 | Apparition - The appearance of a paranormal
animal, object or person is known as an apparition. Such manifestations
cannot be touched, and appear to walk or float through walls and doors.
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| Automatic
Writing -
Writing produced by the hand of a living person that is allegedly led by
a member of the spirit world in order to communicate. The usual
handwriting of the receiver is often completely different to the text
produced during the communication.
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| Bilocation - Bilocation is a term used to
describe the phenomenon in which an individual is seen in two places at
once. It is assumed that one of the sightings must be an apparition.
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| Black Shuck - A phantom black dog which is
often thought to be an omen of death. The Black Shuck legend derives
from the East Anglia region of England.
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| Clairvoyance - Clairvoyance, which literally
means 'clear-seeing', is a term describing the ability of an individual
to sense messages or visions using means other than the five known human
senses.
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| Collective
Apparitions
- Apparitions that are seen by more than one person at the same time.
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| Conan Doyle, Sir
Arthur - Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle (1858-1930), author of the world famous
Sherlock Holmes novels, believed strongly in the paranormal and
life after death. He became a Spiritualist in 1916, and executed
automatic writing during many séances. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
broke his friendship with magician and escape artist Harry
Houdini after Houdini refused to believe that Conan Doyle had
contacted his mother during a séance that both men had attended. He
strongly defended the controversial spirit photograph taken of the
Cottingley Fairies. Despite conclusive evidence to show that the
photograph had been forged by the two teenage girls who claimed they had
seen the fairies in the Yorkshire village of Cottingley, Doyle continued
to believe in the existence of fairies.
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| Corpse Lights - Lights that hover over marshy
areas at night. These were once believed to be omens of death, but
recent theories have uncovered that they may be the result of marsh gas.
Also known as ignis fatuus, jack-o'lanterns or fetch-lights.
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| Crisis
Apparition - This is a very common type of haunting which
occurs when a person is close to death, extremely ill, in grave danger
or under great stress. The 'ghost' of this person appears to a relative
or friend, the apparition often appearing so lifelike that it is
mistaken for the real person.
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| Demons - A term used to describe spirits that affect the lives of
human beings.
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| Direct Voice
Phenomena - The phenomenon of a spirit speaking directly to
the living as opposed to through a medium's voice. The spirit's voice
may appear to come from thin air or from an inanimate object, such as a
trumpet or drum.
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| Doppelganger - An apparition that is the 'double'
of a living person is called a Doppelganger. These
are often linked with crisis apparitions.
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| Ectoplasm - A substance which appears to
emanate from a medium's body during a séance. Ectoplasm is usually white
in color and feels sticky to the touch.
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| Electronic Voice
Phenomenon -
A method of capturing the voices of spirits during a séance. The
spirit's voices are supposedly recorded directly on to audio tape.
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| ESP
(Extra-Sensory Perception) - Term developed by researcher J.B. Rhine (1895-1980),
who studied paranormal subjects at great length . ESP describes the
transmission of information derived by means other than the five senses.
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| Exorcism - Exorcism is a process that aims
to prevent a haunting from continuing. It is generally carried out by a
member of the clergy, who attempts to 'cast out' bad spirits from a
person or place. Exorcisms are still performed to this day, but the
Anglican church usually insists on a complete analysis of the case
beforehand, such as a social worker or doctor's report. Poltergeist
cases usually do not respond to exorcism.
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| Fox Sisters, the - These three sisters, Margaretta, Catherine and Leah,
were responsible for the birth of Spiritualism. They allegedly had the
ability to communicate with spirits using the rapping method. Due to a
great deal of press coverage, the sisters became famous and were able to
travel throughout the country demonstrating their abilities.
In 1888, following
investigations into fraudulence within the Spiritualist movement,
Catherine and Margaretta publicly announced that their communications
with the spirit world were fake.
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| Ganzfield
Experiments
-
Ganzfield is a German word
meaning 'whole field'. Ganzfield experiments are carried out to study
the level of an individual's Extra Sensory Perception (ESP). It was
pioneered by Charles Honorton, an American Parapsychologist. The
Ganzfield experiment aims to deprive the body of its senses, therefore
creating a relaxed state which is conducive to telepathy. The subject
relaxes on a couch or mattress, their eyes are covered
with half ping-pong balls, and 'white' noise is
played so that all senses 'blur' and distractions are cut out. It is at
this point that further experiments are carried out to test the
subject's ability to 'transmit' telepathic thoughts to a 'receiver' in
another room.
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| Ghost - A ghost is a spirit of a dead
person that returns to haunt a person or place. Ghosts are often thought
to be trying to communicate a message to the living.
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| Gray Ladies - Gray ladies are spirits that
are seen wearing gray dresses. Typically, they return to haunt their
previous homes because of a tragic event during their lifetime, usually
involving a loved one.
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| Halloween - Halloween, or All Hallows Eve,
derived from a pagan festival. It is traditionally the night when ghosts
and spirits have the power to roam the world. Halloween falls on October
31st each year.
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| Home Circle - A home circle is a séance held
at home amongst friends and family. A professional medium is generally
not in attendance.
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| Houdini, Harry - Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was a skilled magician and
escape artist. He attempted to uncover many Spiritualists as frauds, but
despite this, visited several mediums in the hope of contacting his
deceased mother. Houdini broke his friendship with author Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle after he refused to believe that Conan Doyle had
contacted his mother during a séance that both men had attended.
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| James, William - William James (1842-1910) was one of the founders of the
American Society for Psychical Research. He contributed a great deal to
the research of the paranormal through his work with mediums, in
particular Leonora Piper in 1885.
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| Kelpie - A Scottish water-spirit that is believed to be an omen
of death. Kelpies appear in the form of a horse or a long-haired man,
and often lure people into the water to drown.
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| Levitation - The rising into the air from the ground of an object or
person. Apparitions often appear to be hovering a few feet away from the
floor, and previously inanimate objects can suddenly levitate during a
poltergeist attack.
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| Marian
Apparition - Supernatural appearance of the Virgin Mary.
This a commonly reported phenomena and witnesses often describe
sightings as being accompanied by music and singing.
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| Materialization - The apparent manifestation of
spirits formed from the ectoplasm produced by mediums during a séance.
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| Medium - An individual who has the
ability to receive messages from the dead and communicate them to the
living.
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| Myers, Frederic
William Henry - Frederic Myers (1843-1901) was responsible for
founding the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) alongside Henry
Sidgewick in 1888. He wrote several highly influential books on the
subject of the paranormal, including Human Personality and Its Survival
of Bodily Death (1903), and Science and a Future Life (1893).
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| Occult - From the Latin 'occulere',
meaning 'to hide', occult knowledge is usually thought to be secret or
peculiar. The Occult includes any fact or event that is unusual and
inexplicable.
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| Ouija board - A Ouija board is simple tool
used for communicating with the dead. A typical board has the letters of
the alphabet and 'yes' and 'no' placed in a circle on a smooth, flat
surface. The participants place an upside-down glass in the centre of
the letters and rest their fingers on it. They ask questions and the
answers are spelled out by the glass as it moves from letter to letter.
Some participants have experienced phenomena other than the moving glass
such as draughts and objects smashing in the room. It is advised that
this powerful and often frightening device is not used by the
inexperienced.
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| Parapsychology - The scientific study of
paranormal phenomena.
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| Phantasmoagoria - A machine designed by optician
E.G. Robertson in the nineteenth century intended to entertain the
public by projecting 'ghostly' moving figures.
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| Phantom Ships - Ghostly images of ships that
appear worldwide. These usually occur at the place where the vessel was
wrecked. The Goodwin sands in Kent, England is one of the most famous
sites for phantom ship hauntings.
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| The Lady
Lovibond -
is one such ship. It ran aground in these waters in 1748, and it is said
that she appears again every fifty years.
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| Planchette - The Planchette, meaning 'little
board', is a device used to receive messages from the spirit world. It
is a small board with wheels attached to its base. A pencil, fixed to
the board in such a way that it reaches the floor, is placed on some
paper. The user then places a hand on the Planchette, and calls out to
spirits to leave messages on the paper.
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| Poltergeist
-
Poltergeist is a German word
meaning 'noisy/rattling spirit'. Poltergeist manifestations are one of
the most common paranormal events in modern homes. Some researchers
believe that poltergeists are not ghosts but phenomena caused by mental
disturbances. Poltergeists often appear when a certain member of the
family is present. Children, adolescents and the elderly seem to be more
susceptible to such phenomena. Manifestations include: moving/levitating
objects (furniture being rearranged, glasses being smashed, etc.),
creaks, knocks, temperature changes, pools of water appearing, etc.
Poltergeists can cause a great deal of damage within the home, but there
are no recorded cases of severe physical injury occurring because of
them. Exorcism has little effect; the spirit merely 'laughs' at the
ceremony.
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| Possession - A term used to describe the
'taking over' of a person's mind by a spirit. A medium may become
temporarily possessed during a séance.
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| Price, Harry - Harry Price (1881-1948) ,
psychical researcher whose case studies of hauntings are considered by
many to be partly or wholly fraudulent. Price is most famous for his
investigations at Borley Rectory in Essex, England. Author of several
books, including The End of Borley Rectory
(1940) and Confessions of a Ghost Hunter
(1936).
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| Pseudopods - A pseudopod is a false limb,
formed by ectoplasm, that appears on a medium's body during a séance.
The medium Eusapia Palladino was particularly famous for producing
pseudopods during séances held in the late nineteenth century.
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| Psi - 'Psi' probably derives from
'psychic'. A person with Psi powers has
Extra-Sensory Perception. He or she is telepathic and/or clairvoyant.
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| Psychokinesis
(PK) - Also
known as telekinesis, Psychokinesis is a term describing the movement of
objects without contact by means of the transference of thought. Uri
Geller, the Israeli psychic, has become world famous for his ability to
bend, break and move physical objects such as rings or spoons without
touching them.
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| Randi,
James
- James Randi, one-time
professional conjurer, is famous for uncovering fraud and trickery in
the world of the supposedly paranormal. He aims to uncover the illusions
that he accuses media-related psychics and researchers of creating. Uri
Geller, the Israeli psychic who can apparently bend physical objects by
using thought transference, was particularly targeted by Randi.
Randi himself has been accused of concealing evidence that he could not
find a rational explanation for.
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| Rapping - A phenomena by which members of
the spirit world communicate with the living by knocks, taps and bumps.
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| Reciprocal
Apparitions
- When an individual has a strong desire to be with a second person,
occasionally this can result in a reciprocal apparition. The thinker
(agent) is transported to the second person (recipient) in the form of
an apparition.
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| Screaming Skulls - Legends of screaming skulls are
popular worldwide. In most stories, the skull screams when removed from
the place where it was laid to rest. Famous locations for such skulls
include Bettiscombe Manor and Burton Agnes Hall.
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| Séance - A séance is a meeting held to contact the
dead. It is usually organized by one or more mediums, who allegedly act
as the 'voice' of the spirits. A typical séance involves the medium
asking questions to the 'dead', and relaying the answers back to the
participants. Other paranormal phenomena such as moving objects, noises
and draughts has been witnessed at séances. Some mediums appear to
produce 'ectoplasm' (a substance that emits from the mouth while in
trance).
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| Society for
Psychical Research (SPR) - London based organization founded in 1888 by Frederic
W.H. Myers, Henry Sedgewick and Edmund Gurney devoted to paranormal
research.
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| Spirit
photography
- In the latter part of the nineteenth century, photography and
spiritualism both became very popular, and 'spirit photographs' began to
emerge. There are many photographs in existence that have 'spirits' on
them; objects or people that were not seen during the taking of the
photograph but appear when the film is developed. The appearances of the
majority of these 'spirits' have logical explanations, such as dirt on
the lens or an obstructing camera strap causing a blurred shape on the
picture. They can be faked easily by making use of photographic
techniques such as double exposure. There are a few controversial spirit
photographs that have been examined by experts who cannot find any
evidence of forgery. One example is the 'Tulip staircase' photograph
taken at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. A tourist
took a snapshot of the staircase and when it was developed, robed
figures could be seen ascending the stairs.
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| Spiritualism - A religious movement that is
popular throughout the world. Its members believe strongly in life after
death, and attend séances in order to contact the spirit world. Founded
by the Fox sisters in New York in 1848.
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| Supernatural - A phenomena which cannot be
explained by natural or physical laws is described as being
supernatural.
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| Survival
Test
- A test set by an
individual that is intended to prove or disprove the theory that there
is life after death. A living person leaves a secret message or sign
with the intention of communicating evidence to support the message
through a medium after death. There are cases where deceased people have
apparently contacted living relatives and friends with messages that
correspond with the tests that were devised before death, although there
is no solid evidence to support these claims.
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| Vampire - The vampire is an 'undead'
being who gains energy by sucking the blood from living victims. A bite
from a vampire causes the victim in turn to become 'undead'. Count
Dracula is undoubtedly the most famous vampire, created by writer Bram
Stoker in 1897. The novel was based on a real fifteenth century
Transylvanian Count, Vlad the Impaler, who was known for his hobby of
watching his prisoners die a slow and torturous death impaled on high
poles. Deaths caused by suicides in some Eastern European countries were
treated with great suspicion up until the beginning of this century.
Victims were buried at crossroads and their graves were covered in
crosses, which represented knots, to stop them 'walking' from their
graves.
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| Vision - Derived from Latin videre 'to
see', viso 'ability to see'. A vision is a form of hallucination or
apparition that has some meaning, such as a message or prophecy.
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| Wraith - A ghost of a living person
which is often seen shortly before his or her death.
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| Zener cards - These cards are used in
Extra-Sensory Perception experiments, and were developed by a researcher
of the same name at Duke University. Each set comprises twenty five
cards grouped into five sets of five cards. All the cards have one of
five simple designs on them: a circle, rectangle, cross or wavy lines. A
sender selects cards from a shuffled pile, and a receiver, in a separate
room or behind a screen, chooses the card which he believes the sender
has selected. If the results are consistently above chance, this may be
an indication that the receiver is telepathic. Some subjects
produce extremely accurate results, but the experiments are highly
controversial.
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| Zombies - Zombies are linked with voodoo
witchcraft, the term Zombie generally referring to a human being that
has apparently 'returned from the grave'. These undead beings are noted
as appearing distant and lethargic, unable to speak or move quickly. It
is thought that these 'zombies' are not reincarnated people, but are in
fact victims of trickery by voodoo sorcerers. Sorcerers have been
accused of scattering the drug Tetradoxin on the floors of the victim's
home, which is absorbed easily into the bloodstream via the feet. This
drug can cause a death-like trance where even the brain appears to have
stopped functioning. The sorcerer buries the victim for a short while,
then unearths the grave and administers an antidote. Victims rarely make
a complete recovery, and are usually left with severe brain damage,
hence the sluggishness of their movement and their inability to speak.
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