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Glossary

Apparition

A visual manifestation of a ghost.

Aura

A energy field that radiates from and surrounds all living things. Auras can often be perceived by those who are clairvoyant. Some people claim to be able to photograph auras with expensive electrical equipment. Such attempts are Kirlian photography and most recently Aura Imaging photography introduced in 1992 by Guy Coggins. Each person's Aura is unique and made up different colors. Auras are thought to be the body's natural defense system against other spirits, possession and spirit attachment.

Cold Spot

A phenomenon where the temperature of a small localized area suddenly drops. This change can be felt with your hand and it can be documented with thermometers. Cold spots are believed to be caused by a ghost that is drawing the energy out of the environment.

Debunk

To find a "normal" or alternative explanation to an event that, at first, appears to be paranormal in origin.

DVR

Digital Video Recorder. A DVR is a system that records video digitally, from several cameras at the same time. It stores this video footage on a hard drive so it can be reviewed later. DVR systems are comprised of multiple cameras, a digital recorder and a monitor. Most of these systems have at least 4 cameras.

Entity

A term that is used to refer to a being such as a spirit or ghost. This term encompasses all types of ghosts and spirits.

EMF

Electro Magnetic Field. EMFs are phenomenon that can have both paranormal and normal causes. It is believed that the presence of a a ghost can manipulate these fields. However, these fields can also be generated by common electrical devises such as lights, TVs, household wiring, etc. A paranormal investigator will sweep the area that he or she is studying with an EMF detector. While doing this the investigators rules out any "normal" causes that may be present. Next the investigator searches for stray EMFs that act and respond with intelligence. This is how EMFs are used to locate a ghost. Exposure to high EMFs can have adverse effects on people. Everyone has different levels of sensitivity to these fields. High EMF's can cause such ill effects as paranoia,nausea,visual hallucinations and skin irritations.

EVP

Electronic voice phenomenon. EVP's are voices that are recorded onto an electronic devise such as a voice recorder or a video camera that has a microphone. These phenomenon are not heard audibly at the time that the recording was made but they appear on the tape when you play back the recording. EVP's are classified into three groups of quality. Class A is easy to understand, clear and very good quality. These EVP's do not require amplification or need to be cleaned up or enhanced by a computer program. If several people listen to this they will all hear the same words. Class B EVP's are not as clear as class A and require some amplification or enhancement to be heard clearly. Often when they are played there is some question to what exactly the words are. These EVP's are sometimes not in response to direct questions. Class C EVP's are the poorest quality EVP's. Even with amplification and enhancement it is difficult to clearly make out the words that are being spoken, however it is clear that there is a speech pattern.

 

Ghost

An entity that exists somewhat beyond our world, only partly appearing in our world. See Spirit and Entity.

Haunting

The repeated visitation or presence of a ghost to a specific location.

Intelligent Haunting

A haunting where the ghost that is present has the ability to interact and respond to the living people that are around it.

IR Light

This is light that has a frequency on the far end of the light spectrum. It is beyond the area that humans can see with their eyes. IR light is commonly used by ghost hunters for illumination in the dark. In conjunction with special cameras, this light allows ghost hunters to photograph in the dark.

IR Shadow

This is an occurrence when a ghost hunter can mistakenly get a false image in photographs and video. It occurs when non visible IR light is behind the investigator, casting an "invisible" shadow. This cannot be seen until a photo is taken by the investigator with a camera that is sensitive to IR light. Then a "Ghostly" black figure is seen in the photograph but it is really only the investigator's own shadow.

Matrixing

The Human mind attempts to find order in chaos so that the subject matter in question is more relatable to that person. This is the mind automatically converting random visual and audio into something that appears recognizable. An example of matrixing would be finding clouds in the sky that look like animals or faces.

Orb

Balls of energy that often appear in photos and video. They usually are white but can be red or blue in color. It is thought that these balls of energy are spirits that are trying to manifest themselves. However almost all Orbs can be debunked as light reflecting off of bugs or tiny particles of dust or moisture. We feel that Orbs are the poorest type of evidence that can be presented. Most of the time it is obvious that an Orb is dust or moisture. Even if you are not sure about the origin of an Orb, it is hard to rule out these normal causes.

Poltergeist

A German term meaning "noisy ghost" This type of apparition produces a lot of noises and is usually able to move objects. Poltergeists are often trying to call attention to themselves by doing these things. Poltergeists are often centered around a specific person, especially pubescent adolescents and people who are enduring personal emotional strife.

Psychic

A person who has the mental ability to communicate with spirits. They can also "sense" past or future event. (see also medium, fortune teller).

Residual Haunting

When a ghost is present but it does not interact with the living. This ghost goes about it's routine unaffected and unaware of those around it. It often repeats the same event over and over again Like a tape that is playing on a loop.

Shadow Person

This is a type of ghost that is manifested as a solid dark black figure. When a shadow person is seen in the dark it is darker than the night around it.

Spirit

An entity that exists just outside of our world, partly appearing in this world. Spirit is a term that is interchangeable with ghost and entity.

Spirit Attachment

This occurs when a spirit follows a living person. The spirit merges with the host person by entering the host's aura. The spirit then experiences sensations and life via the living host. It is believed that the spirit can influence the living host's actions when this happens. For example if the spirit smoked cigarettes, than the host, who has never smoked, may start because of strange cravings for cigarettes. For more information on this subject read "The Unquiet dead" by Dr. Edith Fiore. It's available on Amazon.com