Dictionary of Paranormal Terms - S

S4
See Area S4 and Area 51

Samhain
The Ancient Celtic festival from which modern day Halloween celebrations are based. The Irish English dictionary defines 'Samhain' as "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May."

Saturn
Sixth planet from the Sun, Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system at a mean distance of 1.4 billion km from the Sun. It is one of the four gas giants, composed mainly of hydrogen, with no solid surface. Saturn also has a ring system which stretches to over 136,000km from the centre of the planet. The rings consist of rock, frozen gas and water ice. There are at least 30 moons orbiting Saturn, the 5 largest of which are Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea.

Seance
A meeting in which a group of people attempt to receive messages from the spirits of the deceased. The word seance originates from the French séance, meaning sit, session. Those participating in the seance will conventionally either sit around a table or stand/sit in a circle, holding hands. The first recorded contact through a seance occured in 1948, when Margaretta and Kate Fox allegedly managed to contact the spirit of Charles Haynes, who communicated through a series of rappings. To this day, many people still participate in seance's, beleving that they are able to receive messages from the dead. Others however, remain skeptical.

SHC
Abbreviation for Spontaneous Human Combustion.

Shipton Yeti Tracks
Tracks alleged to be those of the Yeti, that were photographed by Eric Shipton during an expedition to the Himalayas in 1951. The tracks were 13" long by 13" wide.

Skunk Ape
A large ape-like creature sighted mainly in Florida, described as being covered in light brown hair, and attributed to emitting a putrid skunk-like odour, hence it's namesake. A witness of the creature's sudden appearance in the Florida Keys in 1977, stated that "It stunk awful, like a dog that hasn't been bathed in a year and suddenly gets rained on". The Skunk Ape has been sighted on and off since the 1970's, starting shortly after the famous Patterson Bigfoot footage was released. There have been numerous tales of it's appearance in recent years aswell, however despite the DNA analysis of some apparant Skunk Ape hair samples and several controversial photographs, real conclusive evidence of the creature has still managed to elude the grasp of science.

Soul
See Spirit.

Spirit
It is a common belief that all living things have a Spirit or 'Soul', a sentient entity that although does not exist physically, is still self-aware and capable of perceiving it's surroundings. Many religions regard the Spirit as the very essence of a living being, and that it persists after death. Some also belief that the human body is simply a physical vessel that the Spirit interfaces with during the lifetime of the individual, and departs once the body has died.

Spontaneous Human Combustion
Phenomenon in which an individual is found, usually within their own homes, with their body almost completely burned away in a fierce fire that failed to set fire to anything else in the room. In some cases SHC also refers to an event in which an inividual catches fire for no obvious reason, sometimes in full view of nearby witnesses. In the distant past Spontaneous Human Combustion was attributed to divine intervention - "By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed!" - one such reference to a victim of SHC. One more recent and well documented case was that of Mary Reeser. On the morning of July 2nd 1951, her charred remains were discovered. The floor on which the ashes lay had been burnt through, even though there were no signs of fire anywhere else in the house. Experts have puzzled over how this could have come about. Recent research has now pointed the finger at what is known as the Candle Wick Effect.

Storsjoodjuret
Famous Lake Monster, said to live in Sweden's lake Storsjon. The name Storsjoodjuret translates in Swedish to 'Great Monster of Storsjon'. The creature has been sighted since 1635, with descriptions varying from a 24-foot long 3-humped serpent to 9-foot in length with black, gray, red or yellow colouring. In recent years there have been several serious investigations into Storsjoodjuret, but nothing conclusive has been found.

Succubus
According to Medieval theology, Succubus was a demon or Goblin, that upon taking on the form of a human female would attempt to have sex with men, usually while they were asleep. The male counterpart of Succubus was Incubus.

Super Massive Black Hole
It is now believed that there is a Super Massive Black Hole in the centre of every Galaxy, including our own. It is thought that these Black Holes play a significant role in the formation of Galaxies.

Supernatural
Relating to anything which cannot be explained by natural laws. The term also refers to anything of a magical or occult nature.