Glossary
The paranormal world is full of technical words, as well as ambiguous ones.  This page has been designed to bust the jargon so that you can understand what everyone is talking about.  The list is not exhaustive and we are sure that the Ghosts...and More Glossary will continue to be updated.
  • AMULET - a symbol with a magical or spiritual significance.  These are either worn as a pendant or a ring.
  • ANOMALY - a strange event that doesn't make sense. Any of these events that cannot be explained during an investigation is referred to as an anomaly.
  • APPARITION - the manifestation of an entity.
  • APPORTS - where an object appears from nowhere.  No explanation for it turning up can be given.
  • ASPORTS - where an object suddenly vanishes.  No explanation for it can be given.
  • CLAIRVOYANCE - the feeling of knowing.  Everybody possesses this intuition, but not all actually realise it.  It isn't to be confused with mediumship.  Usually it involves mental images being perceived and the ability to view people's auras.
  • CRYPTOZOOLOGY - the branch of paranormal research that investigates legendary creatures, such as the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot and the Chupacabra.  The area has been sneered at, but animals such as the Orangutan and Giant Squid were once creatures of legend and through cryptozoology research, have been proven to be real creatures.
  • COLD SPOT - an area that is noticeably and inexplicably colder than your surroundings.  This can be felt, recorded via digital thermometer or both. 
  • DEMON - a hostile entity of non-human origin.  They are thought to be fallen angels. 
  • DEMONOLGIST - a person who studies demonology. Demonologists can remove demons and evil entities from an environment and cast them away.
  • DEMONOLOGY - the study of demons.
  • ECTOPLASM - a ghostly substance that is exuded by mediums during trance states or during possession.  
  • ELEMENTALS - magical nature spirits that reside in the four basic elements - of water (Udines), fire (Salamanders), earth (Gnomes) and air (Sylphs).  They are not of human origin and are very powerful spirits.
  • ENTITY - ranging from a ghost to a demon, an entity is a disembodied consciousness that paranormal events can occur around.
  • EVP - short for "Electronic Voice Phenomenon".  The appearence of disembodied voices appearing on audio recording equipment. Voices have been known to respond directly to questions asked by investigators on the recording equipment. The Ghosts...and More team use this technique in their investigations.
  • EXORCISM - the ritualistic expulsion of a spirit entity or demon from a person or building.
  • FOOTFALL - the sound of unexplained footsteps.  Perhaps made by an entity.
  • GHOST - an appearance of a person witnessed after they have died.  This idea can be expanded to animals, buildings and ships after their death or destruction.
  • LEVITATION - a phenomenom sometimes encountered in hauntings, where an object or a person is lifted and moved by an unseen force.
  • LITHOBOLIA - the throwing of stones, of which that do not originate from the area.
  • MIRACLE - a great event of benefit, thought to have resulted by a divine or supernatural entity.  An example of this would be a some who was thought to be paralysed for life being able to walk again, with no scientific logic behind it.
  • NECROMANCY - the practice of communicating with the dead to obtain secret information or knowledge of the future.
  • OUIJA BOARD - a board with printed letters on, where messages are spelt out, supposedly by spirits, by the movements of a glass or planchette, of which participants are touching.

*CAUTION - this practice is not recommended by the Ghosts...and More team, as inexperience in this field may lead to disastrous results*

  • PARANORMAL - this means "beyond normal" - anything from ghosts to UFOs.  Anything that is beyond our understanding.
  • PAREIDOLIA - the psychological phenomenon of seeing objects in patterns, usually faces in random places (bricks, trees and clouds).  Another example of this is seeing a face of Jesus Christ in the patterns on a burnt piece of toast.  See also simulacra.
  • PENTACLE  - see PENTAGRAM
  • PENTAGRAM - a five sided star design with a pentagon formed in the middle.  When one of the points faces up, it is used as a symbol to instill protection and spirtituality.  When the pentagram is inverted (a point is directed downwards), it is a symbol associated with black magic and satanism.
  • POLTERGEIST - literally it is German translation of "noisy spirit".  Usually unexplained sounds of "rapping", movent of objects, apport and asport occurrences are attributed to poltergeist activity.  Usually poltergeist activity is directed at a single person (usually a teenage girl under stress) and its behaviour is mischievous.
  • POSSESSION - the invasion of the human body by an entity, where the entity can influence or even control the human host.
  • PSYCHOMETRY - a term used to describe finding out information of an object, its history or its owner, just by touching it.  It is a really interesting experience if you have ever tried it.  Some members of the Ghosts...and More team possess this ability and regularly practice it.
  • PYROKINESIS - the ability to create and control fires.  This sort of phenomena is often linked to poltergeist activity.
  • RAPPING - the knocking noises associated with a haunting, especially a poltergeist.  When communicating with spirits, the code is one rap for yes and two raps for no.
  • SEANCE - literally a group effort to contact the spirit world. The group hold hands or join fingertips in a circular arrangement, usually with a candle lit in the centre and call out into the darkness and await a sign.

*CAUTION - this practice is not recommended by the Ghosts...and More team, as inexperience in this field can have disastrous results*

    • SIMULACRA - natural patterns or objects that look like something else.  An example of this is a tree looking like a person, or a cloud looking like a pig.  Many spiritual cases occur, such as seeing the shape of the Virgin Mary in a window pane.  See also Pareidolia.
    • STIGMATA - a phenomenom where people have been seen to have wounds naturally occuring in corresponding positions to wounds of a crucifixition - such of that of Jesus.
    • VORTEX - a visual anomaly that can appear in still photographs.  They appear as a tube or funnel of white light and are thought to be portals to the spirit realm. 

    GLOSSARY STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION