Here's a list of terms you may or may not be aware of, having to do with ghosties, all things paranormal, and a few other things mentioned somewhere on this web site (or that might be in the future).
apparition ~ A ghostly figure, or specter, possibly seeming misty and/or dream-like.
astral projection ~ The act of projecting, usually at will, one's spirit, separated from the physical body, into the astral realm, believed by many to be a different and/or higher plane of existence.
audiovoyant ~ Similar to a clairvoyant, except that he or she hears sounds and voices in the mind's voice, a higher frequency than the normal human ear detects.
aura ~ A field of color that some psychics, witches, and most likely babies see surrounding each living body. (Babies are too young to know that 'they aren't supposed to be able to do that.')
banshee ~ A female spirit in Gaelic folklore believed to presage, by wailing, a death in a family. If you see this word used in place of the word 'ghost,' run! The person who puts this word in place of ghost has no idea what they're talking about. *wink*
channeler ~ The medium through which a spirit guide purportedly communicates with the physical world.
clairvoyance ~ The power to see the future through objects, symbols, images, scenes, or a name. Acute intuitive insight or perceptiveness; the ability to see into the future successfully.
Chupacabra ~ A creature dwelling around the southwest portion of the United States, and into Mexico, also known as 'the Goatsucker,' believed to be responsible for hundreds and possibly thousands of mutilated animal carcasses, particularly cattle. See Jersey Devil.
cold spot ~ A phenomena that often happens when a ghost is present. The haunted area has a significantly lower temperature, and often fluctuates quickly, as well.
collective apparition ~ A ghost sighting when more than one person witnesses the sighting.
crisis apparition ~ A vision of someone, often someone who isn't deceased at all, but possibly a friend or family member living miles away, who at the time of their appearance are undergoing some form of crisis, or the person seeing their apparition is, or is about to. For example a severe illness, an injury or even death.
deathbed apparition ~ A visual image, possibly a dream-like trance feeling, usually of a loved one recently departed, possibly so soon that you don't know yet that they've died (like a car accident on the way home, and you see the vision in your kitchen of the person you know).
deja vu ~ A feeling of having just repeated an experience, or recollection of a memory, yet having no full recognition of the event taking place. dimension ~ A measure of spatial extent; usually width, height, and length; but here, I'd be referring to something more along the lines of an alternate reality. There's the life we know, and one similar, but there's quite possibly one completely foreign to us in another realm of time and existence.
discarnate ~ Having no material body or form; wispy as a spirit.
divine encounters ~ Encounters with angels, or possibly something believed to be Biblical -- NO, not the Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich, either! But, much different than ghostly encounters.
doppleganger ~ A mirror image or double of a person. It's said that everyone has a look-alike in the world, but superstition says that doppleganger's are our evil sides and can steal our place in the world if we come in contact with them.
ectoplasm ~ An ethereal substance, especially the transparent corporeal presence of a spirit or ghost.
EMF (Electro-magnetic Field) ~ Charged particles in the air believed to be generated by the presence of a spirit or ghost. The particles can be measured and detected with specialized equipment and have provided proof of the existence of ghosts.
EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) ~ Recorded voices and words of ghosts, recorded by parapsychologists and ghost hunters with specialized equipment. Hopefully, we'll have some EVP's here at The Cold Spot in the near future.
exorcism ~ A ritual act, often thought to be a religious experience, but doesn't need to be necessarily, meant to drive evil spirits from the habitation of a living person or evil entities from places, such as someone's home.
false awakening ~ An experience in which a person believes they have awakened, but is still asleep and having a very realistic dream, often to the point they feel paralyzed. It's during this type of experience that many report being attacked by a 'demon' or a 'hag,' and it does seem very real to the victim still asleep.
ghost ~ The spirit of a deceased person. Usually the term 'ghost' applies to the spirits who appear similar to their living likeness before their death.
ghost ship ~ A known wrecked and sunken ship that appears from time to time to witnesses. The Bermuda Triangle area springs to mind.
Jersey Devil ~ A creature believed to be responsible for mutilations of animals in the New Jersey area for over two hundred years, quite similar to the Chupacabra of the Southwest.
legend ~ An unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical. A romanticized or popularized myth of modern times, as in Urban legend.
levitate ~ To float in the air, apparently in defiance of gravity. Levitation isn't overly exciting to me, but it's one of Phoebe's powers, so I thought I'd add it here. *grin*
medium ~ A living person bridging the gap between life and death, often during a seance. Similar to a channeler.
near-death experience ~ (NDE) A frightening or threatening experience putting one at the brink of death or the phenomenon of being clinically dead and reviving, characterized by an out-of-body experience or vision of a tunnel of light. Often other memories, ones of peace and/or singing voices, and previously lost loved ones being seen, accompany the NDE; at times, even darker memories are remembered.
orb ~ A form of energy, believed to be ghostly in nature. Orbs generally appear in photographs, but one must be careful when determining validity, since strange reflections or out of focus lights in the distance could be the source of what appears to be a true orb.
Ouija board ~ Thought by some to be a game, it's a portal to the other side, if used correctly and with people you trust, and who trust you. Use with caution, and don't be too trusting of the spirits you may contact.
out-of-body experience ~ (OBE) The same as astral projection. Leaving one's body, usually at will.
parapsychology ~ The study of the evidence for psychological phenomena, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis, that are considered inexplicable by mainstream science.
planchette ~ A small triangular board, or pointer as with a Ouija board, supported by two casters and a vertical pencil that, when lightly touched by the fingertips, is said to spell out subconscious or supernatural messages.
poltergeist ~ An entity that manifests itself by noises, rappings, and the creation of disorder, generally a nuisance but rarely a threat as depicted in the movie of the same name. The word 'poltergeist' literally means 'noisy ghost.'
poltergeist agent ~ A living person, typically one going through a stressful situation, and often one young enough to be going through puberty, who really brings about the poltergeist activity through themselves, and may actually be having bouts with PK (psychokinesis -- see below).
psychokinesis ~ The control and ability of motion, especially in inanimate and remote objects; moving objects with only the thought of one's mind or the exercise of psychic powers.
residual haunting ~ Not an actual haunting, but more like an echo, or a recording. The theory is that some places hold the necessary elements to 'record' an event in time, like a death, and play it back when conditions are right. This is a residual haunting.
sixth sense ~ Also known as ESP, or extra sensory perception. The five senses of most people are smell, touch, taste, sight, and hearing. Some people tend to have a sixth sense that no, doesn't work magically whenver we want it to, that acts in a premonition kind of sense. For example, when the phone rings, you 'just know' it's your mother, and it is, even though you haven't talked to her in a year. ESP may have told you it was her.
shadow ghost ~ A dark shadowy mist, generally about the size and shape of a person, but unclear in identity, quite often found peeking around a corner, standing in a corner, or fleeting across a wall in semi-darkness rather quickly, watching you.
stigmata ~ A person who seemingly takes on the wounds believed to be suffered by Jesus Christ; the nails in the hands, the thorns on the head, the nails through the feet, weeping blood.
telepathy ~ Communication from one mind to another without communication through the ordinary channels of sensation; thought transference from one individual to another without speaking.
vampire ~ Creatures who must feed on blood to stay 'alive' in their present form, though in the (possibly) mythical sense, they're dead already (though I don't believe soul-less). I believe them to be somewhat different than the general fictional lore would have us believe, though.
vortex ~ Usually a tubular shaped mist appearring in photographs, considered to be a ghostly presence by most ghost hunters, if the picture is valid.
