Apparition - a spectral image of a person that materializes even though a physical body is not present.

Apport – A physical object that can materialize and appear at will in the presence of a medium.

Anomaly - is an event which currently does not have an explanation.

Automatic Writing – This method of obtaining information from disembodied spirits is used by mediums in which the spirit takes control over the medium causing them to translate unconscious information on paper without being aware of the contents.

Case Study – An in-depth investigation of an individual subject.

Channeling – In this modern day method of spirit communication, a spirit will pass information directly to a medium or channeler who will then relay the information on to the listener(s).

Clairaudience - The paranormal obtaining of information by hearing sounds or voices.

Clairsentience - An archaic term that refers to the paranormal obtaining of information using faculties other than vision or hearing.

Clairvoyance - A general term that refers to the paranormal obtaining of information about an object or event. In modern usage, this does not necessarily refer to obtaining information visually.

Collective Apparition - A rare type of sighting in which more than one person sees the same apparition or phenomena.

Conjuring - Using trickery to simulate paranormal effects, generally for the purpose of entertainment.

Crisis Apparition - An apparition in which a person is seen within a few hours of an important crisis such as death, accident or sudden illness.

Demonic Possession - Refers to cases in which a person's body is apparently taken over by demonic personality or entity.

Divining rod - A forked rod (or sometimes a pair of L-shaped rods)

Dowsing - The paranormal detection of underground water or mineral deposits (or lost persons and objects) using a Divining rod

Earthbound – A term referring to a ghost or spirit that was unable to cross over to the other side at the time of death and is therefore stuck on earth.

Ectoplasm – An immaterial or ethereal substance associated with spirit manifestations.  

Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) – Voices and sounds from beyond that are captured and recorded on magnetic tape.

Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) - Communication or perception by means other than the physical senses.

Exorcism - The banishment of an entity or entities i.e. spirits, ghosts and demons that is thought to possess or haunt a location or human being or animal. The ritual, which can be religious in nature, is conducted by an exorcist who will call upon a Higher Power to cast away any evil forces that may reside there.

Ghost – A generic term referring to a form of apparition or supernatural entity which is typically the visual appearance of a deceased human's spirit soul.

Ghost Hunting – A carefully controlled research project in which various methods and equipment are used to investigate reports of ghosts and hauntings.

Hallucination – The perception of sights and sounds that are not actually present.

Haunting – Reoccurring ghostly phenomena that returns to a location where no one is physically present. Ghosts generally haunt places and not people.

Levitation – To lift or raise a physical object in apparent defiance of gravity.

Magnetometer (EMF, gaussmeter) - An instrument for measuring the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field typically used by paranormal researchers to detect a ghost’s magnetic energy.

Materialization – The act of forming something solid from the air. One of the most difficult and impressive materializations is when part or all of a ghost or spirit can be seen, especially if the face is recognizable. 

Medium or Spirit mediums is an individual who possesses the ability to receive messages from spirits (discorporate entities), or claims that he or she can channel such entities — that is, write or speak in the voice of these entities rather than in the medium's own voice.

Mist – A Photographed anomaly that appears as a blanket of light.  There is no substantial proof that these are related to paranormal phenomenon.

Orb – A photographed anomaly that theoretically represents the “spirit” of a deceased person.  It will appear as a ball of light on film though is some cases; they are not seen at the time of the photo.  Since there are many reasonable circumstances (dust, snow, rain, insects, reflection, lens flare, etc.) orbs still remain a highly controversial subject.

Paranormal – Referring to something that is beyond the range of normal human experience or scientific explanation.

Parapsychology - The study of the evidence for psychological phenomena that are inexplicable by science.

Phantom - Something that is seen, heard, or sensed, but has no physical reality (See Ghost).

Poltergeist - a non-human spirit entity which literally means "noisy ghost" but is usually more malicious and destructive than ghosts of dead human beings. Traditional poltergeists activities are thumping and banging, levitating or the moving of objects, stone throwing and starting fires.  It is thought that poltergeist activity in some instances may be brought on subconsciously by an adolescent agent or females under the age of 25.

Psychic - A person who is responsive to psychic forces with above average ESP abilities.

Reciprocal Apparition - An extremely rare type of spirit phenomenon in which both the agent and percipient are able to see and respond to each other.

Sensitive - A paranormal characteristic of a person, who also may be a "psychic," who has psychic powers, but has not the ability to communicate with the dead.

Séance - A meeting or gathering of people, usually lead by a medium to receive spiritualistic messages, manifestations or communication with the dead.

Specter – A ghostly apparition; a phantom (See Ghost).

Spiritualism - The belief system that the dead are able to communicate with the living, through an intermediary or medium.

Subjective Apparitions – Hallucinations of apparitions or other phenomena that are created by our own minds.

Supernatural - Of or relating to existence outside the natural world.  As opposed to paranormal, the term "supernatural" often connotes divine or demonic intervention.

Vortex – An anomaly that appears as a funnel or rope-like image in photographs.  These images are sometimes thought to represent ghosts, collections of orbs or gateways which travel to a wormhole in time-space.  There has been no substantial scientific evidence to support any of these theories.

White Noise – An Acoustical or electrical noise of which the intensity is the same at all frequencies within a given band.