Agent - a person who is the object of poltergeist activity or an apparition seen by humans
Amulet - an object holding the power to ward off evil and afford protection to the owner; a good luck charm
Angel - an emissary of God and the mortal world; thought to be guardians over the Human race
Anomaly - to deviate from that which is of the norm or commonplace; not behaving in a manner consistent with conventional knowledge
Apparition - the appearance of a ghost, spirit, entity etc. as seen with the human eye or recorded on a mechanical device. It may appear as whole or in part
Apport - an object that can be made to appear out of thin air in the presence of a medium
Asport - a physical object that a spirit or medium can make disappear and teleport to another location
Astral Body - the body that a person occupies during an out-of-body experience, separated temporarily as in a dream or permanently, as in death
Astral Plane - a higher plane of existence and knowledge above our physical world
Astral Projection - the act of intentionally having one’s spirit (soul)leave the physical body
Astrology - the theory and practice of reading the positions and aspects of heavenly bodies in the belief that they influence the course of earthly occurrences and especially human affairs
Aura - in the metaphysical it is the life force, in layers of color, surrounding the body. The colors, depth, and distance corresponding to the body’s physical and/or emotional state. In scientific terms, it is the body’s natural electromagnetic field
Automatic writing - communication with spirit energy in written form. The spirit possesses the medium and uses this ability to transmit thoughts to paper. Rarely does the medium remember what has transpired
Automatism - any involuntary, unconscious, or spontaneous muscle movement caused by a spirit
Ball lightning - a rare form of lightning in a ball shape, usually associated with thunderstorms. These balls come in a variety of colors and are thought to consist of ionized gasses. Orbs are mistaken for ball lightning, and vice versa
Banishment - the ritual by which ghosts, spirits, devils, demons or any other type entity or entities are expulsed from a person or location believed to be possessed
Banshee - a wailing death omen spirit of Ireland and Scotland that attaches itself to certain families and manifests itself to herald an impending death
Bilocation - the phenomenon in which a person’s body is seen in separate locations at the same time
Case Study - an investigation of a particular subject, generally over a period of time
Channeling - the act or practice of serving as a medium through which a spirit guide purportedly communicates with living persons
Clairvoyance - the ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have some such ability is said accordingly to be a clairvoyant
Clairaudience - aka clear hearing, is the ability to perceive sounds or words from sources originating in the spirit world. Psychics who are clairaudient hear voices, sounds or music that are not audible to the normal ear. They receive these messages mentally or within their ears
Clairsentience - aka clear sensing, is the ability to feel the present, past or future physical and emotional states of others, without the use of the normal five senses. Psychics who are clairsentient are able to retrieve information from houses, public buildings and outside areas
Clairalience - ability to receive olfactory messages from Spirits through our sense of smell. This is called Clairalient communication or Clairalience. For example, you suddenly smell cookies baking, someone’s perfume or cologne without there being a logical or rational source for that scent
Clairambience - the receipt of messages through the sense of taste. Similar to Clairalience, when you can actually taste a food or other substance, such as the bitter taste of medications, etc without it actually being in your mouth
Collective Apparition - an unusually rare type of sighting in which more than one person sees the same phenomena at the same time
Crisis Apparition - a specific apparition seen at times of serious illness, injury, or near Death
Cryptozoology - the search for and study of animals whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Yeti
Dematerialization - to slowly disappear
Demon - a lesser evil entity, servant of Satan
Direct Voice Phenomenon (DVP) - an audible voice or sound that is directed toward the sitters of a séance. The sound appears to emanate from the medium, but not from the mouth
Direct Writing - a phenomenon in which handwriting or drawing appears on a previously unmarked surface
Divination - an act by which information is garnered by paranormal means; i.e. tarot cards, dowsing, palm reading, numerology, etc
Doppelganger - from the German, meaning, “double walker”. It is an exact spirit double of the person it mirrors. Although rare, they will make themselves visible to their owners and to others. This is considered to be a bad omen and foretells misfortune. Even possibly the death of the owner will soon come to pass.
Dowsing - a technique for searching for underground water, minerals, or anything invisible, by observing the motion of a pointer (traditionally a forked stick, now often paired bent wires) or the changes in direction of a pendulum, supposedly in response to unseen influences
Earthbound - a spirit or entity unable, for whatever reason, to cross over at the time of Death
Ectoplasm - a supernatural viscous substance that is supposed to exude from the body of a medium during a spiritualistic trance and form the material for the manifestation of spirits
Electronic Voice Phenomena - (EVP) - the capture of voices or sounds on audio and/or video recording equipment not heard by the human ear. Only heard upon playback of these devices
Elementals (Earth Spirits) - spirits that have never inhabited human form but consist of earth spirits of the four natural earth elements, earth, air, fire, and water. They are believed to be guardians and are entrusted with the safekeeping of sacred or protected areas. They can get particularly nasty when the area they are guarding is violated or trespassed upon
EMF - Electromagnetic Field. A field of force that consists of both electric and magnetic components, resulting from the motion of an electric charge and containing a definite amount of electromagnetic energy
Empath - an individual who is particularly sensitive to the psychic emanations of his or her surroundings, even to a degree of telepathically receiving and experiencing the emotions of others in their proximity
Entity - a disembodied “consciousness” commonly referred to as a ghost, spirit or demon
Exorcism - the expulsion and banishment of an evil spirit, demon, or entity/entities that are thought to possess or haunt a human, an object, or a location. The ritual, usually religious in nature, is conducted by and only by a qualified and trained exorcist. The exorcist calls upon a Higher Power to cast out any and all evil. At times it may be necessary to repeat the rite until this has been accomplished
Fear Cage - A term used to describe a confined area such as a walk-in closet, hallway or basement with very high EMF readings. The combination of being close and confined within an area of strong EMF often brings out extremely great feelings of uneasiness, anxiety, paranoia and/or uncontrollable fear
Fetish - a shamanistic tool in the form of a figurine, animal part or a pouch containing items with magical properties; an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit
Ghost - a generic term referring to a form of apparition or supernatural entity which is typically the visual appearance of a deceased human spirit. These forms often seem to exist in a dream-like state of semi-awareness, at times though not always aware of their
human observers
Ghoul - a demonic or parasitic entity that feeds upon human remains
Globule - anomaly where floating, circular forms appear in photographs and video, which seem to indicate spirit activity. Globules could be the containers for energy. They also tend to undulate, changing shapes much like that of an amoeba under a microscope
Golden Rods - a rare anomaly seen in video footage at the site of a suspected haunting. They appear as a whitish yellow lightning bolt quickly moving across the screen
Guardian Spirit - a personal protective spirit, often thought to be an angel
Haunting - the repeated manifestation of strange and unexplained sensory phenomena said to be caused by ghosts or spirits
Hellhound - a death omen in the form of a spectral black dog. A minion of Satan
Hex - magical workings in the form of a spell that is cast to influence a person’s will or fate, most often referred to as a curse
Incubus - from medieval lore, a demonic entity capable of sexually arousing and sometimes assaulting human females. Cases of apparent incubus attacks continue to be reported and documented, suggesting some reality behind the myth
Infestation - repeated and persistent paranormal activity in a particular location. Also known as a haunting
Influence - an unknown entity affecting the inhabitants of a dwelling. It may begin as an unexplained feeling of uneasiness, then followed up by signs of a haunting
Intuition - knowledge gained through a perceptive insight
Kirlian Photography - a type of high voltage, high frequency, photography using a simple Polaroid camera to capture the human aura. Developed by Davidovich Kirlian in the Soviet Union
Lepke - a unique type of manifestation, whereas a ghost has the appearance of a solid, living person and may even converse with someone, then suddenly vanishes. Most often reported outside of graveyards
Levitation - to raise or lift an object using an unseen force in defiance of the laws of gravity
Lore - the collected beliefs and legends related to a particular subject
Lycanthrope - a person projecting innate savagery for periodic episodes, believing themselves to be taken over by the spirit of a beast
Magnetometer (gaussmeter) - an instrument to measure the presence of a magnetic field as well as its strength, direction, and fluctuations
Materialization - the act of forming something out of thin air. One of the most difficult and impressive materializations is when part or all of a spirit manifests itself into what appears to be a solid form
Medium - a person who is able to communicate with spirits on behalf of the living. The word suggests that the medium acts as a conduit somewhere between the world of the living and the realm of the dead
Mist (spirit mist) - a photographed anomaly that appears as a fog, but not visible with the human eye
Necromancy - the practice of communicating with the dead to obtain knowledge of the future, the secrets of others, etc. An archaic term, the necromancer was said to employ magic spells to summon, then banish, the spirits of the dead. It was thought that upon entering eternity, the spirit would have full knowledge of the past, present, and future
Nexus - the transitional, or joining point connecting physical matter and pure energy, and containing properties of both. Such as the body’s connection to the spirit
Occult - of, or relating to supernatural influences, agencies, or phenomena; often used to refer to such practices as magic, astrology, witchcraft, scrying, etc. Not to be confused with Parapsychological happenings
Oracle - a prophet, seer, or visionary
Orb - a form of energy that is of unknown origin. Thought by many to be spirit energy. Not generally seen with the naked eye, but have been and still are photographed. They come in an array of colors and are also believed to come from a different vibrational plane of existence
Pagan - a worshiper of a polytheistic religion, although some Christian sects consider all non-Christians to be pagan
Paranormal - referring to something that is beyond the scope of normal human experience, understanding, or scientific explanation
Parapsychology - referring to the study of the paranormal and research relating chiefly to psychic abilities and spiritual phenomena
Percipient - a person who sees apparitions
Phantom - a generic term referring to a form of apparition or supernatural entity which is typically the visual appearance of a deceased human spirit
Poltergeist - from the German for ‘noisy ghost’, this is an extremely rare occurrence whereby objects are moved or thrown and sounds produced by an unseen force, the sole purpose is to draw attention to itself. As a rule the phenomenon involves a child or young adolescent
Precognition - a form of ESP. the perception of future events or conditions
Psychic - possessing paranormal abilities. A psychic person uses empathic feelings to tap into non-physical forces. Of the mind or soul
Psychokinesis - psychic wherein objects are remotely imprinted, phenomenon displaced or moved about by the powers of the mind
Psychometry - ability or art of divining information about people or events simply by touching or holding an object
Reincarnation - the belief that the human soul, or some aspect of self, transcends death and is reborn, usually into a new physical body, with the journey being repeated through many lifetimes. The soul or life essence can also be reborn into the body of different animals
Revenant - entity which projects an appearance of being distressed or misplaced, lost. A person who has returned, especially supposedly from the dead
Sanguinor - a person displaying vampiric tendencies (the desire to ingest blood) and attributes. These may be contrived or pathological
Scrying - divination technique employing staring into a reflective surface to obtain information
Scoptoma - when the human eye expects to see something it assumes it actually does. This phenomenon of the mind sees what it chooses to see instead of what is really there
Séance - meeting or gathering of people, usually lead by a medium, to receive spiritualistic messages, manifestations, or to communicate with the dead
Sensitive - parapsychology term used for someone who is aware of, or can feel, paranormal presences that can’t be picked up by our five natural senses
Shade - an entity resembling a once-living person
Shaman - a tribal priest who, following much preparation and rite of initiation, uses the forces of magic to effect healings and divinations
Silky - a female ghost which is wearing a rustling silk garment and performs domestic chores for a household after the occupants have retired for the night (sometimes seen, other times only heard)
Simulacra - a word used to describe the seeing of faces, figures and images in ordinary, everyday objects such as clouds, rocks, foliage, etc.
Soul - difficult to define due to the different definitions among various religions, It is thought of as the life force, spirit or essence of a being
Specter - a ghostly apparition or phantom
Spirit - existence apart from, or transcending, the purely physical; also, the life-force of the living. Commonly known as a ghost
Spirit Guide - a spirit that watches over a living person and offers wisdom and guidance. Referred to by some as a Guardian Angel
Subjective Apparitions - hallucinations of apparitions or other phenomena that are created by our own minds
Succubus - female counterpart of the incubus, a demonic entity said to inspire lust in men, sometimes capable of physically attacking and inflicting injuries. Following a nocturnal visitation from a succubus, the victim will always feel ill and depleted of vitality
Supernatural - of or relating to existence outside the natural world. As opposed to paranormal, the term “supernatural” often denotes divine or demonic intervention
Synchronicity - unexplained system of causal interaction which binds together events, actions, and thought, manifesting as uncanny coincidences
Talisman - a design or inscription that is worn, carried or displayed, for the purpose of invoking strength, power, protection or the aid of spirits
Telekinesis - psychic phenomenon whereby objects are remotely displaced and moved About using only the power of the mind
Telepathy - communication from one mind to another through means other than the senses
Teleportation - a type of paranormal transportation in which matter is dematerialized at one point and recreated at another
Thought Transference - telepathic transmitting of images and or messages from the mind of one person to another
Thought Form - an apparition produced solely by the power of the mind
Trance - a hypnotic, cataleptic, or ecstatic state in which one becomes detached from their physical surroundings
Voodoo - African magic traditions with a veneer of Catholicism from the new world, taking root in the Caribbean, particularly the populous of Haiti. Similarities in origin and practices exist in the beliefs of “Obia” (Jamaica) and “Santeria” (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic)
Vortex - pl. Vortexes or Vortices. An anomaly which sometimes shows up in still photographs taken at the site of a suspected haunting, appearing as a translucent white tube or funnel-shaped mass. Some researchers believe to be a portal to the spirit realm
Warlock - originally meant “deceiver” or “one who misleads”. in more modern practice has become associated with a male witch
Wicca - Witchcraft as a recognized religion, the practitioners of which refer to their system as, “The Old Way” and “The Ancient Religion.” Wiccans in their rituals align themselves with elementals and the earth’s natural magnetic fields, personified by the names of ancient Greek, Egyptian and Sumerian deities
Witch - broadly, a practitioner of the magic arts, spec. a woman who employs charms, herbs and incantations to affect the workings of her will. Witches do not worship Satan
Witching Hour - also known as dead time, it is a slang term for the time of night when ghosts are the most active, usually placed at between midnight and 3:00 am
Xenoglossy - the act of speaking in a language unknown to the speaker
Zarcanor - a malevolent spirit which attacks people while they’re asleep, inspiring nightmares, and sometimes even inflicting minor injuries such as scratches, bruises and what appear to be finger marks. The name is of possible Slavic origin
Table of Paranormal Terminology