Paranormal Glossary: 100 Terms Every Ghost Hunter Should Know
This article is more than three years old and was last updated in June 2024.
A glossary of ghost hunting terminology including 100 paranormal, occult and supernatural terms that every paranormal investigator should know.
This jargon-busting page covers everything from psychic mediums, through to demonology and the common technical language you'll hear on ghost hunts such as the name of ghost-hunting gadgets, methods and techniques.
Although the paranormal terms listed in this glossary are commonly used, their inclusion in this list is not an endorsement of that particular method, piece of equipment or branch of the paranormal, neither is it a reflection on its credibility. The list is purely intended to help you understand these common words and phrases.
1. Anemometer
A digital anemometer is a handheld instrument that can help you detect air flow, although not a dedicated ghost hunting tool it can be used to establish whether a bump in the night was caused by a ghost or a breeze. Read more.
2. Apparition
An apparition is the term used to describe a visible embodiment of the spirit of a dead person or animal. Also called a ghost. An apparition isn't limited to visions of dead people, it's rare but on occasions there has been witness reports of people seeing ghosts of the living. Read more.
3. Apport
An apport is when an object is transferred from one place to another through a non-understood paranormal method. Apports are often associated with poltergeist activity or séances, but can also result in objects appearing from nowhere during investigations, often this is coins - the phenomenon of "pennies from Heaven." Read more.
4. Astral Projection
Astral projection is the claim that a person can intentional induce an out-of-body experience allowing their "astral body" to travel elsewhere in the universe leaving their physical body behind. Read more.
5. Attachment
A spiritual attachment is a concept in paranormal studies referring to a non-physical entity or spirit becoming attached to a living person. This attachment is thought to influence the individual's emotions, energy, and even physical well-being, often in a negative way. The belief is that these entities attach themselves for various reasons, including unresolved issues or seeking energy from the living. Read more.
6. Aura
An aura is believed to be a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object, often seen as a halo of light in various colours. It is thought to represent the physical, emotional, and spiritual energies of an individual, providing insight into their mood, health, and overall well-being. Read more.
7. Automatic Writing
Automatic writing is a method of communication which is similar to a Ouija board. It involves a medium or participant holding a pen and letting spirits take control of their hand in order to write an answers to questions or relay a message. A specially adapted planchette may also be used by one individual or a group of people. A pen is placed into this planchette which is able to slide freely across a piece of paper. Read more.
8. Banshees
Banshees are mythical figures from Irish folklore, often depicted as female spirits whose wailing or keening is believed to foretell the death of a family member. Traditionally viewed as omens of loss and messengers from the Otherworld, banshees are described in various tales as appearing in different forms, from beautiful women to frightful hags, haunting families with their sorrowful cries that echo through the night. Read more.
9. Base Line Reading
In paranormal investigations, a base line reading refers to the initial set of environmental measurements taken at a location before the investigation officially begins. These readings, which typically include temperature, electromagnetic fields (EMF), and sometimes audio levels, are essential for establishing what is considered normal for the area. By knowing the normal environmental conditions, investigators can then identify any deviations from these base line readings during the investigation, which might suggest paranormal activity. This process helps investigators differentiate between ordinary environmental fluctuations and potential paranormal phenomena, providing a more scientific approach to ghost hunting. Read more.
10. Call Back Phenomenon
The Call Back Phenomenon in paranormal investigations refers to instances where paranormal activity occurs just as investigators decide to leave an area. This activity, which could be noises, visual occurrences, or objects being moved, seems to happen in an attempt to draw the investigators back into the area. It is often observed in poltergeist cases, suggesting an attention-seeking or mischievous intent by the entities involved. Read more.
11. Calling Out
Calling out or asking out is the act of speaking aloud in an attempt to encourage any spirits that might be present to communicate with you. The classic ghost hunter's trope is, "hello, is anybody there?" The idea is to ask a question or encourage them to give you a sign they can hear you, then listen for a response - either a physical movement or sound, or a response via a ghost hunting gadget. Read more.
12. Candle Divination
Candle divination, or ceromancy, is a form of divination that interprets the behaviour of a candle's flame, melting wax, and smoke to gain insights and guidance. Observing how the flame burns, the patterns formed by wax, and the smoke's direction, practitioners believe they can receive messages from the spiritual realm, making it a popular method in various spiritual traditions for seeking clarity and answers. Read more.
13. Cat Balls
Pet toys can be used on paranormal investigations as trigger objects. The type most commonly used are plastic balls that are designed to light up and flash to entertain cats and dogs when they are played with. On an investigation these pet toys are placed on the floor or a flat surface in the hopes that a spirit may interact with it causing it to light up. Read more.
14. Cold Reading
Cold reading is a technique used by psychics and mentalists to gather information about a person, often a stranger, without prior knowledge, and then make statements that seem personally relevant. This method relies on high-probability guesses, observation of body language, and the use of general statements that are likely to resonate with many people, allowing the reader to appear as if they know much more about the person than they actually do. Read more.
15. Cold Spots
It's believed that unexplained cold spots and sudden significant temperature drops are a sign a spirit being present. You should be aware of not only cold spots in a haunted location, but also unexplained hot or warm areas as this too might indicate a supernatural presence. Read more.
16. Crisis Apparition
A crisis apparition is a term used in parapsychology to describe the phenomenon where a person sees or senses the apparition or presence of a friend or family member at the moment of their crisis, such as a severe illness, injury, or the exact time of their death, despite being physically distant. These apparitions are believed to be manifestations of intense emotional or psychic connections, providing comfort, warning, or information about the person in crisis to the witness. Read more.
17. Demon
Demonic hauntings are said to be caused by non-human entities. Unlike ghosts or spirits, demons were never human, they have never been alive and have only ever existed purely as malevolent energy, which is intent on causing suffering to those that it haunts. Some traditions go as far as to say that demons may not even be from our plain of existence, instead believing them to be entities that have survived from a former universe, or have found a way to cross over from a parallel universe. Demons are closely related to imps. Read more.
18. Demonology
Demonology, as practiced by a demonologist, is the study of demons or demonic beliefs. Protection and eradication is a major part of a demonologist's role. Read more.
19. Devil's Toy Box
A Devil's Toy Box is a cube or box made entirely of mirrors facing inward, creating an endless reflection loop. It's believed that this setup can trap or attract spirits within its confines due to the unique energy field generated by the infinite reflections. Paranormal investigators sometimes use these boxes in haunted locations with the aim of capturing or communicating with entities. The concept is based on the idea that spirits are drawn to or can be contained by the energy created within the mirrored environment. Read more.
20. Direct Voice Phenomenon (DVP)
Direct voice phenomenon is the experience of hearing audible, disembodied voices that are heard during paranormal investigations, séances or at a haunted location. These voices are spoken directly to the witnesses and heard without electronic equipment. Read more.
21. Divination
Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. It encompasses a wide range of techniques and rituals, including astrology, tarot card reading, scrying, and the use of pendulums, through which practitioners believe they can interpret signs, symbols, or patterns to gain insights, make predictions, or understand hidden truths about the present or future events. Read more.
22. Doppelgänger
A doppelgänger is a mysterious, exact double of a living person, often perceived as an omen of bad luck or a harbinger of death. Originating from German folklore, the term literally means "double-goer" and describes encounters where an individual or their friends see a replica of themselves, typically suggesting a paranormal phenomenon or a glitch in the fabric of reality, leading to numerous myths and legends about the unsettling experiences with these eerie counterparts. Read more.
23. Dowsing Rods
Dowsing is a technique which is usually used to locate ground water, but is also used in an attempt to communicate with the dead. Paranormal investigators generally use a pair of simple L-shaped metal rods, one is held in each hand, with the short arm of the L held upright, and the long arm pointing forward. You need to hold your arms as still as possible and ask the spirits questions. You could ask them to indicating an answer by moving the tips of the rods closer together, further apart or two point the rods in a specific direction. Read more.
24. Dybbuk Box
A dybbuk box is said to be a box which contains an evil or malevolent spirit, or even a demon. A genuine dybbuk is usually very old, often an antique wooden box which is sealed using melted wax to keep whatever's inside from getting out. Read more.
25. Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm has been immortalised as a slimy substance of supernatural origin in popular culture, but the phenomenon dates back to the Victorian era when mediums would produce reams of ectoplasm as part of their elaborate shows. The ectoplasm started off transparent or even invisible, but as it was charged with psychic energy by the medium it would become visible and more of a physical substance, which was white in colour. Ghosts would then drape this over their ethereal bodies to give them a corporeal form. Read more.
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26. EDI+ Meter
The EDI+ Meter is a ghost hunting device designed to track and log environmental data such as temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, vibration, and electromagnetic field strength. The device also allows for data to be recorded onto a memory card for later analysis. Read more.
27. Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP)
Electronic voice phenomenon is the mysterious sound of disembodied human-like voices of unknown origin that are heard through electronic devices. They are usually heard in the form of sounds imprinted on an audio recording or through radio noise. Read more.
28. Elemental
An elemental is a non-human entity that originates from occult and alchemical works that date back as far as the time of the European Renaissance. They are often associated with nature and the four classical elements, for example a gnome which is associated with earth, with other elementals being linked to water, air and fire. Read more.
29. EM Pump
An EM Pump, or Electromagnetic Pump, is a device which is sometimes used during ghost hunts. Its creators claims that it produces an electromagnetic field in the environment being investigated. The belief is that ghosts and other supernatural entities can feed on this energy allowing them to manifest or communicate. Read more.
30. EMF Meter
An electromagnetic frequency meter is a common piece of ghost hunting kit, with the recognisable K-II EMF meter being one of the most popular ghost hunting gadgets of all. The device is simple to use with nothing more than a single power button. Once turned on it will alert you to spikes in the ambient electromagnetic field, giving instant feedback via five coloured LED lights. It's said that this EM spike could be a sign of spirit manifestation or spirit interaction. Read more.
31. Entity
An entity is an umbrella or catch-all term for any kind of supernatural or paranormal being, this could countless things including ghosts, spirit, poltergeist, elemental, imps, fae and demon. Read more.
32. Estes Method
The Estes Method is a type of sensory deprivation experiment named after Estes Park in Colorado, the location of the infamous Stanley Hotel, where the method was first used. It is designed to eliminate the subjectivity of the investigator by cutting them off from all external stimuli. This usually involves placing a blindfold and noise-cancelling headphones on one member of an investigation team to cut off their senses, then the audio output of a ghost hunting devices is played through the headphones. The rest of the team then call out to the spirits and ask questions. If any responses are heard through the ghost hunting device the team will not be able to hear it, however the blindfolded participant will, but since they won't be able to hear their fellow investigators their perception of these responses won't be influenced by the questions being asked. Read more.
33. Exorcism
Exorcisms are an ancient religious or spiritual ritual which are performed across many different religions and cultures in order to evict demons and other malevolent entities from a person or to end a spiritual attachment or possession. Read more.
34. Extrasensory Perception
Extrasensory perception (ESP) refers to the ability to acquire information without using the known five senses. It encompasses phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition, suggesting that individuals can perceive or know things beyond the scope of physical sensation. Read more.
35. Fae
In folklore a fae refers to a fairy, a type of supernatural entity. Read more.
36. Full Spectrum Camera
A full spectrum camera is just like an ordinary camera, but as the name suggests it can see the full light spectrum, including light in the infrared and ultraviolet frequencies that the human eye can't see. There are obvious advantages to having a camera that can see more than the naked eye when ghost hunting, not to mention the fact that when paired with an infrared light source the camera acts as a night vision camera. Read more.
37. Ganzfeld Experiment
The Ganzfeld experiment is a scientific technique used in parapsychology to test individuals for extrasensory perception (ESP). It involves placing a participant in a state of sensory deprivation by covering their eyes with halved ping pong balls, playing white noise through headphones, and bathing the room in red light, with the aim of enhancing psychic abilities by reducing external sensory input. Read more.
38. Geophone
A geophone measures movement in the surface it is sat on and indicates its intensity through a display of lights or audible tones. On a ghost hunt it can alert investigators to knocks, bangs and movement, especially those which are too small or subtle to hear. The geophone is useful as it can be placed a long distance away, investigators can still see if its lights flash despite being too far away to hear or feel a sound or vibration. Read more.
39. Ghost
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It's generally accepted that a ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that has manifested into a physical, or at least visible apparition, that can be seen by the living. These apparitions may appear to be solid or translucent. Dark figures, although technically a ghost, are more often referred to as shadow figures. The word ghost is often used as a more broad term to describe the supernatural entity behind any haunting. Read more.
40. Hot Reading
Hot reading is a technique used by psychics and mentalists where they secretly gather detailed information about an individual beforehand and then use this knowledge during a reading to create the illusion of knowing personal details through psychic abilities. This method relies on prior research or eavesdropping to achieve seemingly accurate insights into a person's life, making the psychic appear to have genuine extrasensory perception. Read more.
41. Human Pendulum
For this method of spirit communication, one person is picked to stand in the middle of the room and close their eyes. The rest of the group then ask any spirits that night be present to push or move the person, you'll often find that the person starts to sway. You can ask the spirits to make them sway left and right for yes, or back and forth for no - or variations on this. Read more.
42. Hydromancy
Hydromancy is a method of divination by means of water, it is sometimes used by ghost hunters in a similar way to mirror scrying, which involves looking for shapes and patterns on the surface of the water and the ripples. Read more.
43. Infrasound
Infrasound is very low frequency sound below the human range of hearing. It's not paranormal in nature, but these low frequency vibrations can cause people to have experiences similar to those associated with the paranormal. This can include feeling discomfort, disorientation, or panicked, as well as having an increased heart rate and blood pressure. In extreme cases infrasound has been linked to feelings of depression, a general feeling of unease, as well as visions like apparitions. Read more.
44. Instrumental Trans-Communication (ITC)
Instrumental trans-communication is an umbrella term which refers to all forms of spirit communication using any kind of electrical instrument, the best known method of ITC is EVP, which is a small subset of the wider topic of ITC. ITC encompasses any communication between the living and spirits or other supernatural entities through any electronic device, this can be anything from tape recorders through to computers, and in more recent years ghost hunting gadgets such as smartphone apps. Read more.
45. Intelligent Haunting
The type of characteristics associated with intelligent haunting, also known as interactive hauntings, includes entities being self aware and aware of their surroundings. They are also aware of the living and responsive to communication attempts, this can include intelligible communication in the form of EVPs, through ghost hunting gadgets such as spirit boxes or Ouija boards, or by leaving messages. Intelligent haunting may also manifest in the form of audible voices, intelligent and responsive knocking, physical experiences such as being touched, pushed or scratched, and objects being moved with intent. Read more.
46. Invocation
Invocation is a ritualistic or ceremonial call upon a deity, spirit, or other supernatural entity, seeking assistance, protection, or the presence of the invoked being for guidance, power, or influence in magical practices or religious ceremonies. It involves deliberate communication with a higher power, often through prayer, chanting, or the performance of specific rituals, with the intent of inviting the entity's influence into a situation or into the practitioner's life. Read more.
47. K-II Meter
A K-II Meter is a device used in paranormal investigations to detect electromagnetic fields (EMF), which are thought to indicate the presence of spirits. It's popular for its ease of use, with lights that illuminate to show the strength of the EMF detected. Paranormal investigators use it to communicate with spirits, interpreting fluctuations in EMF levels as responses to questions. Read more.
48. Laser Grid
A laser pointer or laser pen can be used to detect motion in the darkness during a paranormal investigation. To do so a simple light-scattering filter is attached to a laser pointer, this causes the laser to split into multiple beams, creating a grid-like pattern of dots which spreads across the walls, floor and ceiling and if anything moves in front of the laser you will see a shift or discrepancy in the grid. Read more.
49. Levitation
Levitation is the supposed paranormal phenomenon where objects, including people, are lifted into the air without physical means, defying the laws of gravity. This phenomenon is often attributed to spiritual or psychic powers and has been reported in various mystical traditions and religious texts as a sign of supernatural influence or enlightenment. Read more.
50. Lone Vigil
A lone vigil involves one investigator being sent to haunted location or a specific part of a haunted location on their own in order to embark on an investigation, often this involves sitting and waiting for paranormal activity to occur. Read more.
51. Manifestation
When a spirit or ghost manifests it becomes a physical in some way producing the tactile, auditory, olfactory or visual signs of a haunting. When a manifestation is visual the entity often takes human-like form. Read more.
52. Mel Meter
The Mel Meter is a paranormal multi-tool designed by Gary Galka and named after his late daughter, the word Mel is short for Melissa. There are a few different versions of the Mel Meter, but they all have an EMF meter and a sensitive ambient air temperature measurement built in. Other models have REM-Pod functionality. Read more.
53. Near-Death Experience (NDE)
A near-death experience occurs when someone returns from being close to death. It often involves feelings of detachment from the body, levitation or floating towards the ceiling and away from the body, and the sensation of moving towards a bright light. Read more.
54. Necromancy
This is any magic or black magic practice which is relates to death, either through divination or the act of raising the dead body. It also includes the practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to predict the future, bring someone back from the dead or to use the dead as a weapon. Read more.
55. Night Vision
A night vision camera uses an active source of illumination in the near infrared band, often in the form of an external top light mounted on the camera. This type of light is just outside of the visible spectrum of the human eye, but it can be picked up by the camera's sensor. It will produce a bright monochrome image, either with a greenish-tint or black and white, despite the fact the scene appears dark to the naked eye. Read more.
56. Numerology
Numerology is the study of the mystical significance of numbers and their influence on human life and the universe. It involves analysing numbers to predict future events, determine character traits, and explore the deeper meaning behind names and dates, based on the belief that numbers have specific vibrational properties that can affect the material and spiritual world. Read more.
57. Occam's Razor
Occam's Razor is a philosophical principle that suggests when faced with competing hypotheses that make equal predictions, the simpler one should be preferred. Named after the medieval philosopher William of Ockham, it advocates for minimalism or reducing unnecessary assumptions to arrive at explanations that are most likely to be true, emphasising simplicity and parsimony in problem-solving and theory development. Read more.
58. Orbs
Some believe that these floating ghost lights which glow in the dark are evidence of spirit presence, or even the early stages of a ghostly manifestation. However, orbs are actually nothing more than the result of the camera's flash or light illuminating dust particles that are drifting close to the lens. The compact design of modern camera means that the lens is much closer to the flash and this is to blame from orbs. The photography experts at Fujifilm describes the artefacts as a "common photographic problem". Read more.
59. Ouija Board
Ouija boards, also known as spirit boards, talking boards, or séance boards, have been a popular method of spirit communication since Victorian times. Ouija boards are usually wooden, they have the letters of the alphabet marked on them, numbers zero to nine. Participants must each place a finger lightly on a planchette in the hopes that a spirit will then guide it across the board in order to spell out words or phrases. Read more.
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60. Out-Of-Body Experience (OBE)
An out-of-body experience is when a person voluntarily attempts to leave their body or feels that they have left their body through involuntary means allowing them to perceives the world from a point of view outside of their physical body. Read more.
61. Pareidolia
Pareidolia is our subconscious tendency to perceive a familiar or meaningful vision or sound in random patterns or noise. This could be seeing the image of a man on the surface of the moon, shapes in cloud formations, and even the image of Jesus on a piece of toast or the Shroud of Turin. This quirk of the brain explains many ghost sightings in which the witnesses incorrectly perceives a face or figure that simply doesn't exist. Pareidolia isn't contained to just vision, the brain also deals with sounds in the same way causing us to hear human voices in random noise, this explains away many EVPs and voices heard through spirit boxes. Read more.
62. Past-Life Regression
Past-life regression is a therapeutic technique that uses hypnosis to recover what practitioners believe are memories of past lives or incarnations. It is based on the premise that accessing these memories can provide valuable insights into current life issues, helping individuals to heal and understand their behaviours, relationships, and phobias. Read more.
63. Pendulum
In order to contact spirits using a pendulum, you need to allow the pendulum to hang while holding the other end between two fingers. Then call out to the spirits and encourage them to interact with the pendulum. You can suggest that the spirit tries moving the pendulum in order to answer your questions. Encourage it to swinging the pendulum back and forth to indicate "yes," or left to right to indicate "no." You can also ask for the pendulum to be moved in either a clockwise or anticlockwise motion. Read more.
64. Planchette
A planchette is the wooden or plastic pointer that is used with a Ouija board, it is this flat object that participants place thier fingers on in the hopes it will slide around the board. Alternatively an upturned glass can be used as a planchette. Other variants of planchettes include the option to attach a pen to facilitate automatic writing. Read more.
65. Poltergeist
Poltergeist hauntings are often described as being violent, threatening, and malevolent. This type of haunting is characterised by physical movement as well as the manipulation of the environment around the spirit. The word poltergeist means "noisy ghost" from the German "poltern geist." Poltergeists activity can include objects being thrown or moved, foul smells, turning lights or appliances on or off, and producing growls, screams and other loud noises. On rare occasions it's been reported that poltergeists have intentionally attacked people by pushing, hitting, biting or scratching them. Read more.
66. Precognition
Precognition is the purported psychic ability to see or know about events before they happen, involving foresight or future vision that goes beyond normal sensory perception. This phenomenon is often reported as spontaneous visions, dreams, or feelings of foreknowledge about future occurrences, ranging from mundane events to significant disasters. Read more.
67. Portal
A paranormal portal, sometimes referred to as an energy vortex or simply vortex, is believed to be a gateway to another plane of existence through which our physical realm and the spirit realm meet allowing spirits and other supernatural entities to pass through into our world. Probably the most common belief surround portals is that mirrors can act as a windows to the spirit realm. Read more.
68. Premonition
A premonition is a strong feeling or intuition about a future event, especially one that is foreboding or unwelcome, without any clear, logical reason for such knowledge. It involves an anticipation or warning of upcoming events, often experienced as a vague sense of dread or anxiety, vivid dreams, or sudden, intuitive insights that seemingly come without explanation. Read more.
69. Possession
A demonic or spirit possession is a concept that exists in many cultures and religions, it's believed to happen when a person is either voluntary or involuntary invaded by a supernatural entity which takes them over, meaning the person is no longer in complete control their own thoughts, actions and speech. A less severe or temporary form of possession is referred to as a "spirit walk-in" whereas in extreme cases a possession can lead to an exorcism being performed. Read more.
70. Psychic Mediums
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A psychic is a person who claims to be gifted with extrasensory perception enabling them to obtain information that shouldn't ordinarily be available to them. Not all psychics are mediums, those who are have fined-tuned their ability to allow them to talk to the spirit world. Read more.
Mediumship can be broken to into further subsets:
Clairaudience - the ability to hear spirit voices
Clairvoyance - the ability to see spirits or insight from the spirit world
Clairsentience - an awareness of emotions from the spirit world
Claircognisance - the ability to acquire knowledge from the spirit world
71. Psychokinesis
Psychokinesis or telekinesis is alleged supernatural ability allowing a person to move or otherwise influence a physical object without physical interaction. Read more.
72. Psychometry
Psychometry is a form of extrasensory perception (ESP) where a person can gain information about the history of an object or its previous owners by holding it or being in close contact with it. Practitioners believe that objects retain energy or memories from their past, which can be perceived through touch, providing insights into the object's history, events, or emotions associated with it. This practice is often used in paranormal investigations to gather information about haunted locations or items. Read more.
73. Quantum Consciousness
Quantum Consciousness is a theoretical concept that suggests consciousness emerges from the quantum level of particles. It posits that the fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics, like entanglement and superposition, could play a crucial role in the formation and operation of consciousness in the brain. This idea bridges physics and the study of the mind, proposing that our consciousness is deeply connected to the universe's quantum fabric. Read more.
74. Remote Viewing
Remote viewing is a practice in which individuals claim to be able to describe or give details about a distant or unseen target, including locations, objects, or people, through extrasensory perception (ESP) or "anomalous cognition," rather than physical observation or known information. This technique has been explored in various military and civilian research programs, aiming to harness it for intelligence gathering and other applications. Read more.
75. REM-Pod
The REM-Pod, or radiating electromagnetism pod, is named based on it operation. It radiates its own electromagnetic field from a telescopic antenna and can detect fluctuations in the field if a conductive material enters into it. The device will flash a light and give an audio alert if something moves in or out of its field. Read more.
76. Residual Haunting
A type of haunting said to be caused by residual energy. This is where the witness is seeing, sensing or experiencing the imprint of the lingering psychic or emotional energy of a person or an event that took place at that location in the past. For this reason, residual hauntings are sometimes called place memories. Often this is said to be someone who suffered a tragic traumatic premature death, a murder, suicide or execution. As residual hauntings represent nothing more than a reflection of the past, you can't communicate with them. Read more.
77. Scrying
Scrying can be performed with any mirror, but often a purpose-made black scrying mirror is used or even the reflection in the surface of a bowl of water. The technique involves gazing into the mirror, it's said that if a paranormal entity is present they can affect what you see and the vision of your face in the mirror will change or transform into theirs. Read more.
78. Séance
In a séance the participants, or sitters, attempt to contact the dead, it became popular in the late 17th century during the rise of the spiritualism movement. Séances often involve sitting around a table in the darkness and sometimes involve the use of a psychic medium. Read more.
79. Sensitive
A "sensitive" is a person who claims to have heightened intuitive abilities, allowing them to perceive, sense, or communicate with supernatural phenomena, spirits, or energies that are not accessible to the average person. Sensitives may experience a broad range of paranormal perceptions, including psychic impressions, empathic feelings, and sometimes even visions or auditory messages, which they believe provide them with insight into the unseen world. Read more.
80. Shadow Figure
The experience of seeing a dark shadowy figure or shadow person. It is often described as a dark silhouette of a humanoid figure that flickers in and out of peripheral vision and is usually seen out of the corner of the eye. Read more.
81. Shotgunning
Shotgunning is a technique where a stage psychic medium makes a rapid series of general statements in quick succession, hoping that some will hit the mark. For example, they might throw out a variety of common situations or feelings, watching for anyone in the audience to show signs of identification. When someone reacts, the psychic then focuses on them, making it seem as though they've psychically connected with that individual's specific situation. Read more.
82. Singapore Theory
The Singapore Theory is a paranormal experiment based around the use of triggers that may familiar to spirits, this is tested during an investigation by playing familiar audio or placing familiar objects in the environment. For this reason it's also referred to as the "Familiarisation Theory." The name "Singapore Theory" is a little misleading, as it is not actually a theory, a more fitting name would be the Singapore Method or the Singapore Experiment. Read more.
83. Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis is a temporary inability to move or speak that occurs when someone is falling asleep or waking up, characterised by a conscious awareness of being unable to move. It often includes vivid and frightening hallucinations or a sense of pressure on the chest, creating a terrifying experience. This phenomenon is thought to result from a disruption in the sleep cycle, specifically during transitions in and out of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, where the body is naturally paralysed to prevent acting out dreams. Read more.
84. SLS Camera
SLS cameras work by projecting an invisible infrared laser grid over a wide field of view. The grid is made up of over one million tiny dots. This structured grid of laser dots is what gives the device its name SLS, or Structured Light Sensor. The camera's sensor is able to calculate the distance between these dots in order to build a three dimensional model of its view. The camera's software has the ability to recognise and highlight human figures by detecting limbs and movement, a technology developed by the gaming industry called "skeletal movement tracking". Any figures it detects are highlighted by overlaying a bright green stickman, which is why the device is sometimes called an SLS Stickman Camera. Read more.
85. Spirit
Unlike ghosts, spirits aren't visible to the living. The term is usually used to describe the non-physical consciousness or soul of a dead person. It is this disembodied intelligence that investigators believe they are usually communicating with as part of a paranormal investigation or when using tools such as Ouija boards, EVP recorders and various other ghost hunting gadgets. Read more.
86. Spirit Box
Sometimes called a Ghost Box, a spirit box is a popular tool that rapidly scan through the AM or FM radio spectrum, or a combination of the two. As the box sweeps through the spectrum you are likely to hear fleeting bursts of white noise and static, but also radio broadcasts. It's believed that spirits can make their voices heard amongst these burst of noise. Read more.
87. Spirit Photography
A field of photography which aims to capture images of ghosts or apparitions in the shot, usually as part of ghost hunts or in haunted locations. The principles are very old, dating back to the 19th century and as cameras have to got better and more advanced, so have the photos of spirits. Even modern smartphones can be used to capture spirits. While spirit photography is a bit of an art form for some, for most it's just a chance happening as many ghosts in photographs are caught unintentionally. Read more.
88. Stone Tape Theory
Stone tape theory, or atmospheric photograph theory, is said to be responsible for hauntings in which witnesses report seeing replays of past events and is closely linked to the idea of residual energy. It is speculated that a human's energy or emotions are captured and recorded in the stone of a building. It is then said to replay to those who are sensitive to it, when the atmospheric conditions are the same, or on the anniversary of the event. Read more.
89. Table Tipping
Table tipping, also known as table turning or table tilting, dates back to Victorian times. The technique generally involves the uses of a light and rickety table which is easy to rotate or tilt. Participants then sit or stand around the table, place their fingers on the surface and wait for it to move. These movement is said to be the spirit communicating. Read more.
90. Telepathy
Telepathy is the alleged psychic ability to directly transmit thoughts, feelings, or information from one person's mind to another's without using speech, gestures, or other conventional forms of communication. It encompasses a range of phenomena, including mind-to-mind communication, reading others' thoughts, and mental influence at a distance, challenging the conventional understanding of human cognitive abilities. Read more.
91. Therapeutic Touch
Therapeutic touch is a healing technique where practitioners claim to manipulate a person's energy field to promote healing and balance without making physical contact. It is based on the belief that human beings are fields of energy that can become unbalanced, and by moving their hands over the body, practitioners can detect and redistribute this energy, thereby facilitating physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Read more.
92. Thermal Imaging Cameras
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Thermal imaging cameras are a useful piece of photographic equipment that visualises infrared radiation on a screen to show areas of heat. Because thermal imaging cameras capture the heat being radiated by an object, instead of visible light, they give the user an indication of the temperature of everything within the camera's field of view. Read more.
93. TriField Meter
A TriField Meter is a piece of equipment commonly used in ghost hunting and paranormal investigations to detect and measure electromagnetic fields (EMF). The device is named for its ability to measure three types of fields: magnetic, electric, and radio/microwave. Paranormal investigators use it under the belief that spirits can manipulate or interact with electromagnetic fields, causing fluctuations that the meter can detect. The TriField Meter is considered a crucial tool in the ghost hunter's kit, providing real-time data that might suggest the presence of paranormal activity. Its readings are observed and interpreted by investigators to determine if a location might be haunted. Read more.
94. Trigger Object
Trigger objects are items that can be placed down on an investigation in the hopes that a ghost or spirit will interact with it. A trigger object can be anything from balls, a bunch of keys, a child's toy, a marble or just about anything else. It's common to select a trigger object which is relevant to the location for example a teddy bear in an old orphanage or a bunch of keys in a prison. Read more.
95. Tupla
Tulpas, often described as thought-forms, are entities that are said to be created through belief or concentration. For some, these often collective manifestations are more than imaginary friends. Tulpas are described as sentient beings with their own thoughts, emotions, and intentions. Read more.
96. Vigil
In ghost hunting a vigil refers to a period of time spent on an active investigation focussed on one particular area, often this involves sitting and waiting for paranormal activity to occur. A ghost hunt is often made up of multiple vigils, this could be vigils at different locations in the buildings, vigils involving different team members, or even lone vigils in which one investigator spends time in an area alone. Read more.
97. Walk-In
A spirit walk-in is a concept where a new spirit is believed to take over the body of a living person, replacing the original soul. This exchange is often described as happening by mutual agreement between the two souls, typically to fulfil a specific purpose or mission that the original soul is unable to complete. Unlike possession, which is often viewed negatively, walk-ins are generally considered positive, with the new soul continuing the life of the host body in a harmonious way. Read more.
98. White Noise
White noise is a consistent, unvarying sound that combines all audible frequencies together at equal intensity, such as the sound of a running fan, static on a television, or a hissing radiator. It is often used to mask other sounds, promote relaxation, or facilitate concentration, and in paranormal investigations, white noise is sometimes utilised as a medium through which spirits are believed to communicate, creating a background that helps to capture electronic voice phenomena (EVPs). Read more.
99. Word Bank Communication
Communicating with spirits using apps and devices that are pre-loaded with word banks has become commonplace in recent years. Many of the devices use electronic speech synthesis to speak out, or simply display, words or phrases from a list stored within its software. Others randomly output the phonics that make up words. Supposedly spirits can affect the random nature of these devices using its atmospheric sensors to produce or form the words they are trying to communicate. Some common tools based on this technology include the Ovilus range of devices, EchoVox, ParaTek, and Portal. Read more.
100. Zener Cards
Zener cards are a set of five symbols (a circle, plus sign, three wavy lines, a square, and a star) printed on cards, used in experiments to test for extrasensory perception (ESP) and clairvoyance. Developed by parapsychologist J.B. Rhine in the early 20th century at Duke University, these cards serve as a standard tool to statistically measure the potential of psychic abilities by asking subjects to guess the symbol on the cards without seeing them. Read more.
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