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The Philadelphia Paranormal Investigators are here to help you and provide you with information about the paranormal. We are just one of the countless paranormal groups around the globe. Many groups set out to prove a haunting, and they will accept pictures of "orbs" for example as proof of a haunting. Orbs are not really even evidence of paranormal activity. Orbs can be the result of many things such as reflections. The flash of the camera can reflect off of dust or moisture in the air, or a reflective surface and create what looks like an orb. Many groups like this also charge for their services. Do not let yourself become of victim of these types of groups. We look to groups like TAPS ("Ghost Hunters" on Sci-Fi) for inspiration. We are not a part of TAPS, but we have a very similar mentality about the paranormal. We also have endless ammounts of respect for them and the work they do. Most people who are not involved with the paranormal have little or no knowledge of the field. The terminology can sound like a foreign language to someone who hasnt studied it before. The following is a list of commonly used paranormal terminology. Hopefully these terms will help you gain a greater understanding of the paranormal. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about these terms and we will do our best to explain them in greater detail. Paranormal Terminology: Anomaly: An occurrence or condition removed from ordinarily understood experience. Apparition: The projection or manifestation of a quasi-physical entity. Ectoplasm: A filmy, quasi-solid substance, which supposedly issues from the bodies of mediums (from the mouth, nostrils, eyes, ears, navel or nipples) during trance states. In photographs, this phenomenon seems to resemble soaked muslin fabric. Whether or not it has ever been genuine, curiously, virtually no ectoplasm has been reported in the past fifty years. Electromagnetic Field (EMF): A force given off by electric charges, found in anything that uses electricity. The higher the spikes in the electromagnetic field are, the more potential there is for paranormal activity. Entity: A disembodied "consciousness" commonly referred to as ghost, spirit or (if of an apparently malicious or resentful nature) demon. E.V.P: 'Electronic Voice Phenomena.' Disembodied "voices" and sounds imprinted on audio recording devices. Exorcism: Ceremonial expulsion of invading spiritual/demonic entities from a person or dwelling, present in virtually every worldly culture. The Jewish and Catholic Christian faiths each have a formal 'Rite of Exorcism' to be conducted by the respective Rabbi or Priest. Floating Orb: Spherical image, usually translucent white, though sometimes of a reddish or bluish hue, which inexplicably registers on photographic film and videotape, also known as "Globule." Ghost: The image of a person witnessed after his/her death, reflecting the appearance of the living, physical body yet less substantial. These forms often seem to exist in a dream-like state of semi-awareness, at times though not always cognizant of their human observers. Haunting: The manifestation of a ghostly presence, or presences, attached to a specific locale. Hauntings can be categorized into four (usually) distinct types, these being Intelligent (responsive), Poltergeist (likely initiated by pent-up stress on a subconscious level), Residual (replay) and Demonic (non-human origin). Icon: A rendering or image of particular (often religious) significance. Influence: An invisible entity of undetermined nature, affecting the inhabitants of a dwelling. This may initially manifest as an inexplicable feeling of uneasiness, and then be followed by more definite signs, which reveal a haunting. Materialization: A ghost appearing visually, suddenly or gradually, sometimes indistinct, sometimes seemingly quite solid. Matrixing: The natural tendency for the human mind to interpret sensory input, what is perceived visually, audibly or tactilely, as something familiar or more easily understood and accepted, in effect mentally "filling in the blanks". Paranormal: The realm of occurrences and phenomena removed from those to which people are accustomed and comprehend, and presently uncategorized by standard academia. Phantom Lights: Sometimes they can be attributed to blue methane flame produced by swamp gas, or electrical discharges in the form of what is termed ball lightning or perhaps even misplaced fireflies. Yet, in other instances, the phenomenon of floating lights observed over water, the edge of woods, lonely back roads and in the windows of darkened houses just can't be dismissed by ordinary explanations. These might be globules, which coalesce and intensify in luminosity to the point where they become visible in dark surroundings. Possession: Invasion of the human mind by a spiritual or demonic entity, where the invading agent for a span of time, influences or entirely subverts the personality of the human host. It is in these instances that the boundaries of psychology, religion and spiritualism are rendered less distinct. Residual (Haunting): Psychic imprint of a scene which is repeatedly played out, where the witness of such phenomenon essentially is peering into the past. The ghostly participants of these time-displacements often seem unaware of their living observers. Shade: An entity resembling a once-living being (human or animal). Spirit: Existence apart from, or transcending, the purely physical; also, the life force of an organism. A spirit commonly refers to a ghost. Vortex: An anomaly which sometimes shows up in still photographs taken at the site of a suspected haunting, appearing as a translucent white, tube or funnel shaped mass. Some researchers believe this may be a porthole to the spirit realm. |