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Palladino, Eusapia:

(1854-1918) A well-known Italian spiritualist.

 

Palmistry:

A method of observing the characteristics of a person's hand to understand their personality. Some palmists also

claim that future events can be predicted by hand-reading.

 

Paranormal:

Events or abilities outside the range of normal experience that remain unexplained by established science.

paranormal photography: The endeavor of collecting physical evidence of the paranormal in the form of photographs.

 

Parapsychology:

The study of the human mind's ability to perform paranormal feats, e.g. ESP, telekinesis, etc.

 

Passing bell:

A bell rung in church when a person is near death, in order to frighten away evil spirits who might try to take the

departing soul.

 

Philosopher's stone:

In alchemy, a stone or substance which can transmute base metals into gold.

 

Phrenology:

The study of the elevations and depressions of the skull, based on the belief that they indicate a person's character

and mental capacity.

 

Planchette:

A triangular pointing instrument used with a ouija board in seances.

 

Poltergeist:

A mischievous ghost or entity that makes noises and upsets physical belongings.

 

Possession:

A condition in which a person is said to be under the control of a spirit, demon or other external force. The

cure is exorcism.

 

Precognition:

The ability to foresee the future.

 

Premonition:

A warning of a future event, typically an accident or disaster. Premonitions are often reported as an intense

feeling of foreboding or dread.

 

Pricking:

A method of identifying witches during the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, in which the suspect was

jabbed with a sharp object. If they showed no pain they were considered to be a witch.

 

Project Alpha:

A hoax run from 1979 to 1983 in which two young magicians convinced a university research laboratory that

they had supernatural powers.

 

Projection:

Out-of-body-experience.

 

Prophecy:

A vision or revelation of the future. Religious prophets are people chosen to spread a divine message.

 

Pseudoscience:

Any type of research or conclusion that has the initial appearance of science, but fails to meet the criteria for

scientific validity.

 

PSI:

A term used to describe a range of paranormal abilities and phenomena, e.g. ESP, telekinesis, etc.

 

Psychic:

A person who allegedly has paranormal abilities of the psyche, e.g. ESP, psychokinesis, clairvoyance, etc.

 

Psychokinesis:

The influence of the mind over the physical world, e.g. telekinesis (moving objects with the mind).

 

Psychometry:

The art of sensing the history of an object by touch and psychic perception.

 

Pyramid:

A shape which is sometimes said to possess supernatural properties.

 

Pyromancy:

A form of divination using fire.