FAIRY
A mythical small being with human form, popularly believed to possess magical powers and a capability to interfere
in human affairs (with either good or evil intent). Today fairies tend to be represented as enchanting beautiful females,
usually with wings.
FAITH HEALING
A form of healing that is usually associated with a belief in a divine being and the power of prayer exerting a
beneficial effect upon a sick animal or human. A spiritual form of healing used to help the afflicted recover from their
ailment or illness.
FALLEN ANGELS
These are angels that have fallen from God's grace. Although rarely mentioned in biblical scripture these beings
serve as a warning to the reader of what the wrath of God can bring. Angelologists have a certain interest in these
creatures because they have quite an air of shadowy mystery surrounding them. Fallen angels can be split into two
main groups namely: the angels who sided and allied with Satan during the war in Heaven and the fallen Grigori. In
both of these cases the angels tuned on God, their creator, by misusing the free will that had been granted to them by
God.
FALSE AWAKENING
A phenomenon whereby a person believes that they have woken up, but they are still actually dreaming.
FALSE MEMORY
False memory syndrome refers to a memory disorder in which the individual has come to believe fantasies, usually
invoked during hypnotism or while undergoing psychotherapeutic counseling, are real. Instances of therapist-
implanted false memory involve alien abductions and past life regression. These cases are cited as proof that certain
methods can induce false memories.
FEAR CAGE
A confined area (usually a smaller room) in which there are high concentrations of EMFs. It has been theorized that
prolonged exposure to these EMFs can possibly result in physical (nausea, headaches) or psychological (anxiety,
paranoia, hallucinations) impairment.
FLAP
Is a sudden intense period of time with many sightings (typically of UFOs, but it could be a monster flap). It is often
witnessed by many different people and sometimes accompanied by news coverage.
FLYING SAUCER
Popular term for Unidentified Flying Objects or UFOs. The terms flying saucer and UFO were used somewhat synonymously in the
1950s, but the former term was eventually adopted by those who claimed to have positive evidence that what others called UFOs were
in fact extraterrestrial crafts. The term originated from a report by Kenneth Arnold, whose 1947 sightings of UFOs near Mt. Rainier in
Washington began the modern UFO era. He described them as "saucers skipping across the water."
FOO FIGHTER
The term 'foo fighter' was used by Allied aircraft pilots in World War II to describe various UFOs or mysterious aerial
phenomena seen in the skies over the European and Pacific theatres. Witnesses often assumed that the foo fighters
were secret weapons employed by the enemy, but they still remained unidentified post-war. Despite these fears, there
are no reports of injuries resulting from actions of Foo Fighters. Name was culled from the 1940s comic strip character
'Smokey Stover' who used the term "foo" extensively.
FORTEAN
Refers to strange, naturally occurring phenomena that science cannot yet define or explain. Fortean Phenomena is
named so in honor of Charles Fort (1874-1932), an American writer who collected tales of weird happenings.
Throughout his life, Fort was skeptical about scientific explanations, observing how scientists argued according to their
own beliefs rather than the rules of evidence and that inconvenient data was ignored, suppressed, discredited or
explained away (which is quite different from explaining a thing).
FRAUDULENT MEDIUMS ACT
This Act was introduced in 1951 to repeal the 1735 Witchcraft Act and provide a new basis for prosecuting
fraudulent mediums who intend to profit from their deceit. Fines or imprisonment follow conviction. The Act is still in
force. The last person to be prosecuted under the Witchcraft Act was the wartime medium Helen Duncan, whose
knowledge of the fate of missing servicemen raised suspicions.
GANZFIELD EXPERIMENT
This technique for inducing ESP deprives the experiencer of normal sensory input by placing e.g. halved white ping-
pong balls over their eyes and playing white noise into their ears to induce mild sensory deprivation and possibly a
state between full wakefulness and sleep. Often used for tests of telepathic ability.
GHOSTS
Believed to be the spirits of dead people. When they appear, they are said to appear in bodily likeness to living
persons and often haunt their former habitats. Some believe that ghosts are the souls of the deceased, demons or
spirits. Ghosts are believed to be ethereal, able to penetrate doors and walls, and are often said to appear at the
moment of death to a distant relative or friend. Ghosts are also believed to haunt specific localities, either dwellings
associated with their earthly life or locales with a tragic history. Children are often reported to have encountered
ghostly playmates.
GHOST HUNTING
A carefully controlled research project in which various methods and equipment are used to investigate reports of
ghosts and hauntings. Various research groups have been set up to investigate the phenomenon of ghosts; some do it
as a hobby and some take the subject much more seriously. Ghosts are known to frequent certain places more often
than others, graveyards seem to be an obvious common starting point.
GHOST BUSTING
A term that is associated with getting rid of unwanted ghosts or entities from places where they are not desirable.
The term has been popularized by a Hollywood Film called 'Ghostbusters'. Although this film had quite a humorous
slant to it, in real life, it would appear, that ghost busting services are sometimes required to get rid of unwanted
'visitors'. The Internet has a number of organizations that claim to offer help with these unwanted 'visitors' and other
things that go 'bump in the night'. Some people actually make a hobby out of ghost hunting, which, unlike ghost
busting, is less about trying to rid oneself of ghosts; but is more about trying to observe and capture the phenomenon
on film.
GHOSTLY TRANSPORT
A phenomenon that challenges the commonly held view that ghosts are spirits of the dead. There are a wide variety
of reports about phantom vehicles or ghostly forms of transport some forms reported more often than others. Out of all
of the reports of ghostly transport, ghostly cars are possibly one of the rarest forms of phantom vehicle. One of the
theories behind this, is that the car is a relatively recent invention which has left little time for the phenomenon to
become established. Apparently, phantom trains account for one of the more common forms of ghostly vehicle. They
are said to appear, usually at the site of a rail disaster. Ships are a much older from of transport than cars and planes
and as a result reports of ghostly ships abound. One example is an 18th century ship called 'The Flying Dutchman'.
GOLEM
An artificial man-monster of Jewish legend created from clay by a magic religious ceremony. The word golem was
first used in Talmudic references to the creation of Adam to indicate formless matter before the inception of a soul.
GUIDE
A continually benevolent, protective, ethereal influence acting through mediums in Spiritualist séances. The guide
usually delivers lofty philosophical or religious instruction beyond the normal intellectual capacity of the medium. It may
operate while the medium is either awake or in trance. Some are clearly fictional entities, but acceptance of their
claims may result in remarkable and sometimes verifiable communications. Since the New Age occult revival of the
1980s, there has been a widespread renewal of interest in the teachings of trance personalities under the general term
channeling.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
A guardian angel is a spirit who protects and guides a particular person. Contemporary orthodox belief in both the
eastern and western churches is that guardian angels protect the body and present prayers to God, protecting
whichever person God assigns them to.
GRAY
An alien type that first became famous in the 1980s. Typically shorter than humans, hairless, with large black eyes.
In reports from alleged eye witnesses, Grays are described as diminutive beings which, while appearing very human-
like, seem to lack or possess reduced forms of human organs and anatomical components. Individual Grays are said
to appear very uniform compared to the wide range of variation in humans. Some commentators have expressed the
opinion that their anatomy is more consistent with robots or cyborgs than with actual living organisms.
HALLOWEEN
A shortened version of the name 'All Hallows Even'. It marks 'The Eve of All Saints' which occurs each year on the
31st of October. This is also the last night of the year in the early Celtic Calendar. For centuries a quiet festival in the
UK, it is now being overtaken by the commercialized American version with ‘trick or treat’. This was another traditional
time for bonfires, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.
HALLUCINATION
A state in which one hears, sees, smells or feels something that is not there. The experiencer may believe that it is
a true perception, but it occurs without external stimulation of the relevant sensory organ. Hallucinations are popularly
associated with illness, use of drugs, alcohol, etc.
HAUNTED HOUSE
A haunted house is defined as building that is believed to be a center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal
phenomena. A haunted house may contain ghosts, poltergeists, or even malevolent entities.
HAUNTING
Disturbances of a paranormal character, attributed to the spirits of the dead. Tradition established two main factors
in haunting: an old house or other locale and restlessness of a spirit. The first represents an unbroken link with the
past, the second is believed to be caused by remorse over an evil life or by the shock of violent death. The
manifestations vary greatly. In most cases, strange noises are heard alone (auditory effects); in some others objects
are displaced, and lights are seen (visual effects); also, a chilliness is sometimes felt in the atmosphere, not
infrequently unbearable stench pervades the room, and an evil influence imparts feelings of unspeakable horror
(sensory effects); and phantoms, both human and animal, appear in various degrees of solidity.
HEALING
Healing apparently brought about by such non-medical means as prayer, the “laying on of hands,” Psychic healing;
immersion at a religious shrine, and so on, and inexplicable according to contemporary medical science; not to be
confused with merely unconventional medicine.
HELL
Place or state reserved for unrepentant sinners after death, where they suffer both separation from God, and other
traditional punishments. Most ancient religions included the concept of a place that divided the good from the evil or
the living from the dead. The view that hell is the final dwelling place of the damned after a last judgment is held by
Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Jewish concept of Gehenna as an infernal region of punishment
for the wicked was the basis for the Christian vision of hell as the fiery domain of Satan and his evil angels and a place
of punishment for those who die without repenting of their sins.
HELL FIRE CLUB
An eighteenth-century British Satanist society of rich men, politicians, and eccentrics based at Medmenham Abbey
in Buckinghamshire and later in caves at High Wycombe. The founder was the notorious profligate Sir Francis
Dashwood (1708-1781), a member of parliament. As grand master, Dashwood used a communion cup to pour
libations to pagan gods, and even administered the sacrament to a baboon in a contemptuous mockery of sacred
ritual.
HEX
A product of witchcraft or one who works it. The word is of German origin, and beliefs connected with it spread from
Europe to the United States, especially to the Pennsylvania Dutch country. The hex can be worked by either sex, but
more commonly by a man, usually an amateur or professional hex “doctor.” The colorful, geometric hex signs found on
Pennsylvania Dutch barns are meant to protect the animals within from malicious curses, spells, and the evil eye.
HOROSCOPE
Astrological chart showing the positions of the sun, moon, and planets in relation to the signs of the zodiac at a
specific time. It is used to analyze the character of individuals born at that time, providing information about the current
state of their life and predicting their future. To cast a horoscope, the heavens are divided into 12 zones called houses;
these influence such aspects of human life as health, wealth, marriage, friendships, or death.
HOUSE BLESSING
A ceremony performed to cleanse the house of past memories and energies and bless the space and its contents
(both animate and inanimate) with Divine Spirit for protection, prosperity and love.
HYPNAGOCIC/HYPNOPOMPIC STATE
A condition between waking and sleeping characterized by illusions of vision or sound. The mind can produce
images as it is falling asleep (hypnagogic) or waking up (hypnopompic). These hallucinations can be vivid, frightening
and dream-like and may occur during sleep paralysis, contributing to ‘night terrors’. Hypnagogic imagery can be
particularly vivid with sleep-onset REM periods.
HYPNOTISM
To induce an altered state of consciousness characterized by deep relaxation and heightened suggestibility. The
term was originally coined by James Braid in 1842 to describe a phenomenon previously known as animal magnetism
or mesmerism. Superficially resembling sleep, it is generally induced by the monotonous repetition of words and
gestures while the subject is completely relaxed. Although almost everyone can be hypnotized, individuals vary greatly
in susceptibility. In the paranormal field, hypnosis can be used in a variety of ESP experiments, while hypnotic
regression has been used to take people back into the past to examine such things as alleged past lives or abductions
by UFOs.
INCUBUS
A male demon spirit that has sexual intercourse with mortal females. The demons were generally believed to
appear most frequently during sleep or in nightmares. During the witchcraft scare of the late medieval period these
demons, when associated with an individual witch or sorcerer, were known as familiars.
INFRARED (IR)
Infrared is used in night vision equipment when there is insufficient visible light to see. Night vision devices operate
through a process involving the conversion of ambient light photons into electrons which are then amplified by a
chemical and electrical process and then converted back into visible light. The use of infrared light and night vision
devices should not be confused with thermal imaging which creates images based on differences in surface
temperature by detecting infrared radiation (heat) that emanates from objects and their surrounding environment.
INFRARED THERMOMETER
Sometimes called a laser thermometer, these handheld devices are used to take temperature readings without
having to come into direct contact with the object being tested. Investigators will often use infrared thermometers to
detect sudden and significant temperature fluctuations, which are believed by some to be associated with paranormal
activity. These devices are only effective when taking the surface temperature of an object. They are not designed to
accurately register the atmospheric or 'ambient' temperature of a location.
ILLUSION
A delusional perception between what is perceived and what is reality.
INTUITION
Non-paranormal knowledge that is gained through a perceptive insight. The source of these messages is often said
to be in the normal, mundane, unconscious, but it is often also said to be the result of mystical or paranormal
processes.
J. ALLEN HYNEK
Was a United States astronomer, professor, and ufologist. He is perhaps best remembered for his UFO research:
Hynek acted as scientific adviser to three consecutive UFO studies undertaken by the U.S. Air Force: Project Sign
(1947-1949), Project Grudge (1949-1952), and Project Blue Book (1952 to 1969); for decades afterwards, he
conducted his own independent UFO research. Hynek's opinions about UFOs began a slow and gradual shift. After
examining hundreds of UFO reports over the decades (including some made by credible witnesses, including
astronomers, pilots, police officers, and military personnel), Hynek concluded that some reports represented genuine
empirical observations.
JERSEY DEVIL
Strange creature on the borderline between fact and legend, reported in southern New Jersey for more than two
centuries. The Jersey devil is said to have a kangaroo body, bat's wings, pig's feet, dog's head, the face of a horse,
and a forked tail. Depending on the storyteller the creature is said to be anywhere from 18 inches to 20 feet in height
and is considered impervious to gunshot. It appears to have been born, at least as a legend, after the off-the-cuff
remark of a woman named Leeds, unhappy over her pregnancy. Her curse on her child resulted in her child being
devil-like. The Jersey Devil appeared over the years, possibly as a running joke by bored newspaper reporters
CARL JUNG
Carl Gustav Jung is the Swiss psychiatrist whose importance in the history of psychoanalysis rivals that of Sigmund
Freud. Between 1907 and 1912 he was Sigmund Freud's close collaborator and most likely successor, but he broke
with Freud over the latter's insistence on the sexual basis of neuroses. In the succeeding years Jung founded the field
of analytic psychology, a response to Freud's psychoanalysis. Jung advanced the concepts of the introvert and
extravert personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious (the pool of human experience passed from
generation to generation).
F-J
PARANORMAL GLOSSARY