A person who believes he or she was abducted by extraterrestrials. Often, such a person does not have immediate recall of either the abduction or the events preceding, during, or immediately after the experience. The memories are triggered through chance events or during trancework such as hypnosis. Sometimes confused with contactees.

During the life between lives we are progressively empowered to use past life experiences as critical growth resources to accelerate our evolution through next life planning.

2.  Wakefulness and sleep are the two most familiar states of consciousness. Others include dreaming, meditation, trance, hypnosis and self-hypnosis, hallucination, astral projection, etc. ASCs can be induced by sleep deprivation, chanting, fasting, ecstatic dancing, drumming, sex, psychedelic drugs, and conscious self-programming. Once you’ve been "there," it is easier to get there again.

A practical exercise to stimulate six psychic centers, energize the aura, circulate energy and awareness throughout the aura, and then to expand the aura and awareness to encompass all the earth.

The belief that aliens landed on Earth thousands of years ago. Some contend that this ancient beings helped humanity develop and even evolve. Others claim they used early humans for their own ends.

2.  Etheric, or life, energy that, like Reich’s Orgone, is present in all animal life. It can be concentrated, stored, transferred and projected by magical practices—essentially the use of a trained imagination. It formed the basis for many of the practices of Mesmerism, considered by some to be an early forerunner of Hypnotism.

Expression used to describe what appears to be psychic or paranormal abilities in non-human animals. Sometimes represented by the term, “Anpsi.”

A concept relating to reincarnation. When a soul is ready to reincarnate, it will announce itself, often to the woman pregnant with the soul’s future body. Sometimes, however, another person—such as the future child’s father or other relative—will have the announcing dream. Implies that the soul of a person does not enter the body at inception.

An experience that cannot be explained by currently accepted Western scientific theories.

Phenomena found in the natural world that cannot be explained by currently accepted Western scientific theories. Also known as Fortean phenomena (named after the famed collector of reports of such phenomena, Charles Fort), an example would be a rain of frogs.

See Animal Psi.

3.  A projection of one’s image that is seen by another. Unlike Astral Projection, the appearance is mostly spontaneous and does not involve the projector entering into a trance state. Apparitions are often connected with a personal crisis or intense interest in the other person. Sometimes the apparition is coincidental with the person’s death.

A phenomenon in which sensory perceptions are associated with inner, subjective impressions.

The aptitudes and capabilities you demonstrate.  Many self-improvement classes give you new aptitudes that augment your "Application Programs."

2.  The appearance of an object as if moved from another location by psychic means. It is believed to involve the dematerialization and then rematerialization of the object.

A remote site of Edwards Air Force Base about 95 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada. Known to the CIA as either Groom Lake or the Nevada Test and Training Range, it is used to design and test advanced aircraft. Many people believe it houses alien space ships that are being reversed engineered for their technology. Others believe it houses either the bodies of dead extraterrestrials or even living aliens who are giving the U.S. technological secrets. 

Although it means theft and larceny, when it comes to Spiritualism the word "asport" means something removed from a séance room by unknown means. It's the opposite of an apport, and is often found in a nearby room. One famous medium who made possessions of her sitters disappear was Eusapia Paladino.

An astral projection procedure induced by hypnosis to survey past life experiences and retrieve those particularly relevant to current needs.

Each body or vehicle is inclusive of the one “beneath” it in the familiar scheme of levels of consciousness. With basic aura seeing, each higher vehicle’s aura extends further beyond the skin of the physical body in this sequence: physical body, etheric double, astral, mental, and causal vehicles for a total of four. Higher vehicles are not perceptible by ordinary clairvoyance.

The essential goal of astral projection is to extend awareness beyond the limitations of the physical brain to become fully conscious on the astral plane. Moving beyond single body limitation to multi-body consciousness our horizons become infinite.

The fluid stream of psychic energy used to convey telepathic messages in the Astral Telepathy System.

An alternate term for "astral body."

A procedure designed to arrest sleep and induce Out-of-Body travel to designated destinations.

The unique cosmic structure underlying each person's individuality as a conscious entity.

A procedure designed to acquire outer growth resources available only through Out-of-Body interactions with higher astral planes.

A procedure designed to muster PK resources during the Out-of-Body state, and focus them on specific health or fitness goals.

Methods of therapy that occur while having an out-of-body experience.

An Out-of-Body induction procedure designed to facilitate Out-of-Body astral scanning of multiple planes.

1.  A technique to examine the physical plane while having an out-of-body experience.

2.  A procedure designed to induce Out-of-Body clairvoyant scanning.

A system for communicating without physical contact that involves being out-of-body.

An Out-of-Body induction procedure that introduces Out-of-Body walking as a figurative, multi-directional phenomenon.

In 1908, Dr. Walter Kilner invented aura goggles involving screens of dicyanin dye by which he could perceive the ultra-violet part of the field around the body that he termed "The Human Atmosphere" in a book of that title he published in 1911.

1. A procedure that photographs the aura. See Kirlian Photography.
2. A questionable technique that uses special lenses to produce a spurious set of colors around a person in a photograph. Often found at "psychic fairs" where people charge for the pictures and their interpretation.

Often an aspect of astral projection, autoscopy refers to the ability to see oneself from a position outside the body. It may refer to seeing the astral double or, upon projecting, to seeing one’s own physical body.

An uncomfortable sensation experienced in connection with person or place and interpreted as a forewarning of something dire. 

An area in southwestern Vermont where, between 1920 and 1950, five people mysteriously vanished. This name was given to the wilderness area by author Joseph A. Citro in two books he wrote.

2.  (Also spelled bi-location) Instances where a person appears simultaneously in two separate locations, one of which is believed to be the physical body and the other the astral body.

Term used by psychic researchers to describe the use of the mind to have an effect on biological functioning by paranormal means. An example would be speeding or slowing cell division in a Petri dish.

2.  Sometimes used as an alternative for the Astral Body, but more correctly as an image created ritually out of the astral light through the power of imagination and used by a magician as a vehicle for conscious perception and action.

Suggested Reading

– Ashcroft-Nowicki & Brennan: Magical Use of Thought-Forms – A Proven System of Mental & Spiritual Empowerment

– Slate, J.H. & Weschcke, C.L.: Astral Projection for Psychic Empowerment, 2012, Llewellyn

An altered state of consciousness that may be achieved by being a Bottom.

An area in southeastern Massachusetts, described by research Loren Coleman (Mysterious America), where a great deal of paranormal activity has occurred. Consisting of about 200 square miles, sighting in the area have included bigfoot, thunderbirds, UFOs, giant snakes, fireballs, cattle mutilation, and orbs.

In electrophotography, the phenomenon in which the electromagnetic pattern around the fingerpad separates into two parts during the Out-of-Body state. See electrophotography.

A basic form of ESP testing. It uses a deck of cards (such as regular playing cards or Zener cards) and repeated rounds of testing. This technique can be used to test for precognition, by having the subject guess a card before it is revealed, telepathy, by having the subject guess a card being looked at by the tester, etc.

In the PK Pool of Power, a procedure used to take water from the PK astral pool and pour it over the astral body. See PK Pool of Power.

A lake monster believed to inhabit Lake Champlain, which crosses the US and Canadian borders and the New York and Vermont borders. Similar to the more famous Loch Ness Monster (Nessie), there have been over three hundred sightings of this creature.

The occurrence and development of events without any obvious design; random, unpredictable influences on events that cannot be anticipated by normal means.

(1874–1932) Writer and novelist who achieved fame for collecting reports of paranormal phenomena in works such as The Book of the Damned.

A vital procedure in all astral training because astral consciousness includes the faculties of imagination and dreaming and untrained they lead to fantasy and even delusion. Variations of the phrase include “test and verify” and “trust, but verify.”

See Horse.

2.  The psychic ability to hear things inaudible to most people, such as the voices of spirits, sometimes sounds of inanimate objects such as crystals, minerals, artifacts, etc. 

2.  (“Clear-seeing”) A person who can obtain information through “seeing” things that others do not.

A person who obtains information through “seeing” things, usually via spirit communications, that others do not.

A rare phenomenon in which clairvoyant information is revealed in reverse form. Examples are reversed numbers and spellings.

Liberation of the clairvoyant faculty to probe other realities. See Astral Sweep.

A set of cards used in ESP testing such as Zener cards. A subject tries to determine or “guesses” the symbol on card being viewed by a tester or predicts the next card and each card appears a fixed number of times. Statistical analysis of tests run using a closed deck uses different protocols than testing using an open deck. (See “Open Deck.”)

A technique used by Wilhelm Reich wherein he used a device that supposedly fired Orgone energy at clouds to make it rain. He officially used it twice and received some level of success, eventually abandoning the practice for fear of lawsuits from people who might claim too much rain or that he was taking rain away from other areas. Instead, he used the device to "shoot down" what he believed were UFOs that were trying to destroy our world.

A supposedly psychic technique of choosing a small cloud and causing it to quickly dissolve at will. This is also used by some people as a test of their psychic abilities or to prove one's psychic abilities to others. Debunkers claim this is not real, as most small non-storm clouds will dissipate on their own (especially on windy days) within about 20 minutes. However someone trying to make clouds dissolve will usually achieve his or her goal in a few seconds or minutes. 

The combining of clairvoyant faculties of two or more persons to gather clairvoyant information.

In the discussion of mediumship, a message from a non-physical entity. “I received this communication from spirit.” Also see "Spirit Communication."

A two-component strategy for activating telepathic sending and receiving.

A phenomenon characterizing the liberated discarnate state, in which command of past experiences exists on a need-to-know basis.

A phenomenon characterizing the typical incarnate state of constricted memory.

A group of random people who are given a test, the results of which give a baseline range or “norms” as part of clinical experimental protocols. A subject would then be tested and the results of his or her tests would be compared to the norms.

See Crop Circle.

See electrophotography.

The full realization of personal growth potentials related to past-life experiences.

A strategy designed to activate Out-of-Body precognition by focusing on external, cosmic sources of precognition.

A Procedure leading to self-empowerment through astral projection facilitated by a framed sheet of clear glass.

In Past-Life Excursion, a chart of the orbs and lines representing elements of our past, including pre-incarnate, incarnate, and discarnate experiences. See Past-Life Excursion.

The astral double. That aspect of physical matter—alive or not—that exists only on the astral plane. The counterpart can survive after its physical plane aspect has ceased to exist. 

An OBE preparatory exercise designed to extinguish any subconscious resistance to astral projection by focusing on moving images outside the body.

A term used by some Spiritualists to describe all aspects of mental mediumship. This is where there are no physical phenomena produced; however, the medium is able to bring forth messages to the sitters. The term was coined by Charles Richet.

Supposed original thoughts that are actually the recall of forgotten memories. These may be mistaken as paranormal revelatons and may explain some past-life memories.

A technique that uses an out-of-body session to re-experience past-life origins of traumas that have resulted in negative effects in you current life and liberating yourself from their impact.

See Cosmos Wide Web.

The experience that some dying people seem to have wherein they see and communicate with dead friends and relatives.

1.  In aura photography, the decline in brightness of recorded images.

2.  In tests of psychic abilities, an expression that describes how some subjects may have decreasing results over time.

2.  Traditionally written déjà vu [French], a phenomenon in which a new event appears familiar or as if it had been previously experienced.

An umbrella term for any anomalous experience.

1.  An inexplicable fading away or sudden disappearance of a physical object.

2.  The fading away or disappearance of an entity or object that is usually invisible, such as a spirit or ghost.

The process of exploring paranormal phenomena to make it less mystical and more scientific.

Seeing (stimulation of the optic nerve receptors) through the skin.

A strategy utilizing sleep to induce out-of-body travel.

A term used by Spiritualists to denote a group of people, generally ones who meet regularly, with a goal of being trained to develop mediumistic or psychic abilities.

One of any type of tests uses by parapsychologists using dice to test the psychic abilities of a subject. Skills tested for may include the ability to predict or control the numbers that will appear on the next (or a future) throw of the dice, or the ability to determine the number showing on dice that is either observed by the experimenter or hidden from the experimenter.

1.  The term “dimension” has certain specific meanings in mathematics and physics, such as the three dimensions of length, width, and height. To mystics and occultists, a dimension is the area in which we exist and which is bounded by the extent of our normal five senses. Thus, we normally experience life in this physical dimension while the next or astral dimension is outside of our normal apprehension and is usually observed only via paranormal senses.

2.  When a medium allows a spirit to directly speak through her/him, it appears to be the voice of the deceased.

A record of one's personal existence in the discarnate realm between past lifetimes and following one's final incarnation.

Any of a myriad of manifestations of the discarnate realm, to include ghosts and hauntings.

Certain parapsychology tests involve series of turns, such as guessing a series of cards. In some occasions, subjects have shown greater accuracy not of the immediate target, but of one two, three, or more in the future. This type of result is known as displacement.

See Remote Viewing.

An abbreviation for Direct Mental Interaction with Living Systems, it means that the subject has been able to show some sort of influence via paranormal means over natural physiological processes.

A strategy that emphasizes imagery, choice and self-determination in acquiring psychic information, particularly of a precognitive nature to possibly allow conscious influence of future events.

2.  A seemingly unconscious projection of the astral body.

In scientific research, including parapsychology, a procedure wherein neither the subject nor even the experimenter is aware of valuable key aspects of the experiment. For example, one experimenter could put a variety of photos in separate envelopes. A second experimenter would randomly choose one of the envelopes and could not have any idea of what is in the envelope. The subject would try to determine, paranormally, what is in the envelope.

A parapsychological test where the subject is required to guess (or determine paranormally) the order of a set of symbols (such as cards) from top to bottom.

2.  The belief that some spirits, especially those dying in sudden and unexpected transitions, and children, cling to the earth experience they knew and fear moving on and resist the natural process.

Suggested Reading

Davidson: Spirit Rescue, A Simple Guide to Talking with Ghosts and Freeing Earthbound Souls.

Crawford: Spirit of Love, a Medium’s Message of Life Beyond Death

2.  A misty appearing substance emitted from various body orifices of the medium believed to originate from the etheric body.

Electroencephalography. A practice often used during parapsychological testing that observes and/or records (via an electroencephalogram) the electrical activity of the brain, especially in the cortex, the outermost layer of the cerebrum (it appears folded and gray) that seems to play an important role in consciousness.

The paranormal ability to generate and manipulate forms of energy, especially electricity, using only the powers of the mind.

The primary substance composing subtle bodies.

Suggested Reading – Bladon, L.: The Science of Spirituality

A rare physical phenomenon observed as occuring to some mystics and mediums wherein a paranormal extention of the physical body appears.

The substance (matter) of the astral plane, of its energies and “operating system” is defined as Emotion. Whenever and however we experience what we know as emotion (feeling, love, desire, affection, ambition, gratitude, etc.) our astral body and the astral world are the field of action. Emotion is the energy "powering" most intentional psychic and magical operations, the energy responsible for many types of psychic phenomena, possibly including hauntings, poltergeists, rapping, etc.

See Extrasensory Apperception.

(Also E.S.P.) See Extrasensory perception.

Also known as Zener cards, a deck of twenty-five cards consisting of five sets of repeating symbols believed to be easily and clearly visualized and differentiated. The five symbols are a cross, a circle, a square, three wavy lines, and a five-pointed star. The cards were designed by a perceptual psychologist, Karl Zener, in the 1930s, for use in experiments by his colleague, J.B. Rhine. 

A very systematic process for training memory and visualization skills, focusing on one “station” at a time within a short walk within the home, preferably leading from the sleeping area and back in a circle. After extensive “live practice,” the walk is repeated entirely in the imagination. It is a valuable preparatory technique for astral projection and lucid dreaming. It is adapted from The Art & Practice of Astral Projection by Ophiel.

An Out-of-Body state in which personal identity remains intact with acute awareness of one's own being as an independent entity.

A test of a theory, preferably performed under scientific conditions and controls. Many occult magicians consider rituals to be types of experiments.

In parasychological scientific research, an experimental group is a set of people who take the same tests to rate their paranormal ability. This compares with a control group, who are similarly tested and form a base line to compare against the experimental group.

The description of actually performing experiments studying the paranormal rather than merely theorizing, reviewing other tests, comparing anecdotal reports, etc.

Although long acknowledged by occultists, the experimenter effect has only recently been accepted as a potential reality by mainstream scientists. The effect states that the experimenters behavior, personality, observation, or mere presence may alter the results of scientific testing.

Term used by Spiritualists to describe the appearance of a face, a partial figure, or complete person within a photo even though that image was not seen when the picture was taken.

Something or some entity that exists outside of our normal dimension. Sometimes, extradimensional entities or objects may cross over and appear in our dimension.

A phenomenon in which sensory perceptions of changes produced in external objects are related to internal psychic elements or faculties to reveal new psychic knowledge. Examples are sand reading and the wrinkled-sheet technique.

Something, especially an entity, that comes to the planet Earth from someplace other than Earth. Usually not equated with extradimensional.

1.  At the conclusion of parapsychological experiments, giving test subjects information about the relative success they had on the test.

2.  At the conclusion of public rituals, a discussion of what worked and what was less successful.

The concept that we must develop consciousness raising psychic technology to facilitate our search for knowledge & understanding to continue our evolutionary journey beyond perceived physical limitations.

A photographic phenomenon where video cameras or still cameras take photos that seem to show rod-like images or objects traversing the photo. Some debunkers have claimed that these are simply flying insects that form a blur and move too fast or too close to the lens to be clearly photographed.

On June 24, 1947, pilot Kenneth Arnold reported seeing flying objects he could not identify. He described them using terms such as “pie-plate,” “ disc,” and “saucer.” News media reported this as Arnold seeing a flying saucer and the term stuck. The term is generally considered obsolete as it doesn't include the shapes of other such sightings of triangles, spheres, oblongs, etc. As a result, the usual modern expression is UFO or Unidentified Flying Object.

During the investigation of poltergeist (or poltergeist-like) activity, it is usually discovered that the sounds, movements, etc. are centered around one person, most often an adolescent female. Such an individual is known as a focal person.

The primal Energy in the Field. As the Force, Prana, Chi, Orgone, etc. it is everywhere and is the Power the gives us Life.  

Named after psychologist Betram R. Forer. In 1948 he created an experiment that showed that if people receive general descriptions that could apply to anyone, they will accept it as specifically applying to themselves. Debunkers use this phenomenon to explain away the methods of people claiming to give psychic readings. Examples of phrases used to represent this effect are sometimes called Barnum Statements.

A basic exercise consistent with that of the Magic Circle and the Qabalistic Cross that awakens and balances the elemental forces in your own psyche.

While Time is called the fourth dimension in Relativity Physics, it is also a non-spatial addition to the physical three dimensions of space found on the astral plane enabling a clairvoyant to see all three dimensions of an object at once.

Deliberate faking of paranormal phenomena for the purpose of notoriety, manipulation, financial gain, etc. When done for entertainment it is not considered fraud.

An ESP test where the subject, without knowing what targets the testers are considering, freely talks, draws, writes, etc. When the test concludes, a judge compares what the subject has done with the targets and rates the subject's success.

In some instances of ESP, either unregulated or under test procedures, it is unclear as to which sense—clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition, etc.—is in play. Rather than try to define it after the fact, it is simply called general extrasensory perception.

(1909–1980) A famous Dutch psychic, parapsychologist, and practitioner of psychometry. Although he claimed to have helped find some missing persons, debunkers have questioned this.

See General Extrasensory Perception.

The psychic engagement of a global interaction for such purposes as bringing forth global peace.

In the absence of consciously determined goals, paranormal phenomena is spontaneous and hap-hazard. When goals are determined, paranormal energies and skills have direction and produce desired results. 

Term used by parapsychologists for a subject in an ESP test who does not believe in the phenomenon being tested.

See Spirit Guide.

In ESP testing, an instance in a series where the subject correctly responds to the testing method. Thus, each correct guess or prediction is called a hit.

When one person is in an altered state of consciousness, another may help that person by "holding space," being physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually available to enable that person's experience while altered. This process may include being comforting, spiritually encouraging, and listening without judgment. Holding space is a practice used by some Neo-Tantrics to help a person who has achieved an altered state through breathwork, visualization, Tantric sexuality, or other means.

Within Spiritualism, the name given a group of people that regularly meets in a private home to learn about and develop the members' mediumistic and psychic abilities.

A Voudoun term for a person who is possessed in ritual by one of the Loa.

Intuition. A "feeling" expressing the "truth" of a situation.

See Hyperaesthesia.

A state in which your senses are exceptionally acute.

2.  A state between being awake & falling asleep. It is also called the "Borderland Consciousness." It is during this state of consciousness when we are most receptive to images, symbols, impressions, sounds, ideas and feelings. It is also a state very receptive to Intuition. Its counterpart, between sleep and being awake, is called the hypnopompic state.

Images that appear to the mind while in the dreamy state between wakefulness and achieving sleep.

1.  A dreamy state that occurs on arousing from sleep but before being completely awake. May be accompanied by visual, auditory, or kinesthetic hallucinations. Its opposite is the hypnagogic state, which can have the same hallucinations, but which occurs between wakefulness and sleep.

2.  A state between sleep and being awake. It is also called the "Borderland Consciousness." It is during this state of consciousness when we are most receptive to images, symbols, impressions, sounds, ideas and feelings. It is also a state very receptive to Intuition. It's counterpart, between being awake & falling asleep, is called the hypnagogic state.

Images that appear to the mind while in the dreamy state between sleep and fully achieving wakefulness. 

A popular, modern, non-occult name for creative visualization.

An OBE practice exercise involving centering attention on isolated body parts and inducing new physical sensations.

Lack of decay. Allegedly seen in the corpses of some very spiritual people.

Established at Athens State University in 1970 by Joe H. Slate, Ph.D., this foundation is committed to the study of parapsychology and related topics. It has conducted extensive research and established student scholarships in perpetuity at Athens State University and the University of Alabama. The president of the foundation is District Judge Sam Masdon of Montgomery, AL. For more information, contact Joe H. Slate, Ph.D. at joehslate@aol.com

2.  A blinding flash of insight answering a question or solving a problem originating at the Soul level of consciousness. Instinctive knowing without actual knowledge and sensory validation. "Our central nervous system automatically responds to events that have not yet happened and of which we are unaware in the present." (Research by Dean Radin of the Institute of Noetic Sciences quoted in Larry Dossey’s The Power of Premonitions.)

See International Parapsychology Research Foundation.

In ESP testing, a person who compares a subject's responses with targets and determines when the subject has made a hit or a miss.