Beyond The Night Paranormal

Akashic records - is a term from Hinduism that was incorporated into theosophy denoting a collection of mystical knowledge encoded in a non-physical plane of existence. The records are supposed to contain all knowledge, including all human experience, of the history of the cosmos.

Alchemy - refers to both an early form of the investigation of nature and an early philosophical and spiritual discipline, both combining elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, medicine, astrology, semiotics, mysticism, spiritualism, and art all as parts of one greater force.

Amulet - An object that is thought to bring good luck or have the power to protect from ghosts or spirits and ward off evil.

Apparition - a spectral image of a person that materializes even though a physical bidy is not present.

Apport – A physical object that can materialize and appear at will in the presence of a medium.

Asport – A physical object that a spirit teleports to another location or makes disappear.

Astral Body – The body that a person occupies during an out-of-body experience.

Astral Plane – A world that is believed to exist above our physical world.

Astral Projection – The intentional act of having the spirit leave the body, whereas an out-of-body experience will happen involuntarily. (See out of body experience).

Astrology - The theory and practice of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs.

Aura – An invisible emanation of light that seems to surround a person or thing which is often thought to reflect a person’s personality.

Automatic Writing – This method of obtaining information from disembodied spirits is used by mediums in which the spirit takes control over the medium causing them to translate unconscious information on paper without being aware of the contents.

Automatism – An unconscious or involuntary muscular movement caused by spirits.  (See automatic writing)

Autoscopy – The visual hallucination or image of one's body looking back at themselves from a position outside the body.  (See out of body experience).

B

Ball Lightning - A rare form of lightning in the shape of a glowing red ball that can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.  Typically associated with Thunderstorms, these spheres are thought to consist of ionized gas.

Banshee – A wailing spirit or “death omen” that will appear to be in two different places at the same time. 

Baphomet - Demon character supposedly worshiped by the Knights Templar in 14th century France. Some present day practicioners of the black arts regard Baphomet as a "god" of lust and regeneration, or as symbolic of the Devil.

Banishing - Formal, ceremonial, procedure effected to cast an invisible presence or influence out from an area. This term can refer either to a spiritual cleansing, or the closing of a magical rite, when the invoked powers are dismissed.

Bigfoot - A bulky, hair covered, bipedal humanoid which appears to possess both human and ape-like characteristics. Also known as Sasquatch and Yeti, depending upon locale. Sightings of these creatures have for centuries been widely reported.

C

Call – A call is the response that is made by a subject during a card-guessing test or during any other type of ESP test.

Card Guessing – Card guessing is used as an experimental test for ESP in which a subject tries to guess the identity of a set of cards.

Case Study – An in-depth investigation of an individual subject.

Channeling – In this modern day method of spirit communication, a spirit will pass information directly to a medium or channeler who will then relay the information on to the listener(s).

Chupacabra - Spanish for Goat sucker. In Puerto Rico, for twenty some years, numerous livestock and stray pets have been found with throats torn out, drained of blood and bearing mysterious puncture wounds. On the scene sightings of the creature supposed responsible are exceedingly rare, and descriptions always include "glowing red eyes." Locale and the absence of distinct tracks rule out either wolverines or monitor lizards, both of which always drag off their prey. The most feasible suggesion is a coyote or feral dog, but again, the behavior doesn't match. Whatever is the true culprit, Chupacabra has become a popular sensation on the island.

Clairaudience – An auditory form of ESP paranormal information is received outside the range of normal perception through voices, whispers and auditory impressions.

Clairsentience – A general term for clairvoyance and clairaudience.  Clairsentience typically occurs in the form of ESP through physical sensations or smells.

Clairvoyance – An acute insight or perceptiveness that enables you to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses in the form of mental imagery and intuition.

Cleansing (Psychic) - A less ritualized fom of exorcism, where-in a dwelling or site is purified and malevolent influences are banished through prayers, spoken as the petitioner moves through the area.

Closed Deck – A set of cards used in a card guessing deck in which each card will appear a fixed number of times.  The statistical analysis obtained from a closed card deck differs from that of an open card deck.  (See Card Guessing).

Cold Reading – This is a technique commonly used by fake mind readers, mediums and magicians which allows them to obtain previously unknown information about a person by asking a general series of statements, questions and answers.

Construct, Psychic: - It has been theorised, and experimentation has been conducted to support this premise, that through directed psychic energies a responsive spirit-like entity can be created, continuing for a time to exist independently.

Control – This is a procedure in paranormal psychology that ensures that the experiment is conducted in a standard fashion so that the results will no be influenced by any extraneous factors.

Control Group – A group of outside subjects whose performance or abilities are compared with the experimental subjects.

Collective Apparition - A rare type of sighting in which more than one person sees the same apparition or phenomena.

Crisis Apparition – An apparition that is seen when a person is seriously ill, seriously injured or at the point of death.

Crop Circles - During the past three centuries, throughout the British Isles but with a particular concentration in the southern region of England, circular impressions spanning sometimes several hundred feet in diameter and often quite intricate in design, have frequently nd inexplicably been appearing overnight in wheat and grain fields. Sometimes the source can be traced to haoxters; sometimes the details do not allow for any satisfactory, mundane explanation. Much documentation, as well as speculation, regarding this topic is available.

Crypto-zoology - The branch of paranormal research which deals with the exploration of legendary creatures such as Bigfoot, lake and sea monsters, thunderbirds, etc. It should be noted that the Giant Squid (the "Kraken"), orangutans (the "Red Men of the Forest"), Komodo Dragons and gigantic Nepalese elephants all were formerly included in the roster of fabled creatures!

Crystal Skulls - Five human skull models, exquisitely crafted in antiquity from solid quartz crystal, have been found in various locations throughout Latin America, the best known of these being the 'Mitchell-Hedges Skull,' discovered in 1924 in the Balese Jungle of Labuton by Anna Mitchell-Hedges while on an expidition with her father, and still in her possession in Canada. The others are kept in collections in Guadamala, Texas, the Smithsonian and the British Museum. Mayan legend tells that eight more crystal skulls remain, and that by the time all thirteen are united, mankind will have learned how to extract and decipher the vital information, history and revelations, which they contain.

D

Dematerialization – This word is used to describe a spirit or specter meaning to deprive of or lose apparent physical substance or in simpler terms, without flesh.

Déjà vu - An impression or dull familiarity of having seen or experienced something before.

Demon - An inferior deity often spoken of in religious text as pure evil.

Direct Voice Phenomenon (DVP) – An auditory “spirit” voice that is spoken directly to the sitters at a séance. 

Dice Test – An experimental test in which a subject attempts to influence the fall of dice.  This study is used for the investigation of psychokinesis.

Doppelganger – An exact spirit double or mirror image of a person which is considered to be very negative.

Druid - A Celtic priest of the Bronze or Iron Age, trained in healing, divination and astronomy, whose tradition was passed on to successors by oral tradition.

E

Earthbound – A term referring to a ghost or spirit that was unable to cross over to the other side at the time of death and is therefore stuck on earth.

Ectoplasm – An immaterial or ethereal substance associated with spirit manifestations.  

Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) – Voices and sounds from beyond that are captured and recorded on magnetic tape.

Elementals – Spiritualists commonly refer to this term to describe mean or angry spirits sometimes also called “Earth Spirits”.

EMF Detector – (See Magnetometer)

Empath - An individual who is particularly sensative to the psychic emanations of his or her surroundings, even to a degree of telepathically receiving and experiencing the emotions of others in their proximity. Obviously, psychic empathy can be regarded as a mixed blessing, and the empath must learn to gain a measure of control over this ability.

Enochian - A magical, "angelic" language first translated by Dr. John Dee, and used in the rituals of both the "Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn" in the 19th century and the "First Church of Satan" in the 20th century.

Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) - Communication or perception by means other than the physical senses.

Exorcism - The banishment of an entity or entities i.e. spirits, ghosts and demons that is thought to possess or haunt a location or human being or animal. The ritual, which can be religious in nature, is conducted by an exorcist who will call upon a Higher Power to cast away any evil forces that may reside there.

Extra-terrestrials - Life forms originating on planets other than our own. This term usually refers to highly advanced visitors from other worlds, who journey to our sphere in space crafts with the probable intention of observing and studying our species.

F

False Awakening – The event in which a person believes they are awake but are actually dreaming.

Fetch - A spectral double of a living person.

Fetish - Aside from the modern sexual connotation, a fetish is a shamanistic tool in the form of a figurine, animal part or a pouch containing items with magical associations.

Floating Orb - Spherical image, usually translucent white, though sometimes of a reddish or bluish hue, which inexplicably registers on photographic film and videotape, also known as "Globule."

G

Ghost – A generic term referring to a form of apparition or supernatural entity which is typically the visual appearance of a deceased human's spirit soul.

Ghost Hunting – A carefully controlled research project in which various methods and equipment are used to investigate reports of ghosts and hauntings.

Goat – An experiment in which the subject does not believe in the ability for which they are being tested.

Ghoul – Demonic or parasitic entity that feeds upon human remains.

Golden-rod - A rare anomaly seen in videotape recorded at the site of a suspected haunting, appearing as bright, white or yellowish lines rapidly moving across a room.

Grey - The most frequently reported visitor from an alien world, described as having greyish skin, a bulbous cranium, tapered chin, straight, unmoving, horitontal line for a mouth, slits substituting for a nose, slanted eyes, and a slight body. In some accounts, it has three fingers plus an opposable thumb on each hand. Supposedly, such beings were encountered by Betty and (the late) Barney Hill during their abduction in NewHampshire in september, 1961.

H

Hallucination – The perception of sights and sounds that are not actually present.

Haunting – Reoccurring ghostly phenomena that returns to a location where no one is physically present. Ghosts generally haunt places and not people.

Hellhound / Black Shuck – A spectral death omen in the form of a ghostly dog.

Hex: A magical working, or "spell," cast to influence a person's will or fate, most often refering to a curse rather than a blessing or healing.

Hot Reading – A devious or fraudulent reading in which the reader has been given prior knowledge of the sitter.

Hypnosis – A technique that induces a sleep like state in which the subject acts only on external suggestion.

Icon - A rendering or image of particular (often religious) significance.

Ignis fatuus - A phosphorescent or spectral light that that is alleged to be an indication of death.  This phenomenon is thought to be caused by spontaneous combustion of gases emitted by rotting organic matter.

Illusion – A delusional perception between what is perceived and what is reality.

Imbolc - In the Wiccan calendar, February 2nd is celebrated as the day when winter's end is in sight, and the return of the sunn's warmth is anticipated. Also known as Candlemas and the familiar Ground Hog Day.

Incubus - Stemming from medieval lore, a demonic entity capable of sexually arousing and sometimes assaulting human females. Cases of apparent incubus attacks continue to be documented, suggesting a germ of reality behind the myth.

Infestation - Repeated and persistent paranormal phenomena, generally centered around a particular location or person(s). Also known as a haunting.

Intuition – Non-paranormal knowledge that is gained through a perceptive insight.

Influence - An invisible entity of undetermined nature, effecting the inhabitants of a dwelling. This may initially manifest as an inexplicable feeling of uneasiness, then be followed by more definite signs which reveal a haunting.

J

Jersey Devil - In the Pine Barrens region of northern New Jersey and New York, for more than two and a half centuries there have been reports of a very strange and singular creature described as having an equine head, glowing, reddish eyes, stork's legs, forelimbs with claw-bearing paws, a pointed tail and membranous, bat-like wings. It emits a shrill, piercing scream, and has been sighted rifling through garbage, standing in paths and roads, and flying just above the tree tops. One rather indistinct photo of this Jersey Devil has produced, but to the best of my knowledge, no one has yet recorded its ear-splitting cry.

K

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 surrounnding the subjects can be detected in this way, and Kirlian photogrgaphy, the technique having been improved upon through the years, has recently come into use as a medical diagnostic devicec. 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.

L

Lepke - A very unique and interesting type of spiritual manifestation, a ghost which has the appearance of a solid, living person, may even converse with someone, then suddenly vanishes. 

LaVey, Anton Szandor - (b. April 23, 1930, d. Oct. 29, 1997) Birth name was Howard Stanton Levey. One of the major figures of the occult revival of the 1960's and 70's. Charismatic and self-promoting, LaVey formed the 'First Church of Satan' in 1966 and his 'The Satanic Bible' was published by Avon Books in 1968. LaVey's version of Satan was allegorical, symbolizing "the Spirit of Rebellion" as well as an unknown, , but potentially implementable "force of nature." The ceremonies he devised were entertaining psychodrama, and his Satanic philosophy was based on rational self-interest, albeit with overtly diabolical trappings.

Levitation – To lift or raise a physical object in apparent defiance of gravity.

Life Review – A flashback of a person’s life that is typically associated with near-death experiences.

Lilith - Devil of Sumerian origin and later included in Hebrew beliefs, believed by Quabbalists to have been the first wife of Adam, later excluded from the Talmud, and held by some occultists to be a vampire goddess and a powerful succubus.

Lore - Collective beliefs and legendry relating to a subject, as in "vampire lore".

Lovecraft, Howard Phillips "H.P." - (b. 1890, d. 1937) Horror fiction writer from Providence, Rhode Island, whose prose apparently is so haunting and convincing that some present day cults practice rituals based on what is termed as Lovecraft's "C'thulu Mythos."

Lucid Dreaming - A dream state in which one is conscious enough to recognize that one is in the dream state and is then able to control dream events.

Lucifer - Name taken from the Latin "luci" (light) and "fere" (to bear), originally a Roman lesser deity, "Son of the Morning," formerly the name for the planet Venus when observed at dawn, in Christian theology identified with the Devil: arch regent of fallen angels. Lucifer is sometimes called upon in pagan ceremonies and rituals.

Lurking Enigma - "Lurk" means to furtively move about, and I can think of no more appropriate term to describe this phenomenon - a type of entity which can be visable to human observers, yet appears in distorted, unidentifiable forms. Common traits reported by witnesses include glowing red or silver eyes, dark color (fur or feathers), startling speed and agility, in some cases winged and capable of flight, as with the 'Jersey Devil.' Although such nebulous creatures seem to mean us no harm, encounters with them can be terrifying, and provoke much curiousity. As one would expect, they are extremely elusive.

Lycanthrope - A person who projects a frenzied display of their innate savagery for periodic episodes, believing themselves to be overcome by the spirit of a beast.

M

Magic - The practice of directing psychic ability, or "supernatural" forces to effect changes and fulfill desires. Many modern practitioners have adobted the archaic spelling of magick, in the tradition of author and occultist, Aleister Crowley (b. 1871, d. 1947). 

Magnetometer (EMF, gaussmeter) - An instrument for measuring the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field typically used by paranormal researchers to detect a ghost’s magnetic energy.

Marian Apparitions – The event in which the Virgin Mary is seen.

Materialization – The act of forming something solid from the air. One of the most difficult and impressive materializations is when part or all of a ghost or spirit can be seen, especially if the face is recognizable.

Matrixing: - The natural tendancy for the human mind to interpret sensory input, what is perceived visually, audibly or tactiley, as something familiar or more easily understood and accepted, in effect mentally "filling in the blanks."

Medium - Someone who professes to be able communicate with spirits on behalf of another living being, acting as a midway point halfway between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Mesmerism – A hypnotic induction of a sleep or trance State (See Hypnotism).

Miracle - A wonderous and beneficial event, apparently brought about by supernatural/divine agent.

Mist – A Photographed anomaly that appears as a blanket of light.  There is no substantial proof that these are related to paranormal phenomenon.

Moon Madness - As the Lunar cycle waxes to its full point, incidents of psychotic behavior, violence and crime seem to escalate. To a lesser degree, the phase of the New Moon seems correlated to a rash of abnormal behavior. Current understanding of human psychology and physiology refutes the observation that our moon can exert significant influence on the human mind, 'though statistics support it.

Motor Automatism – Bodily movement or functions that are accompanied but not controlled by consciousness.

Mumiai - Native American Indian spirit which behaves in the manner of a Poltergeist.

N

Near Death Experience (NDE) – An experience that is reported by people who clinically die, or come close to actual death and are revived. These events often include encounters with spirit guides, seeing dead relatives or friends, life review, out-of-body Experiences (OBE), or a moment of decision where they are able to decide or are told to turn back.

O

Old Hag Syndrome – A nocturnal phenomena that involves a feeling of immobilization, suffocation, odd smells and feelings and is sometimes accompanied my immense fear (See Sleep Paralysis).

Oracle - A prophet, seer and visionary, especially one of renown. Also, a special device whice aids in prognostication, such as a crystal ball. (i.e. "The Mystifying Oracle" of William Fuld's Ouija Board.)

Orb – A photographed anomaly that theoretically represents the “spirit” of a deceased person.  It will appear as a ball of light on film though is some cases; they are not seen at the time of the photo.  Since there are many reasonable circumstances (dust, snow, rain, insects, reflection, lens flare, etc.) orbs still remain a highly controversial subject.

Ouija Board - A pre-printed board with letters, numerals, and words used to receive spirit communications. Typically a planchette is employed to spell out words and point out numbers or letters.

Out-of-body experience (OBE) – A sensation or experience in which ones self or spirit travels to a different location than their physical body (See Astral Projection).

P

Pact - The belief, prevalent in the late middle ages through the Renaissance, that someone could trade his or her soul in return for wordly gain.

Paranormal – Referring to something that is beyond the range of normal human experience or scientific explanation.

Parapsychology - The study of the evidence for psychological phenomena that are inexplicable by science.

Pentacle/Pentagram - The traditional five-pointed star design, with its interior pentagon dilineated, generally representing both spirituality and protection when point "up"; when inverted, it is said to signify diabolism.

Percipient - A person who sees (i.e., perceives) an apparition.

Phantom - Something that is seen, heard, or sensed, but has no physical reality (See Ghost).

Phantom Lights - Sometimes they can be attributed to blue methane flame produced by swamp gas, or electrical discharges in the form of what is termed ball lightning or perhaps even misplaced fireflies. Yet, in other instances, the phenomenon of floating lights observed over water, the edge of woods, , lonely backroads and in the windows of darkened houses just can't be dismissed by ordinary explanations. These might be globules which coalesce and intensify in luminosity to the point where they become visible in dark surroundings.

Philosopher's Stone - A wonderous beacon of sublime wisdom and awesome revelation, a powerful conjurer's device, perhaps even an extraterrestrial gem encoded with unimagined, otherworldly knowledge. For centuries alchemists, mystics, learned men and seekers of truth questted for the fabled Philosopher's Stone, ,not really knowing where or even precisely what it was. Oncee obtained, it would impart the wisdom of the world and of the angels.

Poltergeist - a non-human spirit entity which literally means "noisy ghost" but is usually more malicious and destructive than ghosts of dead human beings. Traditional poltergeists activities are thumping and banging, levitating or the moving of objects, stone throwing and starting fires.  It is thought that poltergeist activity in some instances may be brought on subconsciously by an adolescent agent or females under the age of 25.

Possession - Invasion of the human mind by a spiritual or demonic entity, where the invading agent for a span of time, influences or entirely subverts the personality of the human host. It is in these instances that the boundaries of psychology, religion and spiritualism are rendered less distinct.

Precognition – The ability to predict or have knowledge of something in advance of its occurrence, especially by extrasensory perception (See Clairvoyance).

Psi – A letter in the Greek alphabet that denotes psychic phenomena.

Psychic - A person who is responsive to psychic forces with above average ESP abilities.

Psychokinesis (PK) - The power of the mind to affect matter without physical contact, especially in inanimate and remote objects by the exercise of psychic powers.

Psychometry - The ability or art of divining information about people or events associated with an object solely by touching or being near to it.

Psychic Vampire - This is a term for individuals who seem to instinctively draw and absorb the psychic energies from others, usually while conversing with (or at) them.

Pyrokinesis – The ability to unconsciously control and sometimes in rare cases produce fire with their mind only.

R

Radio Voice Phenomenon (RVP) - Receiving the voice of a deceased human being through a regular radio.

Reciprocal Apparition - An extremely rare type of spirit phenomenon in which both the agent and percipient are able to see and respond to each other.

Remote Viewing – Used by some psychics, this is a procedure in which the percipient or psychic attempts to become physically aware of the experience of an agent who is at a distant, unknown location through ESP. 

Retrocognition – An experience in which a person finds themselves in the past and is able to see and experience events in which they had no prior knowledge.

Q

Quabbala -  A very ancient and complex system of Jewish mysticism, probably influenced by Assyrian-Babylonian and Macedonian beliefs and existing as the basis of an underground cult during much of the middle ages.

R

Reincarnation - The belief that a person's soul will, following bodily death, inhabit a new body in a long cycle of rebirths, purportedly for the soul's evolution through gaining experience.

Residual (Haunting) - Psychic imprint of a scene which is repeatedly played out, where the witness of such phenomenon essentially is peering into the past. The ghostly participants of these time-displacements often seem unaware of their living observers.

Retrocognition - The psychic perception of past events or conditions.

Revenant - An entity which projects an appearance of being distressed or misplaced.

Rune - An archaic character inscribed upon a stone or clay tablet, signifying some virtue or property, as with the Norse Runes, and used for divination and as a talisman.

S

Sanguinor - A person exhibiting vampiric tendancies (the desire to ingest blood) and attributes. These may be either contrived or pathological. 

Satan - Hebraic term for "Adversary," the "Tester" in the Biblical Book of Job, the most familiar name of the Devil, the "Falled Angel" and the "Evil One." Investigators sometimes come across evidence of the activities of Satanic cults, who perform animal sacrifices and apparently believe that desecrations and obscenities are devotions to their dark lord.

Séance - A meeting or gathering of people, usually lead by a medium to receive spiritualistic messages, manifestations or communication with the dead.

Shade - An entity resembling a once-living being (human or animal).

Shaman – A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.

Sheep – An experiment in which the subject believes in the ability in which they are being tested.

Shuck - ('Black Shuck,' 'Old Shuck') A phantom black dog with glowing yellow eyes. Hikers in the British Isles who encounter this spectral creature by lonely roadsides and paths are said to be doomed to die within a year of the sighting.

Sidhe - (pronounced Shee) Irish term for Fairy folk, the "little people" who sequester themselves in woodlands and caverns.

Sigil of Baphomet - Leit-motif if Satanism, this emblem is composed of an inverted pentagram containing a goat head, ancompassed by two, concentric circles, in between which are placed five Hebriac characters.

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

Simulcra – This is a word used to describe the seeing of faces, figures and images in ordinary, everyday object such as rocks, foliage, etc.

Specter – A ghostly apparition; a phantom (See Ghost).

Spirit - Existence apart from, or transcending, the purely physical; also, the life-force of an organism. A spirit commonly refers to a ghost.

Spiritualism - The belief system that the dead are able to communicate with the living, through an intermediary or medium.

Spirit Rescue - Attempting contact with entities, intended to alleviate the entities' distress and aid them in the resolution of their conflicts, and in "crossing over" to a higher, spiritual plane.

Spook - Benevolent spirit exclusively of America which comes from the legends of the Red Indians.

Spunkies - The sad spirits of unnamed, unchristened or unbaptized children, believed by old Gaelic and English tradition to wander country roads in search of someone who will name them.

Stigmata – Unexplained bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain corresponding in location to the crucifixion wounds of Christ.

Succubus: "Female" counterpart of the incubus, a demonic entity said to inspire lust in men (and most inconveniently!), sometimes capable of physically attacking and inflicting injuries (bruises & slashes). Following a nocturnal visitation from a succubus, the human victim will always feel ill and depleted of vitality, and inexplicably "un-clean."

Subjective Apparitions – Hallucinations of apparitions or other phenomena that are created by our own minds.

Supernatural - Of or relating to existence outside the natural world.  As opposed to paranormal, the term "supernatural" often connotes divine or demonic intervention.

T

Table-tipping - An experiment in psychokenisis which can fairly easily be replicated. Three or four participants lightly place their fingers along the edges of a small table top, then in unison chant "table move, table move..." With sufficient cooperation and concentration, and after several minuntes of chanting, the table shouold start to wobble, pivot on its legs and possibly even lead the participants on a scurry about the room. 

Talisman - A design or inscription that is worn, carried or displayed, for the purpose of invoking strength, power, protection or the aid of spirits.

Tarot Cards - A set of (usually 72) cards that include 22 cards representing virtues and vices, death and fortune etc. used by fortunetellers to help predict future events.

Telekinesis - The paranormal movement of objects by scientifically inexplicable means.

Telepathy – Communication from one mind to another through means other than the senses.

Teleportation - A method of transportation in which matter or information is dematerialized, usually instantaneously, at one point and recreated at another.

Thought Form – An apparition produced solely by the power of the human mind.

Thunderbird - Prevalent among the Amer-Indian peoples, particularly the Algonquin and Cheyene, are legends telling of immense birds, and raging storms that would come in their wake.

Time-displacement - The experience of a time span separate from the native time span of the observer. The phenomenon is sometimes merely viewed and not participated in; sometimes a person seems to actually time-travel to another era.

Trance - A hypnotic, cataleptic, or ecstatic state in which one becomes detached from their physical surroundings.

U

Ultra-terrestrials - Beings who appear human and visit our plane of existence with some form of message or mission, then inexplicably vanish.

V

Vampire - A mythical demonic entity in the form of a deseased person, which perpetuates itself by draining the blood or psychic energy of the living, real vampires are normal average everyday people that can not create their own energy and have a physical need to consume the energy of others via blood (sanguine) or via raw energy (psychic). 

Voodoo - African magic traditions with a veneer of imposed Catholicism from the new world, taking root in the Carribean, particularly the dark populous of Haiti. Similarities in origin and practices exist in the beliefs of 'Obia' (Jamaica) and 'Santeria' (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic).

Vortex – An anomaly that appears as a funnel or rope-like image in photographs.  These images are sometimes thought to represent ghosts, collections of orbs or gateways which travel to a wormhole in time-space.  There has been no substantial scientific evidence to support any of these theories.

Vorthr - Norse guardian spirit. This name is the source of the word Wraith.

W

Warlock - Term originally meant "deceiver" or " one who misleads," in more modern parlance has become associated with a male witch.

Werewolf - A human being capable of transforming into the form of a wolf (or any variety of animals), then back to human; sometimes refered to as a "Shape-Shifter."

Wicca - Witchcraft as a recognized religion, the practicioners of which refer to their system as, "The Old Way" and "The Ancient Religion." Wiccans in their rituals align themselves with elementals and the earth's natural magnetic fields, personified by the names of ancient Greek, Egyptian and Sumerian deities.

Witch - Broadly, a practitioner of the magic arts, spec. a woman who employs charms, herbs and incantations to effect the workings of her will. Also, a practitioner of the Wicca craft.

Wizard - A male sorcerer and conjurer who is especially adept and experienced in his craft.

Wraith/Wrayth - The image of a person appearing shortly before or after his or her death; term can also be applied to a ghost.

X 

Xenobiology - From the Greek word "Xeno" = strange, the observation/speculation of the biology of very uncommon or unverified creatures. This term has usage in the research categories of cryptozoology and otherworldly aliens.

Xenophobia - A pronounced aversion to people, or beings, of foreign origins.

Y

Yaweh - (ronounced "Yah-vay") According to ancient Hebrew and Quaballistic teaching, the name of God abbbreviated to "YHWH," (in Hebrew, pronounced "Yud-hey vav hey"), which is the Tetragammaton, whence is derived "Jehova." It was deemed forbidden to pronounce, or even seek to learn, the full, true name of the Absolute. (The more archeological evidence uncovered which tends to support Biblical accounts, the more arises suggestion and speculation that, approx. 3,000 years ago, a powerful extra-terrestrial presence took a particular interest in a nomadic, mercantile, tribal group of desert dwellers who would come to be known as the Israelites, the "People of God.").

Yeti - A legendary creature of Tibet's Himalayan Mountains region, an anthropoid with both human and ape characteristics, the "Abominable Snow Man." As with its western counterpart, the Sasquatch or Bigfoot, credible witnesses have reported sightings and numerous tracks have been found, but photographs and purported bodily remnants of the creature remain inconclusive.

Z

Zarcanor - A malevolent spirit which attacks people while they're asleep, inspiring nightmares, and sometimes even inflicting minor injuries such as scratches, bruises and what appear to be finger marks.

'Zener Cards – A set of 25 cards for use in card-guessing tests of ESP.  Each set contains 5 of each of the following cards: Circle, Square, Greek Cross, Three Wavy Lines, Five-pointed Star.

Zephyr - Spirit bourne upon, governing, or manifesting as the western wind.

Zombie - Prevelent in Haitian lore, a cadaver disintered shortly after burial (ere it spoils) and reanimated through the use of Voodoo, its sole purpose thereafter being servitude as a mindless slave. Combine secret pharmaceuticals inducing simulated death with oxygen deprivation in a tomb, then a hasty exhumation in the dark of night, and there emerges the horrid premise behind the myth.