Ghost hunters use certain words regarding ghosts and haunted places. The following list explains some of them and their usual meanings. Regional terms and definitions may vary.
Afterlife – One of several terms used interchangeably to refer to life after death. The word “afterlife” has been used since 1615. It’s generic enough for almost any setting and culture.
Other popular terms include “crossing over,” “the Otherworld,” and “the other side.” Most ghost hunters avoid specific religious terms such as “heaven” and “the Summerland” when discussing ghosts, hauntings, and an afterlife.
Aliens – Visitors from other planets. We differentiate aliens from visitors that live in parallel worlds, the Otherworld, or what’s characterized as the afterlife. Some ghost hunters believe in UFOs and aliens; others don’t. Generally, ghost hunters don’t mix the two studies.
Anomaly – Something unusual, out of place, and unexplained. In paranormal studies, this word refers to any phenomenon that we cannot explain.
Apparition – Since the early 17th century, this has meant a ghost that seems to have material substance. If a spirit appears in any physical form, including a vapor-like image, it may be called an apparition.
Banshee – From the Irish, bean sidhe, meaning female spirit. Most families with Irish ancestors have at least one banshee who watches over the family as a “guardian angel.” Many people are reluctant to discuss this subject. The banshee’s wail does not always mean death. She does not cause anyone to die. Generally, she’s not a ghost.
Clearing, or space clearing – The process of ridding an area of lingering, unpleasant energy. It does not “kill” a ghost. Space clearing may encourage ghosts to cross over or at least leave the haunted location.
An effective space clearing may take three to five days to work. In the meantime, the ghost (or ghosts) may be noisier and more obnoxious than usual. In the most haunted settings, we repeat the space clearing several times to ensure all negative or residual energy has cleared out.
Cryptozoology or crypto zoology – The study of animals and hybrid creatures omitted from most mainstream biology research. Many scientists regard these creatures as extinct, legendary, or entirely fictional. They are not ghosts.
Since around 2010, an increasing number of ghost hunters have reported odd or unexplained animal forms near haunted locations. (These are usually different from the ghosts of household pets.)
Demons – Historically, this term has included deceased individuals. However, since the early 18th century, “demon” has usually referred to an evil spirit, sometimes more powerful than man but less than a Deity.
Today, we don’t use this term to indicate a deceased human being. The female demon, rarely mentioned, is a demoness.
We treat demons and possessions like UFOs and aliens. Most ghost hunters have personal opinions about those topics, but rarely discuss them in connection with routine hauntings.
The “Amityville Horror” is one noted exception where the story seemed to include both ghosts and possessions.
Note: Ghosts rarely take over a living body. In most cases, they believe that they’re still alive, and – in their minds – each has their own body. They’re not interested in anyone else’s.
However, there can be a fine line between the trance medium state and allowing a spirit to “take over” the person’s body.
If that spirit is malicious or demonic, the trance medium may not be equipped to deal with the problem without help.
Please remember if you’re tempted to allow a spirit to speak through you, or use your form – even your fingers, on a Ouija board. (And, if you have problems after using a Ouija board, do not burn it. Instead, bury it deep in the ground.)
Doppelganger – A concept made famous in the early 19th century, especially by Shelley and Byron. A doppelganger is an apparition, or double, of a living person. This may be a paranormal phenomenon, but it’s not a ghost. It does not necessarily forecast anything tragic.
Dowsing rods – These are usually single rods, split rods, or L-shaped wires or twigs. In the right hands and used alone or in tandem, dowsing rods can locate water and oil wells and measure energy levels. I often use them to locate underground springs or cables that might affect our research results.
In ghost hunting, the investigator loosely carries one rod in each hand and watches the movement of the rods. When the rods cross or dramatically change direction, it can indicate elevated EMF energy or a haunted location.
Making your own dowsing rods from two identical wire coat hangers is easy. Cut the wire near the top, and again at the opposite end of the lower section. Repeat with a second coat hanger to create two dowsing rods. (Learn more at YouTube.com/@FionaBroome.)
You can also purchase ready-made dowsing rods. Be sure they’re long enough for ghost research; for some researchers, the 16-inch length is recommended. Look for dowsing tools that glow in the dark. They’re handy for ghost hunting.
Hold each one loosely in your hands with your arms extended or your elbows bent at a right angle. The rods should point straight ahead of you, but slightly down (just enough that they have to pull against the gentle tug of gravity), and be able to swing on their own.
If the rods drift, this could be from the normal movement of your body. Tilt them downward just a little more. (In haunted places, the pull on the rods is so strong that it cannot be mistaken for a casual, unconscious movement of your hands or arms.)
When you step out of the haunted area, the rods should return to their original position.
Some researchers successfully use dowsing rods to find unmarked graves. With practice, the rods may also indicate other information about the ghost.
Ectoplasm – Often referred to as “ecto,” this is the physical residue of psychic energy. It’s the basis for the “slime” used in the Ghostbusters movies. Some ectoplasms can be seen by the naked eye. Since it is translucent and glows, it’s best viewed in dark settings. It is very unusual.
Researchers often describe it as a vivid, X-Files-like lime green, but I’ve heard first-person reports of other colors, too. It usually fades from sight gradually, which may explain some “sparkles” (see that definition).
EMF – The initials stand for Electro Magnetic Field, or – more rarely – Electro Magnetic Frequency. In the broadest terms, EMF combines electrical and magnetic fields.
You’ll find EMF around power sources, fuse boxes, electrical outlets, computer monitors, microwave ovens, some mobile phones or mobile towers, etc.
Abnormally high levels of EMF can cause people to feel ill or agitated. Around high EMF levels, some people misinterpret everyday phenomena as “ghosts” or aliens. Others can feel angry or paranoid.
Studying EMF can help you recognize normal sources of elevated EMF readings and eliminate them from paranormal investigations.
Constant, defined EMF fields usually have a logical explanation. Unexplained EMF fields may indicate something paranormal.
EMF fields can be measured with various tools, including an EMF meter or a hiking compass.
Entity – An entity is any being, including people, animals, and ghosts. It can also refer to aliens, faeries, mystical beasts, and a wide range of paranormal creatures. If you use this term – and many ghost hunters do – make sure to clarify the context.
ESP – ESP is the abbreviation for Extra Sensory Perception. It means the ability to perceive things beyond the five senses of smell, hearing, touch, taste, and sight.
Experienced ghost hunters can usually tell the difference between normal detection with the five senses, and things detected with the “sixth sense” or psychic abilities.
EVP – Electronic Voice Phenomena is the recording of unexplained voices, usually in haunted settings. Sometimes, the voices are heard during the investigation without special equipment.
More often, the voices are whispers, understood only when a sound recording is processed, filtered, and amplified with a computer. EVP may be heard via special devices in real-time or after processing the recording later.
Years ago, when people first recorded EVP, they insisted on total silence to avoid the sounds and voices of the living. Some researchers today believe ghosts need ambient noise to create sounds and speech.
Most researchers use ordinary digital recorders or phones to save EVP recordings. Later, researchers used software to filter out everyday noises, such as airplanes and passing cars.
Sometimes, the recording may need to be speeded up or slowed down, or a range of sounds isolated from background noise.
Faeries – Beings that live in the Otherworld or Underworld, parallel to our world and close to it. Many researchers who readily accept the reality of ghosts don’t believe in faeries.
Unless they’re shape-shifters, most faeries have never been human. Therefore, most people won’t define them as “ghosts.”
Similar to the subject of aliens and UFOs, it’s best to separate faerie research from your ghost hunting.
Fear – Most ghost hunters have a healthy respect for ghosts and paranormal phenomena. Also, many ghost hunters seem to enjoy a “good scare.” Ghost hunting should always be interesting, and sometimes entertaining. If it’s not, you may be at risk. Ghost hunting should never become a “dare” or an endurance test.
Important: Leave immediately if you’re truly frightened in any setting – haunted or not. If this happens regularly when you’re ghost hunting, choose a different hobby.
Flashlight communications – Using a flashlight, usually with a metal case, with its contacts loosened just enough for the light bulb to flash intermittently. They are used for yes/no real-time communications with ghosts. Because of the non-standard nature of this technique, it’s the frequent target of skeptical critics.
Ghost – A sentient entity or spirit that visits or lingers in our world after they lived among us as a human. We’ve also seen evidence of ghostly animals and pets. Some people include residual energy and other hauntings in the same category as “ghosts.”
Ghost hunters use different terms for other beings, such as aliens, crypto creatures, and faeries.
Ghost boxer – Someone who uses a “ghost box” or other ITC device to listen to or communicate with ghosts. (See ITC, below.)
Ghoul – This word has been mistakenly used to mean a ghost. “Ghoul” comes from Middle Eastern lore, which may refer to an evil spirit that robs graves.
Haunted – Describes a setting where ghosts, poltergeists, or residual energy seem to produce significant paranormal activity. The word “haunt” originally meant to frequent.
Hollow Hill – Fiona Broome’s ghost hunting website, Hollow Hill, launched under that name in 1999 and included multiple paranormal topics. By 2010, Hollow Hill had over 600 original ghost hunting articles. (Some have now been compiled into books.) The term “hollow hill” refers to the home of the Tuatha De Danann (from Irish legends), with a nod to the ghosts of Sleepy Hollow.
Infrasound – Low-level sound waves below the range of human hearing. It can result from a variety of natural and artificial sources. NASA studies suggest it can cause visual distortions. If the haunted cemetery is near a highway or a bridge with heavy trucks crossing during your research, infrasound may explain some of what researchers experience.
ITC – Instrumental Transcommunication, or ghost “voices” heard over a radio that rapidly scans radio frequencies, picking up sounds and bits of words. Those sounds may combine to form words and sentences, sometimes in a single, distinct voice and accent. Early in this field, the late Frank Sumption produced some of the most effective ITC devices.
Frank’s own ITC devices – “ghost boxes” – have also been nicknamed “Frank’s Boxes.” Since then, Radio Shack radios have been altered to be “Shack Hack” ghost boxes. Similar devices have been called spirit boxes.
ITC seems to work better for some people than others. No physical contact with the box is necessary, and some speech is more clearly heard in recordings from the ITC devices, than when the boxes are “talking.”
KII, K2, Kii, or K-II meter – One of several kinds of EMF meters. The KII seems more “ghost-friendly” than many other meters and appears to successfully communicate directly with spirits.
Medium – This word usually refers to something in the middle, relative to size or duration. In ghost hunting, it means anyone able to convey communications from departed spirits. The person maintains a position between the world of the living and those who’ve crossed over, and talks with (or for) those on the other side.
They popularized this term in the mid-19th century. Today, it’s often used interchangeably with the word “psychic.” (Compare that definition in this glossary.)
Some people call themselves psychic mediums because they can communicate with the other side, sense other paranormal energy, and work with ESP.
Occult – From the Latin, meaning something concealed or covered. Since the 16th century, it has meant anything mysterious. In 21st-century America, it refers to magical, mystical, and experimental studies.
Orb – An orb is a round, whitish, or pastel-colored translucent area in photos. Most are perfectly circular, not oval. Many researchers believe they represent spirits or ghosts.
If you’re using a digital camera, it’s important to differentiate between an area of broken pixels (called an “artifact”) and the translucent, circular image that is an orb.
Ghost hunters usually do not see orbs at a haunted site. Usually, orbs show up only in photos. They’re among the most common kinds of evidence at hauntings.
Critics often dismiss orbs as lens flares and artifacts. I was among those critics until I tried to create convincing fake orbs in my own photos… and had considerable difficulty.
Unexplained orbs appear more often at haunted sites than at locations with no reason for ghostly phenomena.
Ouija – From the French and German words for “yes,” this is a spelling board used with a planchette. The device might communicate with the spirit world, receiving answers to questions.
Many ghost hunters – including me – don’t recommend Ouija boards. We don’t know who’s communicating and whether we can believe their messages. In some cases, Ouija boards have been linked to demonic activity, spiritual possessions, and so on. My best advice is to avoid Ouija boards and similar devices until we understand them better.
Ovilus – A hand-held electronic device that appears to use changes in EMF levels to trigger speech based on a pre-programmed vocabulary. Ghost hunters use this tool with a focus on anomalies. We notice when the Ovilus announces a word (or name) that’s not in its vocabulary, or when it repeats words over the statistical norm. This is one of many high-tech devices created by Digital Dowsing, a forerunner in ghost hunting devices.
Paranormal – The prefix, “para” indicates something irregular, faulty, or operating outside the usual boundaries. So, “paranormal” refers to anything outside the realm and experiences we consider normal. It doesn’t necessarily mean a ghost or spirit. It just indicates something outside the norm.
Parapsychology – The study of mental abilities and effects outside the usual realm of psychology. Parapsychology includes the study of ESP, ghosts, luck, psychokinesis, and other paranormal phenomena. Many parapsychologists are skeptical of ghostly phenomena.
Pendulum – A small weight at the end of a cord or chain that is usually about six to ten inches long. The movement of the weight, uninfluenced by other factors, can detect areas of unexplained energy. Some believe that a pendulum can also be used to communicate with spirits.
Poltergeist – From the German word meaning “noisy ghost.” The term has been popular since the early 19th century. It means a spirit that makes a noise or otherwise plays pranks… usually annoying. Physical phenomena are widespread in these cases. Unlike other ghosts, poltergeists can move from one location to another, following the person they’ve chosen to torment.
Many psychologists believe that poltergeists are not ghosts at all, but some form of psychokinesis or remote activity.
Portal – a doorway or gate. This term suggests a specific location where spirits enter and leave our world. When multiple phenomena occur in a confined area, such as an abundance of unexplained orbs, some call this a “ghost portal.”
Possession – When an entity attempts to take control of a body that does not belong to them, it’s called a possession. This phenomenon is rare in ghost hunting, but some psychics and mediums allow ghosts to speak through them. (See “trance medium.”) Sometimes, this can enable the living to communicate directly with the ghost and help them to cross over.
In extreme cases, a malicious spirit may attempt to take over an unwilling person’s body. Most ghost hunters will never witness this kind of possession, though it’s a popular scene in horror movies. We often link unwilling possession to demonic activity.
Proof – No “proof” of ghosts exists when someone is a committed skeptic. People who won’t believe in ghosts will always find other explanations for evidence of hauntings. In most cases, it takes a profound, personal encounter with something unexplainable to change a skeptical critic’s mind about haunted places.
Protection – Some researchers use objects, rituals, routines, tactics, or specific processes to protect themselves against spiritual and paranormal threats. This is a personal matter and rarely discussed during a ghost hunt.
Psi – “Psi” or “psy” is a popular term for any psychic phenomena or psychic abilities. This term sometimes includes paranormal disturbances.
Psychic – From the Greek word meaning of the soul, or of life (Paul used it in the Bible, I Cor ii, 14), this word usually refers to the world outside the domain of physical law. When someone is described as a psychic, it usually means they can perceive things outside traditional physical laws and perceptions.
Psychical – A British term used as an adjective or adverb, similar to what Americans call “psychic.”
Psychokinesis, or psycho kinesis – To move something with the powers of one’s mind and nothing else. It may be a factor in some hauntings. It may explain some poltergeist cases. It’s usually called “PK.” (Also see telekinesis.)
Residual energy – Many ghost hunters believe that emotionally charged events leave an energy imprint or residue on the physical objects nearby. Residual energy differs from an active, intelligent, or sentient haunting. The energy or impressions repeat consistently, as if on a loop. The level may increase or decrease, but each manifestation’s content remains the same.
During an active, intelligent, or sentient haunting, the ghost may respond to environmental stimuli and direct contact.
Sixth sense – Anything experienced outside the five senses (smell, taste, touch, hearing, and sight). Usually, this indicates psychic detection or ESP.
Since M. Knight Shyamalan’s movie of the same name, people usually think the sixth sense refers to seeing ghosts. In reality, few people see ghosts as full figures or living people.
Sparkles – This paranormal visual effect resembles the sparkle of embers falling immediately after a fireworks display. We see sparkles during and especially immediately after a flash camera is used. Unlike highlighted bugs, dust, or moisture, even the most vivid sparkles will not appear on film. We believe they’re paranormal phenomena.
“Sparkles” is a term developed in the 1990s by Fiona Broome during research for Hollow Hill. Since then, other researchers have adopted the term to describe this unique visual phenomenon.
Spirit – This word comes from the Latin, meaning that which breathes. It means that which animates life, or the soul of the being.
Table tapping and table tipping – These are two related terms dating back to the 19th century, describing a few methods of spirit communication. Several people may sit around a table with their hands on it, or holding hands on top of the table. Then, they ask the spirits to reply to communicate by tapping on the table, perhaps once for yes and twice for no.
Table tipping occurs when ghosts lift the table slightly to show that they are present. After that, the ghosts may tap their replies, move a Ouija-type platen or a glass placed upside-down on the table, or use some other means to communicate by moving around the table.
Tarot – The history of the Tarot deck is still unclear. However, since its use in 14th-century Italy, “Tarot” refers to playing cards used for fortune telling or divination. Some psychics use Tarot cards to discern the history of spirits and why the individual ghost remains here.
Telekinesis – From a Greek word meaning any motion that is activated from a distance. Technically, this could describe a remote-controlled toy boat or airplane, so most people use the word psychokinesis in ghost research.
Trance mediums, trance channeling – An encounter with a spirit that temporarily “takes over” the medium’s body, usually with their permission. Usually, the ghost seems to speak through the medium using a voice, vocabulary, or accent similar to what the ghost had during their lifetime.
Sometimes, the spirit can communicate something important and then “cross over.”
“Trance medium” performances are becoming more commonplace at entertainment-style events, raising questions of authenticity in all settings. The topic is controversial.
Vortex – Since Descartes’s time, this has indicated the rotation of cosmic energy around a central point or axis. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the word “vortex” means any whirling movement of energy or particles.
Some people use this term to explain lines or narrow cylinders highlighted in ghost photos.
I’m able to duplicate most of them with a camera strap or a piece of hair. (See my photo of hair, at right. Every streak looks like a ghost vortex image.)
However, just because someone can fake a ghost photo… that doesn’t mean all similar photos are false anomalies.