APPORTATION - the projection or transporting of an object through space attributed to an unknown and/or unseen force and presumed to be associated with poltergeist activity.

AURA - an electromagnetic field that normally surrounds the human body; also, a field, generally of some color, perceptible to people of psychic ability.

BASELINE READINGS - for our purposes, the initial measurement of energies (EMF, thermal, ion) of a site being investigated to establish normal levels against which anomalies may be more readily ascertained.

BATTERY DRAIN – It’s been observed with some regularity that during an investigation, equipment operating on battery power inexplicably shuts down. Because batteries provide a steady stream of static electricity, the prevailing theory is that a ghost may be drawing energy from the most immediate sources in the environment in an attempt to materialize and batteries are drained in the process. For this reason, as well as common sense, investigators carry extra batteries.

BUNNY - a euphemism used when discussing ghosts or demons in the presence of children or individuals susceptible to fear.

CLAIRAUDIENCE – an extra-sensory ability to receive sounds beyond the present reality. On an investigation, a clairaudient investigator would be able to hear sounds, voices or music from beyond that other investigators could not. Psychic hearing.

CLAIRSENTIENCE – an extra-sensory ability to perceive emotional impressions. A clairsentient investigator would be able to pick up on residual emotions in a haunted site while other investigators would not. Psychic empathy.

CLAIRVOYANCE – an extra-sensory ability to perceive visual impressions from beyond such that a clairvoyant investigator would mentally see an event related to the paranormal activity being investigated. Psychic seeing.   

CLEARING - the extrication of unwanted paranormal presences or activity.

CLEANSING – a clearing by Christian or Native American ceremonial rites.   

COLD SPOT – localized patches of cool air attributed to a ghost attempting to materialize by drawing energy from the immediate sources in the environment, one being heat. 

DEBUNK – to determine a rational and/or physical explanation for activity alleged to be paranormal. 

DISCARNATE – an intelligent entity having no physical form. 

DISEMBODIED VOICE – a human voice or vocalization uttered from a non-existent body, either physically heard or captured on a recording device. 

ECHOLALIA – a phenomenon where a ghost makes its presence known by repeating words or parts of phrases spoken by an investigator. 

ECTOPLASM – originally a scam perpetrated by fraudulent mediums in the practices of séances, ectoplasm is now used to refer to both a mist-like appearance in photos or videos believed to be a residual substance from a ghost attempting to manifest and to a barely perceptible tug on hair or clothing, often compared to an invisible cobweb. Because of its deceptive origins and dual definitions, Bayou City Paranormal hesitates to use the term while recognizing its general acceptance in the paranormal field. 

ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY – energy derived from a combination of magnetic fields and electrical charges. 

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD (EMF) - the natural energy generated by all living things and man-made objects. In the paranormal realm it’s theorized that erratic or isolated and self-contained EMFs with no physical source may suggest the presence of a paranormal entity since it’s believed they require EM energy.  

ELECTRONIC VOICE PHENOMENON (EVP) – a disembodied voice not audible to investigators but captured on a recording device and discovered during playback. 

EM – short for “electromagnetic”. 

EMPATH – a person who is able to relate to or identify with the subject of an investigation.  

ENTITY – a consciousness attributable to a ghost or spirit. 

ETHERIC BODY – a field of energy that follows the contours of the body. 

EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION (ESP) – an ability to receive information without the use of the physical senses or previous experience. 

FEAR CAGE - a confined area of strong electromagnetic field said to induce anxiety, paranoia and/or uncontrollable fear.    

FRANK’S BOX – a device designed by Frank Sumption based on the original design by Thomas Edison said to facilitate contact with ghosts through radio frequency. 

GHOST – the perceived presence of a formerly living being. 

GHOST BOX – a handheld radio or similar device, said to facilitate contact with ghosts by sweeping radio frequency. It’s use is based on a similar theory to FRANK’S BOX.   

HAUNTER – a ghost that is active for a long period of time after death. 

HALF-REAL OBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE – an experience where objective documentation is obtained without a subjective experience, typically referred to as “Objective Experience” by Bayou City Paranormal investigators. 

HALF-REAL SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE – a subjective experience for which there is no objective documentation, typically referred to as “Subjective Experience” by Bayou City Paranormal investigators. 

HOT SPOT – an area of focused energy or prominent activity within a haunted location. 

IMPRINT – also known as a residual haunting, an imprint is a copy of an action, event or emotion recorded in time and/or place and may be associated with objects. Imprints often occur at regular intervals that are not always easily discernable. 

INFRARED – light occurring at the lower end of the color spectrum, of long wavelength and low frequency visible to the human eye only with the aid of special equipment. 

INTELLIGENT HAUNTING – a type of haunting characterized by a form of communication or interaction with the present suggesting a level of intelligence or ability to reason. 

MAGNETOSPHERE – the magnetic field surrounding the Earth. 

MANIFESTATION – an appearance in visible form of a ghost or spirit. 

MATRIXING – a tendency of the mind to interpret or perceive visual, auditory and tactile stimuli as familiar and recognizable images, sounds and forms, either real or imaginary. 

MEDIUM – a person with the ability to communicate with discarnates. 

METAPHYSICS – a branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental nature of being and reality. 

OCCULT – matters concerned with supernatural knowledge and influence typically disclosed by initiation into the subject.   

ORB – a spherical shape said to be formed of energy if not of an environmental nature (dust, moisture, pollen, etc) persistently attributed to paranormal activity if observed at a location believed to be haunted. Most orbs are seen in photographs and most are dismissed as environmental anomalies, but some that are captured on video and appear to interact with investigators or counter their actions may be given further consideration as anomalies of anecdotal interest only. As a rule, Bayou City Paranormal dismisses orbs in the interest of objectivity and integrity. 

OTHER-REALM CREATURE (ORC) – a consciousness not of earthly origin. 

PARANORMAL – that which is beyond the normal experience or does not conform to scientific explanation. 

PARANORMAL FIELD – the study, research and investigation of paranormal phenomena with the primary aim of capturing and documenting evidence. Bayou City Paranormal currently limits its interest to phenomena dealing with ghosts and spirits.    

PARAPSYCHOLOGY – a field of study dealing with the investigation and objective review of paranormal psychological experience. 

PAREIDOLIA – perceiving distinct imagery in a collection of formless matter. 

POLTERGEIST – traditionally, a temporary ghost attributed with prank-like, disruptive activity typically present around adolescents, especially females. Contemporarily, the spontaneous nature of the activity is increasingly attributed to an unconscious form of telekinetic psychic energy.  

PORTAL – a theoretical doorway that facilitates the emergence of paranormal phenomena. 

POSSESSION – physical, mental or emotional control of a subject, attributed to an unseen force,  that typically results in undesirable and/or alarming behavior. 

PRECOGNITION – an extra-sensory ability to perceive the future. 

PSYCHIC – the ability to perceive information through extra-sensory perception; also a person with such ability. 

PSYCHOKINESIS (PK) – the direct influence of the mind on physical matter. 

RADIO VOICE PHENOMENON (RVP) – the reception through a radio unit of an audible voice perceived to be paranormal in nature. 

RESIDUAL HAUNTING – a redundant and non-conscious imprint perceived as ghostly activity; persons, events or activities that are inexplicably recorded in time and “play back” at regular intervals (see also IMPRINT). 

RETROCOGNITION – an extra-sensory ability to perceive events of the past. 

REVENANT – a ghost that is active only for a brief period after death, as if to “tie up loose ends” or complete some unfinished task before “crossing over” or being “at rest”. 

SHADOW (SHADOW PEOPLE) – dark, human-form manifestations or apparitions, the origins of which are still undetermined. 

SKEPTICAL – an attitude of doubt necessarily employed in the consideration and analysis of paranormal phenomena. 

SPIRIT – a supernatural consciousness, benevolent, malevolent or benign in nature and not of human origin. 

TELEKINESIS (TK) – a person’s ability to move or physically influence objects by exerting mental force. 

TIME SLIP –an event in which a person temporarily experiences a sudden transfer into a different time, typically the past, within his or her location where the environment and people in it readily appear of a different era. 

TRIGGER – an object or event that’s been observed to result in some kind of paranormal activity. 

VORTEX – a concentrated area of high electromagnetic field energy in a paranormally active location that typically appears in photographs and videos as tube-like or elongated, oval, silver or white anomalies. It is believed by some that a vortex functions as a temporary doorway through which paranormal phenomena can travel in and out of our existence and may be linked to the earth’s electromagnetic field. 

WHITE NOISE – random, non-descript static noise covering and combining all wave lengths and frequencies used to facilitate communication with ghosts during EVP sessions. 

WHOLE-REAL EXPERIENCE – an experience that is both objectively documented and subjectively perceived, typically referred to as “Whole Experience” by Bayou City Paranormal investigators. Whole-real experiences are defined as follows:

Type 1 – subjective and objective experiences match

Type 2 – subjective and objective experiences differ

Type 3 – subjective and objective experiences match but additional information is documented for either the objective or subjective.