The Terminology Of Spiritualism

In the study of Spiritualism, there are many words coined to cover conditions and manifestations out of the ordinary.  Following are words and definitions of many of them:

1.  Mediumship – The ability of human instruments to attune themselves to the vibrations of the spirit people and through peculiar chemical properties of their physical bodies to produce ectoplasm necessary for the manifestation of physical phenomena.

2.  Clairvoyance – Clear seeing; soul seeing; lucidity; the ability to see with the spiritual eye those who have made the change called death and to see their names, messages and symbols written out in the ether.

3.  Clairaudience – Clear hearing or soul hearing; the ability to hear with the spirit ear the voices of those who have made the change called death.

4.  Clairsentience – Clear sensing or soul sensing; the ability to sense the spirit people and to receive their impressions.  This is sometimes called impressional mediumship.

I am perfectly convinced that I have both seen, and heard in a manner which should make unbelief impossible, things called spiritual which cannot be taken by a rational being to be capable of explanation by imposture, coincidence, or mistake ~ Augustus De Morgan

5.  Psychometry – Soul measuring; the ability to read from vibrations emanating from an article held in the hand and to give the name and messages of spirit people connected with it.

6.  Ectoplasm – An outer layer of protoplasm; an emanation from the medium’s body; an etherealized substance which is sensitive to thoughts and exudes from the mucous membrane of the medium’s body.  It is used as the basis for all manifestations of physical mediumship.

7.  Materialization – A phase of physical mediumship which consists of the production of an ectoplasmic replica of the spirit entities former human body.

8.  Telekinesis – Movement at a distance from the motive cause or agency without material connection.  This word is used to cover levitation, through mediumship, of all articles or objects, ectoplasm being the basis of the manifestations.

9.  Supernatural – Meaning due to, or manifesting some agency above the forces of nature.

10.  Occult – Meaning something shrouded in mystery.  It is also a misnomer, as far as psychic science is concerned.  There is no mystery about its phenomena; all occur through the operation of natural law.

11.  Poltergeist – A spirit announcing its presence by raps or other sounds.

12.  Parapsychic – Things marked off from the physical in that they seem due to an unknown intelligence; used in the same sense that metapsychic is used.

These are only a few of the many words that some sensitives use to describe their craft.  Rarely, if ever, does one person embody all of the above abilities.  However, knowledge of these descriptions enable one to understand fundamental metaphysics and universal laws.  Having said that, remember it is not necessary to use ‘big’ words when simple ones will work just as well.  Many of the most wonderful books in the world were written in the simplest of languages.