Elementals: In magical tradition and ceremony, spirits which govern the four corners of the earth and are associated with, or reside within, the four basic elements. They are called Sylphs (the east, air), Salamanders (the south, fire), Undines (the west, water), and Gnomes (the north, earth)

Extrasensory Perception (ESP) : The acquisition of information by means beyond the five human senses. It is also sometimes referred to as the "Sixth Sense."

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) : A "spirit" voice on recorded on tape, usually audio. Most often not heard at the time of taping, but is present when the tape is replayed.

Empath: An individual who is particularly sensitive 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.

Empathy - Rarely used in modern parapsychology, the popular usage of this term refers to a low-level form of telepathy wherein the empath appears to be aware of the emotional state of a distant person. An empath may also be able to "broadcast" emotions to others.

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.

ESP: Extrasensory perception (ESP) is the knowledge of external objects or events without the aid of the senses. It is most commonly called the "sixth sense" as it is sensory information an individual receives which comes beyond the ordinary five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.) Many people have experienced dreams, visions, or unexplained feelings where they could predict some future event, sense a spirit or presence of something or someone, or even read someone else's mind.

Ethereal: Heavenly or spiritual, not of this world.

Etheric Body: The spiritual duplicate of one's physical body.

Exorcism: A religious rite performed by a holy man for the purpose of expelling an evil spirit or demon. An exorcism performed by the Roman Catholic Church is known as Rituale Romanum.

Faustus, Doctor Johann: (b. circa 1455, d. 1540) Scholar, physician and alchemist from Wittenburg, Germany, who was renowned for his proficiency in treating victims of the plague contagion (to which the Doctor seemed strangely resistant), and the basis for the stories by Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Christopher Marlowe about a learned man who sold his oul to the devil through his infernal agent Mephistopheles in exchange for "four and twenty years" of knowledge, youth and power.

Fetch: A spectral double of a living person.

Fortean Phenomena: Paranormal phenomena that science cannot explain. The term originated from Charles Fort (1874-1932), an American who catalogued thousands of strange phenomena that could not be explained in rational terms. See Information page on Charles Fort.

Ganzfield: A state of mild sensory deprivation, characterized by the presentation of homogenous sensory fields.

Ghost : The imprint of a previously living, now deceased entity. Usually human, but also can be of an animal. Because they are only imprints, it is not possible to communicate with ghosts. Ghost energy repeats the same pattern, and usually doesn't change, which is an indication that it is a ghost and not a spirit..

Ghost Hunt : An informal attempt to contact and record ghost or spirit activity. Not as scientifically conducted as a Paranormal Investigation.

Ghost Lights : Lights that resemble orbs, but are much larger and are usually seen from a distance. They can also be associated with a spirit who would have normally carried a light while living, (i.e. and railroad worker or monks carrying candles.) Also called "ignis fatuus" meaning "foolish fire."

Ghost Mist/Fog: This is a fog or mist that is visible on photographs but was not visible to the naked eye. A feeling of a presence, cold chill, smell, or phantom footsteps may be felt prior to capturing these phenomena on photos.

Ghoul: A demon thought to feed on the dead.

Globule: An anomaly where-in floating, circular forms appear on photographs or videotape, which seem indicative of spirit activity. Globes are a natural containment formation of the meniscus of liquid, as in gas containing bubbles; perhaps the interaction of energy and a quasi-physical substance produced by spiritual manifestations results in a similar effect, the globules being an initial containment of energy. Presently, all we know is that they continue to appear, and extraneous possible causes such as moisture, light refraction or emulsion seepage, etc., have been considered and ruled out.

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.

Gray Ladies: Are ghosts of a woman who has died at the hands of her lover or while waiting for him to return. They are so-named because of their mournful expressions. Most are found in England. Gray Ladies have been credited with providing preemptive warnings of disasters that have saved many lives.

Grief: The five stages of grief: Denial, Bargaining, Anger, Depression, and finally. These also apply to spirits who have not moved on and stay at the place they haunt. They must move on in their own time, and nothing the living can do can speed up their grieving process.

Haunting: An event where a spirit/ghost makes itself known to the people living in its former home, office building, or property. Usually a ghost is attached to a place rather than people; and they don't often leave the place that is being haunted when the people leave.