GHoST

Ghost Hunters of Startling Truth

Paranormal Glossary

Apparition — The appearance of a ghost in full human site.

Attachment —  This is when a spirit is personally attached to something, whether it be an object, a place, a person, or what have you.

Banishing — Formal, ceremonial procedure used to cast an invisible presence or influence out of an area.

Continuance — Commonly referred to as life after death, survival of the psyche post-cessation of the biological organism that had generated it.

Corporeal — Of material nature, a completely solid ghost that is not transparent.

Demon —  A hostile and resentful entity, supposedly of non-human origin.

Demonic Haunting — Fortunately, these types of haunts are most rare and occur when, what is said to be a demon, takes residence within home.  This is by far the most dangerous type of haunting.

Demonologist — A person, usually a member of the clergy, who studies and catalogs demons.

Digital audio — Refers to the small digital sound recorders used in investigations or to a recording media.

Digital infrared camera — Captures images of spirits invisible to people. Images are feed processed by a computer for examination.

Dowsing rod — A Y-shaped rod or two L-shaped rods used in searches for underground water, discovering the location of unmarked graves, determining the sex of unborn children and locating ghosts.

Electromagnetism (also, electromagnetic field, or EMF ) — A force given off by electric charges found in anything that uses electricity. Some believe spikes in electromagnetism can be tied to paranormal activity.

Entity — A disembodied consciousness commonly referred to as a ghost, spirit or demon.

EVP (electronic voice phenomena) — Disembodied voices and sounds picked up by recording devices.  They are believed to be the voices of spirits.

Exorcism — Ceremonial expulsion of invading entities from a person or dwelling.

Orb — Spherical image, usually translucent white, though sometimes reddish or bluish, which inexplicably registers on film and videotape.  Some people believe they are the energy form of ghosts.

Incorporeal — Of non-material matter, an apparition that is transparent and not solid.

Intelligent haunting — An incident in which a ghost interacts with the living. The entity might be attempting to get a person's attention to seek assistance on something, or may simply enjoy scaring them.

K-2 meter — A device, specially calibrated for paranormal investigations, that measures magnetic fields. Some believe it can be used to train a spirit to intensify its magnetic field as a form of communication.

Materialize —  To take physical form or shape.

Matrixing — The tendency for people to interpret sensory input as something familiar or more easily understood and accepted.  It is a term to describe the human mind's natural tendency to find familiar shapes in complex shapes or colors. In other words, finding a face in the shapes and shadows of a collection of objects.

Medium — A person that can sense emotions of those dead or alive, and/or is sensitive to electrical fields around people and entities.

Out-of-body —  Pertaining to the sensation of perceiving oneself from an external vantage point, as though the mind or soul has left the body and is acting on its own.

Poltergeist — A noisy, usually mischievous ghost.

Psychic cleansing — A less ritualized form of exorcism wherein a site is purified and malevolent influences banished through prayers.

Residual haunting — Psychic imprint of an incident that is repeatedly played out and witnessed by someone living. Ghosts in these time-displacements often seem unaware of observers.

Silky — A female ghost attired in a rustling silk garment (sometimes seen, other times just heard), who performs domestic chores for a household after the occupants have retired for the night.

Thermal-imaging digital camera — Records images of long-wavelength infrared (IR) radiation, sometimes referred to as heat, which is invisible to people. This allows the capture of images in even total darkness, or through smoke or fog.

Vortex — A gateway that opens from the spirit world letting entities into ours.