F
Fairy Psychic Dictionary Index
Small,
human-like mythical being. May be benevolent or malevolent.
Faith
Healing Psychic Dictionary Index
Healing that is associated with prayer or belief in Divine power.
False
Awakening Psychic Dictionary Index
An experience
in which a person believes he or she has woken up, but actually is still dreaming.
Faraday Cage
Psychic Dictionary Index
A wire
mesh enclosure that provides a shield to radio waves.
Feedback Psychic Dictionary Index
The giving
of information to subjects about their performance on a test. See also biofeedback.
Fire Walking
Psychic Dictionary Index
Walking
on red-hot coals, without pain or damage to the feet.
Flying
Saucer Psychic Dictionary Index
A term,
coined in 1947, to refer to unknown disk-like aerial objects, often believed to be extraterrestrial spacecraft. The term has now been largely superseded
by "UFO".
Focal Person
Psychic Dictionary Index
Person
who is at the centre of poltergeist activity.
Forced-Choice Test Psychic Dictionary Index
An ESP test in which the subject guesses from a predetermined list of alternative targets.
Fortean
Phenomena Psychic Dictionary Index
Strange
phenomena, especially those which challenge conventional scientific knowledge. Named after the American researcher and writer
Charles Fort. Fortean phenomena include those generally considered paranormal, but also bizarre non-paranormal events such as monsters
and prodigies, extraordinary coincidences, and unusual rains.
Fortune
Telling Psychic Dictionary Index
Various
practices which aim to divine future events. See also divination.
Fraud Psychic Dictionary Index
The deliberate
faking of paranormal phenomenena, generally for the purpose of financial gain, psychological manipulation, or notoriety. Faking
for the purpose of entertainment (e.g., by stage magicians and mentalists) is not normally classed as fraud.
Free-Response
Test Psychic Dictionary Index
An ESP test in which the subject responds freely (does not choose from a fixed list
of targets). For example, the subject may write down or draw their impressions, or may talk freely into a tape
recorder. In order to assess the accuracy of the responses, they are compared with various targets (including the actual target)
by a judge. See also preferential matching.
G
Ganzfeld Psychic Dictionary Index
A technique
for investigating ESP in which the person experiences an absence of patterned
stimulation. This generally involves the subject wearing halved table-tennis balls over the eyes while listening to hiss (white noise) through headphones.
General
Extrasensory Perception (GESP) Psychic Dictionary Index
ESP in which it is unclear whether the results are due to clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition or retrocognition.
Geomancy Psychic Dictionary Index
A system
of divination involving the interpretation of lines or figures.
GESP Psychic Dictionary Index
See general extrasensory perception
Ghost Psychic Dictionary Index
Popular
term for an experience believed to indicate the presence of the spirit of a deceased person. See also apparition, haunting, poltergeist. Full definition
Gimmick Psychic Dictionary Index
In conjuring, any small concealed apparatus that is used to produce
a magical effect. Also used by fraudulent mediums.
Glossolalia Psychic Dictionary Index
Unintelligible
speech generally uttered in a dissociated or trance state. Also known as "speaking in tongues".
See also xenoglossy.
"Goat" Psychic Dictionary Index
Name given
to a subject in a psi test who does not believe in the phenomenon. See also
"sheep", sheep-goat effect.
Guardian
Angel Psychic Dictionary Index
An angel believed to protect the individual. See also guide.
Guide Psychic Dictionary Index
A spirit who is believed to assist a person's spiritual
journey. See also angel, guardian angel
H
Hallucination Psychic Dictionary Index
A sensory
experience that does not correspond to physical reality. See also apparition.
Haunting Psychic Dictionary Index
Paranormal
phenomena such as apparitions, unexplained sounds, smells or other sensations that
are associated over a lengthy period of time with a specific location. Cf. poltergeist.
Healer Psychic Dictionary Index
Someone
who claims the power of healing.
Healing Psychic Dictionary Index
Generally
indicates cures that cannot be explained in terms of accepted medical principles. See also faith healing, psychic healing, spirit cures.
Hellstromism
Psychic Dictionary Index
See contact mind reading.
Hex Psychic Dictionary Index
(a) An
evil spell or magical curse.
(b) To practice witchcraft.
Hit Psychic Dictionary Index
A response that accurately matches the target. Cf. miss.
Hot Reading Psychic Dictionary Index
A reading given in which prior knowledge of the sitter has been obtained, often using devious or fraudulent means. Cf. cold reading.
Huna Psychic Dictionary Index
An Hawaiian
religious practice involving clairvoyance, precognition, healing, miracles and magic.
Hyperacuity Psychic Dictionary Index
See hyperaesthesia.
Hyperaesthesia Psychic Dictionary Index
Exceptionally
acute sensory awareness.
Hypnagogic
Imagery Psychic Dictionary Index
Imagery occurring in the hypnagogic state (occuring while dropping off to sleep).
Hypnopompic
Imagery Psychic Dictionary Index
Imagery occurring in the hypnopompic state (occurring while waking up).
Hypnosis Psychic Dictionary Index
An ASC involving a heightened degree of suggestibility. See
also Mesmerism.
Hypnotism Psychic Dictionary Index
See hypnosis.
I
I Ching Psychic Dictionary Index
Ancient
Chinese "Book of Changes". It describes 64 hexagrams (patterns of 6 broken and unbroken lines) which are used in
a divinatory practice involving the throwing of yarrow stalks or
coins.
Illusion Psychic Dictionary Index
(a) An
appearance that leads the person to draw mistaken conclusions.
(b) In conjuring, a perceptual trick.
Imagery Psychic Dictionary Index
The ability
to perceive images in the mind. These may be visual, auditory, tactile, etc.
Immortality Psychic Dictionary Index
Various
beliefs based on the assumption that some aspect of personal existence survives death.
Incline
Effect Psychic Dictionary Index
An increase
in performance on a psi test when the test is repeated. Cf. decline effect.
Incorruptibility
Psychic Dictionary Index
Inexplicable
lack of decay in a corpse.
Indirect
Voice Psychic Dictionary Index
Mediumistic phenomenon in which the discarnate entity appears to speak using the vocal apparatus of the
medium. Often the voice will sound very different from the medium's normal voice. Cf. direct voice.
Intuition Psychic Dictionary Index
The non-paranormal
ability to grasp the elements of a situation or to draw conclusions about complex events in ways that go beyond a purely rational
or intellectual analysis. Cf. clairsentience, empathy.
Invocation Psychic Dictionary Index
Summoning
benevolent spiritual beings. Cf. evocation.