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Near-death Experience (NDE) - Individuals who have shown many of the characteristics of
death (stopped heart, flat brain scan, etc.) but have been brought back to consciousness often
report experiences that seem to have a bearing on the questions of individual survival of death
and possible existence of a human soul or surviving individual consciousness.
Necromancy - The practice of communicating with the dead to obtain knowledge of the future,
others' secrets, etc. An archaic term, the necromancer was said to employ magic spells and
conjuration to summon, then banish, the spirits of the dead.
Orbs - Round, opaque lights that are captured on film and believed to be spirits, or some sort of
paranormal activity. This can be the most common type of spirit energy to be captured on film.
Although a number of these are legitimate orbs, the majority of the ones shown in photographs
are nothing more than faulty photography such as light refractions imprinted on the film from
dusk or water particles in the air.
Orb Trail - An orb trail is a ghost orb traveling at a high rate of speed that is faster then the
camera can catch, thus the orb is often shown as a long tube and at other times as a ball
having a comet-like tail.
Paranormal - Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation; Above or outside
the natural order of things as presently understood.
Paranormal Researcher - Someone who uses their own theories/ideas to test new research
methods, protocols, and equipment. A true researcher is not biased to an old idea, but works
to disprove or prove further the old idea, to expand the knowledge of the community. Typically, a
researcher does not work to prove a paranormal occurrence as genuine, but to disprove the
occurrence legitimately. Only when all possible false-positive contaminants have been ruled
out can something be defined as a true anomaly.
Parapsychology - Derived from the Latin word para, which means beyond, parapsychology
literally means beyond psychology. It is generally defined as the scientific study of paranormal
phenomena. Term coined by J. B. Rhine.
Phantasmagoria - Term generally used for a shifting series of imaginary or fantastic images as
seen in a dream or fevered imagination.
Phantom - Another name for "ghost" or "spirit", although many use the word to refer to
apparitions that have been seen wearing cloaks or robes.
Phasmology - The scientific study of ghosts/spirits in all aspects to the paranormal
Phasmaphobia - The fear of ghosts
Phenomenon (Phenomena) - An event that is an outward sign of the working of the laws of
nature or an extraordinary happening.
Phouka - A type of Irish fairy that kidnaps people out of their beds at night to take them on a
rollicking ride across the countryside. A Phouka often appears as a pale, gray hairy beast.
Sometimes the Phouka appears as a big dog or a goat or horse. Victims are usually tucked
safely back inside their beds at dawn, in many ways similar to reports of alien abduction.
Poltergeist - Literally means "noisy ghost" in German. Although it actually refers to traditional
ghosts and hauntings, and in other cases, it can be used to describe the actions of the human
agent. It manifests as noises, knockings, moving objects, fires, marks on body, or general
disorder. Often purported to be associated with the release of kinetic or psychokinetic energy of
pubescent adolescents.
Poppet - A magical doll made in order to cast spells in Witchcraft and Voodoo
Portal - An opening that somehow bridges the physical world with other dimensions such as
the realm of ghosts, aliens and anything supernatural.
Portent - An event or object seen as an omen to a future event.
Precognition - Knowledge of impending events; also referred to as a prediction, premonition,
and prophecy.
Precognitive Dreams - To have dreams of events or incidents before they happen.
Premonition - A paranormal impression or warning of a future event. Premonitions may range
from vague feelings of disquiet, suggestive of impending disaster, to actual visual or auditory
hallucinations.
Psi - Greek letter used in parapsychology to indicate psychic or paranormal phenomena such
as extrasensory perception (ESP) or psychokinesis (PK).
Psychic - An all-encompassing word that is used to describe a person who is allegedly
sensitive beyond the normal means. Such a person may be able to see and hear things that
are not available to most people.
Psychic Surgery - The supposed ability to paranormally perform invasive surgery using no
conventional medical tools. The psychic surgeon uses either an unsterilized knife, or his bare
hands, to appear to make an incision and remove some internal matter. Once the operation is
finished, there is no sign of an incision, nor are there any unpleasant aftereffects (e.g. infection).
Many of the investigated cases have turned out to be fraudulent, involving sleight of hand tricks
to make the operation appear convincing. However, it is possible that, in some circumstances,
the ritual nature of the "surgery" could help effect a cure through the equally mysterious placebo
effect.
Psychokinesis (PK) - The ability to move physical objects utilizing only the power of the mind.
In many poltergeist-like cases, human agents affect objects in an unconscious manner.
Psychometry - To touch an object with your hands and get information about the object, its
creator, its owner, or its history.
Psychoplasm - Alternative term for ectoplasm.
death (stopped heart, flat brain scan, etc.) but have been brought back to consciousness often
report experiences that seem to have a bearing on the questions of individual survival of death
and possible existence of a human soul or surviving individual consciousness.
Necromancy - The practice of communicating with the dead to obtain knowledge of the future,
others' secrets, etc. An archaic term, the necromancer was said to employ magic spells and
conjuration to summon, then banish, the spirits of the dead.
Orbs - Round, opaque lights that are captured on film and believed to be spirits, or some sort of
paranormal activity. This can be the most common type of spirit energy to be captured on film.
Although a number of these are legitimate orbs, the majority of the ones shown in photographs
are nothing more than faulty photography such as light refractions imprinted on the film from
dusk or water particles in the air.
Orb Trail - An orb trail is a ghost orb traveling at a high rate of speed that is faster then the
camera can catch, thus the orb is often shown as a long tube and at other times as a ball
having a comet-like tail.
Paranormal - Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation; Above or outside
the natural order of things as presently understood.
Paranormal Researcher - Someone who uses their own theories/ideas to test new research
methods, protocols, and equipment. A true researcher is not biased to an old idea, but works
to disprove or prove further the old idea, to expand the knowledge of the community. Typically, a
researcher does not work to prove a paranormal occurrence as genuine, but to disprove the
occurrence legitimately. Only when all possible false-positive contaminants have been ruled
out can something be defined as a true anomaly.
Parapsychology - Derived from the Latin word para, which means beyond, parapsychology
literally means beyond psychology. It is generally defined as the scientific study of paranormal
phenomena. Term coined by J. B. Rhine.
Phantasmagoria - Term generally used for a shifting series of imaginary or fantastic images as
seen in a dream or fevered imagination.
Phantom - Another name for "ghost" or "spirit", although many use the word to refer to
apparitions that have been seen wearing cloaks or robes.
Phasmology - The scientific study of ghosts/spirits in all aspects to the paranormal
Phasmaphobia - The fear of ghosts
Phenomenon (Phenomena) - An event that is an outward sign of the working of the laws of
nature or an extraordinary happening.
Phouka - A type of Irish fairy that kidnaps people out of their beds at night to take them on a
rollicking ride across the countryside. A Phouka often appears as a pale, gray hairy beast.
Sometimes the Phouka appears as a big dog or a goat or horse. Victims are usually tucked
safely back inside their beds at dawn, in many ways similar to reports of alien abduction.
Poltergeist - Literally means "noisy ghost" in German. Although it actually refers to traditional
ghosts and hauntings, and in other cases, it can be used to describe the actions of the human
agent. It manifests as noises, knockings, moving objects, fires, marks on body, or general
disorder. Often purported to be associated with the release of kinetic or psychokinetic energy of
pubescent adolescents.
Poppet - A magical doll made in order to cast spells in Witchcraft and Voodoo
Portal - An opening that somehow bridges the physical world with other dimensions such as
the realm of ghosts, aliens and anything supernatural.
Portent - An event or object seen as an omen to a future event.
Precognition - Knowledge of impending events; also referred to as a prediction, premonition,
and prophecy.
Precognitive Dreams - To have dreams of events or incidents before they happen.
Premonition - A paranormal impression or warning of a future event. Premonitions may range
from vague feelings of disquiet, suggestive of impending disaster, to actual visual or auditory
hallucinations.
Psi - Greek letter used in parapsychology to indicate psychic or paranormal phenomena such
as extrasensory perception (ESP) or psychokinesis (PK).
Psychic - An all-encompassing word that is used to describe a person who is allegedly
sensitive beyond the normal means. Such a person may be able to see and hear things that
are not available to most people.
Psychic Surgery - The supposed ability to paranormally perform invasive surgery using no
conventional medical tools. The psychic surgeon uses either an unsterilized knife, or his bare
hands, to appear to make an incision and remove some internal matter. Once the operation is
finished, there is no sign of an incision, nor are there any unpleasant aftereffects (e.g. infection).
Many of the investigated cases have turned out to be fraudulent, involving sleight of hand tricks
to make the operation appear convincing. However, it is possible that, in some circumstances,
the ritual nature of the "surgery" could help effect a cure through the equally mysterious placebo
effect.
Psychokinesis (PK) - The ability to move physical objects utilizing only the power of the mind.
In many poltergeist-like cases, human agents affect objects in an unconscious manner.
Psychometry - To touch an object with your hands and get information about the object, its
creator, its owner, or its history.
Psychoplasm - Alternative term for ectoplasm.