Psychic Glossary - details of common terms and phrases and their meanings in the Psychic world
The psychic world has its own terminology and while not exactly jargon, it can be very confusing in the early stages. Below is the Psychics Live Psychic Glossary to help you get a grip and understand some of the psychic terms that you may come across on this site and others.
A
Absent Healing: sometimes referred to as distance healing, this is Healing that takes place when the healer is not in direct contact with the person to be healed, they may be any distance away but the healer uses energy to bring about a healing state. The healer is thought to tap into that healing energy and direct it to the recipient to allow the body to utilize the energy and heal itself. Many believe that there is a vast pool of such healing universal energy that can be tapped into by anyone and used for healing any living thing.
Akashic Book of Records: A mythological book that contains detailed records of every soul’s existence. Akasha is a sancript word meaning sky or space, this book is believed to exist on another plane and hold the detailed records of all being in existence, maybe a cosmic library or esoteric supercomputer, some believe that these records can be manifested and viewed.
Apparition: the appearance to another human being from a spirit or ghost. This means literally to “appear” and is either that of a disembodies spirit or ghost-like appearance
Anchor: A physical or nonphysical reminder that recreates a previous emotional state. We all have anchors and certain memories can elicit an emotional or physical state.
Angel: A positive entity whose purpose is to help you. In Christianity, a messenger of God. Usually a positive celestial spirit. Traditionally portrayed with halo and wings in Christianity but see across other cultures. Taken from the Greek, it literally means messenger. See also Guardian Angels
Angel cards: a form of divination that can help you to connect with angels and messengers to help resolve problems, predict the future or offer guidance. Can also be used as a method of meditation for connection with your own angels/guardian angels(s)
Astral plane: An experience of being outside of your physical body. An astral plane is not of the earth’s plane.
Astral projection (AKA Astral Travel): When a person leaves the physical body and travels to other places in or out of the earth’s plane. Also known as Astral Travel. This is where the astral body and physical body separate. The astral body is said to be able to travel great distances and there have been instances where experiences similar to remote viewing have been recorded. Others claim to be able to leave the earth plane and visit the astral plane.
Astrology: A system of predicting future events through studying the movement of celestial bodies. Using a variety of charts, time of birth and the position of the planets relating to the birth time. See also Horoscope.
Aura: The energy field around a person or object. Said to be of colours and these colours can change to indicate ill health, injury or even variations of mood. It is believed that all living things generate this halo of colourer light and some think that Kirlian photography is able to capture these images.
Automatic writing: Sometimes call spirit Writing, this is writing that comes from your unconscious mind while you’re in a light trance state. Often used as a channel for mediums when in trance or channelling. In some cases the conduit is aware of their surroundings but not aware of the actual writing being output. Instances of archaic language unknown to the writer have been recorded.
B
Bobber: A tool used for dowsing. Sometimes also referred to as a wand, the object is weighted at one end and suspended on a string and “bobs” up and down or back and forth in response to a question.
Body scanning: The ability to look psychically into and around a human body for the purpose of determining the subject’s health. Body scanning can be experienced through any of the five different senses. It is believed that we have a Mental, Spiritual, and Emotional energy body as well as a Physical body. All these energies across those bodies need to be aligned for optimum health. Body scanning assesses and helps realign any issues that are found.
C
Chakras: The body’s energy centres. Taken originally from Hindu texts, Chakras are believed to be the human bodies energy centres, energy vortexes. These energy centres can be unblocked, re-aligned and balanced with the belief that this energy flow needs to be maintained to ensure optimum health and well being.
Channel: A conduit for something to pass through. A psychic channel is a person who has another spirit or entity communicates through them. Channelling is the act of opening oneself up to be a conduit for a spirit who has passed over. Often the core practice for mediumship, this allows the earthly plane or enquirer to connect with the spiritual plane and speak with someone who has passed over (died). Usually this channel is achieved through connecting the medium with a spirit guide.
Clairaudience: The gathering of information through the hearing sense from spirits or those passed over. It could be whispered voices, snippets of conversation or distance sounds. Even though clairaudience means clear hearing, it is usually far from clear and those who may hear voices are not necessarily mad as a bag of badgers. Clairaudience is using the sense of hearing to connect with spirits and then be able to share that message with those here.
Clairsentience: The gathering of information through the sense of feeling. Feeling and sensations are usually relayed from spirits to the psychic who then is to interpret messages. This may also make the person able to offer Psychometric, clairsentients tend to experience the world through their feelings and this can be very exhausting. Sometimes also referred to because of this deep understanding of others feelings as empathy.
Clairvoyance: The gathering of information psychically through the senses. Clairvoyance means clear sight, for many psychics this is catching images and also utilising all the other senses and what some refer to as the 6th sense to gather information. Unlike telepathy, clairvoyance is not transmitted from the seeker to the psychic; it is derived from an external source. Some clairvoyants use divination to predict future outcomes. It is a form of ESP.
Conscious mind: The surface of the mind; the communication centre where you process thoughts and ideas. The part of the brain that deals with rational thought and is pre-occupied with concerns and daily activities.
Crystal Ball: Crystal or glass ball believed to aid clairvoyance. It is sometimes known as a show stone. The art or process of “seeing” is known as “crying,” whereby images are seen in crystals, or other mediums such as water, and are interpreted as meaningful information. The “information” gleaned then is used to make important decisions in one’s life.
D
Deductive psychic image: A psychic image that comes from your unconscious mind’s ability to take in external sensory stimuli. All experiences are stored, your psychic intuition reaches and gathers data beyond outside your conscious awareness to provide an answer of direction – can be prevented as an image.
Déjà vu: The feeling that you have been someplace or done something before. For many exploration could lead to a previous life experience or this is known for some people to be a manifestation of psychic or intuitive ability.
Destiny: pre-ordained life outcomes that are fixed in time and may be seen as being meant to happen. How and where you reach your destiny is within your control, choices you have can change this.
Diamons (alt Daemons): Divine spirits that offer wisdom, usually through internal voices. Can be associated with psychic phenomena such see clairaudience
Divination: The ability to predict the future or find objects by information gathered through psychic abilities. Many different tools can be used to aid in divination. Tealeaves, tarot cards, palmistry and crystal balls are some of the more common tools.
Dowser: A person who uses a psychic tool to locate underground water, mineral deposits, or other unseen things.
Dowsing: A method of finding water or objects using psychic tools. Typical pendulums and dowsing rods.
E, F
Energy Healing: This is a generic term that relates to regaining health though aligning the flow of natural, invisible energy within and around dour bodies. This can be achieved or diagnosed and resolved in a variety of different ways to repair and resolve issue with energy flow around your body that may be causing ill health. See also Body Scanning, Reiki and Chakras.
Empathy / Empathic: The ability to understand the experience or emotional state of another person or animal. Often used to refer to an apparently psychic ability to experience another person’s sensations, pain or emotions. Empathic. The ability to feel what another feels (near) and to then manifest those feelings in one’s body, mind, and/or spirit.
Exorcism: A rite to get rid of evil spirits, usually performed by a priest.
Esoteric: The term Esotericism refers to the doctrines or practices of esoteric knowledge, or otherwise the quality or state of being described as esoteric, or obscure. Esoteric knowledge is that which is specialised or advanced in nature, available only to a narrow circle of “enlightened”, “initiated”, or highly educated people. In contrast, exoteric knowledge is knowledge that is well-known or public.
Etheric plane: In Theosophy, the etheric plane is related to the Prana principle and is understood as the vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and the vital energy in all natural processes of the universe.
Etheric body: The etheric body, or vital body is one of the subtle bodies in esoteric philosophies, in some religious teachings and in New Age thought. It is understood as a sort of life force body or aura that constitutes the “blueprint” of the physical body, and which sustains the physical body.
Extra sensory perception (ESP): Paranormal acquisition of information. Includes clairvoyance, telepathy and precognition. A general term used to describe most skills of a psychic nature Guide A spirit who is believed to assist a person’s spiritual journey, differing often from angels and guardian angel There “Job” may be to a person in psychic communication. Some are thought to be lifelong assistants however, many psychics report that their “Guide” can sometimes be replaced by a new guide. Not to be confused with schizophrenia!
Fairy: A form of spirit resembling a small person; fairies are said to have magical powers. An incorporeal being believed to have powers to affect the course of human events. Fae folk have been known to appear in wooded areas and may also offer guidance at spirit level for mediums and other seers.
Fate: a predetermined outcome that was “meant to happen”, differing from destiny in so far as it is believed this will happen regardless of anything we may do.
Free will: The freedom to choose — to follow or reject the soul’s purpose. You are allowed to choose the course of actions you take and therefore while you may have certain elements of your life that are Fated you are still in control of your own destiny.
G
Gatekeeper: A strong and powerful guide who acts as your protector. Sometimes referred to as a spirit gatekeeper it is believed that they will guide your journey through the afterlife as you exit (die) this world or enter it (newly or reincarnated).
Ghost: A ghost is a non-corporeal manifestation of the spirit or soul of a dead person which has remained on Earth after death. It can be energy or an embodiment of a deceased person or animal. Ghosts can be perceived by the living in a number of ways: through sight (apparitions), sound (voices), smell (fragrances and doors), touch - and sometimes they can just be sensed. Some are said to appear at certain times, when their resting or homes have been disrupted, others appear to be almost an echo, repeating certain activates at or close to their time of death.
Glyph: A horoscope symbol for each sun and moon sign.
Goal-focused psychic intuition: A combination of deductive and random intuition. This is where you learn to access and use your psychic intuition with deliberate intent to help with a specific request or outcome (goal).
Guardian Angels: A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Many believe that we all have guardian angels, whose purpose is to intervene and help and protect us throughout our lives. Often an unexplained intuitive or inner voice or unexplained action saves us or prevent serious injury or fatality may be linked to a guardian angel.
Guidance system: The guidance system has two parts; internal and external. Your internal guidance system is the connection to and advice from whatever it is you believe in — God, angels, guides, or other beings. Your external guidance system is made up of the elements that go with you to help you on your soul’s journey. However you navigate through life – intuition, internal or external help and various personal beliefs will make up your own personal guidance system.
H, I
Haunt: the action of a ghost to visit or remain within a locality and make their presence known. Some of the most popular places they haunt are burial grounds, cemeteries, sacred sites, places where there are strong magnetic fields, places of religious worship, caves, places where acts of violence occurred, actually the place or point of death (especially if sudden or violent) Inns & taverns, theatres, ancient ruins, castles, and personal habitats – where the ghost resided or worked. Many people see ghosts of family members in their home as an example.
Hologram: A three-dimensional image. The like that is now seen in 3d cinemas. Sometimes thought to be a representation of the universe
Horoscope: A chart developed from your birth date that includes the patterns of the heavens at the exact time of your birth. Your personal horoscope is meant to be your guide to the future, providing predictions of what might happen. Horoscopes can be from various beliefs such as the zodiac or Chinese horoscopes as examples.
Hypnagogia (Hypnogogic): Hypnagogia are the experiences a person can go through in the hypnagogic (or hypnogogic) state, the period of falling asleep. Hypnagogic sensations collectively describe the vivid dream-like auditory, visual, or tactile sensations that can be experienced in a hypnagogic or hypnopompic state.
Hypnosis: An altered state of consciousness in which the unconscious mind accepts suggestions. This can be naturally occurring such as highway hypnosis or created intentionally with meditation or with the help of a qualified guide (hypnotist or hypnotherapist). See also Trance.
I Ching: An ancient Chinese method of divination consisting of sixty-four hexagrams, each with a different meaning. Traditionally in the form of coins or yarrow stalks but also available as cards etc.
Incarnation: which literally means enfleshment, refers to the conception, and live birth of a sentient creature (generally human being) that is the material manifestation of an entity or force whose original nature is immaterial.
Incorporeal: from Latin, means without the nature of a body or substance. The idea of the incorporeal refers to the notion that there is an incorporeal realm or place that is distinct from the corporeal or material world. For many this related to an energy being or maybe even the human soul or spirit.
Intuition: is an immediate form of knowledge in which the knower is directly acquainted with the object of knowledge. Intuition differs from all forms of mediated knowledge, which generally involve conceptualizing the object of knowledge by means of rational/analytical thought processes. Sometimes referred to as a gut feeling.
Intuitive: A person sensitive to the feelings of other life forms, as well as signals of nature. Psychics sometimes refer to themselves as being intuitive
Intuition: The ability to know things that is not related to conscious reasoning. The guidance from an internal or external force to know or predetermine and outcome or course of action.
K, L
Karma: Unresolved situations from past lives that carry over into the current life. Hindu and Buddhist ethical doctrine of “as one sows, so shall one reap”. Hence the saying “Do as you would be done by” There is a belief that all deeds good and or bad will be answered for and debts repaid for any misdemeanours in this lifetime or the next. Every action has a reward or penalty.
Kirlian photography: a photographic method involving high frequency electric current, discovered by S.D. & V. Kirlian in the Soviet Union. Kirlian photographs often show coloured halos or “auras” surrounding objects. Many ancients texts, cave drawings and carvings are often depicted showing this energy field around living things. Perhaps at one time in our past, many more people were able to view them?
Kinaesthetic: Sense of touch or feeling. People who favour this sense are called Kinaesthetic and may use psychic skills related to the sense of touch (see clairsentient and psychometric.)
Life map: Potential conditions for soul development that each person is born with; their free will to make life choices determines whether they will meet their potential. See also Destiny
Life work: The plan for your soul’s development during your present lifetime.
L-rod: A tool for dowsing that consists of two metal rods bent at a right angle and that swing easily with the use of tubes placed over the short ends.
Law of attraction: A way to be manifest items or outcomes desired in your life by using the tools of quantum physics, the belief that everything in the universe can be created using the energy from thought
Lucid dream: A dream that starts in your dream state and continues into your waking state allowing you to seem to control the dream state. For some this time can aimed a precognitive state.
M
Magic mirror: Like a crystal ball, usually a flat object with a reflective surface, the magic mirror is used in the same way as a form of divination usually called scrying.
Magic: Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. The terms can also refer to the practices employed by a person to wield this influence, and to beliefs that explain various events and phenomena in such terms.
Magnetism: Power that can bring about healing without using traditional medicine. Can also be used to draw another to you (animal magnetism) initial studies in this proved to be the forefathers of today’s hypnosis
Major Arcana: The 22 cards that do not belong to one of the four suits of cards in the Tarot. Each card has a specific theme and represents archetypal or major forces in your life.
Manifest reality: Everything that can be touched or seen or heard or smelled or tasted. What is “real and tangible” in the world.
Medical intuitive: The psychic skill of knowing the health condition of others or being able to predict changes in health.
Medium: A person through whom the deceased can communicate with the living.
Mental telepathy: Nonverbal communication through the mind. Can be voice or images or a combination thereof.
Metaphysics: this is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the ultimate nature of reality, being, and the world. More recently, the term “metaphysics” has also been used more loosely to refer to “subjects that are beyond the physical world”.
Major Arcana: Cards belonging to the Tarot, the Major Arcana or trumps are a suit of twenty-two cards in the tarot deck, these are symbolic cards and are usually thought to relate to matters of higher significance or focus within a tarot reading.
Minor Arcana: Cards belonging to the four suits in the Tarot that represent four seasons, the directions, the elements, the four parts of your body, and the physical, mental, spiritual, and soul. They are meant to help you focus on your direction in your life journey.
Miracle: An occurrence with no explanation based on reality, usually attributed to a supernatural power that intervenes in the normal course of events.
Mystic or Seer: A person who has mystical experiences. Archaic term that is used to loosely refer to psychics, mediums or romantics. Paranormal usually relates to beside or beyond the normal. Inexplicable in terms of our ordinary accepted understanding or current scientific knowledge or understanding, including prophetic dreams, psychic ability, mediumship and healing. Past-Life Regression: A technique of hypnosis involving regressing people to supposed previous lives. One must question the wisdom of this practice, as if we were meant to remember everything-we perhaps would!
Mysticism: This is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is one’s destiny, purpose, or an important source of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
N, O
Near-death experience: A form of out-of-body experience. One that only occurs at or very close to the point of death from which the victim recovers or is resuscitated
Neurolinguistic programming (NLP): A communication technique developed by Grinder and Bandler to change and improve thinking processes. Sometimes called the science of success, this is a leading edge self development strategy for self improvement.
Numerology: the act of using numbers and sequences of numbers for the purpose of divination
Occult: The word has many uses in the English language, popularly meaning ‘knowledge of the paranormal’. For most practicing occultists it is simply the study of a deeper spiritual “reality” that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences.
Open channel: An altered state of consciousness in which you are open to the information flow and energies of other entities.
Ouija board: A board game that is designed to ask questions of spirits, who can answer with a “yes,” “no,” or by spelling out answers. A form of channelling or spirit contact.
Out-of-body experience: When energy leaves your body and goes someplace else. Also see astral travel
P
Palmistry: The ability to read the future by studying the lines and shapes of the palm of the hand.
Paranormal: above or outside the normal, this usually relates to occult or experiences that are not readily explained by scientific theory or evidence.
Parapsychology: branch of psychology that deals with paranormal events and seeks to prove these events and experiences using scientific methods and study. The aim is to provide scientific evidence of a range of paranormal phenomena.
Pendulum: A tool for dowsing that consists of a string or chain with a weight at the end.
Phobia: An anxiety disorder that is usually a fear of certain situations or specific objects.
Portal: A doorway, entrance, or gate between two worlds, the physical and the spiritual.
Postcognition: A visual image that shows how an event from the past actually happened.
Posthypnotic suggestion: A suggestion given during a hypnosis trance that continues after the trance has ended.
Power animal: A spirit animal that acts as a guide. Not all spirit guides are in human form, power animals are common to belief systems such as native american Indians as an example.
Precognition: The knowledge of something that may happen in the future. Foresight and sometimes can come in the form of a premonition.
Premonition: The feeling that something is going to happen before it does.
Prophecy: an older term relating to the ability or act of making a prediction about the future using paranormal skills
Prophet: a seer who is know for acts of prophecy and is usually consulted for important events.
Psychic: The ability to obtain information from sources either internal (intuition) or external (psychic skills, passed over persons) or other supernatural access points such as various tools of divination. Psychic as a term is more generalised and covers a range of paranormal abilities and approaches.
Psychic Intuition: 3 types are deductive, random and goal focused. Deductive intuition comes from the unconscious mind; random intuition comes from the Universal Mind; and goal-focused intuition works with all three minds. Your mental makeup determines the type of intuition that is yours. Each person has a unique form of intuition that may be a blend of any of the three types.
Psychic Reading: A way to contact a psychic and have them answer a question or predict elements of the future to assist with questions, concerns or problems. This can be via a face to face reading, a telephone psychic reading or using more modern technology such as forums, email and chat.
Psychokinesis: The ability to levitate, move objects, heal, and manipulate psychic energy.
Psychometry: It is thought possible that memories of the past can be embedded into objects or locations and many psychics have shown that information from objects is possible to glean. Metal objects are extremely useful to psychics for this purpose, as they seem to hold the most “Charge” and memories.
Q, R
Quatrain: Poetry form in which each stanza consists of four lines and rhymes alternately.
Random psychic intuition: A psychic experience that comes at a time when it is unexpected and usually unwanted.
Raudive Voices: Intelligible (without filtering) voices recorded on magnetic tape under conditions of silence or white noise which is heard only when the tape is played. Extremely clear voices can be recorded and played back phenomena still to be explained by scientist, as to whom, and what causes these voice recordings. A phenomenon discovered by Konstantin Raudive.
Reading (psychic reading): A consultation with a specialist gifted with extra sensorial talents in order to provide insight and guidance.
Reframe: The installation of a new habit into the unconscious mind.
Reiki: A practice of transferring healing energy from the Universal Life Force through the practitioner to the subject. Dr. Mikao Usui developed this practice in the late 1800s.
Remote viewing: A form of astral projection in which the subject is psychically able to view a specific location and to report what he or she observes. An ESP procedure in which a trained remote viewer attempts to become aware psychically of the experience of an agent, terrain object sited at a distant unknown target location. Remote viewing is a psychic or clairvoyant skill. It is known that the CIA has used trained remote viewers to good effect. Remote viewing skills can be taught easily to psychic and improved through practice.
Retrocognition: Psychic information gathered from the past.
Rune: A letter of the ancient alphabet used by Germanic peoples from, approximately, A.D. 200 to 1200. A form of divination.
S
Sanskrit: The ancient language of the Hindu people of India.
Second sight: an informal term for clairvoyance
Seer: see Mystic
Script: The words used to help induce, deepen, and bring about a specific goal in a state of hypnosis.
Scrying: Using visual aids to help produce the proper trance to see into the future.
Shaman: A tribal medicine man, priest, or sorcerer.
Sixth sense: above or higher than the typical 5 senses, this is often referred to as where psychic ability manifests and is experienced
Spirit: A nonphysical entity.
Spirit Guides: Term used by mediums and psychics to describe an entity that remains a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a spiritual counsellor or protector to a living incarnated human being. The term can also refer to animals or totems, controls, angels or nature spirits.
Spirit Writing: see Automatic writing
Spiritism: is a philosophical doctrine akin to Spiritualism, established in France in the mid 19th Century, which has become a sort of religious movement. Like Spiritualists, Spiritists believe in the survival of the souls after death and the importance of eventual communications received from them. Spiritism derives most of its principles from works by the French educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail written under the pseudonym Allan Kardec.
Spiritualism: is a religious movement that began in the United States and was prominent in the 1840s-1920s, especially in English-speaking countries. The movement’s distinguishing feature is the belief that the spirits of the dead can be contacted by mediums. These spirits are believed to lie on a higher plane of existence than humans, and are therefore capable of providing guidance in both worldly and spiritual matters.
Spirituality: in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. The spiritual, involving (as it may) perceived eternal verities regarding humankind’s ultimate nature, often contrasts with the temporal, with the material, or with the worldly. Spirituality often focuses on personal experience. Many spiritual traditions share a common spiritual theme: the “path”, “work”, practice, or tradition of perceiving and internalizing one’s “true” nature and relationship to the rest of existence (God, creation (the universe), or life), and of becoming free of the lesser egoic self (or ego) in favour of being more fully one’s “true” “Self”.
Spiritual healing: Use of spiritual means in treating disease. Spiritual healing can also refer to the self-empowerment or self-actualization process or steps within those processes that often occurs with individuals seeking enlightenment or meaning in their lives.
Supernatural: The supernatural refers to forces and phenomena which are not observed in nature, and therefore beyond verifiable measurement.
Subconscious: See “unconscious mind.”
Synchronicity: More than one thing that happens at the same time.
T
Tarot: A deck of cards designed for psychic purposes — to help interpret past, present, and future events. These can also be used for games and the modern card decks are thought to have evolved from the larger, more complex tarot decks
Telekinesis: The ability to get a psychic image from an object by touching it.
Telepathy: Communication of one mind with another by some means beyond normal sensory perception.
Teleportation: The mental movement of objects over a distance.
Third eye: The centre of the forehead, which may feel tight and swollen by strong emotions and through which many believe the Universal Mind is contacted.
Time bending: Merging different time periods for the purpose of healing the past.
Trance: An altered state of consciousness in which the unconscious mind is open to suggestion and loses its ability to make critical decisions. This can be used to create a receptive mind state for post hypnotic suggestion. psychic trance can also allow a medium to allow psychic channelling.
U
Unconscious mind: The storage area of the mind that contains all your past experiences; also referred to as the subconscious.
Universal Energy: A form of energy that comes from your belief system. Many think this is how the entire universe is created; this is explored more fully in areas such as quantum physics.
Universal Flow: The energy that is transmitted to and through you by the Universe or your Belief System.
Universal Mind: The part of your soul where you enlist the unknown to give you strength and produce miracles. See universal unconscious.
Universal unconscious: Reached through the unconscious mind and believed to be the source from which you retrieve information and answers that have no scientific explanation; you’re Belief System.
Unmanifest reality: Something real that cannot be seen or touched or readily explained.
