(c) John G. Sutton PsychicWorld.net Ltd. 2005.

            THE PSYCHIC WORLD A to Z

To use the A-Z:
1. Decide on the subject.
2. Click on the pulsar next to the subject and you will be taken to the correct page, simply scroll down to find your selected topic.

A: Afterlife. Akashic records. Angels. Apparition. Apport/Asport.

Astral Travel. Astrology. Aura. Automatic Writing.

B: Banshee. Bilocation. Black Magic. Bogey/Boggart.

C: Cats. Channelling. Clairaudience. Clairvoyance. Crop Circles. Crystal Balls.

D: Death. Deja Vu. Demons. Devil. Direct Voice. Divination. Djinn.

Dowsing. Dreams/Dreaming The Future.

E: Ectoplasm. Elemental Spirits. ESP Extra-Sensory-Perception. Exorcism.

F: Fairies. Faith Healing. Familiar Spirits. Fortune Telling.

G: Ganzfeld Experiement. Ghost. Ghouls. Gnomes. Guru. Goblins. Guardian Angels.

H: Halloween. Haunting. Heaven. Hecate. Hell. Horoscope.

I: I Ching. Incantation. Intuition.

J: Joan of Arc.

K: Ka. Karma.

L: Levitation. Ley-Lines.

M: Magic/Magicians. Mandala. Materialisation. Medium

N: Necromancy. New Age. Nostradamus. Numerology.

O: Occult. Omen. Ouija-Board.

P: Palmistry. Paranormal. Parapsychology. Phantom. Philosopher's Stone. Phrenology. Physiognamy. Poltergeist. Possession. Precognition. Prediction. Psi. Psychic. Psychokinesis/PK. Psychometry.

Q: Qi.

R: Raps/Knocks. Reading. Remote Viewing. Rune Stones.

S: Screaming Skulls. Scrying. Seance. Shamanism. Skeptic. Soul. Spirit.

Spirit-Guide. Spiritualism. Stigmata.

T: Talisman. Tarot Cards. Tea-Leaf Reading. Telepathy. Trance State.

U: UFO Unidentified Flying Objects.

V: Vampires. Voodoo.

W: Werewolves. Witchcraft. Witchdoctor.

X: X-Files.

Y: Yin and Yang.

Z: Zodiac. Zombie.

(c) John G. Sutton PsychicWorld.net Ltd. 2005

A                                                                         
WHERE IS THE AFTERLIFE/THE NEXT WORLD:

The Afterlife is the place where the spirits of the dead are thought to live on after physical death. Practically every society in the world believes in the continuing eternal existence of the human spirit or soul and this belief is the basis of most religions. To Spiritualists the truth is that there is no death, just different stages of eternal life that help the soul to progress towards perfection. Some Spiritualists believe that between this material world and paradise or heaven there is a place called The Summerland where all is green and beautiful, rather like the garden of Eden in another next dimension. Many religions subscribe to visions of the world beyond, in the Christian religion there is Heaven and, as an option for the badly behaved, Hell, or Purgatory as the halfway house. In the Islamic religion there is the judgement called Akhirah by Allah the one God that decides who goes where. The Buddhist view of the afterlife is that we all reincarnate into different physical bodies until we reach perfection. The Buddhist belief is termed the Samsara Cycle and is based on karma fow hich see below. You have lots of choices if you are looking for a belief in the Afterlife. We live in the material world, spirits live in the Next World in the afterlife and as such they and we are eternal beings. The exact location of the Afterlife is, as yet, undetermined by science. There is an hypotheses that uses quantum mechanics to explain the existence of a fourth dimension in which spirits live. However in terms of absolute scientific proof there is no real concrete evidence that is generally accepted. It seems there are too many parties with vested interests for there to be just one definitive explanation of the location of the Afterlife. After all imagine if you had spent a lifetime believing in Heaven and Hell only to discover that they didn't exist. It may happen yet, who knows?

Here is a truly comprehensive site by Australian Lawyer Victor Zammit dealing with the AFTERLIFE.

And if you need more, here is another interesting website dealing with the AFTERLIFE

WHAT ARE THE AKASHIC RECORDS:

In the world beyond there are said to exist records, writtendocuments detailing human existence held in a huge library. These records contain details of everything that is, has been or ever will be. The location of this universal record office is in the etheric realms of the next dimension. The actual books are called the 'Akashic Records' and many mediums and
psychics claim to have read from these documents. It is said that each and every living being has a book of their eternal life lodged in the Akashic record library. There are descriptions of the record office and it is often said to be a huge building with long stone steps leading up to a massive iron and oak door. Through this door there is a winding stone staircase that leads into a vaulted room lit by a pure white light from above. There stands the keeper of the Akashic Records and he will lead all that ask to their book of life. Rather like a librarian on a quiet day at the library.

Madame Helena Petrova Blavatsky, the founder of the Theosophical Society, taught that the Akashic Records were factual, as did Edgar Cayce the famous American psychic. There are many mystics and mediums today that will say they can read the record of your life in this office beyond the material confines of the earth. If you do happen to be offered a reading from your book by such a person ask them to check the date of publication, if it does not match your DOB then get your money back.

If you would like to know more visit this website and read Edgar Cayce on the Akashic Records.

Read even more about the Akashic Records, follow this link: More Akashic Records

WHAT ARE ANGELS:

Angels are often depicted as shining white human like beings that are thought to be messengers of God. Angels have been reported throughout history and are mentioned in the Bible, though they are not described as having wings within its pages. In Spiritualism it is believed that we each have a guardian angel that watches over us from the moment of our birth to our progression into the next world.

In Christian theological terms there is a hierarchy of angels headed by Michael who is said to be the Archangel. There always has to be a Managing Director and in the Angels Michael got the job direct from God, so no point in applying I suppose. The word Angel derives from the Greek angelos which means messenger or shadow of God. In Hinduism angels are termed Divas which means shining ones. These angels get everywhere. Lucifer was, according to the Bible, an angel but he defied God and along with his followers, one third of the angels, he was cast out of heaven into hell. Lucifer then changed his name to Satan but that made no difference, he still gets really bad press and remains, by all accounts, outside the pearly gates.

Go visit this website If you want to know a lot more about the messengers from God we call Angels.

Check out your own favourite angel at this directory of angels: Angels Directory

WHAT IS AN APPARITION/GHOST:

The vision of a deceased person or creature is commonly referred to as a ghost or apparition. Sometimes there is only a sense of their presence, such as feeling of coldness or a scent that is present without logical explanation. Other apparitions may consist of slight touching or hearing a thumping noise maybe raps and knocks. The essence is that a discarnate entity is making contact with the living. However, it should be noted that not all apparitions are of the dead. There are numerous recorded accounts of the living appearing to others as themselves when they were, in fact, in another physical location (see bilocation below) Ghosts can appear to be solid or as filmy white mists. A common characteristic is their ability to walk through walls. They are also known to cast shadows and many apparitions have been seen in mirrors. There are written accounts of ghosts and apparitions dating back to the early Roman empire. In the Bible there is an account of the spirit, or ghost, of King Saul returning in materialised form; see 1 Samuel 28 in The Old Testament. In that instance the Witch of Endor conjured up the spirit seeking information. In every known civilization since time began there have been reports of ghosts. The native North American Indians practice rituals in which the apparitions of dead ancestors are supposed to appear. The scientific view of ghosts or apparitions is based on serious studies undertaken by psychical researchers such as Fredrick W.H. Myers one of the founders of the Society for Psychical research. The SPR has conducted thousands of investigations into ghosts and there is a vast body of literature on the subject lodged in their library. The conclusion must be that unless thousands and thousands of people are deliberately lying then ghosts really do exist. In 1987 an NOP poll conducted in the U.S.A. showed that 42% of people questioned claimed they had seen or experienced contact with a ghost or apparition. So it seems that the answer to the question Is There Anybody There is yes!

To read about apparitions of The Virgin Mary visit this site: Apparitions

Read about lots of ghosts by following this link: All about ghosts.

WHAT IS AN APPORT/ASPORT:

Usually in the presence of a Spirit-Medium some thing or object appears (apport) or disappears (asport). That is the object is transported through time and space to a location where its presence can not be explained by logic. Often
'apports' appear during Spiritualist seances, see below. Apports of flowers have been reported which appeared out of thin air, as is the case with all apports. Books and fruit have been apported, even birds and animals have appeared as if from nowhere. Many skeptics attribute such phenomena to trickery and believe the objects apported are produced by the Spirit-Medium. However there have been many reported instances of apports that would require the skills of a professional magician to construct. For example one Spirit-Medium, Charles Bailey (1870-1947) was able to apport live birds complete with nest and eggs. Bailey also, according to reports, was able to apport live fish and even human remains i.e. a skull. Certain Indian mystics, such as Sai Baba are reportedly able to produce vibuti or holy ash from the tips of their fingers, it is, they say, apported from the next world through their mediumship. Asports are the opposite of apports, objects disappear from their location in the material world and may, or may not reappear. Asports are sometimes explained away as the result of faulty memory, though this fails to account for the reappearance of missing objects in locations where they could not, by normal means, have found themselves. You may have experienced apports and asports without recognising them as such. No doubt we all have lost something we were certain was in a specific place only to discover it days later elsewhere without good explanation. Maybe we are all in closer contact with the next dimension than we realise, who knows?

To read more about this subject follow this link to Apports.

WHAT IS ASTRAL TRAVEL:

The astral body is said to be exactly similar to the human body but made of less dense material. During sleep the astral body is thought to be able to travel outside the bounds of the physical world. There are numerous accounts of people who claim to have travelled in their astral body which, some say, is attached to the physical body by a thin silver coloured  thread. Many scientists argue that the reported experiences are just dreams, in effect products of our imaginations.There are however serious studies of the phenomenon and human subjects have been investigated who claimed to be able to travel out of their body whilst asleep. In one such study the investigator placed a sheet of paper with a number written upon it on top of a wardrobe in the room where the subject was sleeping. Her instructions were to move out of her body in her astral form and view the paper on the top of the wardrobe, read the number and remember it. The subject was filmed throughout this experiment and cheating was completely ruled out. When she awoke the subject was able to describe how she floated up and out of her physical body towards the ceiling from where she looked down, read the number on the paper, remembered it and, on waking, gave it correctly to the Dr investigating. There is a theory that we all travel in our astral bodies whilst asleep, it is just that we do not remember. It may be that once on waking you have had a faint recollection of being in a world beyond this physical plane. Perhaps you have travelled in your astral body, maybe we all do and the trick is to remember.

Follow this link to read other people's accounts of their Astral-Travels.

IS ASTROLOGY VALID:

Dating back into pre-history Astrology is the study of the stars and planets in relation to human behaviour and the environment. The earlist records of astrological charts were found to date from almost 2,000 BC which was the Babylonian age.The thinking behind astrology is that events on Earth are affected by the movement of planets and
earth's relation to them. Today many popular newspapers and magazines publish Sun Sign charts with predictions for each of the twelve signs of the Zodiac into which the astrological charts are divided. There have been numerous studies examining the validity of astrology and it is claimed by its practitioners to be a form of science. In fact it was once known as The Queen of Sciences and was practised by the Aztec civilization as well as the ancient Egyptians.

Queen Elizabeth I of England had her own personal astrologer named John Dee who selected the date for her coronation: January 15^th 1559. The general idea is that at the time of our birth we are tuned in to the vibrations on this planet that we call Earth by all the planets and stars in the universe. The time, date and location of our birth are, in astrology, said to determine both our characters and our life chances. There are certain characteristics associated with each of the 12 Zodiac Sun Signs of Aires, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. A typical Leo character is said to be forceful and self confident, whilst a typical Cancerian is thought to be gentle and home loving. Therefore, it is believed in astrology, that those born under the sign of Leo make better soldiers than those born under the more placid sign of Cancer. Napoleon of France, Bismark of Germany and Mussolini of Italy were all born under Leo. Rembrandt, Schubert and Proust were born under Cancer. The list is a subjective choice but illustrates the point. As for a final decision, the jury remains out.

WHAT IS AN AURA:

The aura is said to be a kind of multi-coloured transparent energy field that is projected out from the body. Very active and energetic people are thought to have the most powerful aura projections.  Individuals of an evil or wicked disposition are said to have dark auras.  Those of a saintly or divine nature are often described as having an halo, this is part of the aura emitting from the crown-chakra. In Christian art  the halo is often shown around the head of Christ or other saints. This field of force is present in all living things and can be photographed by means of a technique known as Kirlian Photography. These photographs clearly show a coloured high frequency light surrounding not only human beings but also plants. In the early 1900's a Dr Walter Kilner of St. Thomas Hospital London invented a device with which to view auras, this consisted of a glass screen stained with dicyannin dye. Dr Kilner claimed that looking through this screen at a living human being enabled him to see the bodies aura.Many psychics claim to be able to see and 'read' people's aura's with different meanings being given to different colours. For example Red means anger and Blue means spirituality. It is said, by those who subscribe to the belief that auras exist, that the colour of the aura changes during periods of ill health, from light to dark. The aura is said to extend outwards from the body for a distance between a few inches and a few feet. However as the aura is a form of energy it will extend into infinity uniting with the collective energy matrix of this world.  There is a theory that the human aura extends into the cosmos out beyond the gravitation field of this planet that we call Earth.

For more detail on how to see auras follow this link: Auras.

WHAT IS AUTOMATIC WRITING:

There is a belief that the spirit world can communicate with this world through a medium using a pen or pencil and a blank sheet of paper. The idea is that the medium holds the pen gently on the paper and the spirit presence uses this to write messages. The resulting script is said, mainly by those who subscribe to the Spiritualist belief, to be written by the spirit controlling the hand of the medium and guiding the pen. There are other methods of producing Automatic Writing one such being the use of a planchette. The planchette is a heart shaped wooden or plastic device that holds a pencil in the centre, it is supported on three small legs with rollers to permit it to move freely across the paper. There have been many mediums that have claimed to be able to receive communication through Automatic Writing. One such was Judge John Worth Edmonds of the U.S.A. He claimed to receive written messages from many famous deceased individuals such as Francis Bacon and Emanuel Swedenborg. It is said that many books have been written by spirits communing via Automatic Writing. Probably the best known example is the work of Mrs Pearl Curran of St. Louis U.S.A. She claimed that the spirit of by the name of Patience Worth communicated a series of works through her, the two best known being The Sorry Tale and Hope Trueblood. These stories were set in England a land never visited by Mrs Curran. You can attempt Automatic Writing yourself, but most of the time scribble is likely to be the result, so it is a waste of time trying this when filing in a tax return and stuck for an answer.

To learn more about this subject with advice on how to attempt it follow this link: Automatic Writing.

B  
 

WHAT IS A BANSHEE:

A Banshee is female spirit death omen, often unseen, that howls around the house in which a death is about to happen. The term is Irish/Scottish but the cry of the Banshee is universally feared, for obvious reasons. The sound is often likened to the wild howling of a dog or the screeching of a bird. Hearing the cry of the Banshee one has no doubt that it is of supernatural origin. There are descriptions of the Banshee, though these are relatively few compared with other sightings of spirits. One such description from Ireland has the Banshee wearing a cloak with long flowing hair and bright red eyes. Another term for the Banshee is Little-Washer-By-The-Ford said to be the ghost of a woman that died in childbirth. This particular Banshee is said to predict the violent death and the term is describing the spirit washing the soon to be dead persons clothing. It is said that the cry of the Banshee is unmistakably of supernatural origin and scares all who hear it. No wonder!

To discover more about this weird spirit creature follow this link, if you dare: Banshee.

WHAT IS MEANT BY BILOCATION:

The person experiencing bilocation is said to be in more than one place at the exact same time. There have been reports that individuals have been seen in two separate locations at exactly the same time. In the 18^th century the magician Pinetti was reportedly seen driving in a horse drawn carriage through two different gates at opposite sides of Paris. There are accounts given in the Christian religion that certain saints have been able to bilocate one such was St. Anthony of Padua. Also St. Alphonso Maria de Ligouri reported that he had bilocated and been at the sick bed of Pope Clement XIV in Rome, despite the fact that he was at the time locked in a cell in a monastery. Surprisingly it is reported that no one believed this holy gentleman until, some days later, news came that the Pope had died. Bilocation is not supported by any scientific evidence. It is however a technique frequently claimed by mothers to illustrate their busy work schedules.

To read the real life amazing case history of a man who was in two places at one time follow this link: Bilocation.

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS BLACK MAGIC:

The practice of using potions, spells and other occult methods to gain advantage over others is known as Black Magic. The black side of this practice is the intent to gain such advantage by use of dark forces. The general idea is that the Black Magic rituals conjure up evil spirits that will do the bidding of the magician. Such tasks given to the diabolical beings may include committing physical injury to others, usually the enemies of the magician. The risk for the practitioner is that the entities conjured up to serve the magician will decline to be controlled, hence the use of a pentagram or pentacle in which the magician stands during the conjuration. Demons and all kinds of devils may be called upon to appear and there are reports that the rituals of Black Magic do succeed in this aim. A recent practitioner of the Black Arts was Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) he was also known as The Great Beast 666 and was a Satanist who worshipped the devil. Not that it helped him much, he died in poverty. Always Black Magic is of evil intent, it is used exclusively for personal gain and often at the direct expense of others. Such practices are both dangerous and pointless in the longer term as goodness will always defeat dark forces. Black Magic is so called because it is from the dark side and involves both ritual and trickery. One favourite trick of so called Black Magicians is to persuade the gullible to pay them money to attend their phoney rituals. It might not be black magic in the truest sense, but they gain and the suckers lose so the trick works.

If you are intent of seeking further information on the dark arts then follow this link: Black Magic.

WHAT IS A BOGEY OR BOGGART:

A horrible elemental spirit that haunts bridges over rivers and streams. The Boggart is thought by some, mainly the less serious minded, to drag children into its filthy hole of a home hidden in the undergrowth beside water crossings.In the city of Manchester, England there is an area called Boggart Hole Clough where one of these creatures is, according to legend, said to live. The Boggart or Bogey-Man has for countless generations been used by parents to scare children. They are currently keeping a low profile and there have been few verified sightings in the last few decades. If you believe in these creatures then it may be time to grab a reality check.

What you still want more boggarts and bogeys? OK read about Manchester UK's:  Boggart Hole Clough

C  

DO CATS HAVE SUPERNATURAL POWERS :

Once sacred creatures cats were worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. They believed that cats had supernatural powers and could speak with the spirit world. In ancient Egypt the cat goddess was called Bast and city was dedicated to her called Bubastis. The goddess Bast is depicted as a cat headed woman. In more recent times black cats have been linked to witches who were thought to use them in their communication with dark forces. The witches were generally old women who confessed to their cats supernatural functions under the pressure of torture. This torture was administered by Witchfinders who had the audacity to quote holy scriptures whilst burning old ladies. Anyone who has been subjected to branding with a red hot iron will understand why they blamed their pet cats. Today domestic cats are not believed to be satanic other than by the next door neighbours bulldog.

To read more about the mystery of cats follow this link: Cats In Ireland.

WHAT IS CHANNELLING:

The belief that spirits can speak through mediums or psychics is termed 'channelling'. The medium enters into an altered state of awareness, near trance or full trance, (see below) and the spirit entity speaks through them using their vocal chords. There are numerous spirit-mediums that undertake this practice and some have even written books 'channelled' through them. The Channeller may speak long lectures on esoteric subjects. There are, mainly in the U.S.A., Channellers that purport to offer communication with luminaries of the past, such as Jesus Christ and Vishnu. The theories about Channeling, which is synonymous with trance mediumship, include: psychological disturbance or multiple personality syndrome, the Channeller is in touch with their subconscious mind, the Channeller is in touch with the Jungian collective unconscious or Universal Mind. Another theory, held mainly by sceptics, is that the Channeller is a fraud who quotes from a remembered script, rather like an actor.

To learn more about channelling follow this link: School of Channelling.

WHAT IS CLAIRAUDIENCE:

Clear hearing, or clairaudience is a gift claimed by many mediums and psychics. The word itself derives from the French for Clear Hearing. Joan of Arc was said to hear voices, she was burned at the stake for blasphemy. The voices heard by spirit mediums using clairaudience may pass messages through them to friends and relatives living in this material world. Those voices are claimed to be from discarnate spirits alive in the next world. Many Clairaudient mediums claim to hear the voices inside their head rather than with their physical ears. Others state that their voices come to them inside their physical ears just as they would if someone were talking to them. Stage Mediums, who appear in theatres and on Radio/TV etc. usually use Clairaudience to receive the information they pass on as messages from the world beyond. The most famous Clairaudient medium of modern times was the late Doris Stokes who wrote many books about Voices she heard in her ear. There are many that do not believe in the veracity of such claims.

To read more about clairaudience and perhaps study the subject follow this link: Clairaudience.

WHAT IS CLAIRVOYANCE:

Clairvoyance is said to be the paranormal ability of certain people to see ghosts and visions. This paranormal gift is most often claimed by practising professional psychics and mediums who say they can see things that are invisible to the non-psychic. The visions seen by clairvoyant mediums may include images of the future or the past. Many mediums claim to see their visions in their minds eye whilst others say they see them playing as if on a TV screen before their eyes. The actual word derives from the French meaning Clear-Seeing. Many mediums use crystal balls to aid their ability to access their Clairvoyant facility and this practice is termed scrying. There is no scientific evidence  to support the claims made in respect of this seemingly impossible feat yet there is a vast amount of anecdotal evidence. Clairvoyance is one of the most a widely claimed psychic powers along with clairaudience.

To consider the subject of clairvoyance further follow this link: Clairvoyance.
 
 

ARE CROP CIRCLES FAKES:

Cereology is the study of the phenomena of crop circles. These began to be noticed in the late 1970's and early 1980's when farmers in the UK reported that strange geometrical shapes had appeared as patterns created by flattened corn stalks in fields of this crop. However the crop circle phenomena is now being reported worldwide. Many believe that the crop circles are created by alien beings flying in UFO's. Many more think these are a hoax and some people have deliberately created Crop Circles as practical jokes. There is a theory that these circles are created by changing magnetic fields that occur quite naturally. Many pranksters have owned up to creating these strange geometrical shapes in corn fields. Some claim that they did it to expose the foolishness of a belief in UFO's. It is more likely that the jokers are simply seeking attention. No doubt they will get both barrels of attention if the farmers catch them at it.

To research this subject further follow this link: Crop Circles.

WHY DO PSYCHICS USE CRYSTAL BALLS:

Gazing into the depths of a crystal ball is said to open the mind to visions from beyond. The term for such practice is scrying, see below. The most common image of the use of crystal balls is that of the Gypsy fortune teller sitting with a shawl wrapped round her peering mysteriously into her ball. However, many modern psychics use crystal balls as both an aid to meditation and as a tool to see the future which appears within the sphere. The visions seen within a crystal ball may appear as still photographs or as moving images. There is a theory that the act of staring into the crystal ball relaxes the mind and gives the medium access to their natural psychic powers. Crystal balls can be expensive but many professional psychics consider them to be an essential part of their work and well worth the investment.

If you are interested in owning a crystal ball have a look at this link: Crystal Balls.

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IS DEATH THE END OF EVERYTHING:

Death is the end of physical life but, many believe, the beginning of afterlife in the next world. The Spiritualist argument is that all who live move on at the point of death into another world. Most religions teach that there is life after physical death, some restrict entry into their version of heaven in the next world to believers in their specific faith. The destinations listed as available to the spirit that lives on after the body dies are dependent upon ones religious or personal persuasion. This may present a problem as the none-believer or atheist will still be alive in spirit after death just as will the devoutly religious individual. The question is who will be most surprised? Perhaps the atheist will refuse to accept that they are dead and become trapped between this material world and the next. It is most likely that the religious soul will be delighted to discover that members of their faction are there to welcome them into the world beyond. For most people there will be loved ones to greet them and the general rule is that like attracts like, at least that is the Spiritualist understanding of the next world. Many people have reported having Near Death Experiences in which they believed that they, for a brief period, moved from this world to the next. The NDE's ofetn have many of the same features, a tunnel leading to light and a beautiful garden. The belief in life after death has yet to be supported by sustainable scientific fact. Organisations such as the Society for Psychical Research have been investigating the evidence for over a hundred years without discovering absolute proof of eternal life. However, we are all en-route to discovering the truth.

To read about other peoples near-death experiences follow this link: NDE.

WHAT IS DEJA VU:

Those who experience Deja Vu have the sensation of having seen or experienced a situation before. The feeling is of having done something in the past and repeating it. Those who experience Deja Vu have the sensation of having seen or experienced a situation before. The feeling is of having done something in the past and repeating it. Those who experience Deja Vu have the sensation of having seen or experienced a situation before. The feeling is of having done something in the past and repeating it. Those who experience Deja Vu have the sensation of having seen or experienced a situation before. The feeling is of having done something in the past and repeating it. Those who experience Deja Vu have the sensation of having seen or experienced a situation before. The feeling is of having done something in the past and repeating it.
 

Follow this link to read a little more read a little more about Deja Vu.

ARE THERE SUCH THINGS AS DEMONS:

The word demon is a generic term used to describe evil spirits that are believed to injure or hurt human beings. Demons are, by nature, malevolent and of evil intent. In one religious document there are said to be over seven million demons. When one sneezes demons are thought by some to have the power to enter the body via the nose, hence the expression 'Bless You' to protect against this invasion. The head of all the demons is said to be Beelzebub otherwise known as The Lord of The Flies. Many Spiritualists believe that demons are no more than wicked spirits or ghosts that are pretending to be demons. However there is a world wide belief in the existence of demons and they have a universally bad name. In the Middle Ages in England the Church taught that there were demons called Incubus (male) and Succubus (female) that entered the rooms of sleeping individuals and copulated with them. Sexual intercourse with these demons was considered to be a sign of witchcraft.

Demonic possession is still discussed today and films such as The Exorcist have exploited the idea that demons can enter the physical body and overpower human beings. In the Bible Jesus Christ drove out evil spirits and the practice is still performed today by designated ministers of the Church.

If you have a really unhealthy interest in demons and would like to read more then follow this link to a comprehensive list offering you an A-Z of: DEMONS
 

IS THERE A BEING CALLED THE DEVIL:

Devil is one of the many names for the Prince of Darkness or Lucifer who became Satan. The devil is a, hopefully, mythological figure often painted in religious art as having horns, cloven feet and a tail. Many religions teach that the devil is a real entity whose duty it is to tempt souls away from the straight and narrow path of righteousness into sin. The Catholic religion teaches that spirits and visions of ghosts are in fact agents of the devil sent to lead the unsuspecting away from Christianity. In Christian teachings the devil lives in hell surrounded by fire waiting to burn and torture the souls sent there. Such messages of hell fire and damnation were once a common feature in the sermons of clergymen. Today a belief in an actual physical being called the devil is less prevalent than in times past. Nowadays the devil is considered to be the force of darkness or evil that exists in the world. The opposite of God who is the force for goodness.

For further information on The Prince of Darkness follow this link: DEVIL.

WHAT IS DIRECT VOICE:

The form of mediumship termed Direct Voice is extremely rare. Communication from the spirit world by direct voice happens when the words are formed in the air and heard by all present. The sound materializes without the use of the physical body of the medium. There are very few mediums that claim to be able to produce or facilitate this phenomenon during a sitting or séance. The term is self-explanatory, the voices of the spirits are heard speaking and they emit from thin air. Unlike clairaudiance, direct voice is usually heard by all in the séance room and not just by the medium. In the recent past, and sometimes today, the medium conducting a Direct Voice séance uses a trumpet or tin horn through which the spirit voices speak. This form of Direct Voice communication was featured in the seances conducted by the Ohio U.S.A. based medium Jonathan Koons whose spirit communicator was called John King. There was some suspicion that the mediums claiming direct voice communications were in fact practising ventriloquism. This allegation was never proven. Direct spirit voice is however sometimes heard spontaneously and many people have experienced hearing a discarnate voice calling their names within a seemingly empty room.

To read more about the phenomena of direct-voice mediumship follow this link: Direct-Voice

WHAT IS DIVINATION:

Foreseeing the future using certain mystic practices, such as Tarot Cards, Tealeaf reading etc. is called divination. There are over 200 recognized means of practising divination ranging from Rune Stones to Crystal Ball gazing and many other weird and wonderful methods. Most systems of Divination depend up the psychic skills or gifts of the practitioner who must interpret the information given by the programme they are using. For example, The Tarot cards have many, often contrasting, meanings and can be interpreted in various ways. This is so with most Divination systems. The literal interpretation of divination systems such as Rune Stones is almost impossible as the meanings are not precise and subject to change depending upon position and alignment. Therefore the practitioner must use their skill and developed psychic gifts to look into the future and predict it for their clients. The term for such practice is: Reading as the practitioner Reads the future, using divination systems such as cards, rune stones etc.

To consider many different methods of foreseeing the future follow this link: Divination.

WHAT IS A DJINN:

The Djinn are the Islamic religions version of evil spirits. Rather like demons they are said to be harmful to mankind. Djinn's are created of fire and have many supernatural powers, according to belief that is.. Djinn are considered to act in a similar fashion to other evil spirits and are closely associated with spirits. To those subscribing to the Islamic belief system the term Djinn would be used in the same way that others of the Christian persuasion would use ghost. The Djinn is synonymous with The Genii which in fairy stories has been trapped in a bottle or oil lamp. So if you meet one remember to claim your three wishes

If you are seeking more information about Djinn then follow this link: Djinn.

WHAT IS DOWSING:

Locating hidden or unseen objects or substances, often water, using forked sticks, rods or pendulums is called dowsing. The dowser takes their sticks or pendulum over an area in which the item or substance is sought and concentrates their mind upon locating it. When the stick or pendulum reacts, often by twitching or swinging, the Dowser looks in the area indicated and the item or subject being searched for is supposed to be found. Dowsing is often used to locate water and a was originally termed Water-Witching. Oil and other natural mineral deposits are supposedly located by Dowsing. There are also dowsers who claim to be able to locate objects, minerals, water and even missing people by Dowsing maps. A pendulum is usually used for this purpose. Another term for dowsing is Rhabdomancy. There have been many tests on the validity of Dowsing and no firm scientific evidence has been found to support the claims of the dowsers. One explanation offered is termed the ideomoter effect, this suggests that the dowser is unconsciously causing the movement of the pendulum, rods or sticks by involuntary muscular movement.

To discover more about dowsing dowse this link: Dowsing.

CAN WE SEE THE FUTURE BY DREAMING:

Many believe that dreams can help us to foretell the future. The idea is that whilst we are asleep we are given visions of what will be. Interpreting dreams is by no means straightforward as many are said to have opposite meanings. There are countless numbers of books on the subject of interpreting dreams, titles such as 5,000 Dreams and Their Meanings are to be found in bookstores throughout the world. One effective way of ascertaining if you can foretell the future through your dreams is to keep a Dream Diary. Write down the details of your dreams each morning. Then, if you dream of an incident that subsequently occurs you have proof. There are various theories as to the source of dreams: 1. From our unconscious mind 2. From the Universal Mind or Collective Unconsciousness 3. From past lives 4. From communication with spirits In the Bible there are numerous accounts of dreams that had meaning, such as Jacob and his dream of the golden ladder. There are those who tell remarkable stories of dreaming about events that did eventually happen. Such as dreaming of a horse that won a race and the next day it does. Others say that dreams are nothing more than the reaction of the brain to the various events and stimulus of everyday life replayed during sleep.

To interpret your own dreams follow this link: Dreams.

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IS THERE SUCH A THING AS ECTOPLASM

Ectoplasm is believed by some to be a substance created by the physical body of a medium in trance during a seance. This substance is said to be emitted by the medium through the orifices of the body. It is generally white and to the touch feels rather like cheese cloth. The sceptics say it is cheese cloth, yet there are no records of physical mediums such as the late Helen Duncan having been caught using it. However, there are many reports of mediums producing ectoplasm that built up within a room or cabinet into the shape of a human being which was able to walk and touch others sitting with the medium in the seance. One of the most noted mediums of the last century, the aforementioned  Helen Duncan emitted ectoplasm and materialised a British sailor during a séance. The sailor gave his name and the name of his ship which he said had been sunk during WWII action. The facts presented by this materialized spirit were subsequently proven to be correct, though at the time the knowledge of the ships sinking was secret due to the war. Helen Duncan was subsequently arrested, tried and jailed under the Witchcraft Act. Many materialization mediums permit themselves to be physically searched before they enter into trance and begin to emit ectoplasm. This is to rule out the possibility of fraud. However, the sceptics decline to accept that ectoplasm and materialization of spirits is real and prefer to simply disbelieve.

To read a detailed account of ectoplasm and its history follow this link: Ectoplasm.

WHAT ARE ELEMENTAL SPIRITS:

Fairies, Gnomes, Trolls, Meremaids etc. are all said to be elemental spirits. They are termed elemental because they live within the four elements of this material world: 1. FIRE 2. AIR. 3. EARTH. 4. WATER Salamanders live in fire, Fairies live in the air, Gnomes live in the earth and Meremaids live in water. There are numerous types of elemental spirits and many have been seen by credible witnesses. On the Island of Gibralter in the early 1980s a sailor on a days holiday from his ship was enjoying a picnic on a grassy hill there when, according to him, a tiny gnome dressed in green with a hammer in its belt ran up and stole his sandwich. Obviously this was a hungry gnome. Many people do not believe in elemental spirits and consider stories about their existence to be nonsense. The most famous sightings of elemental beings was The Case of The Cottingley Fairies in which two young girls in Victorian England faked fairy photographs. These two girls, Elsie Wright and her sister Frances, created the phoney fairy photographs for a joke, but they were taken seriously by such as the famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who pronounced them real. In later years the writer and academic Joe Cooper interviewed the two sisters and they admitted to him that some of the pictures were faked, cut outs from a picture book. However, Joe Cooper insists that the sisters were adamant that there were real fairies in Cottingley Glen and that one of the photographs they took was real.

Follow this link to read more about Elemental Spirits.

END OF THE WORLD.

Throughout history religious movements, prophets and people have been predicting the end of the world. To date, last time I looked, it had not yet happened. Signs have been predicted that will appear immediately before the final days, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes etc. have been listed as precursors to the end of days. There is a term for the study of end of the world predictions and beliefs, that term is eschatology. 

To read more about the end of the world, assuming there is time: END OF WORLD

WHAT IS EXTRA-SENSORY PERCEPTION (ESP):

ESP or Extra-Sensory Perception as a term was first coined by Dr J. B. Rhine (1896-1980) the Parapsychologist of Duke University, Carolina U.S.A. The term refers to some human beings ability to perceive objects hidden from their view and glean information without use of the five accepted senses of 1. TOUCH 2. TASTE 3. SIGHT. 4. SMELL 5. HEARING. Telepathy is one of the abilities linked by Rhine to ESP. ESP is often tested using a series of Cards in which the subject has to name cards sight unseen. A set of cards designed to test ESP was designed and created by Dr Karl Zener (1903-1963) a colleague of Dr Rhine these cards are of five symbols 1. Star 2. Wavy Lines. 3. Plus Sign. 4. Circle 5. Square The subject being tested for ESP is asked to guess the symbol on a card sight unseen. There are today experiments being conducted into ESP using Zener cards, most notably at the University of Edinburgh in the department of parapsychology. One of the ESP powers that the Zener cards are designed to test is that of telepathy, in this test the subject attempts to receive the information as to which card is being viewed by a sender who is concentrating on one of the five card symbols. To date the scientific world has reached no firm conclusions on the nature of ESP. One of the main problems seems to be that the test results of individual tests seem to vary according to the beliefs of the scientist undertaking the testing. Thus if scientist A believes in ESP he is likely to get results supporting that belief whilst scientist B who disbelieves gets results that support that belief. One would need to have enhanced powers of perception to fathom that out. So far no one has.

To discover more about Extra-Sensory Percepttion follow this link: ESP

WHAT IS EXORCISM:

Exorcism is the act or ritual of casting or driving unwanted spirits out from whoever or wherever they are haunting. The Roman Catholic Church has nominated priests that may carry out the set ritual of exorcism in the name of Our Lord Lesus Christ. The word Exorcism is from the Greek exousia which means oath. The Roman Catholic ritual of exorcism is spoken in Latin and begins Adjure te, spiritus nequissime, per Deum omnipotentum. This translates as I Adjure thee, most evil spirit, in the name of almighty God. The power of God is invoked to force the demon or evil spirit out from where it has located itself. There are numerous well documented cases of individuals who have been the subject of exorcism. In one such case, in Germany as recently as 1976, a girl by the name of Anneliese Michel was killed during the ritual of exorcism. The Church had appointed two exorcists to drive out the demons that were said to be in possession of her body. These exorcists starved and beat the girl to death. They were subsequently tried and found guilty of murder by neglect. The saddest part is that the girl was not possessed at all and was simply epileptic. It is a little known fact that today The Church of England in the UK is using Spiritualist mediums alongside official exorcists to deal with hauntings and other cases of unwanted spirit manifestation. The idea is that the ghost or demon may be a none-believer in the power of God and would therefore fail to exit on command. Indeed there have been cases where the ritual of exorcism has made matters much worse. The medium, on the other hand, can see and speak to the entity responsible and may effect what is termed a Spirit Release. In this case the ghost leaves of its own free will and moves on to its appointed place in the next world. This method is also known as Spirit Rescue.

To read the Roman Catholic views on exorcism follow this link: Exorcism.

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ARE THERE SUCH THINGS AS FAIRIES:

Fairies are elemental beings that are thought by some to exist in a parallel  dimension within the four elements of this world; earth, air, fire  and water. The queen of the Fairies is called Mab, so if you meet her  you should say 'Hail to you Queen Mab' but don't let your friends hear you, they may think you are just nuts. In the woodlands on open grassy areas there are often found mushrooms that have grown in a circular pattern, these are called Fairy Rings. They are however a perfectly natural phenomenon. The belief in Fairies is especially strong in Celtic countries and extends all across Europe. In America the Fairy belief came with the settlers into the New World. Fairies are thought, by believers, to be nature spirits and there are many accounts of these being seen in gardens, usually at the bottom. In Ireland there are, it is said, The Little People, and these can enchant human beings and take them away to their kingdom beneath the hills. It may seem a fanciful notion but there are numerous first hand accounts of people who claim to have been captured by The Little People or Leprechauns as they are also known. In one such case a visitor to Ireland took a short cut across a field that was known to be the home of fairies. He described how, halfway up the grassy hill leading to the house he was staying at, he met a little fairy fellow who led him away on a wonderful dance into fairyland. Hours later he found himself in a daze but back at his place of lodging and told what he had experienced to his Irish host. His story was listened to and believed, though there were reports that other people had seen this man during the time he said he was in fairyland. He was, according to these reports, seen dancing and laughing around the grassy hill in the fairy field he had taken a short cut across. It may be that Fairies are real but can only be seen by those that they select to see them. The most famous sighting of fairies took place in the year 1917 at Cottingley near the city of Leeds, Yorkshire UK. There two young girls claimed to have photographed fairies and they convinced the world famous author of the Sherlock Holmes stories Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Read here an account of the truth behind The Case of The Cottingley Fairies by : Joe Cooper

WHAT IS FAITH HEALING:

There are those that claim to be able to cure people of disease by  seemingly miraculous means that involve no medical intervention. Some  call themselves Faith Healers and many believe they can cure by  calling upon divine intervention such as an expressed belief in the powers of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There are a number of Faith Healers that hold public meetings at which they purport to heal members of the audience. Often the public are encouraged to chant, sing hymns or otherwise make a noise. This may account for the hysteria that surrounds such events. The problem with Faith Healing occurs when the healing fails and healer transfers the blame for this onto the sick individual who is said to have insufficient faith. One religious group The Christian Scientists forbid their members from accepting regular medical treatment as a matter of course. They believe that God will heal them. Though there is no evidence that this is the case. In fact declining medical intervention in favour of Faith Healing can be fatal.

To read about the dodgy dealers in faith healing follow this link: Fakers

To read about a genuine healer follow this link: Bill Parker
 
 

WHAT IS A FAMILIAR SPIRIT:

Witches and warlocks were once thought to have demons as Familiar Spirits that acted as messengers for the devil. These were said to live within the bodies of animals such as cats, black dogs or frogs etc. The witch or wizard would have these creatures as house pets and, according to many confessions gained under torture, would communicate with the Familiar Spirit when they were casting spells etc. Some of the witches even confessed to Giving Suck to their Familiar Spirit, whatever that might mean. The creatures indicted by the witch or warlock were often burnt at the stake alongside their equally unfortunate owners. The truth behind this obvious nonsense may be that the witch or warlock was a medium and the communication taking place was in fact between them and their spirit guide. Many spirit mediums today claim to have spirit guides that act as their helpers bringing forward other discarnate spirits to speak to the medium through clairaudience (see above). Some mediums refer to their spirit guides as Doorkeepers as they control the ability of other spirits to speak to them. No doubt the Spiritualist mediums of today would have been persecuted and tried as witches or warlocks in the 16^th century.

To discover a lot more about the cult of familiar spirits follow this link: Familiar Spirits.
 
 

WHAT ARE FORTUNE-TELLERS:

Foretelling the future by use of, Palmistry, Tarot Cards, Tea Leaf  reading Crystal Ball scrying etc. is practised by Fortune Tellers. There is a vast amount of anecdotal evidence that there are people who can and do foresee the future. Throughout history there have been those who predict events that are to come. In ancient Greece there was a temple at Delphi where the Oracle made predictions, This oracle was in fact a series of females who were called the Pythia. They sat on a throne above an open fissure in a rock within the temple and gave messages to those who paid the priests. In ancient Rome there existed a college where the art of prognostication, or telling the future, was taught and studied. This college was called Augurs, hence the phrase It Augurs Well. Fortune Telling is not a practice recognised by science as being valid. The argument against Fortune Telling is that as the future has not yet happened it is therefore impossible to see it because, in effect, it does not exist. However consider this as an example supporting the hypotheses that the future can be foretold. In the year 1898 a book of fiction titled The Wreck of The Titan by Morgan Robertson was published. This book told the fictional story of the S.S. Titan, the biggest and safest ship in the world. In the book this ship sets sail on its maiden voyage from England to New York across the Atlantic. In the book the S.S. Titan strikes an iceberg and sinks killing most of its 2500 passengers. Subsequently, in the year 1912 an actual ship named The Titanic, the biggest and supposedly safest ship in the world, set sail from England to New York across the Atlantic. That ship really did strike an iceberg and sink killing most of its 2000 plus passengers. Coincidence argue the sceptics, but an amazing one as the author of the book effectively predicted the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic in great detail.

To try an amusing test and discover if your future can be electronically predicted follow this link: Fortune Tellers.

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WHAT IS THE GANZFELD EXPERIMENT:

Sensory Deprivation brought about by restricting the input of external sounds, sights or sensations to test the subjects ESP or Psi ability is termed a Ganzfeld Experiment. The term derives from the German Ganz and Feld meaning the total area or field. The subjects eyes are usually covered, perhaps with half a ping-pong ball, they may wear headphones issuing White Noise and the location will be relaxing. The subject may then be asked to undertake various experiments such as being asked to identify objects placed before them without recourse to touch or sight. The America parapsychologist J.B. Rhine used the Ganzfeld Experiment in many tests on individuals who were thought to have Extra-Sensory powers of perception. The idea behind this experiment is that the subjects are more able to access their paranormal powers as they have fewer external distractions.  The Ganzfeld Experiment has produced varying results and, like many other such tests, it seems to depend for its outcome on the beliefs of the scientists conducting it. Which is, lets face it, not very scientific at all.

To read more about this subject follow this link: Ganzfeld Experiment.
 
 

WHAT IS A GHOST:

A Ghost, in the truest sense, is the discarnate spirit of a physically dead person  or animal. Science does not support the belief in Ghosts as actual entities the usual explanations given for such sightings being hallucinations, illusions and self-delusion. According to many scientists, such as Dr Susan Blackmore, physical death is the absolute end of life and Ghosts are only figments of our imaginations. Such a viewpoint may be scientific but it goes against thousands of years of anecdotal evidence much of which has been given by eminent individuals many of whom were also scientists. For example Sir Oliver Lodge (1851-1940) the inventor of the radio and himself a scientist reported that he had received contact from his deceased son Raymond. Ghosts have been recorded throughout history and many of the worlds most famous authors, such as Shakespeare and Dickens, have written about ghosts. Even intellectual philosophers such, as Rene Descartes, have argued that man is not only body but also soul. It is that soul which lives on after the physical death of the host body which becomes the Ghost. The Spiritualist belief is that our physical bodies are rather like a suit of clothing worn by the soul or spirit. When the physical body dies it is the equivalent of removing that suit of clothes and stepping out into a new spirit body. Loved ones may see the Ghost of a deceased person as the spirit shows itself to them as an act of comforting their grief. Malevolent Ghosts are spirits that have refused to accept their appointed place in the world beyond and have become trapped between this material world and the next. The Bible itself describes how The Holy Ghost visited the disciples of Jesus. Many doubt the existence of ghosts but stories about them exist in every society known to man and have done so since time immemorial. If ghosts are truly just figments of the imagination then millions and millions of people throughout the world are deluding themselves.

Here is a link to a site that has lots of spooky photographs that are said to be of Ghosts.
 
 

ARE THERE SUCH THINGS AS GHOULS:

A Ghoul is a supposedly invisible phantom that is evil in nature and feeds on  the life energy of its human victims. In the Islamic religion Ghouls are said to feed upon the corpses of dead human beings. The name Ghoul derives from the Arabic Ghul (male) or Ghula (female). Ghouls are said to haunt areas where they once lived or visited when they were physically alive. They can be recognised by a sense of unease in a building and they are reported to make people feel ill. The best explanation of Ghouls is likely to be haunting of a specific area by a discarnate evil spirit intent upon harming or frightening people. In the not too distant past those that robbed graves and dug up the dead bodies to sell to the medical profession for experimentation were termed Ghouls. Two such were the Victorian villains Burke and Hare otherwise known as The Bodysnatchers.

Follow this link to read more about Ghouls.

ARE THERE SUCH THINGS AS GNOMES:

Gnomes are said to be elemental spirits that like to play tricks on  human beings. They are often described as being between eighteen  inches and three foot in height with beards and of rustic appearance.  They are thought to live in old mines or within hills under grassy  knolls and their element is earth. Gnomes are said to be mischievous creatures and they are, by all accounts, quick to take offence. The generally accepted image of a Gnome is that depicted in the Walt Disney cartoon Snow White and the seven dwarves. This image, of pointed cap and leather belt around a green tunic and tight trousers, is by some accounts correct. There have been numerous reports of Gnome sightings from places as far afield as New York City U.S.A. and Gibralter where there is said to live a hungry gnome that steals peoples picnic lunches. So despite the reality of their existence being somewhat unlikely it seems that there are people who have seen Gnomes.

You can own a gnome, well a model of one anyway. Follow this link: Gnomes.

WHAT IS A GURU:

A Guru is a spiritual guide or teacher who aims to lead others  towards enlightenment within their belief system. However, this being the planet Earth, some Gurus use their authority over their pupils for the wrong purposes. Whilst others are, no doubt, very well meaning. You take your Gurus as you find them I  expect. One such Guru of recent times is the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (linked below) who came to prominence during the late 1960s when The Beatles pop group adopted his teachings during their Psychadelic period. Other Gurus have produced less esoteric results, for example David Koresh of the Davidian sect. He led his followers to death and destruction whilst preaching from the scriptures. There is real danger is following absolutely the teachings of another human being who assumes the role of Guru, as the followers of the Hale Bop Comet cult discovered when their leader persuaded them to drink poison.

Here are some links to a selection of current gurus:

Sai Baba

Yogi Bhajan

Maharishi

Yogi Marlon

WHAT IS A GOBLIN:

A Goblin is an elemental spirit of various shapes and sizes but often small and usually  michevious. Goblins, according to tradition, may take up residence in any home that takes their fancy. Some Goblins like to help with the housework in the home but can become angry if their efforts are not recognised and praised. It seems that if the Goblin has done some tidying up then the only thing to do is reward it by setting out a meal, perhaps some milk and biscuits. Goblins are usually very shy creatures, which may explain why they are seen so infrequently. They are said to play tricks upon the people that share the homes they live in. Often these tricks involve the moving of furniture during the hours of darkness. Other Goblin tricks include banging loudly upon walls and pulling the bedclothes off people as they sleep. Goblins are known in many countries, such as England, Scotalnd, Wales Russia and Germany. They have many names, such as Brownies, Elves and Sprites but they are one and the same elemental spirit.

For further information on these creatures follow this link: Goblins.
 

WHAT IS A GUARDIAN ANGEL:

A Guardian Angel is personal protective spirit that acts on behalf of an individual. Spiritualists believe that we each have a Guardian Spirit or Angel and that these are with us throughout our earthly lives. There is a belief that Guardian Angels can communicate with their charges and do so by various means. As not everyone has mediumistic gifts, such as clairaudience, the communication of messages, warnings perhaps, may sometimes be rather like a cryptic crossword. The Guardian Angel may attempt to get across a message by creating an electrical fault or causing another such malfunction. For example, about to go forth on a journey for no good reason the car will not start, this may or may not be a message not to go on that journey. Then the TV set switches itself on and the programme playing on the screen is about car accidents. Put two and two together and you have a warning. That is if you believe in Guardian Angels trying to help you via cryptic clues. In some societies Guardian Angels are said to be the spirits of ancestors. The Native American Indians believe that they see their Guardian Angel in dreams. In Australia the aborigines believe that they are eternally with their Guardian Angel throughout many lifetimes and also in the next world. The most widely held belief is that we each have at least one Guardian Angel. Sometimes, when a person is in danger, it is said that their Guardian Angel appears and saves them from otherwise certain death. There are numerous accounts of individuals who claim to have been rescued by their Guardian Angel. However, If you are in serious trouble it might be best to call for help from the emergency services as Guardian Angels may not be available on your mobile telephone.

Follow this link to discover more about Guardian Angels.

To read the Christian view on this subject follow this link: Guardian Angels.

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WHAT IS HALLOWEEN:

The evening of the 31st October is known as All Hallows Eve, hence  Halloween. The belief in Halloween dates back to the time of the Druids when it was supposed to be the night upon which Saman the Lord of Death came and collected the souls of evil people. In recent years there have been a series of ridiculous Cut and Slash movies bearing the name Halloween, these are, in my opinion,  nothing more than childish piffle and having nothing whatsoever to do with Hallowen.. In many Western countries Halloween is now a night of innocent festivities in which children dress up in spooky outfits and scare old people (see links below). In America the cry heard on Halloween night is Trick or Treat, meaning hand over some sweets or its funny face pulling time. There is also a slightly sinister side to Halloween, at least according to the Church. Many clerics seem to believe that Halloween is a night upon which Satanists worship the devil and dance around wearing only a moonlight-suit.

Here are some interesting links for you to follow if you want to know more about Halloween:

Halloween.

Fun Stuff For Halloween.

Spooky Halloween.

WHAT IS A HAUNTING:

The repeated appearance of supernatural phenomena in a specific area that can not be explained by rational scientific means is often termed a haunting. Th phenomena often associated with a haunting often include some or perhaps all of the following: sounds, smells, visions of ghosts, cold spots, movement or levitation of inanimate objects, sense of an unseen presence, actual physical sensations such as touching by invisible hands etc. It is a fact that most reports of hauntings do involve noises that can not be traced to any logical source. For example, footsteps may be heard walking across a room or up stairs, but there is no one visibly creating these sounds. The noise of animals howling or dogs barking may be heard but no trace of any creature can be found. Some hauntings may consist of nothing more than a terrible sense of dread that seems to fill the haunted property or area. In the case of a materialised ghost there may be those that can see this and those that can not. There is a theory that some hauntings are not caused by discarnate spirits interacting with this physical world, but are a form of recording playing back. This theory suggests that the walls and floors of a property or the ground itself may have trapped a highly charged incident within the substance and plays it back like a video recorder playing an old video tape. Other theories include hallucinations, illusions and outright trickery though most often there is no final explanation for the uncanny phenomena. The Spiritualist belief is that discarnate entities can and do return from the world beyond and may decide to return to the places they lived in and visited whilst physically incarnate. If in doubt RUN!

Here are some websites for you to check out if you are interested in haunted houses etc.

The Haunted House.

Haunting Grounds

WHERE IS HEAVEN:

In the Christian religion Heaven is the place where God resides and all good Christians go to on the death of their physical body. However, there is some disagreement as to exactly when the Christian is admitted to Heaven. Some Christians believe that one has to be 'Born Again' to enter heaven. Others state that entry to heaven will be upon the sounding of a trumpet by the Angel Gabriel who is the Divine messenger of God. By all accounts heaven is rather a nice place but it seems quite difficult to get in. In general terms Heaven is the ultimate paradise to which all souls are hopefully heading. There are many interpretations of Heaven and as many different names for this kingdom of light and goodness. The Spiritualist belief is that there is life after death and that like attracts like. So that if your idea of heaven is to be with friends and loved ones then that is where you will be.

To read more about heaven and how it appeared to one individual follow this link: Heaven.

WHO IS HECATE:

The Greek goddess of witchcraft is called Hecate, at least according to mythology. She supposedly walks around with two rather large black dogs and is accompanied by the souls of the evil dead. In the practice of witchcraft Hecate, pronounced Heck-Ar-Tee, is one of the big names. However she is not on many peoples party lists.

To read more about this weird being follow this link: Hecate.

WHERE IS HELL:

Quite the opposite of Heaven (see above) Hell is, according to most religious pundits, a really horrible place. There are said to be fiery furnaces in which evil souls are burnt. The devil presides over this Hell and he is responsible for torturing the wicked souls that are sent there. In the not too distant past Christian priests would frighten their congregation with vivid accounts of the terrors of hell, fire and damnation. The idea being that the people would then accept the teachings of the Church. Hell gets very bad press and the only advantage is ease of access. However, once having entered this domain of the devil, you should according to the poet Dante be prepared for a long stay. All hope abandon ye who enter here, is carved above the gates of hell. Hell is not in many holiday brochures.

To read the definitive work on Hell: Dante's Inferno or The Divine Comedy, follow this link: Dante.

WHAT IS A HOROSCOPE:

The horoscope is an astrological chart created by reference to an individuals date and time of birth. Each month, or period of a month, has a sign of the Zodiac that relates to it. The position of the planets at the time of ones birth in any one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac are said to influence ones life on earth. The Astrologer is the caster of the Horoscope, they use this information to make predictions based on the theory that we are all influenced by the stars. There are certain character trends associated with with each sign of the Zodiac, for example those born under the sign of Leo are said to be warlike and proud. Those born under Cancer are thought to be home loving and kind. Whilst those born under Gemini are said to be unable to make decisions. Horoscopes date back in history to the time of the Babylonian Empire. Today many national newspapers and magazines carry daily, weekly or monthly horoscopes based on the 12 signs of the Zodiac. It is possible to have very detailed personal horoscopes cast that purport to predict life chances and trends by reference to the position of the planets in relation to ones date, time and place of birth. These professional horoscopes can be expensive but are said by many to be extremely accurate and of help in planning the making of decisions. Many famous people throughout the ages have relied upon horoscopes to help them in their daily lives.

If you would like a professional astrological chart created then follow this link: Horoscope.

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WHAT IS THE I CHING:

The I Ching is also known as The Book of Changes and is Chinese in origin. It is thought to date from the reign of Emperor Fu Hsi in 2953-2838. The idea of the I Ching is that there are two forces in heaven and earth 1. YIN being dark and negative 2. YANG being bright and positive. The I Ching is formed of 64 hexagrams each with a special meaning. The chance selection of one such hexagram in response to a question is thought to provide the answer sought. The I Ching is often used as a fortune telling or divination system. The method by which one selects a hexagram of the I Ching varies, the most usual being the casting of coins that decide on the hexagram on a line by line basis. The coins fall and are interpreted as either a solid or a broken line. This action is repeated six times producing the hexagram. The other method is to use reeds or wooden sticks inscribed with the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. Selecting or shaking one of these out from a container provides a single hexagram and this is then interpreted according to the Book of Changes. The meanings of the 64 hexagrams require extensive study to enable meaningful interpretations to be given. The famous Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung coined the word Synchronicity, which means meaningful coincidence, having studied the workings of the I Ching. Jung believed that this system of divination worked because forces beyond the boundaries of this material world interacted with the I Ching to produce a truthful reading.

To try a sample I Ching reading follow this link: I Ching.

WHAT IS AN INCANTATION:

An incantation is a chant or a repetitive phrase that is used to summon up help from the spirit world. Names of supposedly powerful spirits are often chanted by Shamen who may also beat a drum as they do so. Kabbalistic names are often used in incantations, for example Elohim or Sabaoth. The most likely explanation for using an incantation is that the constant repetition of the chant switches one into an altered state of awareness or semi-trance. The actual choice of word or phrase is less important than the chanting itself. You could try this yourself at home without fear of conjuring up anything unwanted from the realms of darkness. If you are inclined to give it a go why not try banging a biscuit tin and repeating Abracadabra Aba Daba Doo in rhythm with the beat. But don't expect too much.

You could try raising the dead with this: Incantation.

WHAT IS INTUITION:

Intuition is what one uses to make assessments based on ones feelings as opposed to available evidence. Many people profess to know things using just their intuition or gut feeling. Some may call this lucky guessing but intuition is quite closely linked to Extra-Sensory Perception for which see above. There are many perfectly ordinary people who make no claims to be paranormally empowered who rely upon their intuition to make important decisions. Mothers often say they know if one of their children is in danger though the child may be out of sight and sound. The idea of intuition is one that is widely accepted even amongst those that decry psychic powers. You too may use intuition without conscious consideration. Think when you last met someone that you instantly disliked and they did indeed turn out to be a bad lot. How did you know? You knew by intuition.

Here is an interesting feature on this subject: Intuition.

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WHO WAS JOAN OF ARC:

Joan of Arc was a young French girl who heard voices from the world beyond telling her to save France. Joan claimed that the voices she heard were of angels guiding her. At the battle of Orleans in 1428 Joan of Arc, then just 16 years of age, led the French army to victory against the English. The Catholic Church charged Joan with heresy as the priests declined to accept that angels would talk to a simple peasant girl. She refused to retract her statement and it is reported that in the year 1431 Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake as a witch by the English who had her captured. There is a counter theory that holds that Joan was not burnt at the stake at all but that the story was invented to blacken the name of the English. The truth about Joan of Arc is most likely that she was hearing voices through the gift of clairaudience. Those voices may or may not have been of angels but they were able to offer her guidance to save France. Burning at the stake was a common practice in medieval times used against witches and by her own admission Joan of Arc was, in the eyes of the Church, a witch.

To read all about Joan of Arc in great detail follow this link: Joan of Arc.

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WHAT IS A KA:

The ancient Egyptians believed that each human being had a soul attached to its physical body, they called this soul the Ka. In the tombs of ancient Egypt the Ka is represented by a human faced bird. It was believed that the Ka remained with the body and resided within the burial chamber. The author Dennis Wheatley popularised the concept of the Ka in his book The Ka of Gifford Hillary.

To read in detail about the Egyptian belief in the Ka follow this link: Ka

WHAT IS KARMA:

In Eastern religious teachings Karma is the duty or burden born by the soul. Karma may be positive or negative but, according to Eastern beliefs, it must always be balanced. Karma can only be balanced by repayment of duty owed either from or to others. This Karmic debt is said to continue from one lifetime to the next by the process of reincarnation, for which see below. The karma of a serious criminal who may have committed many atrocities, such as Adolf Hitler, will under karmic law require countless incarnations of suffering to redress the negative balance. Whereas the positive influence of some saintly soul such as Mother Terresa of Calcutta will create good karma and thus a more fortuitous reincarnation if indeed such a soul should decide to reincarnate. The theory is that we all continue to reincarnate until we reach perfection and then our souls enter paradise.

To read a really interesting amount about this subject follow this link: Karma.

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WHAT IS LEVITATION:

Levitation is the unsupported rising up into the air of an individual or object. This phenomena is frequently associated with a poltergeist haunting. Sometimes levitation is featured in stage magic-shows, in such circumstances it is always a trick. However, there have been creditable reports of mediums levitating, one such being Daniel Dunglas Home in the late 19^th century. Home was reported to have risen up, unsupported and drifted out of a high window in the presence of reputable witnesses, he then entered back into the room through another window. Objects may levitate during seances and the author Joe Cooper reported witnessing a table float up to the ceiling of a room during one such seance with the medium Sandy Sinclair of Doncaster UK. The ridiculous film The Exorcist features levitation amongst many other special effects, such as vomit spurting and speaking in tongues. In the Middle Ages witches were said to levitate or fly using broomsticks with a black cat as pillion passenger. Such amazing stories were likely invented by villagers with nothing better to do, there was no internet in those dark days.

To discover if floating around is for you follow this link:  Levitation.

WHAT ARE LEY LINES:

There is a theory that the world is criss-crossed with a series in invisible magnetic energy lines that are located in the earth. In the year 1921 one Alfred Watkins formulated his own theory about these invisible lines linking them to churches and megalithic monuments such as Stonehenge. Watkins wrote a book on the subject: The Old Straight Track, which gained a considerable following for his theories. Some years later a retired solicitor by the name of Guy Underwood put Watkins theory to the test and set out with a Dowsing Rod to follow the Ley Lines previously discovered by Watkins. Underwood found that at many ancient sacred sites Ley Lines of magnetic energy crossed and formed a vortex. Underwood wrote about his findings in his book Pattern of the Past in which he suggested that there were underground magnetic forces connected to religious sites and that ancient man had previously known about these lines of energy. The term Ley Line means lea or grassy track and Underwood noted that animals used these tracks as aids to homing. Theories that there exists a form of subterranean energy grid are not new. The ancient Chinese subscribed to such a belief thousands of years ago, they called their Ley Lines Dragon Tracks and these were also invisible.

To learn more about these invisible connections follow this link: Ley Lines.

Look at this site for lots more on Ley Lines

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IS THERE ANY TRUTH MAGIC AND MAGICIANS:

Using spells, potions and incantations the traditional magician practices magic to create an affect upon others or upon circumstances. The term magician is, historically, synonymous with Shamanism, which is perhaps the earliest form of ritual magic. Shamanism was practised within ancient tribes by the holy-man or witchdoctor otherwise known as a Shaman. Primitive magic can be traced back to time immemorial and there are noted similarities between such practices that range across continents. Even in countries as far apart as Iceland and Africa the Shaman, Witch-Doctor, Wizard or Magic-Man have unmistakably similar personal histories. The Shaman is called to his position by forces or spirits from the world beyond, usually through dreams or visions. Often they would undergo a series of initiation rites that involved starvation or other physical hardship. The duties of Shaman are once again similar no matter where they are located. These usually involve communicating with the spirit world, predicting the future, healing the sick and conducting ritual ceremonies to bring good fortune to the tribe. Often ritual magic involves the Shaman going into a trance or altered state of consciousness. The practice of this magic is frequently surrounded by ritual and symbolism, music and dancing. From its roots in shamanism magic has developed through the wizardry and witchcraft of the Middle Ages to the Spiritualist mediumship of today. Stage magicians are only remotely related to the occult workings of true magic and should not be confused with genuine modern day Shaman or mediums.

To read about stage magicians follow this link: Magic Circle.

To learn about the magic and mystery of secret societies follow this link: Freemasonry Magic.

WHAT IS A MANDALA:

A Mandala is a symbolic representation of the cosmos with a word at the centre meaning God. A Mandala is often used as a charm or talisman to ward off evil and as such may be worn or carried by an individual. In North America the Navaho tribe create images within a circle of dry sand and chant over these to heal those that are sick. The idea being that all those present project their healing powers into the image within circle. This then becomes a healing Mandala and at the end of the ceremony it is destroyed thus transferring all the healing energy from the Mandala to the sick person.

To view an image of a mandala and read about its significance follow this link: Mandala.

MATERIALISATION:

Materialisation in the parapsychological sense, is the formation of a seemingly solid, or semisolid, figure of a dead person or animal usually associated with physical spiritual mediumship. Sometimes the form of a person is created from a substance called Ectoplasm, for which see above. Often the materialised shape can be touched and may feel to be real. There may be a distinct smell in the vicinity of a materialisation that is pungent. Sounds and often voices may emit from the materialised form. There are numerous reports that actual conversations have taken place between the sitters in the seance and the entity. One of the famous physical mediums of the 20^th century was Helen Duncan and, according to many credible accounts, she was able to materialise spirits by means of ectoplasm emitted by her body. Not only spirits are seen to materialise at physical mediumship seances, there are many reports of objects materialising from thin air, these are termed Apports (see above). There is an association dedicated to investigating materialisation and physical mediumship in the UK and this is The Noahs Ark Society. Sceptics claim that the materialisation of spirits is just trickery. However, reports from people who have witnessed the materialisation of deceased loved ones indicate that if this is a trick it is an extremely clever one and quite pointless. Most physical mediums charge very little for their services and do it as a service to mankind to prove the truth of eternal life.

To read more about the true nature of materialisation follow this link: Materialisation.

WHAT IS A MEDIUM:

The word Medium used in connection with spirit communication means the individual through which messages are passed. The system is much like a television set, the TV is the Medium through which the signals from the sender or broadcaster are viewed. So the Spirit Medium is the means by which those alive in the next world communicate. The messages from the spirit people come to the medium who, by means of their gifts of clairaudience, clairvoyance or clairsentience receive and they then pass these on to those sitting with them. Often a Spirit Medium will sit with others in what is termed a seance. However Spirit Mediums can operate on a one to one basis or even by remote means such as telephone or internet link with someone seeking their services. There are many various forms of Spirit Mediumship but all contain the basic element of communication between the medium and those alive in the world beyond. Sceptics do not subscribe to the belief that Spirit Mediumship is valid and suggest that trickery and/or self-delusion is the likely explanation. However Spirit Mediums are generally ordinary uncomplicated individuals who do not earn a fortune from their gifts. Many only demonstrate within he Spiritualist Churches where communication between this world and the next is a fundamental tenet of the belief system.

To read about the life and tragic death of Spiritualist Medium Helen Duncan follow this link: Medium

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WHAT IS NECROMANCY:

Necormancy is a ritualistic practice that involves, amongst other things, the predicting of future events by gaining information from the dead. The practice of Necromancy involves ritual magic and conjuration in which the spirits of the dead are brought back to work for the Necromancer. There is said to exist an ancient book The Necronomicon that is thought to date from around AD 730 which purports to instruct adepts in the means by which spirits can be conjured up. The author H.P. Lovecraft popularised the idea that the Necronomicon existed in his book The Nameless City. Lovecraft was a writer of lurid horror fiction so no credence can be given to his accounts in this far-fetched tale of a being he called Cthulhu. The general consensus of opinion in respect of the Necronomicon is that it too is a work of fiction. The book may be but the art of necromancy or conjuration of spirits dates back to time immemorial. (See Magic above)

To read more follow this link: Necromancy.

WHAT IS MEANT BY THE TERM NEW AGE:

New Age is a catch all phrase that is associated with bearded caravan dwellers and pseudo-mystics. Too wide a term to have any real meaning the New Age movement is just a mumbo-jumbo mixture of the old mystical beliefs presented in a different package. For example New Agers, as members of this loosely defined group are called, usually subscribe to the psychic/supernatural old ideas repackaged. Channelling is a New Age idea that is really Trance Mediumship using a different name. The New Age is however linked to the Age of Aquarius which is an Astronomical/Astrological era supposedly bringing enlightenment.

To read more about the ideas surrounding this subject follow this link: New Age

WHO WAS NOSTRADAMUS:

Michel de Notredame (1503-1566) known as Nostradamus wrote a series of verses that he called his Centuries These contained lines such as: The blood of the just shall be wanting in London / Burnt thunderbolts of twenty three the sixes/ The ancient dame shall fall from high place/ Of the same sect many shall be killed.. This verse is said to predict the great fire of London which took place in 1666. In general terms Nostradamus was a Seer or Prophet who set out his predictions in such a way as to enable various interpretations to be made. It is not certain if Nostradamus indented to be obscure but his work certainly is. You may or may not believe in the truth of his Centuries but there are those that say Nostradamus predicted the end of the world. Last time I looked it was still here.

To consider in greater detail the predictions of Nostradamus follow this link: Nostradamus

WHAT IS NUMEROLOGY:

The basic idea of Numerology is that each letter of the alphabet has a number from 1 to 9. These numbers have specific meanings and ones name number and birth number are said to be meaningful in numerological terms. For example number 1 = Ambition 2 = Moderation 3 = Originality 4 = Steadfastness 5 = Action 6 = Homeliness 7 = Intelligence 8 = Materialism 9 = Attainment. If one has a bad name number the numerologists may suggest changing it by adding an initial i.e. Adolf  J. Hitler.

Try your own numerology reading follow this link: Numerology.

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WHAT IS THE OCCULT:

Occult means the hidden or unseen. The word Occult derives from the Latin Occulere this means covered up. Today the Occult is a term given to secret or dark practices that are usually carried out away from the public eye. Witchcraft is a typical Occult practice as is Voodoo and Necromancy. Often used as a catch all phrase The Occult is currently understood to be anything that is of a mystically dark nature, such as the practice of black magic. However, the term carries with it a certain mystique so it is frequently used to impress as in: Would you like to come up and see my occult etchings?

Here is a brief directory of the occult.

Animism-Spiritism: Used to describe the worldview of those who believe that "spirits" reside in everything: people (including ancestors), rocks, wind, trees, river, etc.
     Ghost, Entity, Spirit, Apparition are all the conscious energy that was left from a living person after they have died.
Astral Body: The invisible spirit of a person ( or more likely an animal ).
   Astral Plane: The level of existence through which spirits of the dead first pass. The level in which an astrally projected spirit travels.
   Astral Projection: The separation of the astral body ( or spirit ) from the physical body. The astral body travels in the astral plane, to places near and far.             
Magic: The art of producing illusions... Magick: The practice of performing acts with the aid of a spirit
   White Witch: A witch whose practice is solely for the purpose of good... see Sex Magic                  
   Black Magic: The practice of conjuring preternatural forces for a specific evil purpose... See Sorcerer
   Necromancy: The practice of conjuring evil spirits.
   Conjuring: The process of calling preternatural forces into aid or action through the use of sorcery or ceremonial black magic.
    Wizard: Wise Magician
Black Mass: The mass said in honor of Satan at the black witches sabbath, and by Satanists
Curse:To invoke preternatural forces to cause harm or injury to a person, place or object. 

 Devil: An upper level evil spirit working for Lucifer. (Beelzebub, among many, the right hand of Lucifer )
Demon: An evil entity hostile to humans. A lower level evil spirit working for Lucifer.
Divination: The attempt to obtain information regarding the past, present, or future through occultic methods, such as astrology, channeling, crystal balls, tarot cards, and so forth
Goblin: A mischievous gnome (small creature, dwarf living underground).
Paganism: Historically, paganism has been used as a generic term to describe primitive non-Christian religions and superstitions, including religions centered on the occult. More recently paganism is used as an umbrella term referring to Wicca//witchcraft, ceremonial magic, nature worship, polytheism (especially female deities), and ancient mythologies (Celt, Norse, Egyptian, Greek and Roman).
      Pagan: From the Latin paganus, country-dweller. Today used as a general term for followers of Wicca and other magical, shamanistic and polytheistic religions. It can be interchanged with Neo-Pagan.
      Neo-Pagan: Literally, new-Pagan. A member, follower or sympathizer of one of the newly formed Pagan religions now spreading throughout the world. All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan.
Parapsychology: The scientific study of phenomena that natural laws can not explain
Reincarnation: The belief that each person possesses a soul which is independent of the body and can be reborn into another body.
Santeria: Literally “worship of the saints,” a syncretism of Roman Catholicism and traditional African polytheistic religions established when African slaves were introduced to the Caribbean. Elements include animal sacrifice and Voodoo.
Satan, Lucifer: Leader of the rebellious angels... God's adversary, expelled from heaven for rebelling against God.    
Sex Magic: The use of sex (e.g., intercourse -- actual or symbolic) within a ritual or spell-casting session to facilitate or augment the efficacy of a given magical rite. That is, sexual activities are used to accomplish the desired goal of the occultist.
Sorcery: The practice of black magic.
   Sorcerer: A male who has made a pact with the devil in exchange for magical powers (hechicero, brujo, in Spanish).
    Sorceress: A female who has made a pact with the devil in exchange for magical powers.
Shamanism: Spiritual world view of Native American and other early cultures that believe that “shamans,” witch doctors or spiritual leaders, can provide healing, guidance (i.e., divination), or wisdom through the occult, spiritism, or altered states of consciousness. The shaman’s soul is sometimes believed to leave the body during a trance, at which time the shaman will speak with beings from the other worlds or assume animal forms.
Spiritism: Alleged contact with spirits through occult techniques. Specifically, the belief found in many primitive Cultures that inanimate objects, plants and/or animals are possessed by spirits (good or evil) which must be appeased through occult practices... it is the French equivalent of the English "spiritualism." It is associated with Allan Kardec's doctrine of reincarnation which does not figure in spiritualism.
Spiritualism: Communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the Spirit World... like Spiritism, but using Christian rituals and prayers...   according to the definition adopted by the National Spiritualist Association of America, "is the Science, Philosophy and Religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the Spirit World.
Supernatural: Activity caused by God or his angels, or by Satan and his devils, commonly referred to as to anything outside the bounds of natural laws.
Voodoo: Magical practice considered to be a form of black magic but also is considered a religion to some. 
Wicca: An ancient witchcraft religion which honor the gods of nature. Wicca means "wise one".
    Wicca: An ancient witchcraft religion which honor the gods of nature. Wicca means "wise one". *An alternative name for modern Witchcraft; A NeoPagan nature religion with spiritual roots in Shamanism, having one main tenet: the Wiccan Rede.
   Wicca (by a Wiccan):A contemporary Pagan religion with spiritual roots in Shamanism and the earliest expressions of reverence of nature. Among its major motifs are: reverence for the Goddess and the God; reincarnation; magic; ritual observances of the Full Moon, astronomical and agricultural phenomena; spheroid temples, created with Personal Power, in which rituals occur.
    Wiccan Rede: A simple and benevolent moral code of Wiccans expressed as follows: "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfills; An' it harm none, do what ye will".
Witchcraft: The practice of performing acts with the aid of a spirit
     Witchcraft (by a Wiccan): The craft of the Witch-Magic, especially magic utilizing Personal Power in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs, colors and other natural objects. While this may have spiritual overtones, Witchcraft, using this definition, isn't a religion. However, some followers of Wicca use this word to denote their religion.
   Witch: A woman who practices witchcraft.
    Warlock: A male witch  (Brujo, hechicero, in Spanish)
    Wizard: Wise Magician

 Here is a link to a theological site discussing the Occult.

WHAT IS AN OMEN:

An Omen is a warning that is given indirectly, for example when the church clock strikes thirteen it is considered to warn of a death or incoming evil. The ancient world was full of omens, the way birds flew in a pattern across the sky was interpreted to have meaning. The omens were everywhere, in the bark of a dog or the walk of a cat. Come to think of it they still are! Many people do believe that to have ones path crossed by a black cat is good or bad luck, depending on the direction i.e. right to left is lucky, left to right unlucky. In ancient Rome there was even a college that studied omens it was called Augurs. Hence the saying, it augurs well for you. So look out for low flying pigeons and remember to duck.

To read all about omens follow this link: Omens

 

WHAT IS A OUIJA BOARD:

Derived from the French for yes Oui and the German for yes Ja the Ouija board is a device used to contact discarnate entities or spirits. In construction the Ouija Board consists of letters of the alphabet and a planchette that is used to contact spirits. The method involves the users, usually more than one, in placing their fingers upon the planchette or upturned glass and asking the age-old question Is There Anybody There? The planchette etc. moves to the letters of the alphabet and spells out a message. The problem is that the users, usually young and immature people, have no control over the incoming entities. The Ouija Board as a piece of equipment is responsible for many serious disturbances in the homes of people who play with it as any old spirit can use the board to pass frightening messages often warning of death. Using a Ouija board is like opening the front door of your house, switching on all the lights and letting whoever wants to walk in and help themselves. Once admitted entities may not leave and many Poltergeist Hauntings have been linked to the use of Ouija Boards. There are safe ways to contact the spirit world i.e. through a Spirit Medium the Ouija Board is not one of them. To be avoided.

However, if you are really intent on this method of divination you can now try an on-line ouija board: Ouija

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WHAT IS PALMISTRY:

Palmistry is the practice of looking into the palm of the hand and using the lines and other signs there to read both the character and the future. The theory is that a persons character and future is written in the lines and marks of the hands. There are four major lines on the hand termed a) The Line of Life b) The Line of Head c) The Line of Fate d) The Line of Heart. The shape of the hand is also considered to be imprtant in assessing ones character. Also the fingers, nails and especially the positioning of the thumb were all said to indicate specific characteristics. The art of Palm Reading or Palmistry was mastered by a man called William Warner.According to reports, he predicted the death by drowning of Lord Kitchener having read his palm, this subsequently happened. Warner was also known as Cherio. His books on the subject are still available and make very interesting reading, better than a palm anyway. Palmisty is sometimes called Cheriology.
 

To read more about Palmistry and specifically Cheriology follow this link: Cheriology.

To discuss palmistry with others and experts follow this link: Palmistry.
 

WHAT IS MEANT BY THE PARANORMAL:

Paranormal: meaning beyond that which is accepted as being normal. Though who can seriously define 'normal'? The paranormal is the general term for such matters as UFO sightings, psychic phenomena, ghost reports, hauntings, nessie, bigfoot, animal mutilations, alien abductions, you name it!  It is essentially a catch all term that sounds important but is too wide to convey a great deal of meaning. Investigating the Paranormal is extremely popular and there are many organisations that conduct serious research, such as the Society for Psychical Research. Subjects that are not yet fully understood by science, such as Extra Sensory Perception ESP and Telepathy are within the field of paranormal studies. Such studies are legitimately carried out by the branch of science termed Parapsychology (see below). However the wider field of paranormal research extends into infinity so go have a look, just watch out for people that can burst into flames or humanly combust, it's all out there!

Here are some links that will take you on a journey beyond the usual into the paranormal world of the 'X' Files.

Paranormal One.

Paranormal Two.

Paranormal Three.

Paranormal Four.

Paranormal Five.

WHAT IS PARAPSYCHOLOGY:

The scientific study of paranormal or supernatural phenomena has its own discipline called Parapsychology. There are many serious scientific investigations into paranormal phenomenon such as Ghosts, Hauntings and ESP etc. Dr Joseph Banks Rhine (1896-1980) is considered by many to be one of the founders of the scientific discipline of Parapsychology. He was based at Duke University, Carolina USA. There Dr Rhine conducted thousands of experiments into the field of psychic and paranormal studies. Experimenting alongside Dr Karl Zener Rhine developed various methods of testing supposedly gifted subjects for ESP abilities. Parapsychologists have many scientific pieces of equipment that they use to ascertain the veracity of any paranormal phenomena they investigate. For example in searching for ghosts the parapsychologist may use a magnetometer to detect variations in energy fields. However unless ghosts really want to be detected these often fail. The Society for Physical Research (SPR) was founded in London in 1882 its stated objectives include the investigation of psychic/paranormal phenomena. The membership of this erudite organisation includes may present day parapsychologists.

Here are some interesting links should you wish to read more about parapsychology.

Parapsychology One.

Parapsychology Two. Contains an index of terms used in the science of parapsychology.

Parapsychology Three. Attempts to answer the question What Is Parapsychology.

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A PHANTOM:

A phantom is the seemingly solid apparition of a dead spirit, animal or human. Phantom ships or even phantom coaches are sometimes reported. On the high seas there is a famous phantom ship called The Flying Dutchman. This ship is said to sail forever never reaching dry land. Phantom phenomenon takes many varied forms, one modern version is the Vanishing Hitchhiker. The phantom hitchhiker, usually a women or young lady in distress, appears alone at the side of a dark road. The driver of the car halts the vehicle and offers the lady a lift. The journey continues and often the lady will speak to the driver though not at great length. Some hitchhikers give a name, but not all. However, one thing always occurs, before the journey ends the phantom hitchhiker disappears from the vehicle. Sometimes further investigation by the driver reveals that the phantom has done this many times before and is known to locals as the ghost of some young woman killed in tragic circumstances. There are so many reports of ordinary individuals seeing phantom hitchhikers that it is difficult to dismiss this phenomenon as a series of hallucinations. However sceptics do just that and decry the idea that ghosts or phantoms exist. In some instances Phantoms are said to be bad omens and to predict death. This is especially so at sea in the case of Flying Dutchman.
 
 To read about some Scottish phantoms or ghosts follow this link: Phantoms.

WHAT IS A PHILOSOPHER'S STONE:

Mediaeval alchemists, such Paracelsus, once believed that it was possible to change base metals into gold. The substance that would enable this transition to take place was termed the Philosopher's Stone. Not only would this object create gold it was, it was thought, able to confer immortality upon its owner. One can see why it was a much sought after object. There was it seems virtually no end to the miracles that the philosopher's stone could create. Today the theories of the powers surrounding this mythological stone have been popularised by the books featuring one Harry Potter. Those books are the publishers and authors version of the Philospher's Stone.

To read about the truth behind the search for the philosopher's stone follow this link: Stoned.
 

WHAT IS PHRENOLOGY:

Phrenology is the reading the bumps on the heads of people. This idea was formulated by Dr. Franz Joseph Gall early 19th century. It involved the head being allocated certain areas, 26 altogether, of specific meaning. So say you had a big lump on your forehead you might be considered a poetic genius. Unless it was too big then you were the Elephant man. A machine was invented to measure the lumps, bumps and other protrusions on heads, this was called a Psychograph. There are available today ceramic models of heads with the various areas outlined and listed with the characteristics they are supposed to indicate. However, there is not now and there never has been any verifiable evidence to support the idea of phrenology.
 

If you would like to discover all about the lumps on your own head follow this link: Phrenology.

WHAT IS PHYSIOGNOMY:

Physiognomy is the supposed art of reading ones character and fate by reference to the facial features. The gist of the idea was that certain features indicated certain types of nature. For example a large nose might mean arrogance or a twisted ear greed and avaricious nature. During the 19th century it was thought by many scientists that there was such a thing as a 'Criminal' face. The criminologist Lomberoso believed that he had identified the typical criminal physiognomy and photographed convicts to prove this as fact. However such theories were later discovered to be totally incorrect, as those so identified were often simply physically and mentally disadvantaged.

To discover if your face is your fortune why not download some interesting physiognomy software: Physiognomy.
 
 

WHAT IS A POLTERGEIST:

A poltergeist is literally a noisy ghost that can be very destructive and disturbing. The poltergeist itself is usually invisible and is identified by its actions. These frequently include the throwing of inanimate objects, levitation of chairs, tables etc. and also interference with electrical goods such as TV sets and radios. Sometimes children at the age of puberty are said to be the cause of a poltergeist haunting. The theory is that the child has a lot of energy that is used by the spirit presence to create damage. The poltergeists are usually destructive but do not physically harm human beings. There is another theory which holds that there is no spirit entity involved at all and that the poltergeist phenomena is created as Psychokinetic effect by the child themselves. This theory states that it is the unconscious mental energy of the child that creates the disturbance. A typical Poltergeist haunting involves little more than objects being thrown or moved by the spirit or unseen force. In Columbus, Ohio USA there was a relatively recent case in which a press photographer captured on film a telephone being thrown through the air during a poltergeist haunting. Sceptics argue that such incidents are created by deliberate fraud. However there have been instances where homes have been bombarded by stones and other missiles that have no traceable source. The film Poltergeist and its TV series derivative totally misrepresents the phenomena, doing so for maximum shock horror effect.

To read a definition of this term follow this link: Poltergeist.

Some believe that the three films in the Poltergeist series are cursed, find out here: Curse of The Poltergeist.

 

WHAT IS POSSESSION:

The idea behind Possession is that an alien spirit or spirits can enter a persons body and take control of it. The Bible has accounts of people who were possessed by spirits and Our Lord Jesus Christ is reported as having driven evil spirits out of people. The probable explanation for many reported cases of Possession is psychological disturbance now known as Possession Syndrome. This may also be defined as multiple personality disorder or even schizophrenia. However that is just one possible explanation, some believe that discarnate spirits actually do assume control of individuals bodies. The person possessed by an invading spirit entity or demon usually starts to behave in a non-typical manner that is often of a lewd and outrageous nature. The Church has specific guidelines to define possession and one such is the speaking in tongues or glossolalia. There have been numerous well-documented reports of individuals or even groups of individuals that were supposedly possessed by demons. Probably the most well known case of collective possession is termed The Devils of Loudon in which nuns at a 17^th century convent in France supposedly became possessed by demons. The nuns confessed to having debased themselves under the influence of the priest Father Urbain Grandier who was subsequently burnt alive on the 18^th August 1634. (see Exorcism above)

To read the Roman Catholic view follow this link: Possession.

To read about possession as a form of insanity follow this link: Possession/Insane
 
 

WHAT IS PRECOGNITION:

Precognition is the foreknowledge or knowing of an event that subsequently does happen. True precognition must involve no quesswork or reference to known data and probability. The work of the USA based parapsychologist Dr J.B. Rhine tested individuals for their ability to predict a series of 25 cards designed by Dr Karl Zener. Within the laws of physics it should be impossible to experience precognition as the event being pre-