Dictionary of Paranormal terms-A

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Abacomancy
A means with which to predict the future through the use of various patterns of dust. This has been known in some practices to include the use of the ashes of the recently deceased.

ABC
Abbreviation for 'Alien Big Cats' , a population of large predatory cats such as Panthers and Puma's, that are thought to be living wild in countries other than those to which they are native.

Abductee
A person who is thought to have had 'Abduction' experiences. It is commonly thought that such experiences are the result of abduction by extraterrestrials. In some cases, an Abductee will be referred to as such due to numerous abductions. Some psychologists believe the phenomenon of Alien Abduction to be all in the mind - and not an actual physical experience. Alien abductees often undergo hypnotic regression in an attempt to resurface memories regarding the abduction experience. This can often help piece together a picture of what the individual went through, in an effort to understand both their own experiences, and the phenomenon as a whole.

Abduction
Phenomenon in which an individual is thought to have been 'abducted' by extra terrestrials and examined. There is considerable controversy regarding the whole abduction phenomenon - many psychologists now believe abduction is a psychological, rather than a physical experience. Those that have thought to have experienced an alien abduction, tend to have very similar stories to tell. Some of them claim to have been abducted from their own homes, some from their cars. Some abductees report seeing a UFO or even an alien entity before the abduction experience.In a lot of cases the abductee reports having been examined in some fashion by extra terrestrials, however this still remains a controversial issue. A lot of abductees only remember the experience after undergoing hypnotic regression, and many psychologists think that this may in itself surface memories that are not connected with a physical abduction. In other cases, the apparent presence of 'implants' seems to suggest otherwise. Some abduction experiences are similar to descriptions of being in the womb - one famous case involved a woman who claimed that during her experience, she was seated in a chair enveloped in a large structure that was filled with a clear fluid, while being fed a sweet tasting liquid through a tube in her mouth. It's a popular theory that abductions are actually memories of being in the womb. There are numerous organisations devoted to research into the subject, and some have come up with some interesting results, but nothing conclusive.

Abnuaaya
A word for the Alma, used in the western Caucausus region of Abkhazia. One example of an alleged Abnuaaya was a woman captured in the 1880's called Zana, who had unusual features and a full coat of hair from head to toe.

Abominable Snowman
Another name given to the legendary 'Yeti', a large ape-like creature rumoured to live in areas of the Himalayas.

Achor
The Cyrenean word for Beelzebub, the famous demonic figure of Satan's right-hand, the 'Prince of the Devils'.

Acupressure
A Japanese variation of Acupuncture, that instead of penetrating the skin with needles, works by applying pressure to certain points on the body. It is commonly performed by applying pressure with the fingers, elbows or knees.

Acupuncture
A form of alternative medicine that originated in China as far back as 2000BC. It is thought that there are some 2000 acupuncture points on the human body, and the method works by stimulating these points with solid, hair-thin needles. The treatment has become increasingly popular over the last few years, and is considered to be effective by many people. It is thought that acupuncture is able to treat conditions such as arthritis, neck/shoulder pains, circulatory disorders, allergies and indigestion, as well as many more.

Aeromancy
A means with which to predict the future through the specific and deliberate observation of the atmosphere. This can also include the study of storms, comets, clouds, winds and other natural phenomena.

Alencon Spaceman
Name given to a strange entity witnessed by a crowd of people at around 5am on June 12th, 1790 in Alencon, France. It was said that at around that time a large metal sphere decended from the sky and crash landed into a nearby hillside. After a crowd had gathered, a 'hatch' slid open and a being emerged dressed in an odd tight fitting costume. It mumbled something in a strange language, before bolting off towards some nearby woods. Seconds later the sphere exploded, fragments of which were said to have 'sizzled' on the grass and melted. A wide search of the area yielded no further sign of the mysterious visitor.

Alien
In the context of the Paranormal, 'Alien' is a word that most commonly means the same as Extraterrestrial - it refers to something or someone that is from somewhere other than the Earth.

Alien Big Cats
Alien Big Cats are basically large predatory cats found in places where they shouldn't be. In this context, 'Alien' refers to these animals being found in Countries other than those to which they are native, rather than that they are extra terrestrial in origin. Such big cats range from Lynx's and Puma's to black Panthers, and in recent years sightings appear to be on the increase. There is now so much evidence to support the existence of these animals in Britain in particular, that it is impossible to dispute their prescence there. It is thought that the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 is responsible, where owners of large cats were forced to release their animals into the wild because they could no longer afford the necessary license required to keep them. However, given the recent rise in sightings, along with the fact that large cats usually live for only 20 years or so, it appears that either this theory is wrong, or the cats have been breeding in the wild since that time.

Alma
A large humanoid ape-like creature that is said to live in the Caucasus mountains, in Kazakhstan, Asia. Unlike the Yeti and other ape-like creatures, the Alma supposedly resembles Neanderthals rather than apes. They have been reported for hundreds of years by people in the region, and are something of a legend to the local population. One of the most recent sightings of the Alma was in 1992 when some footprints were found in Mongolia. Earlier sightings included an incident In 1972 when a Russian doctor allegedly encountered a "family of Almas", although little further came of this report. In 1985 there was another similar report made by Maya Bykova, who claimed to have witnessed an "unknown humanoid" in one Asian region. It's clear that there is some unidentified creature in these regions that has sparked such intreague and legend.

Ameranthropoides Loysi
Name assigned to the strange ape-like creature that was allegedly shot and then photographed by Swiss Geologist Francois De Loys' in 1920. The creature became known as 'De Loys Ape'

Animism
The belief that plants and other inanimate objects have Souls ( Derived from the Latin 'Animus' meaning 'Soul' ). It is an ancient belief that likely stemmed from the need for a way to determine what is alive and what isn't. An 'Animist' is someone who believes in the doctrine of Animism.

Annapurna Footprints
A series of unusual footprints that were photographed by Don Whillans in Annapurna. It has been suggested that the strange tracks were made by a creature known as the Yeti.

Anti-Gravity
Experimental science which causes an actual reduction in Gravity, usually involving the use of very high voltages. There have been several past experiments involving Anti-Gravity, such as those conducted by John Searle, who created a number of "Searle Discs" that could achieve considerable heights of 50 feet or more. T. Townsend Brown was also successful in creating an anti-gravity device by identifying the relationship between Gravity and high voltages. His work with Dr. P.A Biefield resulted in conclusions that later became known as the Biefield-Brown Anti-Gravity Effect.

Antikythera Mechanism
A highly unusual artefact that was found by divers in 1900, off the coast of an island near Crete. It is now believed that the device was actually used for calculating the motions of stars and planets. The divers had been searching a shipwreck, and had found a number of marble and bronze statues before coming across a large piece of corroded bronze, found to contain a strange mechanism made up of a number of gears and wheels. After an X-ray had been performed on the object, it was found that the internal gearing was far more complex than first realised, consisting of a differential gearing system. After examining some writing found on the case, it was found that the strange device had been made in 80 BC. This was some one-and-a-half thousand years before mechanisms of such complexity had been invented.

Apparition
The visible, audible or physical manifestation of a Spirit. Indications of an Apparition range from strange smells and cold spots to the inexplicable movement of objects from one place to another, or the witnessing of a Spirit manifestation in visible form.

Area 51
Name given to part of a 'secret' military base in North America, also known as 'Dreamland'. The base is located 95 miles to the North of Las Vegas near dried up 'Groom Lake'. A popular conspiracy theory is that this base houses reverse-engineered Alien Technology or the product of various Black Projects. In the past the base was used as a testing ground for previously top secret military projects such as the U2, F117A and SR-71. However in recent years, incredibly unusual airborne craft have been sighted over the Area51 test ground "AreaS4", which seem to exceed our current technological capabilities.

Area S4
Part of the Area 51 facility in Nevada. It is thought that Area S4 is used to test flight experimental aircraft.

Ark of the Covenant
The golden chest in which were kept the tablets on which the laws of the ancient Israelites were inscribed. The Ark was constructed of Setim wood, and coated inside and out with pure gold. It's lid, the 'Propitiatory', similarly so. For many years the Ark was kept in the Temple of Solomon, until the fall of Jerusalem when Jeramiah was said to have hidden it in a cave until God could gather his people again. Despite considerable research into the final resting place of the Ark, to date nobody has succeeding in locating it.

Arnold, Kenneth
American pilot who reported the first modern sighting of Unidentified Flying Objects over the Cascade Mountains on June 24th, 1947. When later questionned about his experience, Arnold described the objects as moving 'like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water'. The journalist then coined the term Flying Saucer. Later in his book 'The Coming of the Saucers' Arnold explained that the objects he had seen were actually Boomerang shaped, and although they 'skipped like a saucer', they weren't actually saucer shaped.

Asteroid
One of a number of bodies, composed primarily of either rock or iron, that can be found mainly in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids range in size from very small to up to over 1000km or more across. It is believed that the Asteroid belt comprises of the materials left over from planetary formation, where a planet was unable to form due to the disruptive gravitational effects of the planet Jupiter. Combined, the total mass of all the asteroids in the belt add up to less than that of our own Moon.

Aswang
A bloodthirsty creature of Phillipino legend, said to eat human flesh and inflict all manner of ailments on people. Tales of the Aswang seem to vary, ranging from a witch-like being to a shapeshifter that can appear in many different forms. Fortunately the creature has little standing in the scientific community, and is most likely a product of many generations of local stories and folklore.

Atlantean
An inhabitant of Atlantis.

Atlantis
One of the most intriguing mysteries of the ancient world was the alleged existence of a highly advanced civilization of people who lived on a continent known as "Atlantis". The Legend places Atlantis at almost 11,000 years into the past, yet the Antlanteans were said to have possessed technology that was far in advance of their time. The stories of this technology vary, but it was Plato himself who kept the whole idea alive - claiming that Atlantis did indeed exist. The original story of Atlantis is long and diverse, but it is said that Poseidon, God Of The Sea, created the island for his love, a mortal woman named Cleito. On the top of the hill in the center of the island a great temple was constructed to honor Poseidon, as well as a large golden statue of him riding a Chariot pulled by winged horses. The combined size of the Continent on which Atlantis became situated was particularly vast, and a great number of people came to live and work there. For many centuries the Atlanteans lived out there lives with peace and dignity, fulfilling their daily chores with contentment and determination. However, before too long greed and power began to overwhelm many of them, and Zeus decided to punish Atlantis. Soon afterwards the entire Continent was lost under the ocean, taking with it one of the world's most perplexing mysteries. Although no conclusive evidence has ever been found to support the existence of Atlantis, stories and historical records have been the source for many years of mystery and intrigue. Atlantis was said to have possessed technology such as spacecraft, powerful fuels and other devices which would look futuristic even by today's standards. Many believe that Atlantis was a colony of Alien beings from another world, while some think that the Atlanteans are still alive to this day, somewhere deep down beneath the waves. Whether we will ever discover the full secrets of Atlantis however, remains for the moment, unknown.

Automatic Writing
A method of Spirit communication, conventionally performed by a Medium, but can usually be attempted by just about anyone. The writer is typically unaware of what he/she is writing, and can produce pages of text that are thought to be the result of a Spirit communicating through that person. While many believe that this form of Spirit communication really does work, others remain skeptical, some even claiming that the writing could simply be originating from the writer's own subconscious.