electronic devices. The sound covers and combines all wavelengths and frequencies. In this way it is like the color white which is really a combination of all colors. Hence the name white noise – the combination of all sounds. Examples of common white noise sources are the radio or television static when set to an empty channel, the hum of an electric fan motor and the babbling sound of a fast moving stream or brook. Click here for our article that discuss using white noise for paranormal investigations.