Terms have been gathered by many sources.

Anomaly/Anomalies:  An irregular image that appears on photographs or video

Apparition:  An unusual appearing ghostly figure

Astral Projection:  An out-of-body experience

Aura:  A quality that seems to surround every living thing

Clairaudience:  To hear things outside the range of normal perception

Clairsentience:  To feel or smell things outside the range of normal perception

Clairvoyance:  To see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses

Cleansing:  The act of eliminating entities or phenomenon from a location

Cold Spot:  An area which seems to be cooler than surrounding areas

Coloration:  The change in frequency response caused by resonance.  This usually sounds either like a ringing in the ears, or white noise.

Disembodied Voices:  A voice recorded (or heard) which comes from no physically known source.

Earthbound:  A spirit that is 'trapped' in the physical world and unable to transcend into the spiritual plane do to interference of many different reasons such as lack of awareness of death, unfinished business, emotional reasons, fear or confusion.

Ectoplasm:  A substance solid or vaporous in nature which old folklore suggest sometimes extruded from the body of a medium and smells like ozone.  It is usually milky white in color.   The short word form "ecto" is widely used to recognize a vaporous mist found in pictures from many investigators.

Electromagnetic Field (EMF):  A field propagated by a combination of electric and magnetic energy that radiates from radio and light waves to gamma and cosmic rays. It is believed that a spirit can manipulate these fields or create its own.

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP):  EVP research is the attempt to capture a ghost or spirit's voice on audio recording devices. Typically there is no voice heard to the people present in the recording, but after reviewing the tapes, there are strange voices captured. RIP Studies uses the standard classification system for rating EVPs: A, B and C Class.

Encounters:  There are generally 3 kinds of ghosts you may encounter: Intelligent (once human), Residual (left over energy of the past) or Malevolent (mean, unfriendly and possibly never human).
Intelligent ghosts have remained on this level for some reason or another. They may not know they are dead, maybe held here by unfinished business, guilt, etc. These spirits have the same personality as they did when they were alive. They could be good or bad, just like the living, but not normally dangerous. This human spirit is the type you will encounter 95% of the time. You could also witness a residual haunting which is just a playback of a past event. This is just like watching a video from the past playing over and over. The other type of spirit you may encounter are Malevolent. They were never human and are generally bad news. The chances that you will encounter this type of spirit, on an investigation or hunt, are slim.

Entity:  A disembodied being or spirit in thought or fact.

Extrasensory Perception (ESP):  Paranormal sensing of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch divided into three categories of telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.  These channels deliver information relevant to the present, past or future that cannot be obtained through the normal senses.

Ghost Hunt:  Going to a place where there have been no sightings of ghosts and trying to obtain pictures, video or sounds (EVP's) of them.  Graveyards, Churches, Schools and old buildings are all great places to start. DO NOT ENTER ANYPLACE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Ghost Investigation:  Going to a known haunted place and recording data (video, photos, audio, temperatures, notes, interviews) and other evidence to prove/disprove the haunting.  DO NOT ENTER ANYPLACE WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Ghoul:  A demon in Islamic lore who feeds on the flesh of human beings, especially travelers, children or corpses stolen out of graves.  The name comes from the Arabic terms "ghul" and "ghula" which represent the masculine and feminine sides.

Haunting:  To inhabit, visit or appear to in the form of a ghost or other supernatural being.  At RIP Studies, many investigations must be performed in order for us to determine a place as haunted.  A combination of at least three evidenciary pieces are required: photos, video. EMF, EVP, IR, etc.

Hot Spot:  An area where frequent paranormal activity occurs.

Infra Red Thermometer (IR): This equipment is helpful in identifying cold or hot spots.  It is believed energy is absorbed or emitted from entities as they react to their surroundings.

Interactive Responsive Communication (IRC):  Interactions with paranormal entities as a knock test, kenetic energy test, EVP and other communications.

Kirlian Photography:  A photographic method showing colored haloes around objects, thought to be auras.

Meditation:  A devotional exercise of or leading to contemplation.

Medium:  A person who is able to communicate with spirits.

Mist:  An anomaly that appears on photos/videos as a cloud of smoke or fog.

Near Death Experience (NDE):  An out-of-body experience people have when they are near death.

Orb:  A spherical, translucent mass of energy resembling a ball or globe of light. This is the most photographed and most basic form of a spirit. These balls of energy have been recorded on film, digital cameras, infrared monitors, and videotapes. Orbs usually appear in most haunted places. Orb-like images can also be caused by moisture (rain, snow, fog), bugs, insects, and dust.

Paranormal:  Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation.

Parapsychology:  The branch of science that studies psychic phenomenon.

Poltergeist:  A ghost/spirit that manifests itself by noises, rappings and the creation of disorder.

Precognition:  Ability to predict thing beyond present knowledge.

Paranormal Research Elimination Study (PRELIMS):  This is a study done when a client contacts us.  This preliminary investigation allows us to gather basic information on the site, localize activity and gives us an idea of where to concentrate further investigations.

Premonition:  A foreboding or warning in advance.

Psychic:  A person with above average ESP abilities.

Psychokinesis (PK):  The mind's ability to affect the external world either spontaneously or through an apparent projection of will. (Mind over matter).  Such effects include movement of objects, levitation, healings, and luminosity without visible cause.

Release:  Helping a ghost or earthbound spirit that is stuck to cross over into the spiritual plane.  Assisting the ghost or energy to "go to the light" and release them from the physical world.  Helping a "lost" soul transcend into the divine realm.

Shadow People:  Spirits or ghosts which are usually black in appearance and have no discernible features.

Spirit:  A ghost or energy of a deceased person.  A vital force, immortal part of man, soul or specter.

Spirit Guide:  Guardian Spirit of a personal nature.  A very protective spirit that is present with one since birth to guide and assist that person through their life.

Soul:  The life force of an individual.  The spiritual and immortal part of a human being.  Seat of emotion, a person's core identity.  The center of moral powers and essence.

Sound Anomalies:  Sounds caught on video or audio tapes that are unexplainable of which no known source is responsible.

Unidentified Sound Phenomenon (USP):  A sound that is either heard at the time or on a recorder that is not a voice but some other unexplainable sound.

White Noise:  Acoustical or electrical noise of which the intensity is the same at all frequencies within a given band