Glossary

APPARITION?

The sudden unexplainable appearance or manifestation of a ghost.

If apparition's are an objective independent entity, the answer to this question has important implications. For if such experiences are purely subjective, apparitions may be best understood in normal psychological or psychopathological terms with no need to refer to the paranormal. On the other hand, if there are objective physical effects associated with paranormal experiences, interpretations become far more complicated suggesting a wide range of possible explanations such as...

The Neurological Hypothesis:  Whereby exposure to certain environmental energies (or energies of certain frequencies) in the environment possibly affecting brain functioning, which evokes subjective hallucinations of apparitions perhaps due to stimulation of neurological events such as temporal lobe micro seizures.

The Perceptual Hypothesis:  Whereby exposure to certain environmental energies affect brain functioning, which in turn allows us to perceive unusual events or objects such as genuine ghosts that cannot be perceived in ordinary states of awareness.

The Ghost hypothesis: Whereby apparitions are genuine, independent entities that can be directly perceived or indirectly detected as anomalous energetic effects

AURA?

The emanation of invisible energy fields that surrounds all living things. It is believed that our physical health and our emotional state can be detected in our auras. For example: if someone is ill, happy, or sad it will be reflected by the colour of their photographed aura. Those with psychic abilities are alleged to be able to see and interpret this energy. Two Russian scientists by the names of Semyon and Valentina developed the Kirlian photography technique. Through the use of this photography a persons aura is able to be photographed.

BASE LINE TEST?

The term base line test refers to researchers carrying out a pre investigation evaluation of a property, by logging various environmental readings such as EMF readings, Temperature readings and humidity readings before an investigation begins. This then gives a good basis to refer back to and look for changes within the physical environment during the main investigation that could be linked to paranormal phenomena. During the base line tests researchers will also try to look for any possible natural or normal causes for the reported phenomena.

COLD SPOTS?

Cold spots are regularly reported in cases of a haunting, these are areas in a location that appear to have a much lower temperature than that of the room or part of the building that is being investigated. There are Theories that when a ghost is present it will absorb energy in the form of heat from its surroundings, creating these cold spot anomalies. Many cold spots that are encountered can be very intense, such as a drop of 7-8 degrees in an area of no more than a few feet wide. We have to take extra care when we are dealing with cold spots as there can be very rational explanations for them, like an open or drafty window etc near to the area. Most cases however where we make reference to them in our CGR investigations reports we were unable to explain why there should be a drop in temperature so great within a room, after all rational explanations have been ruled out.