A
Apparition - The phenomenon where the ghost takes on a physical form that can be seen. These often appear to be transparent, normally faint and disfigured as in being incomplete. There appearance is normally for very short period of time. Apparitions of animals, humans, and even inanimate objects have been seen.

Anomaly (or anomalous) - That which is not naturally or scientifically explained, different from the normal.

Astral body - That part of an individual which contains the feelings and experiences of their lifetime. Usually thought to be in the form of energy or light. Sometimes called the lifespirit, essence, or soul.

Aura - The luminous energy that surrounds all living things and is said to shift in size, color and intensity with state of being.

B
Bilocation - When a person or an object is seen in two locations at the same time.

C
Chakras - are energy centres in every human being. There are seven in all situated in the sacrum, naval, solar plexus, heart, throat, brow and crown of the head.

Channeling - A form of paranormal communication that allows the use of another live persons body parts (vocal cords, hearing, vision, etc.) by another entity. Ancillary channeling involves only listening to and repeating information without direct contact between the two.

Clairaudence - The ability to hear voices and other non audible sounds of another dimension.

Clairvoyance - The ability to "see" residual memories.

D
Déjà vu - comes from French, which literally translates to 'already seen'. In English the term is associated with seeing or doing something entirely new, but having the distinct feeling that the experience had been done before. In other words, the illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time.

Disincarnate - A form that exists outside of the physical body.

Dowsing - A type of divination using rods or hands to determine the location of something.

E
Electrokinesis - is the term used to describe the generation of electricity from the mind. This electricity can then be used to do a variety of things, such as charging watches and batteries.

Ectoplasm - Most reports of this have been debunked and/or disputed. There are many theories and thoughts on ectoplasm, with few of them resembling the green goo in that 1980s popular ghost hunting film.

Theory 1: energy of a spirit present before manifestation, milky white or transparent and smells like ozone.

Theory 2: oily substance similar to plasma that appears mysteriously and leaves no stain or residue.

Theory 3: the appearance of a solid, liquid or vapor which is the final outcome of paranormal materialization resulting from the expansion of so much energy.

Theory 4: basis of all physic phenomena giving consistence and providing contact with other dimensions.

Theory 5: In a process called transfiguration, a medium uses magnetic energy to project this substance which is a spiritual counterpart to protoplasm.

Theory 6: a whitish emission of light that forms into a solid and shapes

Entity - Anyone or anything that exists, or is thought to exist Benevolant-passive, helpful, dormant, loving intentions/behaviors Malevolent- destructive, harmful, angry, frightening intentions/behaviors

Electronic Visual or Voice Phenomena (EVP) - Loosely based on Thomas Edison theory that a machine can be built to capture the voices of the dead. It is thought to be the spiritual manifestation that appears in TV, radio static, or are captured speech on recorded forms, supposedly of the dead.

Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) - Most real episodes involve in a spontaneous occurrence and traumatic or crisis situations. It may appear as a movie or sound and occurs most often in dreams followed by intuitive feelings or hallucinations. The information gained is not always accurate and may be symbolic. The individual who experiences ESP may be more open to paranormal activity.

F

Faith Healing - a form of healing that is usually associated with a belief in a divine being and the power of prayer exerting a beneficial effect upon a sick animal or human. A spiritual form of healing used to help the afflicted recover from their ailment or illness.

G
Glossolalia - The ability or phenomenon to utter words or sounds of a language unknown to the speaker. E.g. when in trance state.

Ghost - The disembodied soul or recurring apparition of a spirit which may be trapped or earth bound. It may make its presence known thru visual images, scents, hot/cold spots, movement of objects, etc. Many believe that this occurs because of unfinished business, wrongful death, messages that need to be given, punishment of enemies, protection or advice for loved ones, rewarding the living, etc. Normally ghosts are not associated to certain places and can move.

Ghost/Spirit Light - Usually circular shape that can be seen with the naked eye and can move up and down, lasting approximately 15 seconds.

Ghost Hunt - Using methods and techniques in searching areas rumored, thought to, or seem a likely candidate for a possible haunt.

Ghost Investigation - using methods and techniques in investigating actual reports of different forms of hauntings and determining if the phenomena present is natural or paranormal in nature. In some but not most cases, it is also to provide any support and/or help possible to anyone involved.

H
Hauntings - are considered by psychical researchers to be different in kind to apparitions. Generally apparitions only tend to appear once, sometimes in a place unknown to the agent and usually to someone with whom the apparition has some relationship. Often the apparition will seem to communicate with the percipient in some way, by means of a look, touch or even speech. A haunting ghost however almost always appears to be unaware of the people around it and also it appears to be more connected with a place as opposed to a human.

I

Incubus - A male demon that sexually attack mainly the female human.

J
Joy Touch - is a meditative technique devised by Pete A. Sanders Jr. who is based in Sedona, Arizona. Similar to a form of meditation which concentrates on the third eye in the middle of the forehead; the basic technique is to imagine a line from the centre of the forehead to the centre of the brain and then visualize gently brushing this region. The Joy Touch technique is said to help with things like weight loss, feeling good, paranoia, phobias, life-threatening illnesses and much more.

K
Ka - is an ancient Egyptian term for the astral body or the double.

L
Levitation -The rising of a person or object into the air without any visible means. Levitation is a popular event during hauntings, meditative trances, séances and possessions. Levitation is a major part of Poltergeist activity with object being moved and thrown around.

M
Medium - A person that acts as a bridge between the living and the dead. They receive and relay information through a "sixth sense" for the spirit whom is communicating through them. The common name used today for mediums is psychic.

N
NDE's (Near Death Experiences) - this phenomenon is usually experienced when someone is really close to death. Often persons who have experienced a near death experience report a feeling of having left their physical body, moving through a darkness or tunnel, encountering the presences of deceased loved ones, and sometimes other entities which have been likened to both God and the Devil. Often an all embracing and describable light or menacing darkness is reported.

Necromancy - The conjuring up of the dead for magical purposes.

O
OOBE (Out of Body Experience) - is probably one of the most reported and documented forms of astral projection. It is thought to be when a person's consciousness leaves the physical body. Out of body experiences are often associated with accidents or anaesthesia. An example of this is the case where a patient on an operating table will report being able to see and hear the entire operation including the surgeons, from a vantage point above the table. Here the consciousness is said to have left the physical body, but will remain close.

ORB - This is currently of great interest and scrutiny in many investigations. They are not seen with the naked eye, but seem to often be captured on film, seen as sparkles when camera flashes go off, or sometimes there is an anomalous reading in electrical magnetic field meter (EMF).

Theory 1: the life force or spirit of a person usually seen as a white/transparent circular shape

Theory 2: electrons and protons of an electrical-magnetic field moving so fast that it cannot be seen

Theory 3: unknown in origin but often captured on film in haunted locations and cemeteries

Theory 4: nature spirits, which are found everywhere

Theory 5: totally natural in occurrence, i.e., moisture in the air, dust, reflections, etc.

P
Poltergeist - A German words that means "noisy or mischievous ghost." A destructive spirit that has the ability to move objects by solidifying the ambient air which results in the movement and/or teleportation of objects. This phenomenon is also associated with noises, rapping, levitating and throwing of objects, as well as other physical manifestations. These events usually come on suddenly and end just as fast.

Paranormal - Also called supernatural, it is something unexplainable beyond normal experiences and rational cause and effect and defies the laws of nature.

Psychokinesis (PK) - the minds ability to affect the external world either spontaneously or by projection.

Psychical Research - Sometimes called parapsychology, is a branch of science concerned with the study of ESP and PK and gathering evidence that consciousness survives the bodies death.

Q
Quartz - Quartz is a crystal used in dowsing. Quartz can come in various varieties i.e. Rose, Smokey, and Clear etc. Dowsing is commonly performed using crystal pendulums or dowsing rods.

R
Residual Haunting - When a spirit becomes trapped in a terrible emotional loop or whirlpool that repeats over and over, like a video segment playing over repeatedly. (Echo of a personality or traumatic event) An apparition does not interact with you.

S

Spirit - A human consciousness, or soul, of a deceased person, memories and feelings intact, that is not bound to the earthly plane, but seems to be able to come and go for unknown reasons.

Spiritualism - A mid 1800s movement which later became a religion centering on proving life everlasting for the spirit.

T
Telepathy - The ability to communicate with another person using means other than the five senses. Normally through thoughts waves.

U
Ufology - The study of UFO's or Unidentified Flying Objects.

V
Vortex - Energy that takes the shape of a tube in a photograph. It may vary in colour and shape. It may appear to be a camera strap in the photo. One theory is that they are made up of several orbs. It may be in connection with a portal or doorway. Geomagnetic energy anomaly and not Spirits can cause vortex photos. There is often a high EMF reading when an orb is present.

Theory 1: several orbs captured possibly in motion

Theory 2: connected with a portal

Theory 3: geomagnetic energy

W
White Noise - White noise is a type of noise that is produced by combining sounds of all different frequencies together. If you took all of the imaginable tones that a human can hear and combined them together, you would have white noise.
The adjective "white" is used to describe this type of noise because of the way white light works. White light is light that is made up of all of the different colours (frequencies) of light combined together (a prism or a rainbow separates white light back into its component colours). In the same way, white noise is a combination of all of the different frequencies of sound. You can think of white noise as 20,000 tones all playing at the same time.

Will o the Wisp - Thought to be a ghost light (see above) in that they appear in remote areas, only seen from certain angles and distances, react to noise and light, often a humming or buzzing noise associated with them, tragic event, and local folklore.

German: believe it to be a lost or trapped soul

Native American: fire spirit warning of danger

Some African cultures: witch light to scare people into doing good and right

Russia: souls of stillborn children

Other European: not good enough for heaven, or bad enough for hell

X
Xenoglossy - is the ability to speak or write in a language that has not been learned and appears to be fabricated and non meaningful. This type of speech can be associated with a trance state or certain schizophrenic syndromes.

Y
Yin & Yang - are two primal forces controlling the whole of the universe according to Chinese philosophy. It is thought that everything can be categorized by this balancing system of Yin and Yang. Indeed everything from people, houses and animals, to nations continents and the entire universe, may be determined by the balance or lack of balance of the Yin and Yang. The ideal balance of Yin and Yang can be summarized in this diagram. The white (Yin) part of the diagram increases as the black (Yang) part decreases. When one part is at its height then the other is at its lowest ebb. Sometimes it is assumed that Yin is female and Yang male, however, this is not strictly true. For example, even though Yin is thought of as a predominantly feminine force, men can still possess it too.

Z
The Zodiac - is an imaginary belt-shaped region in the heavens, 16[deg] broad, or 18[deg] broad, in the middle of which is the ecliptic, or sun's path. It is made up of and divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes. In (Western) astrology it is represented as a circular diagram representing the 12 zodiacal constellations and showing their birth signs.

There are twelve signs in all and depending upon the date of birth of an individual, a corresponding sign is allocated to that individual. It is believed that individuals born under any one of the twelve signs will exhibit certain character traits, which are associated with those signs.

Sometimes the zodiac in conjunction with astrology is used in the production of a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly horoscope - this is a method of using the relative positions of the stars to predict a person's future it is a method of divination.

Submitted by Mandy Sheppard