Glossary of Terms

Altered State - is any state of consciousness that differs from the normal states of being awake or asleep.

Apparition - A fully manifested ghostly figure reported to be complete in form, sometimes to the point where it is virtually indistinguishable from a living person.  They are the most rare types of ghost to capture on film. 

Astral - Derived from the Latin term for 'star', it has come to mean the fabric of time and space, a realm of existence beyond physical experience. 

Astral Plane - A spiritual dimension or parallel universe comprised of spiritual energy.

Astral Body - is the energy that separates itself from the human form but still maintains the personality and feelings of the individual. Sometimes others will see them during their out of the body experience (OBE).

Atmospheric Apparition - is a visual imprint of the person that has died left on the atmosphere that continues to re-play.

Aura - is an energy field that surrounds all living things.

Automatic Writing - Alleged form of spirit communications in which a ghost or spirit takes control of the writer’s hand and writes out a message.

B

Bi-location - is the phenomena where someone can be in two places at the same time.

C

Cemetery lights - are bright balls of glowing lights that have been witnessed in cemeteries floating or sometimes flashing over the graves.

Cerebral Anoxia - Lack of oxygen to the brain, often causing sensory distortions and hallucinations. Sometimes used to explain features of the near-death experience.

Clairaudient - is when someone has the psychic ability to hear the voices of ghosts/spirits or other sounds that are inaudible to the human ear.

Clairoleofactor - To have an extraordinary sense of smell, as if you could smell flowers before they bloom or smell trouble before it occurs or death before it happens.

Clairvoyance - This is a French term that means ‘clear seeing’. It usually refers to the receiving of information from objects or events at the present time without using the normal senses or logical inference. Literally the term refers to visual information. 

Cold Spot - is where the temperature drops several degrees in a suspected haunted area. It is believed that when a spirit is near it will absorb the heat and leave a cold spot. The temperature can also rise in heat by several degrees indicating a possible spirit presence.

Collective Apparition - is when more than one person sees a ghost or spirit at the same time.

Collective Unconscious - is a theory by C.G. Jung that represents the collective memory of all humanity’s past and is held inside the unconscious mind.

Crisis Apparition - is when someone sees a loved one appear to them for a brief moment just before or just after they die.

Cryptomnesia - Knowledge (acquired in normal ways) that may be revealed without the person remembering its source. Such memories may falsely appear to be paranormal revelations. Sometimes cryptomnesia is used as an explanation for apparently paranormal experiences such as xenoglossy or past-life memories.