Terminology and Definitions
Benevolent: Kind or good.
Cold Spots:
Commonly associated with haunted sites, a cold spot is said
to result from a ghost absorbing the necessary energy to
materialize from its surroundings.
They are usually quite localized and are 10 or more degrees
cooler than the surrounding area.
Dreams:
· Dreams usually are a way for your subconscious
to work out your experiences of the day,
many times putting in your own bit of imagination.
· Dreams try to help you work out any fears you have, but usually end
up giving you nightmares.
· Dreams can be a way for a loved one to visit you in order to relay
a message.
· Dreams can sometimes foretell the future.
Ectoplasm: A dense fog-like
bio-energy used by spirits to materialize as ghosts.
EMF: The electromagnetic
field meter detects changes in the electromagnetic field.
It has been well documented that when the spirits
of the dead are present, the EMF detects
changes in the electromagnetic field.
(Usually a variation of 7 Milligaus or greater)
ESP:
Extrasensory Perception describes the ability to perceive and receive information
without
the use of any of the normal five senses.
EVP: Electronic
Voice Phenomena is a process through which the voices of the dead are
captured on audio recordings.
Exorcism:
A purging of a person, place or thing that has been possessed by a demon or
other
unnatural force. It is normally carried out under the close
supervision of a religious official that is
thoroughly trained and capable.
Geiger Counter:
An instrument that detects and measures radioactivity or the spontaneous
emission of energy from certain elements. This device searches
for fluctuations in Alpha, Beta,
Gamma and X-ray radiation, which point to a disturbance in
spirit energy.
Ghost: Derived
from the German word for geist and Dutch word for geest, a ghost is the physical
manifestation of an individual’s disembodied spirit. It may
appear as a figure, but a ghost can also
manifest itself through smells, sounds and other sensations.
IR Thermometer: Infrared
Thermometer is a thermometer that sends out an infrared beam
that will bounce back when it hits a surface. The
scanner will display the temperature of the surface that
reflected the infrared beam. When a spirit is present, there is
sometimes a significant variation.
Malevolent: To be bad
or of evil intent.
Materialization:
The process through which seemingly solid objects or individuals appear out
of thin air.
Motion Sensor:
The motions sensor is an effective tool for sensing the movement of the spirits.
Sensors go off to support evidence, photographic or otherwise,
of paranormal activity.
NDE:
Near Death Experience. It is the recollection of the afterlife those
who have been at death's
door have experienced.
OBE-
Out of Body Experience. The phenomenon in which a person leaves his/her
body and travels
temporarily outside of it, but is attached by an astral cord in
order to return.
Orbs:
Though they may vary in shape and size, orbs are most commonly round in shape
and whitish gray
in color. They may be found in photographs taken during a
haunting or at a haunted site.
Ouija Board:
An instrument that allegedly can be used to contact or channel spirits of the
deceased.
It is usually a wooden or cardboard device inscribed with
the alphabet, the words "yes" and "no" and the
numbers 0 - 9. It also includes an apparatus known as a pointer.
Paranormal:
Any event that cannot be explained or defined through accepted scientific knowledge
is
said to be beyond what is normal. It is therefore, paranormal.
Permeation: The action whereby an investigator and/or client experiences the sensation of a spirit or
entity permeate or pass through the physical body.
Poltergeist:
A combination of two German words, Polter (to 'knock' or 'noisy') and Geist
(spirit).
A poltergeist is characterized by its bizarre and mischievous
behavior. Activities of a poltergeist include,
but are not limited to, the moving of furniture, the throwing
of objects and the rapping and knocking of walls.
Possession:
A condition in which all of an individual’s faculties fall under the control
of an external force
such as a demon or deity. An individual possessed by a demon
may alter his or her voice, even his or her
appearance and be fearful of religious symbols.
Residual
Haunting: A spirit becomes trapped in an emotional whirlpool
that is neverending.
A replay of events the spirit has experienced while living
and now, after death, is trapped within a loop of repetition.
Revenant:
From the French, revenir (to return) a revenant is a ghost that appears shortly
after its
physical death. Usually it will only appear a few times, perhaps
even just once, before disappearing from
the earth forever.
Sleep Paralysis:
A natural condition that occurs when people fall asleep. The brain shuts down
signals to the muscles in the body so we don’t act out what
we are dreaming. In sleep paralysis, it does
not shut down properly and leaves the sleeper in a half-awake state unable to move. Since they are still partially
awake and dreaming, yet
paralyzed, dream hallucinations can occur because of the fear it creates. The brain will
usually fill in the reason for the happening. This gives way to stories of demons, aliens, dark entities, ect. that are
attacking the "victim" while they are in their beds.
Thermograph:
A self- recording thermometer that traces temperature variations over time.
Vortex:
Thought to be a doorway that spirits use from the afterlife into ours.