Northern Ghost Research & Investigation Team - UK

People often contact us regarding the meaning of certain paranormal terms. We've listed before a collection of terms with brief description. If there is anything you wish to know of that is not on the list, please contact us

Afterlife - The continuation of life believed to follow death
Amulet – An object that is believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits or bring the owner good luck
Astral plane – Said to be a place where all the thoughts, memories, dreams and fantasies of everyone in the world exists
Apparition – A disembodied spirit that appears visibly
Apport – This is where an object appears from nowhere
Asport – This is where an object disappears or is moved to another location
Astral projection – This is where an individual claims to have had an out of body experience
Automatic writing – This is where an individual draws or writes something in a manor not of their own, but rather that of a deceased person
Clairvoyance – The ability to see things beyond the normal range, this can either be subjectively or objectively
Clairaudience – The ability to hear audible messages from outside the normal range of sources
Clairsentience – The ability to sense things beyond the normal range
Déja vu – This is where you believe that you are doing or seeing something for the first time, but have the distinct feeling that you have done or seen it before
Entity – A none physical intelligent being. A mind without a body
E.V.P. – The recording of spirit voices
Ghost – The apparition of a deceased person
Haunting – An apparition that is no more then a recorded image imprinted in psychic space which can be replayed over and over again like a video recording.
Karma – The theory that the good or evil one does will return to the sender in like kind either in this life or in a later one
Ley lines – Said to be alignments of ancient sites such as churches stone circles and megaliths etc, and are considered to be sources of powerful earth energies
Medium – One who is able to communicate with spirits
Ouija board – A board used for spirit communication
Out of body experience – A form of astral projection and is where a persons consciousness leaves the physical body
Paranormal – That which cannot be explained by science
Planchette – Used in conjunction with an Ouija board as a pointer
Poltergeist – Taken from the German language and meaning noisy ghost. Usually associated with moving objects and loud bangs
Pendulum – A crystal or weight of some kind on a length of string and is used as a method of dowsing
Psychometry – Is where a medium is able to gain information by simply holding or touching an object
Prana – The subtle agent through which life is sustained
Runes – These consist of small tablets of wood or stone inscribed with runic symbols and are a method of divination.
Spirit – Ghost spectre phantom apparition angel demon fair sprite
Séance – An assembly of two or more persons for the purpose of communication with the spirit world
Scrying – A method if divination in which a person will gaze into or at something like a crystal ball, water, flames etc to induce visions or gain information about a person, object or place
Sensitive – A person who can sense the spirit world
Stone tape theory – A theory that building and materials are able to absorb energy from living beings, rather like a recording which can be activated to replay at a later time by a person who may have the right attributes such as a medium.
Telekinesis – The ability to move or affect the property of things with the power of the mind
Telepathy – The ability for a person to transfer their thoughts to another
Trance mediumship – This is when medium enters a trance like state after appearing to have momentarily fallen asleep. They will speak or act in a manor not of their own but an entirely different personality.
Tarot – A system of fortune telling using special cards
Yin & yang – These are considered to be opposites, yin being feminine, negative, dark, left side of the body, yang being masculine, positive, light and right side of the body etc. The universe is said to be made up of these opposing forces which should be harmonised both in ones body and the rest of the universe
Yoga – A Hindu series of mental, spiritual and physical exercises designed to aid in enlightenment and to healthy living