Glossary of Paranormal Terms

Here you will find definitions terms used throughout the PRI website, as well as terms you may come across on various documents related to paranormal reasearch. We will continue to update this glossary, so if you would like us to add anything to these definitions, or would like to see a definition that we have not yet added ourselves, please tell us in the discussion boards!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Anomaly - A broad term that simply refers to something "unusual". See also Orb .

Apparition - The appearance of a quasi-physical spirit or entity.

Apport - An object that seems to appear from out of nowhere during an investigation or seance, such as a coin or trinket dating from another time or place.

Channelling - A technique mediums claim to use in order to convey messages from "spirit" beings.

Clairaudience - The alleged ability for a medium to hear voices and other sounds of paranormal origin that cannot be heard by others.

Clairvoyance - The alleged ability for a medium to "see" things of paranormal origin without the use of normal sight.

Cold Spot - A physical space that feels cooler than its immediate surroundings.

Crisis Apparition - The projection of an image of a person close to death or upon death, reportedly seen by that person's acquaintances.

Cryptid - See Cryptozoology .

Cryptozoology - The study of animals not currently known or recognized by the mainstream scientific community. Such animals are referred to as cryptids .

Debunk - To disprove a claim, or find alternative causes, of apparent paranormal activity.

Demon - Supposedly a non-human entity that is hostile toward humans.

Dowsing - Refers to searching for something that is unseen through the use of simple instruments, usually in the form of two bent metal rods ( dowsing rods ) that are believed to cross when in close proximity to underground sources of water and minerals, or (according to some paranormal researchers) a paranormal entity.

Dowsing Rod - See Dowsing .

Ectoplasm - Originally, this term was used to describe a fluid substance that would supposedly emanate from the orifices of a medium that could then be used by spirits to assume a quasi-physical appearance. However, ectoplasm has more recently been used to describe ghost-like mists found in photographs (see Mist ).

Electromagnetic Field (EMF) - A physical field characterized by both electric and magnetic components produced by any object with an electrical charge. One theory is that ghosts emit an electromagnetic field, and so paranormal researchers often use an EMF meter (see Electromagnetic Field Meter ) to detect fluctuations in electromagnetic energy caused by "ghosts" in supposedly haunted locations. Another theory is that high levels of EMF caused by electronic devices produce feelings associated with hauntings, such as apprehension and dizziness.

Electromagnetic Field Meter - A handheld device used to detect electromagnetic fields (see Electromagnetic Field ). The strength of a magnetic field is measured in milligauss (mG). Some paranormal investigators believe that paranormal phenomena are often accompanied by EMF meter readings between 2 and 7 mG.

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) - Disembodied "voices" and other sounds of unknown origin heard on audio recordings. Paranormal researchers often use digital and analogue recording devices in attempts to capture EVP's during their investigations.

Entity - "A disembodied 'consciousness' commonly referred to as ghost, spirit or (if of an apparently malicious or resentful nature) demon" (Definition from The Atlantic Paranormal Society website)

Exorcism - A ritual of removing a paranormal entity from the person or location that it posesses practiced by many branches of Christianity.

Ghost - This term has a wide range of definitions, which can vary from person to person. Here, we will define the term as a quasi-physical manifestation of the image of a deceased person. It should be noted that many researchers and spiritualists believe that so-called ghosts differ from spirits in that a ghost is trapped in the physical world, or, for whatever reason, refuses to cross-over into the realm that awaits them after death, while a spirit may travel freely between both realms.

Haunting - The inhabitation of a ghost or other supernatural being or energy in a specific location.

Hypnagogic/Hypnopompic Hallucination - Images (hallucinations) formed by the human brain during the states of consciousness one experiences as they fall in (hypnagogic) and out (hypnopompic) of sleep. Such images can be extremely vivid and frightening, and are likely to be the cause of many reports of "ghosts" and other paranormal apparitions people claim to experience while in bed.

Hypnopompic/Sleep Paralysis - Temporary paralysis of the body sometimes experienced upon waking up. During REM sleep, the body goes into a state of paralysis. Hypnopompic paralysis occurs when the mind awakes from REM sleep but the body remains in a state of paralysis. This may also be accompanied by hypnopompic hallucinations , and is likely the cause of many reports of paranormal activity experienced by people in bed.

Infrasound - Infrasound refers to sound that has a frequency below of that detectable by the human ear (about 20 hertz). This type of sound is caused by a wide range of natural and artificial sources including (but not limited to) wind, severe weather, geological processes, engines and other machinery, and audio devices such as loud subwoofer speakers. Infrasound has been found to cause a range of phenomena that people report in associationg with "hauntings", including feelings of extreme anxiety, dizziness and sadness, and even produce the feeling of pressure on one's chest.

Infrared Thermometer - Sometimes called a laser thermometer, these handheld devices are used to take temperature readings without having to come into direct contact with the object or space being tested. Investigators will often use infrared thermometers to detect sudden and significant temperature fluctuations, which are believed by some to be associated with paranormal activity.

Light Anomaly - see Orb .

M

Mass Hysteria - Uncontrollable fear or other phsychological agitation experienced simultaneously by a group of people. Mass hysteria is often used to explain paranormal phenomena experienced simultaneously my multiple people.

Materialization - The act of a ghost or entity appearing visually.

Matrixing - The tendency of the human mind to take complex sensory inputs (most often sight but also smell, touch, taste and sound) and interpret them into something more familiar. For instance, recognizing shapes in clouds is an example of matrixing.

Medium - Someone who claims to have the ability to communicate with spirits.

Mist - A wispy, fog or smoke-like substance (literally a mist!) that appears in some photographs, that is often associated with paranormal activity, including the manifestation of entities. Like orbs (see Orb ), mists are often caused by natural phenomena and photographic errors, and are often refuted as evidence.

Open-minded Sceptic - Someone who is open to the possibility of the existence of paranormal phenomena, but unwilling to accept such an existence as fact without undisputed evidence to back it up.

Orb - A spherical ball of light, often white, yellow, green or blue, caught on video or camera. Orbs are often associated with spirit activity. However, they are a source of great controversy amongst paranormal researchers, as they are often caused naturally by light reflecting off of dust, lint, moisture, pollen, or other reflective material.

Ouija Board - Refers to a flat surface with letters, numbers or phrases used to communicate with paranormal entities. An object such as a glass or wooden pointer ( planchette ) is placed on the boad during a ouija session. Two or more people then typically place one finger on top of the planchette, and as questions to any "paranormal" entities that may wish to communicate with them. The planchette allegedly moves via paranormal intervention in response to the questions asked by the living participants. Many paranormal researchers and spiritualists advise against the use of ouija boards, claiming that it invites unwanted (even dangerous) entities into the realm of the living. However, sceptics argue that the movement of the planchette is simply the result of subconscious movements by the participants.

Parapsychology - A controversial discipline of paranormal research related to psychic abilities, such as telepathy and extrasensory perception, and spiritual phenomena.

Paranormal - "The realm of occurrences and phenomena removed from those to which people are accustomed and comprehend, and presently uncategorized by standard academia" (Definition from The Atlantic Paranormal Society website).

Paranormal Field Survey - A term used by PRI to describe brief paranormal investigations. Typically, surveys are conducted to assess the potential for paranormal activity at a given location in order to determine whether or not a full-scale investigation is warranted. These surveys often take place when: access to a location is limited by logistics or time constraints; there is a lack of available investigators; and/or there are no known accounts of paranormal activity from the location.

Pareidolia - The psychological term that refers to matrixing .

Poltergeist - A German word that literally means "noisy ghost", used to describe a ghost or spirit that makes its presence known by moving objects and producing audible noises.

Posession - Allegedly, a phenomenon whereby a paranormal entity inhabits the body of a person, and takes control over various actions and functions of that person.

Psychic - Typically refers to someone who claims they have the ability to "sense" things that non-psychics cannot through extrasensory perception.

Psychic Medium - See Medium .

Psychokinesis - The ability to move an object through the power of one's mind, without actually coming into physical contact with the object.

Reincarnation - The belief that the soul is reborn into another living body following death.

Residual Haunting - Supposedly a haunting in which the entity shows no sign of awareness of its surroundings, but appears to be a "re-play" of an event that occurred in a person's life. Such hauntings are not necessarily restricted to visual phenomena, but may also include (or be limited to) auditory or olfactory phenomena.

Sceptic - See Open-minded Sceptic .

Seance - Generally refers to the attempt to communicate with the dead by a group of people.

Sensitive - A person who can supposedly "sense" the presence of paranormal entities.

Shadow People - A term used to describe one of the most commonly-reported apparitions. These entities allegedly appear completely black (i.e. like a shadow), often with very few distinguishing features.

Spirit - Like ghost , this term has many different connotations and meanings. However, the predominant meaning of this term amongst paranormal researchers and spiritualists is that a spirit is the energy (sometimes called a "soul") of a person that leaves the body after death, and moves on to the afterlife. A sprit supposedly differs from a ghost in that it may travel back and forth between realms of the living and dead, while a ghost apparently cannot.

Table Tipping - A technique commonly used during a seance, whereby participants sit or stand around a table, placing their hands around its circumference with their fingers touching, and encourage the table to move with the assistance of a "paranormal" entity.

Thermal Imaging Camera - A device that captures images by detecting heat radiation rather than light.

Trigger Object - An object placed in a specific location during an investigation in an attempt to capture its movement by paranormal means on video. Such objects are generally placed on a flat surface and have an outline traced around them so that the extent of their movement can be measured.

Xenonormal - A natural phenomenon mistaken to be of "paranormal" origin.