Psychic vocabulary · claims and methods
A glossary is a starting point, not proof
Parapsychology investigates reported experiences and claims described as psychic or paranormal. The terms below mix proposed phenomena, spiritual practices and methods of interpretation. Knowing a name does not establish that the claimed ability works.
What is being investigated?
The Society for Psychical Research dates its foundation to 1882. Its history of psychical research describes efforts to investigate disputed phenomena. That history establishes a research tradition, not a guarantee that a modern reader can predict events or obtain hidden information.
When reading a profile, separate three questions: What does the person say they experience? What method do they use? What evidence supports the particular claim?
Claims about information
- Clairvoyance
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A claimed perception of information without ordinary sensory access, often described in visual terms. It is not a catch-all synonym for every psychic practice.
- Telepathy
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Claimed communication or awareness of another person’s thoughts without ordinary communication. A convincing impression is not permission to assert what someone privately thinks.
- Precognition and premonition
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Terms for an apparent anticipation of a future event. People may use “premonition” for a feeling of warning and “precognition” for purported knowledge; usage varies. Record a prediction before the event rather than adapting its meaning afterward.
- Retrocognition
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Claimed knowledge of a past event without an ordinary source. A feeling of familiarity alone does not establish access to unknown history.
- Remote viewing
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A label used for attempts to describe a distant or hidden target without ordinary access. A claim needs a clearly specified target, protection against information leakage and a scoring method set in advance.
- Psychometry
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The practice of offering impressions about a person or history while holding an associated object. An object can prompt a story; independent records are needed to check factual details.
Interpretive and spiritual practices
- Divination and scrying
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Divination uses a symbolic or ritual method to seek guidance. Scrying uses a reflective surface or similar focus. These can be presented as reflective practices without treating their interpretations as established facts.
- Automatic writing
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Writing experienced as spontaneous or not deliberately planned. Some practitioners interpret it spiritually; the experience of writing alone does not identify an external author.
- Mediumship
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A practice involving claims of communication with the deceased or spirits. Describe the claim honestly and leave room for disagreement; a bereaved person should not be pressured to accept a message or purchase more sessions.
- Astral projection
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A spiritual interpretation of an experience of being outside the physical body. Keep the reported experience separate from the further claim that a spirit body physically travelled elsewhere.
- Aura reading
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An interpretation of a supposed field surrounding a person. Color descriptions should not be used to diagnose illness, determine another person’s character or replace a health assessment.
Claims about physical effects
- Psychokinesis or telekinesis
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Claimed influence on physical objects through mental activity alone. A performance or unexplained movement does not, by itself, establish the mechanism.
- Apportation
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A claim that an object appears, disappears or is transported through paranormal means. Check ordinary access, handling and documentation before drawing a conclusion.
- Levitation
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A claim that a body or object rises without an ordinary physical explanation. Do not confuse a feeling of floating with a verified physical event.
- Pyrokinesis
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A term for the claimed mental production or control of fire, also familiar from fiction. It is not a safe practice exercise: do not create fire hazards to test a claim.
Health and practical decisions need different evidence
Energy healing: This label covers different practices and should not be defined as removing illness. For Reiki specifically, NCCIH reports that effectiveness for health purposes has not been clearly demonstrated and there is no scientific evidence for its proposed energy field. Do not replace or delay appropriate healthcare with a reading or healing claim.
Dowsing: Practitioners use rods, pendulums or similar tools to seek water or other hidden targets. The U.S. Geological Survey explains that finding groundwater requires hydrologic, geologic and geophysical knowledge; apparent successes can occur where groundwater is widespread. A rod movement is not a substitute for a professional site assessment.
A note on transliminality
The earlier version placed this term alongside claimed abilities. It is better treated separately as a psychological research concept concerning material entering awareness, not as a service promising access to hidden facts. Do not use a label or self-description as a diagnosis, credential or proof of psychic ability.
Questions to ask before booking or offering a reading
- Is the session described as reflection, spiritual interpretation or a factual prediction?
- Can the reader explain their method without promising certainty?
- Can you disagree, end the session and keep your personal information private?
- Are prices, duration and cancellation terms clear before you commit?
- Are health, safety and other consequential decisions left to appropriate evidence and qualified support?
A useful description tells you what will happen in the session. It should not require you to accept an extraordinary claim before you can ask ordinary questions.
Editorial correction: This article previously presented several disputed abilities as facts and described energy practices as curing illness. Those statements have been replaced with qualified descriptions and explicit limits.
The article did a good job of classifying and explaining various psychic phenomena. It helps demystify the topic, although skepticism remains warranted without conclusive proof.
The historical context provided by the article is quite enlightening. It seems parapsychology has roots in rigorous academic inquiry, with contributions from notable scholars. This lends some credibility to the field, even if the phenomena it studies remain controversial.
The diverse forms of psychic phenomena mentioned, such as remote viewing and psychometry, are fascinating. Understanding these could potentially open new realms of human cognition, even if only partially validated.
Reading about the historical figures and the evolution of terminology in parapsychology was interesting. It highlights how even fringe sciences have structured approaches and dedicated terminology.
The article presents an extensive list of psychic phenomena that are under the purview of parapsychology. However, it would be beneficial to see more empirical evidence supporting these claims.
I agree. Anecdotal evidence and subjective experiences are intriguing, but rigorous scientific methods need to be employed to validate these phenomena.
Empirical evidence might be challenging to gather given the nature of these phenomena, but controlled experiments and peer-reviewed research could help establish a more solid foundation.