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 Long Island Paranormal Investigators to help you understand some of the more common terms, phrases, and acronyms commonly used to describe ghosts, spirits and paranormal activity.
If there is a term or phrase you think we should add to this list please contact us.
ANGEL: An immortal spiritual being that serves God. A messenger of God. There are nine orders of spiritual beings. Highest to lowest rank listed below: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels.
ANOMALY: Something that is abnormal, irregular, or unidentifiable. Usually captured on photography or video.
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.
ASTRAL PROJECTION: Is when you leave your body through deep meditation. Your mind is at a conscious state when this happens.
AURA: The energy that surrounds a life form such as human/animals. An aura can be different colors and each color has a specific meaning.
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”.
CALLING GHOST: It is when a ghost calls out your name and you are able to hear it. Supposedly if you hear your name hat means that the ghost is calling you to your death.
CHUPRACABRA: A mythological animal that sucks the blood out of animals. It is supposedly 3 feet in height and mostly hairy. In Spanish Chupacabra means goatsucker.
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.
CLAIRGUSTANCE: The ability to use your sense of taste to determine psychic energy left behind at a location.
CLAIRSENTIENCE: The ability to receive messages from the spiritual world by clearing your mind and using your thought.
CLAIRVOYANCE: The ability to see images of people and objects from the past and the present.
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.
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 ambiguity a prudent 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. Usually if the non-paranormal explanation is complex or requires many assumptions it may be over analyzing the situation. See our article on Occam’s Razor and the Paranormal Investigator.
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. Click Here to read more about demonic hauntings.
DEMONOLOGY: The study of demons.
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. Serious injury – both physical and mental – can occur! Please read out article on Demonology 101.
DISEMBODIED VOICE: A voice that is heard either audible in an area, or recorded on an audio device, where the source of the voice is unknown.
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 for finding water. In the paranormal investigation field Dowsing Rods are sometimes used to locate energy sources that could be paranormal in nature.
DREAM COMMUNICATION: A paranormal experience in which a deceased person communicates with you in your dreams. This usually occurs after a person passes away to communicate with you to let you know everything is alright.
EARTHBOUND SPIRIT: A spirit that is stuck here on earth. The reasons why the spirit may be stuck here on earth may vary. The spirit may not know that it is dead, the spirit has unfinished business and needs to complete it before moving on to the other side, the spirit is caught in a purgatory state and has nowhere else to go etc.
ECHOLALIA: A professional clinical word that means to repeat back what you hear. As applied to the paranormal field it means when a ghost or spirit repeats back something you have just said in order to show they are there and are trying to communicate with you. The words repeated back could be EVP questions or just casual conversation. It is not clear why an entity might repeat back your words rather than respond on their own. Perhaps it is easier/simply for an entity to repeat what it has heard rather than form new words.
ECTOPLASM: The substance left behind when an entity tries to manifest itself. Although still largely theoretical (none has yet been collected for chemical analysis) it has been photographed on many occasions. Ectoplasm often appears in photographs as a thick white mist or smoke in nearly straight lines. Vapor and humidity is often mistaken for ectoplasm. It is rarely seen with the naked eye. It can, however, be felt as a dense area of cobweb-like strands.
ELEMENTALS: In magical tradition and ceremony, spirits, which govern the four corners of the earth and are, associated with, or reside within, the four basic elements. They are called Sylphs (the east, air), Salamanders (the south, fire), Undines (the west, water), and Gnomes (the north, earth).
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. See our article on EMF Theory.
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.
EPICENTER: Individual or object that paranormal activity will focus on.
E.S.P.: Extrasensory Perception. Ability to sense or see things before they happen.
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). See our articles on EVP theory and classification.
EXORCISM: A religious right/ceremony to relieve a demonic entity from either a location or from possessing a persons body.
EXORCIST: A person who relieves demons from either a location or a persons body by using religious ceremonies or the right to exorcism.
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.
GHOST HUNTER: Someone who looks for ghosts.
GRAY LADY: A ghost of a woman who has dies a tragic death from either love or seclusion from the rest of the world.
HALF REAL OBJECTIVE: When you perceive nothing subjectively but obtain objective documentation.
HALF REAL SUBJECTIVE: When you subjectively perceive something that was not documented via objective means.
HAUNTING: When a paranormal event takes place, and there are eyewitnesses to the event.
HOAX: Is an act in which is intended to either be a practical joke, to trick someone, or to deceive in a manner of fraud.
HOUSE BLESSING: When a person comes into a home preferably a person with religious title uses prayers to bless your home. This method may be used to try and get rid of paranormal activity in ones home.
HOT SPOT: A sudden rise in temperature, anywhere from a ten-degree increase or more from the base temperature. A hot spot can occur while a ghost is manifesting due to the drawing in of heat energy causing the area to become warmer.
HYPERSENSITIVE: Is when a person is extremely sensitive, more sensitive than normal to something. When we say someone is hypersensitive to EMF that means that they will feel the effects of EMF at a level of 2mg or higher.
INCUBUS: A type of demon that sexualy abuses woman.
IMPRINT (IMPRINTING): It is theorized that events and strong feelings/emotions can leave a copy or record of themselves on places (tunnels, rooms, fields etc) and objects (furniture, buildings, personal affects etc). Most notably this occurs when a sudden and violent death occurs such as a powerful accident, a murder or other crime, a war or battle area etc. The energy that is left can result in a non-intelligent haunting, usually a residual haunting. In these cases people often report seeing and hearing the same thing over and over like a tape playing, rewinding and playing again. Sometimes the event seems to be recorded on the specific location rather than a building, room or object. There have been cases reported where an imprint haunting has occurred in a building, the building is later totally demolished and a new one built (or the area just left vacant) but the haunting still continues. In the situation of imprinting on an object the haunting can follow the object through several owners. This is often reported with items purchased at a yard sale or flea market.
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!
INTELLEGENT HAUNTINGS: A haunting where the ghost acknowledges you and may sometimes try to communicate and interact with you.
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. Click here to read our article about using alternate light spectrums for paranormal investigations.
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.
Kirlian Photography: Named after Semyon Kirlian who, in 1939, discovered - reportedly by accident - that when an organic or nonliving object is placed upon a photographic plate and subjected to a high electric current, a glowing "aura" forms around the object and is imprinted on the film. It is more accurate to say that rather than revealing a natural aura, this process produces such. However, fluctuations in the magnetic fields surrounding the subjects can be detected in this way, and Kirlian photography, the technique having been improved upon through the years, has recently come into use as a medical diagnostic device. It also has a popular market at psychic fairs as a sort of high-tech, more expansive version of the mood ring. Kirlian photography does produce some beautiful and interesting effects. – Carl Johnson.
LEVITATION: When humans/animals and/or any objects rise off of the ground.
LEY LINES (aka LEY): The theoretical lines that can be drawn to connect ancient (and some modern) sites across a country, even around the world. The term “Ley Line” (“Ley” being a Saxon word meaning meadow or cleared strip of ground) was first coined by Alfred Watkins in the early 1920’s. He noticed that many ancient and prehistoric structures (e.g. mounds, stone circles, temples, river crossings, ceremonial hilltops, etc.) could be connected by straight lines. Often these lines exactly fit compass directions, and sometimes at certain times of the year match up with star alignments. He also noticed that many of these lines intersect and where they intersect are significant other structures such as churches, temples, and burial grounds. Some people believe Ley Lines also follow the natural magnetic forces of the Earth and therefore are very powerful for spiritual and mystic activity. Ley lines are also known as corpse ways, church paths, church lines, and coffin lines.
“LIGHTS OUT” INVESTIGATION: A paranormal investigation, usually conducted indoors and at night, where all the light sources and other electronic devices in the building have been turned off. The equipment used for paranormal investigations is typically more sensitive at night and in the dark. Having lights off reduces the possibility of false or misleading evidence caused by reflections and glares.
LIVING GHOST: The manifestation of a ghost or entity, usually a living close family member or friend, that appears a long distance (sometimes hundreds or event thousands of miles away!). This event usually coincides when the other person (the one manifesting) is facing an immediate great stress or life-threatening danger. Examples include a aircraft pilot or crew flying through a storm, a soldier on the battle field, an automobile driver or passenger during a sever accident, etc. Some believe this is related to astral projection and out-of-the-body experiences. This phenomena is related to the moment of mortality manifestation.
LOST TIME: With paranormal ghost/spirit activity it is possible that a small concentrated area of high paranormal activity may briefly alter the physical environment (see Warp) such that time slows down or stops altogether. For example, a person in such an effected area may be in the area for 20 minutes as measured by a clock outside the area. But the person’s watch only shows them in the area for 15 minutes. What happened to the 5 minutes difference? This phenomena is similar to what sometimes in reported UFO cases.
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.
MATERIALIZE: When something starts to form and take shape into something that is known.
MATRIXING: When a person views something, they interpret it with something that is more easily understood. For example you may look at a wooden door and see faces in the door. Your mind is trying to make sense of what it is looking at and a face is a known object, but all it really is, is the wood grain and the way the wood was cut. You can also manipulate an audience by matrixing. You can show an audience a photo of something and say that you see something in it such as a man standing in the distance and where it is located. After the audience looks at the photo, the majority will say that they see the man also, but really what they are all looking at is just a shadow of a tree. You have manipulated the audience to see what you have said you have seen I the photo.
MEDIUM: Ability to receive messages and communicate with spirits.
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.
MYTH: A story that comes from traditional means. The story is usually based on supernatural and paranormal events.
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!
NIGHT SHOT: A setting common on hand held video cameras. Originally it was a term used to describe the night vision (total darkness) recording capability of the Sony Handicam series of camcorders. This term has since become synonymous with meaning any night vision/total darkness video camera or recording device regardless of the manufacturer. The night shot feature uses a built-in IR (infra red) illumination source. An external IR illuminator can often be attached for additional viewing range. Click Here to read our discussion of using alternate light spectrums for paranormal investigations.
OCCAMS RAZOR: A basic scientific principle that states all things being equal the simplest explanation intends to be the right one.
OBE: Out of Body Experience. Is an experience where you are separated from your body.
OLD HAG: Occurs at night with feelings of being suffocated, odd feelings, and odd smells.
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. Read our discussion of False Evidence.
OUIJA BOARD: A board that is made up of letters, numbers, and the words yes and no. This board is used to contact the dead by asking a spirit questions, allowing the spirit to use your hands to move the piece to reveal a letter, number, or the word yes, or no. Using Ouija boards are extremely dangerous because you cannot determine whether or not the spirit is good or evil. By allowing the spirit to move your hands, you may open up a doorway for a demon to enter in to you; therefore the demon may posses you.
PARANORMAL: Events above the normal or everyday experiences. Events that can not be readily explained by known conventional reasons and/or commonly accepted science. Not to be confused with Supernatural that implies a deity explanation.
PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR: Someone who investigates paranormal events, such as, UFOs, Ghosts, Bigfoot etc.
PENDULUM: Is when you take an object and attach it to a chain or a string and let it hang down. When the object is stationary you may start asking questions. The pendulum will either move in a circle or back and forth for an answer of yes or no.
PHANTOM: Another term for a ghost.
PHANTOM LIGHTS: Is the phenomenon in which you see different shapes and different colors of lights floating around over water, woods/forest, roads, in houses etc. They can also be mistaken for a normal form of light caused by swamp gas, or methane in the air. An example of this is the aurora borealis.
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.
POSSESSION: Is when a spirit or demon takes over your body. When you fall under possession you have no control over your body. You may speak in different languages, spit at people, have convulsions, etc.
PREMINITION: When you get a vision pertaining to something that will happen in the future.
PRESENSE: When a person feels that there is a ghost in the general area.
PSYCHIC: A person who has the ability sense spiritual activity.
PSYCHIC CLEANSING: Is when a person who does not have a religious title gets rid of spirits in a location. Most of the time the person will burn sage around the area were spiritual activity has taken place. If the cleansing is done in the home the windows and doors are kept open and sage is burn to push the spirit out of the home. Religious prayers may be used in the cleaning but they do not have to be used.
PSYCHIC IMPRESSION: When an event in history is imprinted into an area and only people who have psychic abilities can pick up on it.
PSYCHIC VAMPIRE: Is a person who has the ability to draw your psychic energy away from you. When this occurs you feel extremely tired all of a sudden.
PSYCHOKINESIS: Is when objects are moved with a person’s mind through psychic ability.
REMOTE VIEWING: An ability to see images of people and objects from the past and the present.
REINCARNATION: The belief that after you die your soul will enter into a new body.
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. An example is the famous “Flying Dutchman” legend. 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.
RVP: Radio Voice Phenomenon. When you get disembodied voices through radio devices.
SÉANCEe: Is a when a group of people get together forming a circle in a dim lit room with candles burning trying to contact spirits. This is very dangerous to do, because you can contact a demon and not know it.
SENSATIVE: A person who has the ability to sense psychic energy in an area.
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. Click Here for more information about shadows.
SKEPTIC: A person who disagrees, questions, or doubts the possibilities of something, unless there is scientific proof to back it up.
SLEEP PARALYSIS: Is when you are in a sleep state and your mind wakes up before your body, putting you in a paralysis state for about 30 seconds. While in sleep paralysis you may open your eyes but you are unable to move or speak until you fully wake up. When this first occurs, this may seem very scary.
SPECTER: Another word for apparition.
SPIRIT: A type of ghost that has intelligence behind it. Some spirits may not know that they are dead, they may be here to give advice or to warn you, they may have a message for you, etc.
SPIRIT GUIDE: A spirit that has been sent to you to help you along with your spiritual journey through life. The spirit may have once lived on earth. There can be more than one spirit guide sent to a person.
SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY: Is when a ghost tries to use your energy to manifest itself while someone is taking a picture of you. The spirit may have similar characteristics of you when it is caught on photographs because it’s using your energy to manifest itself. You can use any type of camera for this method, but the best ones seem to be Polaroid or 35mm cameras.
STIGMATA: Any markings on the body that are of unexplainable origin.
STREAK: An unusual line of light, often comet-like, that appears on photographs taken in potential paranormal activity areas. Happens with both35mm film and digital cameras. Occasionally seen on video cameras and DVR units as well. Can often be the result of a shaky camera especially when using a digital camera.
SUCCUBUS: A type of demon that sexually abuses men.
SUPERNATURAL: Events or happenings generally attributed to the will of a deity. Usually includes the concept of angels, demons/devils, and other G-d-like creatures.
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.
TELEPATHY: A way of communication without the use of the five senses or any other scientific means. Some say it’s a way of communication using the mind.
THEORY: An ongoing study and research of something that is not a fact and has not yet been proven by scientific laws.
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.
U.F.O.: Unidentified flying object. Any form of aircraft that is unidentified.
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. Click here to read our article about using alternate light spectrums for paranormal investigations.
URBAN LEGEND: Stories that have been passed down from generation to generation that vary from the actual real events if the event even occurred. Usually these stories are used to frighten people or are your typical campfire ghost stories.
VP: Voice phenomenon. Is a disembodied voice that you are able to hear audible in real time.
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.
WARP: Two possible meanings:
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Areas where conventional laws of physics can break down, linear time may not always apply. They can be locations infested with entities, imprints, and barrage of other paranormal activities. They may be unpredictable areas that can twist perceptions beyond the understanding of logic.
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Areas of paranormal activity so intense that time itself changes. Time may speed up, slow down (Lost Time) or briefly stop altogether. The area effected is very small and of short duration.
WHITE LADY: Also known as the lady in white is said to be a lady that had died a tragic death or suffered a severe trauma in her life. An example of a tragic death would be a bride falling down the stairs on her wedding day to her death.
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.
WHOLE REAL: When you are able to document an experience both objectively and subjectively. There are three different types of whole real:
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Type I: When the subjective and the objective appear at the same time.
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Type II: When the subjective and the objective appear at different times.
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Type III: A combination of types I and II when the subjective and objective match but additional information is documented on either side.
