The Para-Glossary
By Steve Sztabor
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 between God and the mortal world; thought to be guardians over the
human race;
To do battle against evil.
Anomaly - to deviate from that which is of the norm or common place; not behaving in a
manner consistent with conventional knowledge.
anpsi - referring to psi in animals; ( contraction for.. )
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 correspond to the body’s physical and/or emotional state. In scientific terms, it
is the body’s natural electromagnetic field.
Automatic writing - communication with a 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. (see automatic writing).
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
gases. Orbs are mistaken for ball lightening, and vice versa.
Banish(ment) - the ritual by which ghosts, spirits, devils, demons or any other type entity or
entities are expulsed from a ,thought to be, possessed human or location. Also see
exorcism.
Banshee - a wailing death omen spirit of Ireland and Scotland that attaches itself to certain
families and manifests itself to herald an impending death in the family. It is still heard and
seen to this day.
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.
Caul - a thin membrane that covers the head of a newborn at birth. These children are said
to be blessed with luck, protection and special powers. They are thought to be able to speak
with those of the spirit realm as well as see them. Also referred to as a veiled child.
Channeling - the act or practice of serving as a medium through which a spirit guide
purportedly communicates with living persons.
Clairalience - also known as glairgustance which is” clear smelling’. This is the ability to
smell the odor or scents that a non-physical presence is creating or bringing into the physical
presence of others.
Clairambience - is the “ clear tasting” that a medium may have when connecting with a spirit
entity. The entity may choose to bring through a taste that the medium may recognize or that
the entity may have enjoyed during it’s physical life.
Clairaudience - the gift of hearing. A person receives psychic information in the form of
sound or thoughts. This does not imply Telepathy. Simply that the information is revealed
between the ears or is heard as an actual external sound not heard by others present.
Clairsentience - a person able to perceive energy fields (through physical sensations ),
including a person’s aura and vibrations ( such as voice and how words are strung together
). This may also explain the ability to “sense” the presence of non-corporeal entities, such as
ghosts.
Clairvoyance - a paranormal mode of perception, which results in a visual image being
presented to the conscious mind. The perception may be of objects or scenes, or forms
distant in space, or in time, past or future.
Cold Reading - a technique used by fake mind readers, mediums and magicians which
allows them to obtain previously unknown information about a person by asking a general
series of statements, questions and answers.
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.
Dematerialization - to deprive of or lose physical substance. 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 hand writing 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 form of divination using an instrument in order to obtain information, such as
divining rods or pendulums. It’s based on how these objects react in the users hands.
Earthbound - a spirit or entity unable, for whatever reason, to cross over at the time of
death.
Ectoplasm - from the Greek ektos, “outside”, + plasma, “something formed or molded”.
Spirit energy appearing in the form of a wispy whitish vapor, fog or mist containing swirls,
contrails, or streaks. This may manifest as cloud-like masses, contrails left behind from fastmoving
orbs, vortices, and as apparitions. Appears to the naked eye or later in photographs.
Electronic Voice Phenomena - (EVP) - the capture of voices or sounds on audio 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 safe keeping of sacred or protected areas. They
can get particularly nasty when the area they are guarding is violated or trespassed upon.
EMF - electro-magnetic field. The natural magnetic field that encompasses the earth. It is
generated by the spinning action of the molten nickel-iron core of the earth and creates a
protective layer against the radiation that bombards us daily from deep space.
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 (if of a
malicious nature) demon.
Extra Sensory Perception - (ESP) -communication or perception by means other than our
five physical senses.
ESP Cards - see Zener cards
Exorcism - the expulsion and banishment of a ghost, spirit, demon, or entity/entities that is
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 - properly known as Broadcast EMF, it is the field generated by a source and
broadcast throughout an area by means of wiring, water and sewer pipes, and HVAC
systems. Many older homes have their electrical systems grounded to the water pipes which
creates the perfect broadcast network for EMF. The more confined the space the stronger
the reading and exposure.
Fetish - a shamanistic tool in the form of a figurine, animal part or a pouch containing items
with magical properties.
Fetch - In Irish and English folklore, the term for one’s double, an apparition of a living
person. Similar but not the same as doppelganger.
Ghost - a generic term referring to a form of apparition or supernatural entity which is
typically the visual appearance of a deceased human spirit soul. 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 - 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.
Hallucination - the perception of sights and sounds that are not actually present, with the full
belief in their reality.
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.
Hypnosis - artificially induced altered state of consciousness, characterized by suggestibility
and receptiveness to direction.
Ignis fattus - meaning “foolish fire”, ignus fattus are any variety of ghost or spectral lights. In
folklore they are the souls of the dead bringing attention to themselves.
Illusion - a delusional perception between what is perceived and what is real.
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 effecting the inhabitants of a dwelling. It may begin as an
unexplained feeling of uneasiness, then followed up by signs of a haunting.
Intuition - non-paranormal 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.
Lilith - devil of Sumerian origin and later included in Hebrew beliefs. Believed by Quabbalists
to have been the first wife of Adam, later excluded from the Talmud, and held by some
occultists to be a vampire goddess and a powerful succubus.
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.
Magic - The practice of directing psychic ability, or “supernatural”, forces to effect changes
and fulfill desires.
Magnetometer - (gauss meter) - an instrument to measure the presence of a magnetic field
as well as it’s 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.
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. The flow of information thus begins.
Metaphysics - said to have been instituted by Aristotle, the line of philosophical thought
which seeks the “why and wherefore,” the intrinsic meaning of existence and human
behavior.
Matrixing - natural tendency to see things within other objects that the mind interprets and
justifies. Our minds see it as something familiar or what should be there and makes it so.
Mist - (spirit mist) - a photographed anomaly that appears as a fog, but not visible with the
human eye.
Near-Death Experience (NDE) - applied to the happenings of a human being pronounced
clinically dead then revived or having an experience leaving said person to ask, “ why am I
still alive”? Events following these experiences are, life review, seeing dead relatives and
friends, a brilliant light, accompanied by spirit guides, a feeling of peace and well being. Even
out-of-body experiences. Some have felt the pull of re-entering their body, then regaining
their senses.
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
Para psychological 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 - 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 ( i.e. perceives ) an apparition.
Phantom - ( see ghost )
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 - form of ESP. the perception of future events or conditions.
Psi - letter in the Greek alphabet that denotes psychic phenomena.
Psychic - possessing paranormal abilities. A psychic person uses empathic feelings to tap
into non-physical forces. Of the mind or soul.
Psycho kinesis (PK) - psychic phenomenon where-in objects are remotely imprinted,
displaced, or moved about, by the powers of the mind.
Psychometry - the ability or art of divining information about people or events simply by
touching or holding an object.
Quabbala - ( also Cabbala, Kabbala ) - ancient and complex system of Jewish mysticism,
probably influenced by Assyrian- Babylonian and Macedonian beliefs and existed as the
basis of an underground cult during much of the middle ages.
Reading - statements made by a sensitive, or as a result of a divination process, in the
course of obtaining information or paranormal messages.
Regents - medieval European lore, chief spirits who preside over the four regions of the
earth. ’Oriens’ is the Regent of the east, ’Amemon’ is Regent of the south, ’Boul’ is Regent of
the west, ’Eltzen’ is Regent of the north.
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.
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.
Sidhe - (pronounced, shee ) - Irish term for Fairy folk, the “little people” who sequester
themselves in woodlands and caverns.
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)
Simulcra - a word used to describe the seeing of faces, figures and images in ordinary,
everyday objects.
Soul - difficult to define due to the different definitions among various religions, It is thought
of as the life force or essence of a being.
Specter - (see ghost, 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.
Subliminal - that which occurs beneath the threshold of conscious awareness.
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, and
inexplicably “un-clean”.
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.
Tash - Irish name for a ghost which can appear in either human or animal form. Also called a
Thevshi.
Telekinesis - psychic phenomenon where-by 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.
Trance medium ship - the act of a medium sharing his or her energy with a spirit through
the use of a trance.
U.F.O. - unidentified flying object - a flying object who’s nature, origin, or destination are
unknown.
Vampire - a demonic(?) entity in the form of a deceased person, which perpetuates itself by
draining the blood or psychic energy from the living.
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.
Werewolf - (old/ middle English word for man =were). A human being capable of
transforming into the form of a wolf, then back to human; sometimes referred to as a “Shape-
Shifter”. See also “Lycanthrope”
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 effect 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 a.m.
Xenoglossy - 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.
Zener cards - a set of 25 cards for use in ESP tests. Each set contains 5 subsets of 5 cards
each. The card symbols are as follows; Circle, square, Greek cross, three wavy lines, and a
five pointed star.