Parapsychology: Dictionary of Parapsychology T-Z
A dictionary of parapsychology. Please note that words in grey are hyperlinked to a corresponding archive with articles related to that particular topic. T Table-Tilting Mysterious movements of a table, usually occurring in a seance when a group of people place their hands on the surface of the table. Often the movements are interpreted as spirit communications. Also known as table-turning or table-tipping. Table-Turning See table-tilting. Target The object or event which the subject attempts to perceive (ESP tests) or influence (PK tests). Tarot A special deck of cards (usually 78) used in fortune telling. Telekinesis Paranormal movement of objects. Telepathy Paranormal awareness of another person's experience (thoughts, feelings, etc.). In practice it is difficult to distinguish between telepathy and clairvoyance. See also ESP. Teleportation Paranormal transportation of objects to a distant place. See also apport, deport. Temporal Lobe Activity Electrical activity in the temporal lobes of the brain. Often associated with strange sensations, time distortions and hallucinations. Sometimes used as an explanation for seemingly paranormal experiences such as apparitions and alien abduction experiences. Theosophy Quasi-religious and philosophical system of the Theosophical Society, founded in 1875 by Madame Blavatsky. Its paranormal claims were controversially and damningly reported upon by the Society for Psychical Research in 1885. Therianthropy The supposed ability to change from human to animal form and back. See also lycanthropy, shape-shifting, werewolf. Theurgy Magical practices which aim to contact and communicate with the gods. Thoughtography Paranormal ability to produce images on photographic film (e.g., by concentrating on a mental image). Most famously demonstrated by Ted Serios. See also psychic photography. Thought Transference See telepathy Trance A dissociated state of consciousness, generally involving reduced awareness of surroundings and external events. Trance Medium A person who enters a state of trance in order to produce mediumistic phenomena. Transcendental Meditation A technique of meditation taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, involving the repetition of a sound (mantra). Transmigration of Souls See reincarnation. Transpersonal Psychology The study of experiences, beliefs and practices that suggest that the sense of self can extend beyond our personal or individual reality. The subject matter of transpersonal psychology overlaps to some extent with parapsychology, but the two disciplines tend to have different approaches and emphases. Parapsychology is primarily concerned to investigate evidence for and against the reality of paranormal phenomena. Transpersonal psychology, on the other hand, is more interested in investigating the transpersonal significance of such phenomena (i.e., the ways in which they may give people a sense of connectedness with a larger, more universal or spiritual reality). See also mysticism. Travelling Clairvoyance (a) An early term for the out of body experience. (b) Clairvoyance exhibited when a subject travels in imagination to another location. Trial In psi tests, a single attempt to demonstrate paranormal ability (e.g., one attempt to guess a card or one attempt to influence the fall of the dice). Trumpet A conical tube (often luminous) used in seances to produce direct voice communication. U Ufology The study of UFOs. Umbanda A Brazilian spiritist religion. See also Candomble, Voodoo. Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) Unexplained sightings of lights or objects in the sky, often taken to be evidence of extraterrestrial visitations. Up Through Technique An experimental test for clairvoyance in which the subject guesses the order of a stacked series of target symbols (e.g., cards) from bottom to top. Cf. down through technique. V Veridical Information or experience that is confirmed by facts and events. Veridical Dream A dream that corresponds to real events (past, present or future) that are unknown to the dreamer. Vision A religious apparition. Voodoo A spiritist and ancestor religion, originating in Africa, and now found predominantly in Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba. Magical rites, trance states and possession all play a major role in Voodoo. See also Candomble, Pocomania, Santeria, Umbanda, zombie. W Werewolf A person who has been magically transformed into a wolf or other dangerous beast. See also lycanthropy, therianthropy, shape-shifting. White Magic Magical spells or rituals to produce beneficial effects. Cf. black magic. White Noise A hiss-like sound, formed by combining all audible frequencies. See also ganzfeld. Wicca System of witchcraft, especially as practiced today in western countries. Witch Someone who practices witchcraft. Witchcraft Folk magic. See also wicca. Witchdoctor A medicine wo(man) or shaman. X Xenoglossy The ability to speak or write in a language that has not been learned. See also glossolalia. Y Yoga Religious philosophy originating in India. It advocates the use of physical and psycho-spiritual techniques to lead the person to higher consciousness. See also meditation, siddhis. Z Zener Cards Set of 25 cards (5 each of circle, square, Greek cross, five-pointed star, three wavy lines) designed by the perceptual psychologist Karl Zener for use in card-guessing tests of ESP. Also known as ESP cards. Zombie A corpse that has been partly brought back to (soul-less) life by magic. See also Voodoo. | 
