by Jason Hawes
EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena): An audio recording of voices or sounds that, at the time of recording, were not detectable to the human ear.
Entity: A disembodied spirit.
Exorcism: The ceremony performed to rid an area or person of an unwelcome entity.
Geophone: A very sensitive device that “feels” vibrations on the ground and registers how strong the vibration is on a display of lights.
Ghost: See Apparition.
Haunting: The continued appearance of an entity at a specific location. There are four main types of hauntings: Demonic Haunting, Intelligent Haunting, Poltergeist, and Residual Haunting.
Hot Spot: An area where a lot of paranormal activity has been observed.
Inhuman Entity: A hostile entity of non-human origins.
Infrared Camera (IR Camera): A device that uses infrared waves to see in the dark.
Intelligent Haunting: An entity that has some awareness of its surroundings. It may have some limited mobility and may be able to communicate.
Ion Generator: A piece of equipment that electrically charges the air.
K-II Meter: A device that uses blinking lights to rate levels of magnetic fields and frequencies. Some paranormal investigators believe it can be used to communicate with ghosts.
Materialization: The process of an apparition becoming visible. Materialization can occur quickly or over a period of time, causing the entity to appear either solid or indistinct.
Matrixing: The tendency of the mind to add details to images that make them seem more familiar. It happens all the time, but it can cause problems when you are analyzing evidence.
Medium: A person who tries to communicate with spirits.
Negative Entity: See Inhuman Entity.
Orb: A floating sphere, often white or bluish, that shows up in a photograph or video. An orb is a contained ball of energy. Some consider them to be evidence of paranormal activity. It is often confused with dust, bugs, or an optical illusion registering on film or video.
Ouija Board: A board with letters, numbers and symbols printed on a smooth surface. It is used to try and communicate with spirits.
Paranormal: Literally “beyond normal.” Something paranormal is an event or phenomenon that is beyond what is normally experienced by humans—or what can be scientifically explained.
Paranormal Indicator: Evidence that may lead one to believe paranormal activity has taken place.
Paranormal Investigator: Also called a ghost hunter. A person who gathers information and evidence about paranormal activity.
Phantom Smell: An odor caused by a spirit attempting to make itself known. Common phantom smells include flowers, tobacco, or perfume. A phantom smell is only considered paranormal if it cannot be traced to a source.
Poltergeist: A ghost that moves objects to draw attention to itself. Banging sounds often accompany the movements. The phenomenon often revolves around an individual person, usually a child.
Possession: An instance where an inhuman entity enters a human and influences that person’s behavior and personality for a period of time. See b.
Residual Haunting: One of the four main hauntings. An entity will replay a moment from the recent or distant past at the exact location where it happened. Usually the entity does not have any recognition of the living people watching it.
Sensitive: Any person with a sensitivity to the paranormal.
Thermal Camera: An IR camera that make cold and heat visible.
Vortex: A gateway from the spirit world into the physical world.
VP (Voice Phenomena): Sounds or voices heard during an investigation with no natural cause.
Warm Spot: Similar to a cold spot, a warm spot is an area that is hotter than its surrounding areas. Some investigators believe spirits using energy to show themselves create warmth, almost like a body does.
CASE CLOSED
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We want to thank Jody Hotchkiss at Hotchkiss and Associates for making all these things possible. Without your guidance, none of this could have happened.
Special thanks to Jane Stine from Parachute Publishing; your faith in us has allowed us the chances we have today.
Thanks to Craig Paligian and Alan David from Pilgrim Films and Television for taking a chance on us in 2004 that allowed us to change the way the paranormal would be looked at from then on.
And to Rob Katz, who has proven to be a true friend and the best executive producer in the field.
And thanks too to David Axelrod for his work on the Ghost Hunt Guide and his other valuable contributions to this book.
And to Little, Brown, you have given us a chance to prove our love for what we do; for this we are always in your debt.