"Memories" of all experiences
since the beginning of time, believed by some mystical
doctrines to be stored permanently in a spiritual
substance (Akasha). Index
Reported experiences of being abducted by
alien creatures, often into spacecraft. Abductees often
experience lost time and suffer loss of memory. When
memories are recovered, often using hypnoticregression, abductees may report that surgical operations
were performed on them. See also temporal lobe activity.
A term used to refer to any state of
consciousness that is different from "normal"
states of waking or sleeping. ASCs include hypnosis, trance, ecstasy, psychedelic and meditative experience. ASCs do not necessarily have
paranormal features.
A term coined by F.A. Mesmer to refer to a
putative force or fluid capable of being transmitted from
one person to another, producing healing effects. See
also Mesmerism.
Refers to cases in which animal corpses
(often cattle) have been found with bizarre injuries that
do not seem to have a normal explanation in terms of
illness, accident or action of predators. Cuts and
injuries often appear to have been carried out with
surgical precision. Typically the corpse is drained of
blood. Certain body parts may be absent (e.g., genitals).
A theory and practice which attempts to
identify the ways in which astronomical events are
correlated with events on earth (e.g., with an
individual's personality and biography, or with social
and political trends).
A field of energy believed by some to
surround living creatures. Certain clairvoyants claim to
be able to see the aura (generally as a luminous,
coloured halo). See also Kirlian photography.
Physical activites (e.g., arm movements,
writing, drawing, musical performance) that occur without
the automatist's conscious control or knowledge. Also
known as motor automatism. See also automatic writing, dissociation.
Procedure in which a question is secretly
written on a piece of paper which is folded or sealed in
an envelope, and handed to the psychic who attempts
to answer the question. Various trickery can be employed
by fraudulent psychics and mentalists.
A general term for techniques that involve
giving a person information about their current
physiological state (e.g., heart rate, EEG).
Biofeedback is used to enable people to control
consciously their physiological processes.
An experimental control in which subjects are not informed of certain key features of the
experiment. Also used to refer to a procedure where a judge is asked to compare targets and responses without knowing which responses were made to
which targets. See also double blind.
A box or curtained enclosure in which a physical medium is secured and from which various phenomena may
manifest (e.g., lights, objects moving, instruments
played). Certain stage magicians can simulate
this procedure with great effect.
An archaic term that refers to the
paranormal obtaining of information using faculties other
than vision or hearing. Cf. clairaudience, clairvoyance, empathy, intuition.
A general term that refers to the
paranormal obtaining of information about an object or
event. In modern usage, this does not necessarily refer
to obtaining information visually. Cf. clairaudience, clairsentience, ESP, psi.
Or clairvoyant. A person who obtains
information paranormally (often by spirit communication) without the need to enter into a trance state. Cf. trance medium.
A set of cards used in a card-guessing test where each card appears a fixed number of
times. Statistical analysis of research data using a closed deck
differs from statistical analysis of data using an open deck.
The occurrence, within a short space of
time, of two or more meaningfully related events and
without any apparent causal connection between them.
Coincidences are sometimes bizarre and extraordinarily
improbable. See also synchronicity.
A reading given with no prior knowledge of the sitter. Often a mixture of very general statements
which could apply to anyone, together with inferences
made from cues presented by the sitter (e.g., physical
appearance, clothes, tone of voice, statements made). Cf.
hot reading.
A technique simulating telepathy, in which the "mind reader" (who
generally holds a hand or arm) responds to slight muscle
movements produced unconsciously by the person whose mind
is apparently being read. Also known as muscle reading,
Cumberlandism or Hellstromism.
(a) In experimental
parapsychology a procedure
undertaken in order to ensure that the experiment is
conducted in a standard fashion and so that results are
not unduly influenced by extraneous factors. See also control group, artefact.
Circular (or more elaborate) formations
found in growing crops, most commonly in Southern
Britain. Sometimes they are associated with UFO
sightings. Many formations appear to have been
intelligently created and to have some symbolic meaning.
Despite several "confessions" made by various
individuals and groups, the crop circle mystery remains
unsolved.
(a) Separate items of information,
received independently by two or more mediums, which make sense only when pieced together.
(b) THE cross-correspondences is a classic
case of highly complex cross-correspondences which
continued from 1901 to 1932 among a group of automatists associated with the Society for Psychical
Research.
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.
Staring into a reflecting surface (e.g.,
mirror, glass, crystal, liquid) in order to obtain
paranormal information. Also known as scrying. See also divination.
A voice heard in a seance which does not seem to emanate from any person.
The voice may seem to come out of thin air, or from a trumpet used specifically for this purpose. Cf. indirect voice.
Practices involving the interpretation of
signs or symbols that seek to obtain oracular knowledge of events. Examples of divinatory
practices are geomancy, tarot, I Ching, sortilege, and reading tea leaves.
An experimental test for clairvoyance in which the person guesses the order of a
stacked series of target symbols (e.g., cards) from top to bottom. Cf. up through technique.
The ability to understand the experience
or emotional state of another person or animal. Often
used to refer to an apparently psychic ability to
experience another person's sensations, pain or emotions.
Cf. clairsentience, intuition.
A term, coined in 1947, to refer to
unknown disk-like aerial objects, often believed to be extraterrestrial spacecraft. The term has now been largely
superseded by "UFO".
Strange phenomena, especially those which
challenge conventional scientific knowledge. Named after
the American researcher and writer Charles Fort. Fortean
phenomena include those generally considered paranormal, but also bizarre non-paranormal events such as
monsters and prodigies, extraordinary coincidences, and
unusual rains.
The deliberate faking of paranormal
phenomenena, generally for the purpose of financial gain,
psychological manipulation, or notoriety. Faking for the
purpose of entertainment (e.g., by stage magicians and mentalists) is not normally classed as fraud.
An ESP test in which the subject responds
freely (does not choose from a fixed list of targets). For example, the subject may write down or draw
their impressions, or may talk freely into a tape
recorder. In order to assess the accuracy of the
responses, they are compared with various targets
(including the actual target) by a judge. See also preferential
matching.
A technique for investigating ESP
in which the person experiences an absence of patterned
stimulation. This generally involves the subject wearing
halved table-tennis balls over the eyes while listening
to hiss (white
noise) through headphones.
Paranormal phenomena such as apparitions, unexplained sounds, smells or other sensations
that are associated over a lengthy period of time with a
specific location. Cf. poltergeist.
Ancient Chinese "Book of
Changes". It describes 64 hexagrams (patterns of 6
broken and unbroken lines) which are used in a divinatory practice involving the throwing of yarrow
stalks or coins.
Mediumistic phenomenon in which the discarnate entity
appears to speak using the vocal apparatus of the medium.
Often the voice will sound very different from the
medium's normal voice. Cf. direct voice.
The non-paranormal ability to grasp the
elements of a situation or to draw conclusions about
complex events in ways that go beyond a purely rational
or intellectual analysis. Cf. clairsentience, empathy.
A photographic method involving high
frequency electric current, discovered by S.D. & V.
Kirlian in the Soviet Union. Kirlian photographs often
show coloured halos or "auras"
surrounding objects.
In Yogic belief, a source of tremendous vital energy
that may be stimulated by various practices. Kundalini,
or the "Serpent Power", is believed to provide
energy for paranormal phenomena.
Dreaming in which the person is aware that
the experience is a dream. Often associated with feelings
of aliveness and freedom, and with the ability to control
dream events.
A system of healing developed by
F.A. Mesmer, involving the induction of trance states and the supposed transfer of animal magnetism. People in Mesmeric trance often showed
paranormal abilities such as clairvoyance.
A term coined by Rupert Sheldrake to refer
to the way in which the "morphogenetic field"
(underlying form) of an object or organism may influence
distant fields.
Experiences of people after they have been
pronounced clinically dead, or been very close to death.
Typical features of the NDE are an OBE, life review, a tunnel experience, light, coming to a
boundary (marking death), seeing dead friends and
relatives, experiencing a loving or divine presence, and
making a choice (or being told) to return. Occasionally
NDEs can be frightening and distressing. NDEs often have
profound effects on the person's later life. See also cerebral anoxia, survival.
In mentalism, a procedure for sequentially revealing
information where the revealing of one item gives the
mentalist the next answer. Also used by fraudulentclairvoyants.
A series of cards used in a card guessing test where each card is chosen randomly and
independently. This enables each target to be selected
any number of times. Statistical analysis
of research data using an open deck differs from
statistical analysis of data using a closed deck.
A card
guessing procedure in which key cards are placed face up on the table. The subject then places the unseen target cards in piles
in front of each key card, according to their guesses.
See also blind
matching.
A board with letters and numbers on which
messages are spelled out by unconsciously moving (with
the fingers) a glass or planchette. See also automatism.
In conjuring and mentalism, a convincing explanation for an apparent
failure, or a convincing alternative ending to an effect
that has not worked as planned. Also used by fraudulentclairvoyants and mediums.
A fully conscious experience in which the
person's centre of awareness appears to be outside of the
physical body. See also autoscopy, near-death experience.
Term coined by J.B. Rhine to refer to the
experimental and quantitative study of paranormal
phenomena. Now generally used instead of "psychical research" to refer to all scientific investigation
of the paranormal. Cf. transpersonal psychology.
