Defining the Paranormal
Welcome to Field Notes from the Beyond!
General Paranormal Studies
High Strangeness – According to Jack Hunter in his book Deep Weird, high strangeness refers to paranormal experiences that are “utterly bizarre, and cannot be neatly classified or easily understood”. They fall in between the established categories typically used by academics and other paranormal researchers.
Ghosts & Hauntings
Single-Axis Meters - EMF meters that measure EMF in one dimension at a time.
Cryptids
Gwrach-y-Rhibyn - A mythical flying humanoid found in Wales. The name is from the Welsh language and means "hag of the warning". She is a thin female with long black hair and sunken black or gray eyes. She has long batlike wings and a crooked back. She is known for flying low over rivers and streams while wearing long black robes and is associated with impending death. Sightings were common in the latter half of the 18th century in the Caerphilly Swamp.
Aliens & UFOs
Zero Point Energy - The lowest possible energy that a quantum mechanical system can have, known as the baseline energy of empty space. Quantum systems always retain vibrational motion, even in their lowest energy states. This is unlike classical mechanics where there is no motion at absolute zero. Extracting energy or useable power from this space is highly speculative, but is often linked to UFOs as a potential limitless power source to create antigravity and allow for the seemingly impossible maneuvers of UFOs.
Non-Human Entities
Sylphs - According to Paracelsus’ classification of elemental spirits, these are the spirits associated with the air element.
Psychic Abilities
Cassandra - A mythological figure from around 1200 B.C. or B.C.E. who may have been a real woman. She is said to have received the gift of prophecy by Apollo, who also cursed her to never be believed because she refused to become his lover. She was the daughter of King Priam of Troy and supposedly repeatedly warmed her people about the danger of invasion from Greece, but no one listened. Her gift caused her to go insane.
Magic
Low Magic - Rare and mysterious magic that is difficult to acquire and control. It is usually learned through a mentor or through great personal effort. It is subtle and uses rare items.
Coming Up Next
Next in Field Notes from the Beyond:
1/12: This Day in Paranormal History
1/14: Cryptid Compendium: Pennsylvania Little People
1/16: Defining the Paranormal
This Month on Beyond the Human: Xenoanthropology
Next Month on Beyond the Human: La Santa Muerte
Who are we?
We are a group of scholars interested in understanding paranormal, supernatural, and anomalous phenomena from an academic perspective. We want to document and validate experiences people have and study them in a rigorous way to bring credibility to these phenomena. Join us for our monthly podcast Beyond the Human and follow us on Spotify, Instagram, and Patreon to learn more about who we are, our methods, and what we want to learn!