Paranormal Terminology

6th

Ok seeing as there is no clear defined language for discussing the paranormal (so many mix ups with the word ghost & spirit) lets see if we can put down some phrases and definitions we can agree on.

If we can try to word them in the format or the below and keep it simple it will make things easier

I'll start with some simple ones from another site:

Channelling: the act of receiving information from an outside source.

Psychic Medium: a person who channels by relaying information from an outside source.

Clairaudience: the ability to hear or perceive sounds which are not normally audible. A form of medium ship

Clairsentience: an energy of knowing an event, past, present or future through a feeling. A form of medium ship.

Clairvoyance: extrasensory perception of an event which is not present to the five senses. A form of medium ship.

Divination: a prophecy, prediction or foretelling the future by the act or practicing the occult arts.

Precognition: seeing ahead in time, a premonition of an event or something that will happen in the future.

Prophecy: to predict a future event under the influence of divine guidance.

Psychometry: divining knowledge about an object or a person connected with it through contact with the object.

Remote Viewing: to be able to see, describe a person, place or thing without being in their presence.

Spirit: The conscious energy or essence of a person or animal

Ghost:A formation of energy usually unconcious or a recording of a person/animal or object (i.e. Flying Dutchman)

Aisling&M

That's funny......I've always noticed a difference between ghost and spirit but I look at it like a ghost is a spirit who is not at peace and a spirit is one who has crossed over and returned as their true selves (as opposed to the soul still thinking in a human way).
But whatever the consensus is to describe it I'd be happy enought to go along with for clarity sake!

stormkeeper

Hmm... I remember saying that there was a difference between ghosts and spirits myself. Glad to know that I wasn't actually wrong about it.

Anyway...

EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field): Said to be generated in higher quantities than normal whenever there is paranormal activity, most notably ghosts. However, EMF is not limited to the paranormal, as every living thing (and maybe non-living?) generates its own EMF.

Oryx

Just a pedantic note. Clairvoyance is used as a catch all term to cover the others, clairsentience, clairaudience etc. But strictly speaking it means clear sight, and is used to refer to images, either 'real' or mental, on the part of the psychic.

(Am waiting to see how we define 'energy')

stormkeeper

KatieK wrote:

(Am waiting to see how we define 'energy')

Well, however it is defined, what'll have to be mentioned is that it can neither be created or destroyed, but can only change, ie Solid -> Liquid -> Gas -> Plasma (as I found out quite recently)

6th

I dont think we need to define energy, as it is what it is and is not unique to the realms of the Paranormal.

Good point on the Clairevoyance issue KittyKat, as we define things better I will update the list and eventually we'll have a Paranormal Dictionary

Oryx

I only mentioned energy because I remember a huge debate about it in the distant past. Any definition would have to be solely what it means in terms of the paranormal, not a physical sense. As a psychic my impression and meaning of energy is quite different to that of a scientist.

Otherwise good work 6th, I think this is needed, I forget that terms I use and take for granted, others have never heard of.

Nevyn

S.N.A.F.U. Situation Normal All Fcuked Up

Stoner

stormkeeper wrote:

Hmm... I remember saying that there was a difference between ghosts and spirits myself. Glad to know that I wasn't actually wrong about it.
.

I have seen this ghost/spirit difference in print many times, as someone who has experienced neither I can easily see the distinction between the two.

Terms like Clairsentience, Clairvoyance etc, it's good to know the difference from my point of view. I think this is a good idea 6th,
Anyway, I like the post and the simple ambiguous approach that will keep everyone happy
For example I think you're correct staying away from, say, defining and explaining energy, as arguments will only generate from this beefy approach, some will/do see it as something that is represented in any sort of experience they have, ending up with two types of energy a paranormal and a scientific one (even this statement is confrontational), i.e. if you and I are in a room and you heard a loud bang and I didn't was that sound energy? If it's not then what is it? If you are unsure then it can't be defined, can it?

I should have some decent content to add to this, I'll try to keep it short and sweet, I think it's important not to say too much in it as it could erupt.

Zillah

stormkeeper wrote:

Solid -> Liquid -> Gas -> Plasma

Thats matter dear Specifically matter in increasingly energetic states.

Energy comes in forms like kinetic, thermal, light etc. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but matter and energy are interchangeable in theory. For example, when you burn a piece of paper you convert a small amount of the matter from that paper into energy (heat and light).

Its important to note however that scientific notions such as "energy can be neither created nor destroyed" does not support the continued existence of a human being after death. No one contests that the matter and energy that make up a human being remain, but what makes a person (as far as science knows) is the organised system of energy and matter. When a person dies that system is ruined.

A metaphor can help. Lets say we have a house made of bricks. I then smash the house with a big-assed crane thing. All the bricks remain, but you wouldn't call the pile of bricks a house.

stormkeeper

Zillah wrote:

Thats matter dear Specifically matter in increasingly energetic states.

Energy comes in forms like kinetic, thermal, light etc. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but matter and energy are interchangeable in theory. For example, when you burn a piece of paper you convert a small amount of the matter from that paper into energy (heat and light).

Its important to note however that scientific notions such as "energy can be neither created nor destroyed" does not support the continued existence of a human being after death. No one contests that the matter and energy that make up a human being remain, but what makes a person (as far as science knows) is the organised system of energy and matter. When a person dies that system is ruined.

A metaphor can help. Lets say we have a house made of bricks. I then smash the house with a big-assed crane thing. All the bricks remain, but you wouldn't call the pile of bricks a house.

Ooops... I made a mistake. But you know what I mean all the same, by the looks of it, so it worked out in the end...

Coincidentally, I remember on the Essex Paranormal forum that there was something like a 21g thing... where the body loses 21 grams of weight after a while, or something like that...

6th

We have purposely said that this thread wont define 'energy' in a paranormal context and the idea is to build this up as a dictionary of sorts. Off topics and conversational posts really dont help.

stevenmu

In a topic like this people are always going to have different ideas on what terminology is relevant and what isn't, aswell as differing opinions on the definitions of such terminology. Such posts are just part and parcel of the flow of a discussion and can't really be considered off-topic.

It is a good idea to have a stand alone list of terminology for reference that isn't clogged up with clogged up with discussion, I'm thinking maybe I could merge the original post with the paranormal topics sticky, leaving this thread free for discussing what should or should not be on it ?

6th

Could we then add the defined terminology to the list as we go?

Stoner

Automatic Writing a method used by spirit mediums to obtain information from the next world
Apport A physical object that can materialize and appear at will
Banshee A death omen or spirit said to attach to certain families
Coincidence a striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance (this one is for you stormkeeper
Collective Apparition A type of ghost sighting that occurs when one or more people see the same apparition
Control A spirit who acts as a mediums connection to the next world, also called a spirit guide
Earthbound A ghost unable to cross over at the time of death
Ectoplasm An organic material that is supposedly exuded b y physical mediums during seances
Exteriorisation embodying in an outward form
Elemental any simple or only partly sentient spiritual entity/ a creature that is heavily associated with an element like fire or air
Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) Voices and sounds that are alleged to be from the dead that are captured by electronic mediums eg tape
Elf - fairies that are somewhat mischievous
Fairy one of a class of supernatural beings, generally conceived as having a diminutive human form and possessing magical powers
Ghost Lights Strange balls of lights that appear in specific locations
Goblin a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings
Gnome dwarf-like earth-dwelling spirit
midget a person who is markedly small, in case David Brent is reading this
phantasm Something apparently seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or an apparition. Also called phantasma.
Psychokinesis the power to move something by thinking about it without the application
of physical force
Planchette a triangular board supported on casters; when lightly touched with the fingertips it is supposed to spell out messages
poltergeist from Ger. "noisy ghost," from poltern "make noise.
Reciprocal Apparition A rare type of ghost sighting where both the spirit and human witness see and respond to each other
simulacrum a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance
Spectre a visible incorporeal spirit, esp. one of a terrifying nature; ghost; phantom; apparition.
Shunky half monkey, half shark made up by monkeyfudge
Teleportation A hypothetical method of transportation in which matter or information is dematerialized, usually instantaneously, at one point and recreated at another.
wraith an apparition of a living person supposed to portend his or her death

6th

Stoner wrote:

Shunky half monkey, half shark made up by monkeyfudge

You edit that NOW mister!! I suppose dogs and chickens are fictional too?!

Sapien

Stoner wrote:

Elemental a term used to describe angry or malicious spirits

Whuh!?

I realise that different disciplines can have nuanced denotations of common words, but this is pretty off the wall by my experience.

6th

Sapien, you have been missed.

Anyway please list any definition you think would suit and you're own definitions of anything you've seen so far.

stevenmu

6th wrote:

Could we then add the defined terminology to the list as we go?

That seems like the best way to do it to me.


Great list Stoner, altough like Sapien I'm not sure about the elemental definition. The one's I'd have heard would be (borrowing heavily from wikipedia)

1. any simple or only partly sentient spiritual entity
2. a creature that is heavily associated with an element like fire or air
3. all the nature spirit creatures like gnomes or elves are elementals

Generally, when people have used it here I think they've been talking about some combination of 1 and 2.

Stoner

Sapien wrote:

Whuh!?

I realise that different disciplines can have nuanced denotations of common words, but this is pretty off the wall by my experience.

changed to suit Stevenmu description.

I also heard it was a mad looking thing with a goats head that smelled like death and would give you a decent chase around a castle.

Zillah

Stoner wrote:

I also heard it was a mad looking thing with a goats head that smelled like death and would give you a decent chase around a castle.

Been to Leap have we?

Stoner

hehe, no just saw it on TV, I've also heard that it's about the rarest thing to find in this area.

6th

Stoner wrote:

I also heard it was a mad looking thing with a goats head that smelled like death and would give you a decent chase around a castle.

Sounds more like the Pooka.

Stoner

there was some TV program on ages ago, called Haunted Castles, some old english guy presented it, i think he was in the Avengers or something like that, anyway, he called the pooka an elemental, if your going after this old guy to set him straigh beware, his walking stick is really a sword and from what i can remember he was fairly handy with it, even if the other guy had a sword too, he always won, stabbing somewhere between the side of your arm and the side of your belly..

6th

Agent:
- Person who attempts to communicate information to another in an ESP experiment.
- The subject in a psychokinesis experiment.
- Person who is the focus of poltergeist activity.

Apparition: The visual appearance of a person whose physical body is not present.

Apport: An apport is a solid object that seemingly appears from nowhere.

Asport: any object that disappears or teleports to another location.

Astral body: The body a person seems to occupy during an out-of-body experience.

Astral projection: A controlled or conscious out-of-body experience (OBE).

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 'spirits'. (Automatic writing).

Autoscopy: Seeing one's 'double', or looking back at one's own body from a position outside the body (OBE).

Cerebral Anoxia: Lack of oxygen to the brain, often causing sensory distortions and hallucinations. Sometimes used to explain features of the near-death experience.

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: A '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.

Crisis apparition: An apparition seen when the subject is at the point of death or is the victim of a serious illness or injury.

Deja 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).

DIRECT WRITING: Direct writing is when spirits actually write using any means. This can be done by slate writing or by pen and paper.

Empathy: 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.

ESP: Extrasensory perception. The ability to gain knowledge through means other than the five physical senses or logical inference.

Electronic voice phenomenon (EVP): The capture of 'spirit' voices on an audio recording. Many times, no sound is heard while the tape is recording.

Evocation: The summoning of demons or spirits by usage of ritual, gesture or verse of incantation

Exorcism: The expulsion of spirits, ghosts or demons from the body or consciousness of a person.

Earthbound: A 'spirits' state of being confined to a place or person.