Alpha Rhythm - Electrical activity in the brain (about 10
cycles per
second) associated with a state of
mental relaxation.
Altered State of
consciousness that is different
from "normal" states of waking or sleeping.
ASCs include hypnosis, trance, ecstasy,
psychedelic and meditative
experience. ASCs do not necessarily
have paranormal features.
Apparition - The visual appearance of a person whose
physical body is not
present.
Apport / Asport - An apport is a solid object that seemingly
appears from
nowhere in the presence of a
medium. Asport is any object the ‘spirits’ or
medium makes disappear or teleports
to another location.
Astral body - The body a person seems to occupy during an
out-of-body
experience.
Astral plane - A world some people believe exists above the
physical world.
Astral projection - An out-of-body
experience.
Astrology - A theory and practice which attempts to identify
the ways in
which astronomical events are
correlated with events on earth.
Aura - A field that some psychics see surrounding the living
body.
Automatic writing - Writing without being aware of the
contents, as when a
medium apparently transcribes
written messages from disembodied spirits.
Automatism - Any unconscious and spontaneous muscular
movement caused by ‘
the spirits’. (Automatic
writing).
Autoscopy - Seeing one's 'double', or looking back at one's
own body from a
position outside the body (OBE).
Bilocation - Being (or appearing to be) in two different
places at the same
time (similar to autoscopy).
Call - Response made by a subject in a card-guessing or
other ESP test.
Card Guessing - An experimental test for ESP in which
subjects guess the
identity of a set of cards.
Case study - An in-depth investigation of
an individual subject.
Cerebral Anoxia - Lack of oxygen to the brain, often causing
sensory
distortions and hallucinations.
Sometimes used to explain features of the
near-death experience.
Channeling - The process by which a medium apparently allows
a spirit to
communicate through his or her
person.
Clairaudience - Auditory form of ESP (compare with
Clairvoyance).
Clairsentience - Physical sensations (or smell) form of ESP.
Sometimes used
as a general term for clairvoyance
and clairaudience.
Clairvoyance - A subset of ESP. The viewing of distant
scenes not apparent
to the eye, may appear externally -
either replacing the normal visual
scene (visions) or being
incorporated into it (as could be the case with
apparitions) - or internally, in
the form of mental imagery and intuition.
Closed Deck - A set of cards used in a card-guessing test where
each card
appears a fixed number of times.
Statistical analysis of research data
using a closed deck differs from
statistical analysis of data using an
open-deck.
Cold reading - A technique using a series of general
statements, questions,
and answers that allows fake
mediums, mind-readers, and magicians to obtain
previously unknown information
about a person. (Reader has no prior
knowledge).
Collective apparition - An unusual type of ‘ghost’ sighting
in which more
than one person sees the same
phenomenon.
Control - In experimental parapsychology a procedure
undertaken in order to
ensure that the experiment is
conducted in a standard fashion and so that
results are not unduly influenced
by extraneous factors.
Control Group - A group of people whose performance is
compared with that
of experimental subjects.
Correlation - An association between two or more events or
variables.
Correlation Coefficient - A mathematical index of the degree
of association
between two or more measures.
Crisis apparition - An apparition seen when the subject is
at the point of
death or is the victim of a serious
illness or injury.
Cross-correspondences - Interrelated bits of information
received from ‘the
spirit world’ by different mediums
at different times and locations. The
communications must be joined
together to form a complete message from ‘the
spirit(s)’.
DAT - Decision Augmentation Theory.
An attempt to reconceptualize PK as a
precognition-based selection
process rather than one of actual influence.
Decline Effect - A decrease in performance on a psi test
when the test is
repeated.
Déjà vu - The feeling of having
experienced something before.
Dice Test - Experimental techniques for investigating
psychokinesis, in
which a subject attempts to
influence the fall of dice.
Direct voice phenomenon (DVP) - A ‘spirit’ voice, spoken
directly to
sitters at a seance. The sound
usually seems to come from a point near the
medium, or through a spirit horn or
trumpet, but not from the mouth of the
medium.
Displacement - Responses on a psi test that correspond
systematically to
targets other than the intended one
(those before or after).
Dissociation - Activity performed outside of normal
conscious awareness, or
mental processes that suggest the
existence of separate centers of
consciousness.
DMILS - Direct Mental Interaction with
Living Systems. Used to denote
instances where one person is
attempting to influence a distant biological
system, usually the physiology of
another person. As it is unclear whether
this represents an influence (PK),
a case of ESP on the part of the
influence, or an opportunistic
selection process (see DAT), the term ‘
interaction’ has been adopted.
Doppelganger - A mirror image or double of a person.
Double Blind - An experimental procedure in which neither
the subject nor
experimenter is aware of key
features of the experiment.
Down Through Technique (DT) - An experimental test for
clairvoyance in
which the person guesses the order
of a stacked series of target symbols
(cards) from top to bottom. (opposite of up through technique).
Electrodermal response - A measure of skin conductance or
resistance
related to sympathetic nervous
system arousal. This response can be
elicited by external stimuli (a
light, tone etc.), or by internal activity
(e.g. emotions).
Electroencephalograph (EEG) - A device that monitors the
electrical
activity of the brain over time by
means of recording electrodes attached
to the surface of the scalp.
Electrooculograhph (EOG) - A device that records eye
movement.
Empathy - Rarely used in modern parapsychology, the popular
usage of this
term refers to a low-level form of
telepathy wherein the empath appears to
be aware of the emotional state of
a distant person. An empath may also be
able to “broadcast” emotions to
others.
Empiricism - The premise that knowledge should be acquired
through
observation.
ESP - Extrasensory perception. (receptive psychic) The ability to gain
knowledge through means other than
the five physical senses or logical
inference. Test YOUR ESP by
clicking here.
Electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) - The capture of ‘spirit’
voices on
magnetic tape as an audio
recording. Many times, no sound is heard while
the tape is recording. It’s only
upon playback that the harsh, hushed
voices can be heard.
Experiment - A test carried out under controlled conditions.
Experimental Group - A group of subjects who undergo a
specific
experimental procedure. Often
results from this group are compared with
those of a control group.
Experimental Parapsychology - Parapsychology research
involving
experimental methods rather than
survey techniques or the investigation of
spontaneous cases.
Experimenter - The person who conducts the experiment.
Experimenter Effect - Influence that the experimenter's
personality or
behavior may have on the results of
an experiment.
False Awakening - An experience in which a person believes
he or she has
woken up, but actually is still
dreaming.
Forced choice experiment - An experiment in which the
subject is forced to
choose among an assortment of
possible targets, such as the five ESP cards.
Free response experiment - An experiment in which the subject
knows only
the general nature of the target -
for instance, that it is a picture - but
not anything else.
Ganzfield experiment - An experiment where input from the
outside world is
reduced by placing halved ping-pong
balls over the eyes and by masking
external sounds (covering subject's
ears with headphones and playing white
noise). A state
of mild sensory deprivation.
General Extrasensory Perception (GESP) - ESP in which it is
unclear whether
the results are due to
clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition or
retrocognition.
Ghost - A form of apparition, usually the visual appearance
of a deceased
human’s ‘spirit soul’ or that of a
crisis apparition.
Ghost hunt / Ghost investigation - A ghost hunt is an
informal attempt to
simply sight or record a ‘ghost’ in
a location similar to others known to
be haunted. A ghost investigation,
on the other hand, is a carefully
controlled research project, set up
to record paranormal activity, usually
at a location known, or presumed to
be haunted.
Goat - A subject in an experiment who does not believe in
the ability for
which he or she is being tested.
Hallucination - Perception of sights, sounds, etc., that are
not actually
present. Ghosts, as we define them,
are not hallucinations, because they
have a real, external cause.
Haunting - Recurrent sounds of human activity, sightings of
apparitions,
and other psychic phenomena, in a
location when no one is there physically.
Hit - A choice that proves correct.
Hot
been obtained, often using devious
or fraudulent means.
Hypnosis - State like sleep in which the subject acts only
on external
suggestion.
Illusion - A distorted perception of objects or events
causing a
discrepancy between what is
perceived and what is reality. (sometimes
confused with hallucination)
Incline Effect - An increase in performance on a psi test
when the test is
repeated.
Intuition - The non-paranormal ability to grasp the elements
of a situation
or to draw conclusions about
complex events in ways that go beyond a purely
rational or intellectual analysis.
Judge - Person who compares targets and responses in a psi
experiment.
Kirlian Photography - A
photographic method involving high frequency
electric current, discovered by
S.D. & V. Kirlian in the
Kirlian photographs often show colored halos or
"auras" surrounding
objects.
Laying on of hands - A process by
which certain healers profess to be able
to heal patients by touch.
Levitation - The lifting of physical objects by
psychokinesis (PK).
Life Review - Flashback memories of the whole of a person's
life, often
associated with the near-death
experience.
Longbody - A web of living connections among people, places,
and objects.
Lucid Dreaming - Dreaming in which the person is aware that
the experience
is a dream. Often associated with
feelings of aliveness and freedom, and
with the ability to control dream
events.
Magnetometer (EMF detector, gaussmeter) - A device to
measure the presence
of a magnetic field as well as its
strength, direction, and fluctuation.
Paranormal researchers use the device in an attempt to
detect a ghost’s
magnetic or energy aura.
Mean Chance Expectation (MCE) - The
most likely chance score in a psi test.
Medium - A person who professes to be able to communicate
with spirits.
Medium (direct voice) - A trance medium who apparently acts
as a
transmitter for the voices of
disembodied spirits.
Medium (materialization) - A medium who seems to be able to
give physical
form to the deceased from a
substance called “ectoplasm”.
Medium (physical) - A medium who is the center of moving
objects and other
physical incidents supposedly
caused by spirits.
Mesmerism - The induction of a sleep or trance state,
discovered during the
work of Friedrich Anton Mesmer,
from whose name the word is derived. Also
known as hypnotism.
Miss - A choice that proves incorrect.
Mist - A photographed anomaly (not seen at time of photo)
that appears as a
'blanket' of light. Theory suggests
that this is the appearance of a
'ghost' or 'spirit' of the dead. As
with other photographed anomalies there
is environmental issues that are of
concern to the validity of their
existence (moisture, reflection,
dirty lens, etc.). There has been no
substantial proof that these are,
or are related in any way, to 'ghosts' or
paranormal behavior.
Motor automatism - Bodily movement of an intelligent and
purposeful kind of
which the person is not aware, as
with automatic writing.
Necromancy / necromancer - A form of prophecy, in which the
seer or
sorcerer / sorceress raises the
‘spirit’ (not corporal remains) of the dead
in order to have the wraith
foretell future events. It was thought that
upon entering eternity, the
‘spirit’ would have full knowledge of the past,
present, and future.
NDE - Near-death experience - the out-of-body and other
experiences people
report having when they are close
to death. Events within NDE include: an
OBE, life review, a tunnel experience (drifting in
darkness), encounters
with guides (or angels), seeing
dead relatives or friends, a moment of
decision (or being told) to turn
back.
Noise-reduction model - The idea that psi information may be
more
accessible if normal sensory
information is reduced to a minimum (reducing
sensory ‘noise’ to make the psi
‘signal’ clearer) (see Ganzfield
experiment).
OBE - Out-of-body experience - the experience that the self
is in a
different location than the
physical body.
Objective apparitions - Apparitions or phenomena that appear
independent of
our minds, thoughts, or feelings.
Occam's Razor - The principle that
we should always prefer the simplest
explanation of events.
Open Deck - A series of cards used in a card guessing test
where each card
is chosen randomly and
independently. This enables each target to be
selected any number of times.
Statistical analysis of research data using
an open deck differs from
statistical analysis of data using a closed deck.
Open Matching (
placed face up on the table. The
subject then places the unseen target
cards in piles in front of each key
card, according to their guesses.
Orb - A photographed (not seen at time of photo) anomaly
that, in theory,
represents an ongoing 'spirit' of a
deceased person. It appears as a ball
of light and may occasionally seem
to be moving. This is a highly
controversial subject since there
are many reasonable circumstances that
identify this as environmental
(dust, rain, snow, dirty lens, insects,
reflection, lens flare etc.). There
has been no substantial proof that the
balls of light are associated with
'ghosts', the dead or any paranormal
behavior.
Ouija Board - A board pre-printed with letters, numerals,
and words used by
mediums to receive spirit
communications. Usually a planchatte (palm-sized
triangular platform) is employed to
spell out words or point out numbers or
letters. A game version of the
Ouija board was mass-marketed as OUIJA by
Parker Brothers in 1966 and is currently distributed by
Hasbro.
Paranormal - Above or outside the natural order of things as
presently
understood.
Parapsychology - The branch of science that studies psychic
phenomena.
(term coined by J.B. Rhine)
Percipient - A person who sees (i.e., perceives) an
apparition or ghost.
Phenomenology - An approach to research that aims to
describe and clarify a
person's own experience and
understanding of an event or phenomenon.
Poltergeist - A German word meaning 'noisy or rowdy ghost'
(see also RSPK).
Probability - The likelihood that results in a test were due
to chance.
Process Research - Research that aims to investigate factors
affecting psi.
Proof Research - Research that aims to demonstrate the
existence of psi.
Psychical Research - Term coined in the late 19th century to
refer to the
scientific study of the paranormal.
Now largely superseded by
'parapsychology'.
PK - Psychokinesis - (expressive psychic) the power of the
mind to affect
matter without physical contact.
PK (bio) - Psychokinetic influence of biological systems
e.g. changing the
physiological activity of a living
system (see DMILS).
PK (deliberate) - Psychokinesis that occurs as a result of
conscious effort
by the person causing it.
PK (macro) - The effect of psychokinesis on objects in
general.
PK (micro) - The effect of psychokinesis on random events
such as random
event generators (REGs).
PK (spontaneous) - Psychokinesis that occurs without
conscious effort by
the person who causes it.
PK (time-displaced) - The concept of psychokinesis going
backward in time
to affect events that have already
taken place.
Place memory - Information about past events that apparently
is stored in
the physical environment.
Precognition - The ability to predict things beyond present
knowledge.
Psi - A letter in the Greek alphabet that denotes psychic
phenomena.
Psi hitting - A test performance significantly higher than
expected by
chance.
Psi missing - A test performance significantly lower than
expected by
chance.
Psyche - The Greek word for “self”, “mind”, or “soul”.
Psychic - A person with above average ESP abilities.
Psychic healing - A mode of healing affected by the psychic
abilities of
the healer.
Psychic surgery - The supposed ability to paranormally
perform invasive
surgery using no conventional
medical tools.
Psychometry - ESP of events associated with inanimate
objects.
Qualitative Method - A research method involving the
collection of
non-quantitative data (e.g.,
observations, interviews, subjective reports,
case studies).
Quantitative Method - A research method involving the
collection and
statistical analysis of numerical
data.
Radio voice phenomenon (RVP) - Receiving the voice of a
deceased human
being over a regular radio.
REG - Random event generator. A
target selection machine that operates in a
way that should be impossible to
predict creating random events or random
numbers. (same
as Random Number Generator - RNG)
Remote viewing - (1)Another term
for clairvoyance.(2)An ESP procedure in
which a percipient attempts to
become aware psychically of the experience
of an agent who is at a distant,
unknown target location.
REMs - Rapid eye movement during sleep that indicates
dreaming.
Repressed psychokinetic energy - A theoretical psychic force
produced,
usually unconsciously, by an
individual undergoing physical or mental
trauma. When released, the power
causes paranormal occurrences such as
poltergeist activity.
Response - An action made by a subject in an experiment.
Response bias - Tendency of a subject to
prefer particular responses.
Retroactive Psychokinesis - Paranormal influence that an
agent can have on
an experiment after it has been
completed.
Retrocognition - A ‘time warp’ in which one finds themself
in the past,
seeing or experiencing events of
which they had no prior knowledge.
RSPK - Recurrent spontaneous
psychokinesis. A possible cause of apparent
poltergeist activity.
Run - A set of trials in a psi test.
Sceptic (skeptic) - A person inclined to discount the
reality of the
paranormal and to be critical of
parapsychological research. Generally
seeks rational or scientific
explanations for the phenomenon studied by
parapsychologists.
Score - Number of hits in a psi test.
Scrying - A term used to cover a wide range of divination
techniques which
parapsychology would tend to
classify as types of ESP. Most scrying
techniques involve some degree of
fixation on a surface with a clear
optical depth (crystal ball, a pool
of ink or deep water) or on an area
which shows random patterns (flames
in a fire, smoke), the idea being that
subconscious information available
to the scrying will be manifested in
their interpretation of the imagery
or random patterns they see.
Séance - A group of people who gather in an effort to
communicate with the
dead.
Series - A sequence of runs in a psi experiment.
Shaman - A ‘wizard’ in tribal societies who is an
intermediary between the
living, the dead, and the gods.
Sheep - A subject in an experiment who believes in the
ability for which he
or she is being tested.
Spirit photography - A spirit photograph captures the image
of a ghost on
film. Many of these are supposedly
intended as a mere portrait of a living
human being, but when the film is
developed, an ethereal ghostly face or
figure can be seen hovering near
the subject. This may also incorporate
orbs, vortexes, and mists to some
degree.
Spirit theater - A term used by
modern-day magicians to describe shows,
acts, or tricks in which ghosts or
other spirit activity are apparently
produced.
Spiritualism - A belief system that ‘spirits’ of the dead
can (and do)
communicate with living humans in
the material world. (Usually through a
intermediary known as a medium).
Subjective apparitions - Apparitions or phenomena that are
hallucinations
created by our minds.
Supernatural - Something that exists or occurs through some
means other
than any known force in nature. As
opposed to paranormal, the term ‘
supernatural’ often connotes divine
or demonic intervention.
Statistics - Mathematical techniques for analyzing and
interpreting data.
Stigmata - Unexplained markings on a person's body that
correspond to the
wounds of Christ.
Survey - A method of data collection that involves
interviewing (or giving
questionnaires to) a representative
and often large group of people.
Target object - In ESP, the object or event the subject
attempts to
perceive; in PK, the object or
event the subject attempts to influence.
Telekinesis - Paranormal movement of objects.
Telepathy - The direct passing of information from one mind
to another.
Teleportation - A kind of paranormal transportation in which
an object is
moved from one distinct location to
another, often through a solid object
such as a wall.
Temporal Lobe Activity - Electrical activity in the temporal
lobes of the
brain. Often associated with
strange sensations, time distortions and
hallucinations. Sometimes used as
an explanation for seemingly paranormal
experiences such as apparitions.
Thought form - An apparition produced by the power of the
human mind.
Trance - A sleeplike state in which there is a change of
consciousness.
Trial - In psi tests, a single attempt to demonstrate
paranormal ability
(e.g., one attempt to guess a card or one attempt to
influence the fall of
the dice).
Up Through Technique - An experimental test for clairvoyance
in which the
subject guesses the order of a
stacked series of target symbols (cards)
from bottom to top.
Vortex (vortice) - A photographed anomaly that appears as a
funnel or
rope-like image (sometimes creating
a shadow) that is not seen at the time
of the photograph that supposedly
represents a 'ghost'. Other theories
include; a collection of orbs, a
'gateway' to where orbs originate or
travel to or a wormhole in
time-space. No substantial evidence has been
found for any of these theories.
White noise - A hiss-like sound, formed by compiling all
audible
frequencies (used in Ganzfield
experiments).
Zener Cards - Set of 25 cards (5 each of circle, square,
Greek cross,
five-pointed star, three wavy lines) designed by the
perceptual
psychologist Karl Zener for use in
card-guessing tests of ESP. (also known
as ESP cards).