-M-

 

Magic:

A broad term with many varying definitions. In short, any art which seeks to influence the physical world through

the use of supernatural phenomena.

 

Magic square:

A square array of numbers in which the sum of each row, column and diagonal is the same. In some ancient

cultures,

thought to have magical powers.

 

Magician:

A person who practices some form of magic. In popular culture a magician is an entertainer, although this type of

magician is more properly referred to as an illusionist.

 

Mahatma:

A master of esoteric knowledge, a guru.

 

Maleficia:

"Evil happenings", misfortunes and catastrophes with no obvious earthly cause, attributed to the influence of

witchcraft, evil spirits, etc.

 

Malleus Maleficarum:

Latin for "Hammer Against Witches", a medieval text written by Dominican friars Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich

Kramer, and published in 1486.

 

Mammon:

Demon mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew, 6,4). Has come to be known as the demon of money, or

the demon of love of money.

 

Mandala:

In Buddhism and Hinduism, a symbolic diagram of the universe used for ritual purposes.

 

Mapinguari:

A prehistoric cryptid that reportedly lived in the Amazon rain forests of South America.

 

Materialization:

The appearance of objects or living beings from thin air. A popular trick at seances in the late 19th and early 20th century.

 

Medium:

A person who is said to have the ability to communicate with the dead.

 

Men in black:

A phenomena associated with UFO sightings, in which men dressed in black appear. It is claimed that these men

assist in cover-ups and discourage witnesses from speaking publicly. This phenomena was made famous in the

"Men in Black" movies.

 

Merlin:

Legendary sorcerer and counselor of Uther Pendragon and his son King Arthur.

 

Mesmer, Franz Anton:

(1734-1815) An Austrian physician who believed that the human nervous system is magnetised. He developed a

therapeutic regime based on restoring magnetic balance. His technique of slowly waving his hands or a magnetic

wand in front of a patient led to the the term "mesmerised".

 

Mokele-mbembe:

A lake monster said to inhabit the swamps in the Republic of the Congo and central Africa.

 

Moon:

A natural satellite of a planet. "The Moon" is the official name of Earth's only natural satellite. The Moon is a

common and powerful force in many systems of belief and folklore.

 

Mothman:

A creature reportedly sighted numerous times in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, USA, between November 1966 and

November 1967. Mothman was said to be a man-sized creature with wings and large reflective or luminous eyes.

 

Mystery helicopters:

Unmarked helicopters, often coloured black, which have been reported flying near the scenes of unusual paranormal

activity (e.g. cattle mutilations, UFO sightings).

 

Mythology: 

The accumulated collection of myths, folklore, legends and ancient stories from a given culture.