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Abnormal Phenomena- Anything which occurs that appears to be outside the ordinary but not unexplainable. See Paranormal phenomena.

Akashic Record- Imperishable records of every thought and deed contained in the spiritual spheres. It is believed that there is a vault on the other side which holds these records. They are basically records of every life on the physical plane which can be viewed by others for the purposes of education or soul growth.

Alchemy- The art of transforming matter from one thing to another, ie: turning base metals into gold.

Amorphous- Having no definite form or shape. Spirits often appear in mist-like forms. In the cases of spirits, they may begin to take form and then revert back to a mist. When these mist forms are black in color, it is called a shadow ghost. Amorphous mists are often seen in photographs taken in cemeteries or other places. These mists are believed to be electromagnetic energy fields. 

Angels- A spiritual being created by God to serve as a messenger to man. Angels can be good or bad. Everyone is said to have a Guardian Angel assigned to them for protection. Demons still carry the title of Angels. There is currently a re-birth in the belief in Angels as is seen in the number of books, TV shows and movies concerning them.

Anti-Christ- Satan. The opposite of Christ. Many feel that the Anti-Christ will be seen as a man whose appearance will mark the end of the world. Many believe that the Anti-Christ is already alive and is waiting for the opportunity to strike.

Apport- Arrival of objects, either animate or inanimate during a seance or a haunting. Rocks are the most common apport however, they are sometimes found to consist of  teeth, hair, feces or vomit of either an animal or human. There have been reports over the years of frogs and fish raining down on a house during a poltergeist attack.

Arcane- Anything hidden or secret. Used often to describe secret rites or societies. Hidden knowledge.

Arcanum- A mystery.

Archangel- Higher order of Angels. St. Michael and St. Gabriel are two of the Angels who battled Lucifer and his legions. Lucifer still carries the title of Archangel.

Asport- Disappearance of objects that reappear at a later date. The objects in question may reappear in some other place. At that point, the phenomena is labeled teleportation.

Astral Body- An invisible spirit that is an exact replica of the human body which enters the astral plane.

Astral Plane- The level through which spirits must pass after death. People can sometimes reach this level while alive through astral projection. Earthbound spirits are believed to be stuck on this plane for various reasons.

Astral Projection- When the spirit travels outside of the body either to the astral plane or another location on this plane. Also known as out of body experience. (See remote viewing.)

Astral World- The next sphere after the death of the body through which we pass on our way to the light.

Astrology- The study professing to foretell the future as a result of interpreting the heavenly bodies, stars, moons and planets.

Astromancy- Prophesy by means of the stars although different from astrology.

Athame- Ceremonial knife used in some Witchcraft rituals. They have also been used to sacrifice animals or people  during Satanic rituals.

Attraction, Law Of- The belief that one may bring evil spirits into their lives as a result of creating an environment these spirits finds attractive. An example would be someone who does evil things to others for pleasure.

Augury- generic term for all forms of prophesy.

Aura- An emanation of energy which surrounds all living things. Many with psychic abilities are able to see and interpret this energy. Can be viewed through the use of Kirlian photography. It is felt that our physical health is reflected in our auras.

Automatic Writing- Phenomenon in which people write without conscious thought. Many feel that it is spirits writing through the body of a living person. Parapsychologists feel that the phenomena is due to automatism. The writing usually differs from the normal handwriting of the person and those who do automatic writing often do it with the non-dominant hand. In rare cases, some have been able to write with both hands at the same time, writing out two totally different messages in different handwriting. There have been cases reported where the writing is in a language unknown to the writer. This is often used as the argument in favor of a spirit being responsible for the writing as opposed to automatism.  

Automatism- The theory in which the subconscious communicates with the conscious by means of a vehicle such as a Ouija board, automatic writing or pendulum swinging. This is considered to be dangerous as the unconscious mind may send information that the conscious mind is not able to handle.

Autoscope- Any mechanical means whereby communication from the unknown may reach us. Examples would be a seance or the planchette of an Ouija board or automatic writing.

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