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The following is a list that represents a sampling of terminology used by physical researchers, professional paranormal investigators, and parapsychologist's today. Although these examples represent only a few out of a large arena of such subjects, these examples are the most commonplace examples today.
Agent: A human being who is unaware that they are directing poltergeist activity. Often being a prepubescent teenager, and usually a female, it is believed that a poltergeist or similar and entity will attach itself to a child, the agent.
Altered States of Consciousness: Any state of consciousness that is different, either altered or reduced from a typical state of normal consciousness.
Amulet: An object believed to have power to ward off evil spirits or other malevolent demons, which is usually in the shape of a charm, or a talisman worn around the neck.
Apparition: A disembodied soul or spirit from the deceased, which may be seen, or heard as a supernatural appearance. Apparitions may appear and disappear very suddenly,seemingly at will. They may pass through walls, cast shadows, as well as producing a reflection in a mirror. They may appear real, or foggy, or completely transparent. Sometimes they are accompanied by smells, or can produced cold spots and drafts. Most apparitions seem to have some sort of purpose, such as communicating a message, known as Crisis Apparitions. These entities usually appear during a severe family crisis such as when someone has died. Collective apparitions, refer to an apparition being seen by more than one person.
Apport: when a solid object manifests in different locations without physical assistance, supposedly due to a spirit.
Astral Body: The soul of a person that is projected outside of their body but still connected, as if a text by invisible umbilical cord.
Astral Plane:The level of existence through which spirits of the dead Pass, or a level of existence, in which in astral projected spirit travels naturally.
Astral Projection: The separation of the astral body or spirit from that of the physical body. This astral body may travel in the astral plane and possibly beyond.
Aurora: In energy field that surrounds all living creatures, similar to that Kerlian photography.
Automatic Writing: This is the communication via a spirit, where a spirit controls the writers hand, usually a medium or psychic, and writes out various messages. This medium may produce written material while controlled by the Spirit, and may not be conscious of what they are writing. Most often this person may write one page or many pages of words that they do not remember writing when they are return their conscious state.
Automatism: spontaneous muscular movement, believed to be caused by a ghost.
Automatic writing is one example of this, as well as involuntary movements or spasms during sleep.
Banshee: A spirit or only one of death, usually indigenous to Scotland and Ireland. The band she is more often heard to that of being seen, and it is almost always synonymous with a death in the family.
Black magic / Black mask: The practice of conjuring preternatural forces for a specific evil purpose.
Channeling: A form of communication where a spirit communicates, and sometimes possesses a psychic medium. A popular method in the 1980s, the entity being channeled is believed to be that of a deceased human being, angel, or demon.
Clairaudience: The psychic ability to hear sounds and voices, normally not heard by the human ear. Clairvoyance. The psychic ability to see objects, persons, places, or events regardless of their time or distance.
Clairsentient: The psychic ability to sense in field within the body the presence of spirit, or unknown activity, past present or future.
Crisis Apparition: A spirit that shows itself to a living family member / friend just after that spirits death. Thought to be a sentient form of spirit that engages with the living in order to ensure peace of mind for the living, or to relay a message.
Demon: A low level, or drone evil spirits working for Satan. Possibly that of an evil entity hostel to humans, through trickery or attack.
Demonologist: Involved in the study of Demonology ( i.e., Lorraine Warren and John Zafis.)
Demonology: the study of demons, including there characteristics, classification, and effect on mankind.
Discarnate: Existing outside a physical body, in spirit form. Possibly in a form of astral projection.
Disembodied Spirit: A spirit functioning without the use of a physical body.
Earthbound: A spirit trapped, being forced to remain on the earthly plane against its will or desire.
Ectoplasm: And unknown substance which emanates from the bodies of medium, correlating to supernatural phenomenon. It is also believed by many parapsychologists to be ethereal in nature.
Elemental: A lesser Spirit Bound to the fundamentals of nature, such as Earth, Wind, water, and Fire, or perhaps even as the remains of the Dead.
Empath: One who takes on the feelings of others, those who are living in also those who have passed on.
Entity: A term used to describe a disembodied spirits or ghost of preternatural reality.
Exorcism:The process of expelling or removing an evil spirit by a religious ceremony. Exorcisms may be performed by a priest, minister, rabbi or shaman. Each using similar ceremonies to disrupt or evil spirit or entity.
Exorcist: One who conducts the right of exorcism, such as a priest, rabbi, Wiccan, or shaman.
Ghost Hunting ( investigating ): A person or group of people investigator a location where there have been alleged sightings of ghosts. They will attempt to find evidence to prove or disprove existence of paranormal activity. These people will use a wide variety of equipment, such as video recorders and cameras as well as audio recorders to capture visual evidence, and sounds such as disembodied voices. Graveyards are the number one place to begin, as well as churches, schools and other large buildings.
Ghost Llights: These anomalies balls off iridescent or blowing lights, have also been called will o' the wisps, earthlights, and spook lights. They appear largely in the south and western United States, and are specific to one area or common location. Although off as nothing more than swamp gas, or the decaying of plant and animal remains during the summer months. Ghost lights are reliable throughout the year and in some places these lights have been the subject of scientific study. Such as the Greenbrier lights in Jacksonville Florida, and the Snow Hill Road lights Oviedo Florida. Of the many theories and legends revolving around these mystery lights, the typical folk tale involves ghostly, disgruntled Indian Braves, phantom trains, and UFOs.
Ghostly Sounds and Lights: Sometimes a haunting will consist entirely up sound footsteps or ghostly music. There are many legends of ,lights often said to be caused by a ghostly lantern, spectral motorcycle, or phantom train. Sometimes music can be heard at the Myrtle Hill Mausoleum in Tampa Florida This constitutes a phantom sound in the form of a hazy, yet audible music box.
Haunted: In the context of parapsychology, a building, house, or area is considered haunted when paranormal activity can be documented repeatedly over a period of time. Paranormal activity however can vary dramatically from case to case, and some paranormal activity is not associated with the presence of an entity or ghost.
Inhuman Spirit: An entity or spirit of a being that has never lived in the earthly realm, such as a demon.
Levitation: The raising of a body or object without any physical or visible means This can be found in some Poltergeist cases and Haunting's.
Magic/Magick: Not to be confused with stage magic, this is the art, science, and practice of producing supernatural effects, in hopes of causing change to occur. The controlling of events in nature with one's own will.( i. e. Aleister Crowley).
Medium/Channeling Agent: A person claiming to make contact with a disincarnate or inhuman spirit on the astral plane.
Occult: Pertaining to the supernatural, that which is beyond the range of natural knowledge.
Orb: Although highly controversial amongst serious physical researchers and parapsychologist, the concept of “orbs” is fast becoming the most common aspect of paranormal and ghost research. These faint, hard to see balls of seemingly transparent-light resembling magnified dust spores or droplets of water are known exclusively among psychical researchers as ghost orbs, spirit globules and spirits en transit. Orbs are believed to be the main transportation mode for spirits because it requires little energy while in this state. One of the primary believed distinctions between ghost and globules art that ghosts are imprints of the dead, bound in an endless loop of repetition. Globules, in comparison, are mobile and very much sentient entities that can change their frequencies and locations at will.
Ouija board. “Oui”meaning yes in French, and “Ja” meaning yes in German, the Ouija board consists of letters of the alphabet, numbers 1 through 10, and the words Hello, Yes No, and goodbye, which is used as a tool for communicating with spirits. Although used by many as a game or form of entertainment, many feel that the Ouija board is an unwise form of communication to take part in, as it may open up car doors or portholes to unfriendly spirits or even misleading demons.
Out of Body Experience: Also known as Astral Projection, a person can purposely or unconsciously leave his or her body in the spirit form.
Parapsychology: “Para”, meaning above beyond, and “psychology”, meaning the study of man, his psyche and the human condition, parapsychology is the scientific study of phenomenon that natural laws cannot explain.
Pentagram: A magical diagram such as the Seal of Solomon, consists of a five-pointed star, which is the representation of man as well as the five elements, (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit). Considered by occultists to be the most important means of conjuring spirits, as well as for protection, this pentagram is said to protect against evil spirits.
Phantomania: An occurrence in which the victim is held paralyzed while being subjected to pretranatural attack, such is an attack from an Incubus or Succubus.
Planchette: The indicator, pointer, or empty reversed glass used in association with the Ouija board.
Poltergeist: From the German word meaning, “noisy ghost”. It is a spirit associated with the movement of objects and general mischievous activity. Poltergeist are the only spirits who may leave immediate physical traces. Poltergeist are best known for throwing things about and pounding or wrapping sounds and other noises. Poltergeist often occur were there are children on the brink of puberty, and may often interact with people.
Possession: The state in which a living person is controlled by a foreign, malignant energy, such as a demon.
Possession: The state in which a living person is controlled by a foreign, malignant energy, such as a demon.
Possessed Object: Sometimes inanimate objects are said to be cursed, or possessed. An example of a possessed cursed object is the Hope Diamond, which is most likely a form of sympathetic magic or urban legend designed to frighten potential thieves. Another example would be the Annabel doll that is now on display at the Warren Museum.
Preternatural: Considered associated with inhuman, demonic, or diabolical spirits or forces.
Psychic: A person with the ability to see, hear, feel, and sense beyond the average human ability such as a medium.
Psychic cold spots: The cold sensation received when a spirit is present, usually having defined boundaries.
Psychic Photograph: Supernatural or preternatural images appearing on a photograph, from ghostly images to orbs.
Physical Research: The study of psychic phenomena, including Earth mysteries, ESP and ghosts and hauntings.
Psychokinesis, (PK). The movement of objects without the use of physical means, such as using the mind.
Repetitious Spirits: Some operations are believed to repeat the same emotions or scenes over and over with no apparent intelligence. Many classic hauntings fall into this category. Examples, the lady in white seen walking the battlefields of Derbyshire, England. Or the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, who is seen walking down a hallway with a swaying Lanter. The ghostly 7th century soldiers continuously fighting on the Marsden Moors England, and the ghostly sentry whom walks guard on the Turnbull Fort, New Smyrna Beach, Florida are excellent examples of repetitious spirits.
Shadow People: A relatively new term for a form of entity, send to be nocturnal spirit, having a human form and prone to filtering on the walls and ceiling of one's house. Generally when shadow people are a chief complaint, it gives people in an easy feeling.
Specter (Spectre): A ghost, or supernatural entity. Spirit.
Spirit: A spirit, is an actual leaving essence, or soul, of a person that has remained after their physical body has died. Spirits usually appear for one of three reasons. First, but the person died suddenly or with little warning, as in the case of a car accident, he or she may not actually realize they are dead. Second, a person could be confined to this world by un-kept promise made to love ones. Third, he or she may have some unfinished business usually pertaining to a loved one. A variation of this reason would be if a person where murdered at an untimely of their lives. Spirits, unlike ghosts can communicate with the living. Usually if a person frequents a place where the deceased spent much of his or her time, a form of psychic communication can result. Sudden and unexplained feelings of sadness or melancholy are common indications, especially if encountered only in one particular room or area. Another way that a spirit can communicate with the living is through dreams. Although much more rare, a spirit can make itself appear in an apparition or make small items physically move.
Talisman/Charm: Also known as a fetch, these maybe drawings of various shapes and sizes, which have a specific purpose of good luck, protection, health, etc cetera. It can be worn as a necklace or a key chain.
Telekinesis: Telepathic sounds and voices projected to people.
Telepathy: Psychic communications between individuals.
Teleportation: Apport. Object moves, or BT realized by supernatural forces.
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