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Ghostly Terminology

Once in awhile, when discussing hauntings and ghostly topics, certain terms come up that aren't common to everyone.  I've put together a list of some of the most widely used terms and their definitions to help familiarize everyone with them.

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Apparition:  The disembodied soul or spirit that can be seen visually.
 
Aura:  A field of energy believed by some to surround living creatures.
 
Ectoplasm:  Can be solid, liquid, or vaporous and is produced by ghosts or spirits.  Some are known to move in lifelike patterns.
 
Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP):  The attempt to capture a ghost or spirits voice on an audio recording device.  Typically there is no voice heard to people present in the recording but after reviewing the tapes, there are strange voices recorded.
 
Electro-Magnetic Field Detector (EMF):  Handheld scientific instruments that can pick up electronic and magnetic fields over different frequencies.  They can read changes and distortions in the normal electromagnetic fields.
 
Ghost:  The visual appearance of a spirit or soul of a deceased being, human, or animal.  The disembodied soul or life force.
 
Ghost Lights:  Luminous phenonena typically shaped in a ball form or irregular patches of light appearing randomly and defying explanation.
 
Haunt:  A place where a ghost or ghosts frequently returns.
 
Haunting:  The continuous manifestation of inexplicable phenonema associated with the presence of ghosts or spirits attached to a particular location.
 
Orb:  A mass or energy in the shape of a ball.  There are several classifications depending on size.  Ghostly apparitions are usually always associated with an orb and are present.  They represent the energy of a deceased person.  They can be oblong, diamond, or shield shaped, usually clear, or white, but sometimes blue, green, or red.
 
Paranormal:  Beyond the normal.
 
Photographic Apparitions:  Ghosts and spirits that you can't see, but appear in photographs after they are developed.
 
Poltergeist:  "Noisy Ghost".  Poltergeists are invisible masses of spirit energy that may or may not be connected to a living human agent.  Some of the most common poltergeist activities include loud, unexplained noises, levitation, the moving of objects, and electrical problems.
 
Spectre:  A ghost or apparition.
 
Spirit:  Intelligent entities, which have moved forward and are aware of their death and come back to the earthly realm to interact with loved ones during times of happiness or grief.
 
Spirit Photography:  Photographs of figures or faces believed by some to be those of a deceased person.
 
Vortex:  An opening or doorway between our world and the spirit world.

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