Glossary N-S

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  There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
    - William Shakespeare, "Hamlet", Act 1 scene 5
 
 
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Terms and Definitions

Orbs Are energy anomalies recorded at a hunted location.  They are not visible to the naked eye but can be seen through infrared monitors and can be recorded on film.  When they appear they are luminosities that are round or diffuse shape.  They do not have enough mass to set of motion detectors.  They seems to defy gravity and change their direction, sometime very quickly.
Ouija Board Is the most commonly used Talking Board and used for making contact with the the dead or other entity.  Ouija is French and German for "yes" and is trademarked by Parker Brothers.  There are several thoughts on this. Some people feel that the movement of the pointers are directed by the dead.  Other people will say that the user moves the platform subconsciously without realizing it.  The board itself is harmless.  It is the intent of the person who is using it.  When a person try's to make contact with the dead, they are putting the intent or invitation to a low level entity to talk to them.  This is where it can be a problem.  When you do this you are inviting a ghost into your home, and who know what it can do.
Paranormal Events occurring outside normal experiences of the average person.
Pareidolia New [2]

Seeing faces, religious or famous people or animals in the interplay of lighter and darker of areas of objects, the best example would be the “Man in the Moon” while other cultures will see a rabbit.  It is used by skeptics to dismiss seeing figures (usually the “Devil”) in flames or smoke/mist and faces in orbs.

This can also apply to sound, such as backward messages in music and again used by skeptics to dismiss EVPs.

Both Wikipedia.com and Reference.com define it's origins as follows. (NOTE: the full text of both articles is almost identical as 30-Sep-09 and the term could not be located on Online Etymology Dictionary):

Greek para- ("beside", "with", or "alongside"—meaning, in this context, something faulty or wrong (as in paraphasia, disordered speech)) and eidolon (“image”; the diminutive of eidos (“image”, “form”, “shape”)).

See also:  Apophenia.

Planes of Existence

This term is used to describe the different levels, or aspects of life. Different philosophies have different names with different numbers of Planes, as many as 30. Most people do not reference the specifics, instead just referring to the two most basic:

  • The Physical Plane - where our day to day existence, survival and self-expression take place.
  • The Spiritual Plane - sometimes also called Astral, Etheral or -rarely- Psychic, is where non-physical beings and reality take place. It is this area that people who exhibit psychic ability receive their information. Depending on one's philosophy, this can further be divided into:
    • Upper - where all the good and nice and wonderful beings and things exist.
    • Middle - where they interact with physical world (for some this is merely "understood" and for others doesn't exist at all on the spiritual level)
    • Lower - where all the bad and darker and meaner beings things.
Precognition The ability receive information about events, people or places before they happen.  This information can be received through psychic means or hypnosis as in Future Life Progression (FLP).  Also: Retrocognition.
Presage To predict or an omen of things to come.
Pendulum An object, usually a stone or crystal or personal item such as a ring, suspended on a chain and used for divinatory purposes.
Poltergeist

This term has changed over the past few years. The two definitions are as follow:

  • A mischievous and sometimes malevolent ghost or energy that can move objects, create a physical disturbance, or leave marks on human skin..
  • It is caused by the subconscious mind of a person in the household undergoing emotional and/or psychological stress and is often, though not always, associated with a girl going through puberty.
Possession The theory that a persons body and mind can be possessed by a spirit, ghost or demon against their will.  The person may or may not be aware of it.  Possible signs may include personality changes, poltergeist activity and an inability to look any another person in the eye - ever.
Portals Doorways from one dimension to another dimension.  It is thought that this is how a ghost/spirit can move from location to location.  It might also explain why a place might be haunted for a time then all the haunting stops until another time.  This is often confused with a Vortex.
Psychic

From the Greek psykhe- “soul, mind.”[1]  A person who receives information from something other then the physical five senses, usually described as the spirit or ethereal world.  There are two aspects to psychics:

  1. How they receive information.
    • There is a reference to the Sixth Sense, however there is no such thing.  When describing the information received most psychics will use of their five physical senses, as in “I see”, “I hear”.  A few will say, "I know" but is a lack of understanding how they receive information.  When questioned further they will use one of their senses, most often either Hearing as it appears as a “thought inside their head” or as Touch describing it as a feeling in their gut or chest for example.  Some use archaic French terms to describe their abilities, see Clair...
    • Hollywood would lead one to believe that psychics experience events external to themselves; that they actually see ghosts with their eyes, to them it's an audible voice.  While there are psychics who, for the greater number it takes place between the ears and behind the eyes.  Truly uniting the Greek origin of Soul (Spirit) and Mind.
  2. How they classify their talents. (Psychics will exhibit one to many of the following talents)
    • Events in the Timeline
      • The Future:  Foretelling, Prediction, Precognition, Prognostication,
      • The Past:  Retrocognition, Postcognition
    • Communication either through the senses or channeling
      • Deceased humans, most often these psychics prefer the term Medium
      • Angels, elementals, alien intelligences
      • Animals
    • Psychometry
Psychokinesis New [2] Moving or manipulating objects via thought alone--without physical means--from one location to another or altering their shape, as in bending a spoon.
Psychometry A person's energy or an events energy may imprint itself on the object and later be read by a Psychic who possess this particular talent. See also Telekinesis (TK).
Psychopomp New [2] A being that helps the souls of the recently deceased to through their transition to the After Life. See also Angel of Death.
Pyrokinesis (PK) New [2] The ability to set objects to smoldering or on fire with the power of thought or personal will WITHOUT the use of any physical means.
Reincarnation The belief that the soul returns after death to a new body to live another life.
Retrocognition The ability receive information about events, people or places that occurred in the past by a means other then historical research or personal interviews.  This information can be received through psychic means or hypnosis as in Past Life Progression (FLP).  This term is not used widely however when a Psychic / Medium is included as a team member during an investigation and they present information about events that happened on the site, they can be said to be using Retrocognition, but no one really says that.  Also: Precognition.
Revenant New [2]

The return of the dead. Some say it is the souless body like a zombie while others will say it's the disembodied soul. In either case it comes from French revenant, literally “returning (from the other world)”.

Séance A sitting organized for the purpose of receiving spirit communications or paranormal manifestations via the service of a Medium.
Smudging The term comes from Native Americans, but the process is fairly global.  It involves specific herbs smoldering on charcoal briquettes or tied into bundles, set on fire then the flames extinguished so only the embers smolder.  The resulting smoke is then passed under, around or through an object, location or person.  The purpose of which can vary from clearing away old energies, removal of unwanted energies or the balancing or harmonizing of remaining energies.
Specter New [2] A ghost or ominous apparition.
Spirit

A disincarnate being, essence or supernatural force of nature.  They are believed to exist in an realm that can be seen under certain circumstances or be persons with psychic ability.

When we use the term Spirit. We are referring either to 1) the soul of a deceased person that has crossed over to the other side but has returned to our level for some reason (for example: to deliver a message or just check-in on loved ones) or 2) to refer to generally benevolent entities such as Angels or Guides.  We do not use this term to refer to ghosts, no matter how benign or beneficial they appear to be.

Spirit Attachment A type of possession in which a entity becomes attached to a living person or to an object.
Spirit Photography Photographs alleged to reveal ghost or spirits. This can be an image of orbs, streaks of light, mist (luminosity energy) or shapes.
Spook New [2] A ghost, also to move about as a ghost or to scare by subtle means as in spooky.
Supernatural Something belonging beyond or outside of nature.  This term has fallen from use.

[1] Online Etymology Dictionary
[2] As of As of December 2011 - These were accidently upload a few months back but I just discovered it. I will be cleaning them up. So sorry 'bout the mess.

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