Paranormal Defiitions

Paranormal Terms and Definitions

There are many terms used to describe the paranormal and paranormal investigations. Some of the phrases and abbreviations can be very confusing to
someone unfamiliar with ghosts and the paranormal. This list is provided by NightFall Paranormal to help you understand some of the more common
terms, phrases, and acronyms commonly used to describe ghosts, spirits and paranormal activity.

APPARITIONS: The supernatural appearance of a deceased person or animal. It is often too distant to be in the normal range of a persons view and is
uncommon to see an appearance. A full bodied apparition shows the entire body of an animal or person. A partial bodied apparition are shown more
often but only show part of a body such as; torso or arms. They often appear as white (or various shades of white/gray) or solid black. Usually
apparitions can appear to hover in the air. It is rare that apparitions show their legs or feet.
AUTOMATIC WRITING: The ability to write intelligible messages without conscious control of what is being written. Often used in conjunction with trying
to channel a spirit or entity into yourself. This can be a very dangerous method! As with all channeling methods (Ouija boards, crystals, etc.) you are
opening a door way and have no control over who or what may come through, and no way to be sure to make it leave and "close the door".

COLD SPOT: A small, defined area of intense cold (at least 10 degrees colder than the surrounding area) that can not readily be explained by other
natural or mechanical causes (e.g. air conditioning, a drafty window, ice or snow). In paranormal research the prevailing theory is that when an entity is
trying to manifest itself it draws on many sources of energy. One of those sources is the heat energy in the air. As the entity draws the heat out of the air
the area in that specific immediate location becomes unusually cold. See our article on Paranormal Temperature Theory.

CLAIRAUDIENCE: The ability to hear things not audible within normal hearing ranges. This is an example of Extra sensory perception. (ESP) It includes
the audible perception of ghosts, spirits, and those who are on the astral realm. Clairaudience is essentially the ability of hearing the paranormal as
opposed to seeing it.

DEBUNK (DEBUNKING EVIDENCE or PARANORMAL ACTIVITY): Reported paranormal evidence or paranormal activity is said to be "debunked" when a
simple, logical and non-paranormal explanation can account for the reported event(s). Even if the activity is genuinely paranormal, if a simple and
reasonable explanation can also be applied, because of this stubborn paranormal investigator has to side with the debunking explanation until further
evidence of paranormal activity can be obtained. Care has to be used since it is easy to be skeptical of any report or evidence.

DEMON: According to the Catholic faith demons are angels that were cast out of Heaven by G-d during the rebellion against G-d lead by Lucifer. There
are several levels or hierarchies of demons, each with different powers. Other faiths may have different concepts of what demons are.

DEMONIC HAUNTING: A haunting by a nonhuman entity. Can be very dramatic, even violent. Demonic hauntings often start out with subtle and relatively
simple paranormal activity, then quickly increase to stronger activity. Most often effects people or families that are already under great personal stress
from conditions such as alcohol or drug use, psychological or emotional problems, family or marital problems, etc. It is believed the nonhuman entity
takes advantage of people in such weaken psychological and emotional condition. Persons who believe they and/or their families are the subject of a
demonic haunting should immediately seek both professional paranormal assistance and counseling help.

DEMONOLOGIST: A person who actively pursues demons and other nonhuman entitles both for study and to help people rid them from their lives.
Usually demonologists are very religious people as they believe strongly that only faith has the power to combat a demon. They are also usually
schooled and or experienced in the field of psychology and mental health. IMPORTANT: Active pursuit of demons and demonology is not something to
be tried for fun or kicks. Serious injury - both physical and mental - can occur!

DOWSING (aka DIVINING): The ability to use a pair of rods (often metal) held in the hands to locate objects, most commonly water. A Y-shaped tree
branch can also be used fro finding water. In the paranormal investigation field Dowsing Rods are sometimes used to locate energy sources that could
be paranormal in nature.

EMF - Electro Magnetic Field: In it's natural form it is the natural electric field (sometimes thought of an an aurora) that is generated by all living things and
many inanimate objects such as metals and certain minerals. EMF is also generated by man-made electric sources such as lights, radios and wires. In
paranormal investigations the theory is that entities are largely composed of energy which may be electrically based. By trying to detect EMF it may be
possible to locate an otherwise unseen entity. The stronger the EMF detected the potential greater the paranormal phenomena.

EMPATHS - EMPATHIC ABILITIES: Some people are sensitive to the typically stronger feelings a paranormal entity gives off. They may also be able to see
people and events that have occurred years in the past at a given locations. While feelings are hard to confirm or deny, when recorded along with other
paranormal evidence that can be documented, empathic ability can be a helpful investigation tool.

ENTITY: A generic all-encompassing term used to describe a paranormal object/being that is presumed to be a ghost or spirit. Since no one is yet 100%
sure what paranormal objects really are the term "entity" is used as a pronoun to include any and all possible things such as ghosts, spirits, poltergeists,
non-human spirits etc.

EVP - Electronic Voice Phenomena: The hearing of unexplainable voices during the playback of a recording made on a electronic recoding device. The
voices can not be readily identified as persons speaking or events (mechanical sounds, background noise etc) that took place while the record was
being performed. Can be encountered on both tape and digital recorders. Sometimes also found on video recorders (not film however).

FEAR CAGE: A term used to describe a confined area such as a walk in closet, hallway or basement with very high EMF readings. The combination of
being close and confined with in an area of strong EMF often brings out extremely great feelings of uneasiness, anxiety, paranoia and/or uncontrollable
fear. When this occurs the best thing is to quickly and calmly leave the area and go to a more open area with lower EMF.

GHOST: A spirit or shade of a dead person believed to haunt people or previous habitats/locations. The spirit remains of a living being, strongly attached
to the living realm by some form of emotional force. Often ghosts do not realize that they are in fact dead. Others live out the routine of the day they died,
and continue this in a cycle. Other ghosts interact with everyday life of the living.

IR (INFRARED): Infrared light is light from the lower end (long wave length/low frequency) of the electromagnetic spectrum (between the visible light
spectrum and microwaves). IR light is not visible to the naked human eye without the use of special equipment. IR is not to be confused with thermal
imaging. While IR and thermal energy are both on the short end of the electromagnetic spectrum they are not the same thing. There is evidence that
ghosts/spirits and other paranormal entities may be more susceptible to being viewed (including video and image photography) using the IR light
spectrum. IR sensors are also often used for measuring temperature and detecting movement.

KINETIC ENERGY: Energy needed to force an object at rest into motion. Objects in motion have kinetic energy. Energy is neither created nor destroyed.
As the kinetic energy diminishes it changes into potential energy.

MANIFEST or MANIFESTATION: The act of an entity trying to make it self appear in our world. Entities are believed to exist mainly as energy with no
physical form. When an entity is trying to make itself appear or make it's presence known in our world it is said to be manifesting itself; trying to make
itself into some form of physical state.
MIST: An energy field that looks like a cloud or haze but has a paranormal ectoplasm substance. There may or may not be any particular shape, color
(typically white or light colored), thickness, or consistency.

MOMENT OF MORTALITY: A ghostly manifestation that occurs when someone is at the exact moment of their death. A ghost, spirit or other apparition
appears to a close friend or family member. Can happen over great distances (hundreds, even thousands, of miles away). This phenomena is similar to
the living ghost and Death Bed Visions phenomena.

NECROMANCY (NECROMANCE): The attempt to conjure, summon or raise the dead in order to learn secrets and insights from the spirits. Usually
intended to gain personal advantage or fortune over others. The person who is trying to perform the necromancy process is called a Necromancer. This
deals heavily into the unsavory realm of magic, spells, and dark/forbidden witchcraft rituals. Can also be attempted with Tarot cards and Ouija boards.
Regardless of the process used, necromancy is highly dangerous from the point of view that you are opening a doorway and have no idea what thing
may come through and into your life!

NONHUMAN or INHUMAN SPIRIT: An entity (ghost or spirit) that is not the result of a human person that once lived on Earth. This category also includes
angels, demons, devils etc. It is not known exactly where these kinds of entities come from but it is reasonably well accepted by the paranormal
community these spirits are not from people who had lived on Earth and have since died. Encounters with non-human spirits is rare and usually
dramatic. Extra care should always be used if dealing with a potential inhuman spirit!

ORB: Orbs appear to be a form of energy of an unknown origin. An orb can take different shapes. They can also be seen by the naked eye, but most of
the time you only get orb sightings in photographs, and on video tape (VHS). They seem to defy gravity and change directions quickly. They seem to also
twinkle. The presence of people make them react. They appear both indoors and outdoors. False orbs tend to be transparent and pale white, or blue. Real
genuine orbs tend to appear dense or brighter on film. To increase the probability of you getting a photograph of a genuine orb, it is good to take the
photograph at the same time as other unusual phenomenon are experienced, such as sharp changes in temperature, and increases in electromagnetic
energy. In a genuine orb there is a nucleus. It has concentric circles or bands within. It can be active in visible realm, but more active in infrared. They
appear abundantly in supposed haunted locations. Drops of rain, specks of dust, insects, reflections, as well as many other things can be mistaken for
orbs.

POLTERGEIST: Term is German for "noisy ghost". It can be dependant on a certain individual or group of individuals. They usual make the biggest
impact on physical objects. They tend to be temporary. In some instances a poltergeist can appear as the psychic extension of a person, usually most
common in adolescent females. Tend to be mischievous and like to play pranks. More recently developed theories move away from ghost activity to the
realm of spontaneous and unconscious (unintended) telekinesis.

RESIDUAL HAUNTING: Non conscious and unintelligent (no thought or purposely actions), usually appear as person but can sometimes be a group of
people, and animal or any non living thing. There are no interactions with observers. They stay in same location replaying the same event over and over
usually on some rhythmic cycle or pattern (though what the pattern is can be hard to determine). Sometimes causing electrical environment interference
to occur. Often compared to a video recording that automatically plays itself over and over.

SHADOWS: (Shadow Beings, Shadow Entities) Shadows refer to the possible paranormal apparition which appears as a dark human-form manifestation.
We say "possible" paranormal apparition since the true nature of this type of paranormal event is still unknown and the subject of much research.

STREAK: An unusual line of light, often comet-like, that appears on photographs taken in potential paranormal activity areas. Happens with both 35mm
film and digital cameras. Occasionally seen on video cameras and DVR units as well. Can often be the result of a shaky camera and shutter speed
especially when using a digital camera.

SUPERNATURAL: Events or happenings generally attributed to the will of a deity. Usually includes the concept of angels, demons/devils

TELEKINESIS: (Telekinetic power) The ability to manipulate physical objects using the body’s static electrical charges. Chi is the Asian term for
telekinesis. Psychic extension of the person transported through the electrical field surrounding the individual. More commonly known as a persons'
ability to move object with just their mind and thoughts.

TOUCHED: The act of experiencing physical contact from a ghost, spirit or other paranormal entity. Can be as simple as a tug in your shirt or pressure
on a part of your body to scratches, burns or being pushed/shoved. However, serious physical injury is very rare but has happened.

ULTRAVIOLET (UV): Ultraviolet light is light from the upper end (long wave length/low frequency) of the electromagnetic spectrum. As with Infrared light,
UV light is normally not visible to the naked human eye without the use of special viewing or photography equipment. Some paranormal investigators
have experimented with using UV light to take video of ghosts and other paranormal entities. The results have been indeterminate. Other paranormal
investigators have claimed UV light is an effective barrier to block demonic entities.

VORTEX - Vortices, Vortexes: A concentrated yet brief area of high electromagnetic energy often found in photographs taken at paranormally active
locations. The often appear as sold (opaque) white or silver tubes, rods, or elongated ovals. They can also appear to be braided like a rope or chain (care
has to be take to ensure it is not a rope, chain, camera strap etc). A vortex is not an entity. However, some paranormal researchers believe a vortex is a
momentary doorway or portal to another realm that allows entities and other paranormal phenomena to come into our world. Some researchers also
believe vortexes are linked to the Earth's own electromagnetic field which at least in part help determine when these portals open/close. It is also believed
that some locations are more prone to having active vortices due to the alignment of the Earth's magnetic field and local geological structure.

WHITE NOISE: White noise is the random non-descript static sound produced by various electronic devices. The sound covers and combines all
wavelengths and frequencies. In this way it is like the color white which is really a combination of all colors. Hence the name white noise – the
combination of all sounds. Examples of common white noise sources are the radio or television static when set to an empty channel, the hum of an
electric fan motor and the babbling sound of a fast moving stream or brook. Click here for our article that discuss using white noise for paranormal
investigations.