Defining the Paranormal
Welcome to Field Notes from the Beyond!
General Paranormal Studies
Boggle Threshold - According to historian of psychical research Renée Haynes in 1980, this is the point at which a paranormal, supernatural, or other strange experience is deemed so outlandish and unlikely that it is entirely dismissed by a researcher or anyone else. It varies from person to person.
Ghosts & Hauntings
Tri-Axis Meters - EMF meters that measure all three axes simultaneously to provide complete measurement without reorienting the device.
Cryptids
Bozho - A serpentine freshwater lake monster from Lake Medota, Wisconsin, with a long head and neck, large eyes, and a long tongue. Eyewitness reports say they are green with light-colored spots. The name is the Potawatomi word for “hello”, but it may instead be a shortened form of the Algonquian trickster known as Manabozho.
Aliens & UFOs
Disclosure - A movement among some UFO researchers that suggests world governments, often specifically the US government, should release secret information regarding the existence of non-human intelligence.
Non-Human Entities
Salamanders - According to Paracelsus’ classification of elemental spirits, these are the spirits associated with the fire element.
Psychic Abilities
Cassandra Complex - Based on the psychic Cassandra’s experiences, this is a term now used for people who predict difficulties in politics, business, or other fields who no one listens to until their predictions come true.
Magic
The Book of Abramelin - A 15th century grimoire purported to describe a magical system developed by an Egyptian Jewish sage Abramelin and later popularized by Aleister Crowley.
Coming Up Next
Next in Field Notes from the Beyond:
1/19: This Day in Paranormal History
1/21: The Haunted World: Missouri State Penitentiary
1/23: 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!