In a previous blog entry entitled “Common Paranormal Entities” located at https://mwvspirit.com/blog/2021/10/10/common-paranormal-entities we discussed the five entities that you hear spoken about most frequently including ghosts, poltergeists, spirits, thought forms, and wraiths. However there are many dozens more, most of them mythological or religion based creatures. Today we will review a dozen more familiar paranormal entities that you may have heard of or may hear about at some point when engaged in the paranormal field of study.

• “Angels” are a construct of the religion known as Christianity and not one of paranormal science. Christians believe that angels are belevolent messengers of a deity that they call “god.” They are said to have wings and a long robe. An angel is not a term used in a scientific paranormal investigation.
• “Banshee” is a term originating in Ireland to describe a female paranormal entity that would warn you of imminent death by wailing loudly. It is often used in American vernacular to describe someone screaming. You may hear it used on some paranormal television shows to describe a paranormal scream.
• “Demons” are a construct of the religion known as Christianity and not one of paranormal science. Christians believe that demons are malevolent evil spirts and are a product of the Devil, another Christian construct. Demon is a term often used incorrectly by paranormal investigators and ghost hunters in place of the word “malevolent” or “poltergeist” when someone is describing a certain paranormal entity. Demon is not a term used in a scientific paranormal investigation.
• “Doppelgänger” is a term used in American culture to describe someone who looks very similar to someone else. Doppelgänger has Germanic origins and translates to American english as “double-goer”. Some people have claimed that a paranormal entity has taken their own form. One explanation of this phenomenon is palinopsia also known as”retinal burn, ghost image, or as an after image”. If you look at an object and then look in a direction where the ambient light is darker you can momentarily still see what you were previously looking at. For example look at your cell phone for several seconds and then close your eyes. You will briefly still see a blurry image of your cell phone after your eyes are closed. In any case pertaining to a doppelgänger that I have come across in my career could have been explained by palinopsia after looking into a reflective surface such as a mirror, still water, or a shiny wall or object.
• “Fairies” is a term that you may hear from once in a great while, usually from someone outside of America when referring to a paranormal entity that seemed to have the ability to move through air. It is not a term generally used in America during paranormal investigations.
• “Ghoul” is a term that some investigators will use to represent a malevolent spirit or a poltergeist. It simply means evil spirit.
• “Guide” also referred to as a “spirit guide” or “guardian angel” is a term used when someone describes a paranormal entity that they believe is watching over and protecting them throughout their life. This term originated in Africa, but the term “guardian angel” is primarily used by people of Christian faith and the term “spirit guide” by those who believe there is a similar figure in their life, but without religious overtones.
• “Imp” is a term used to describe a mischievous fairy. This term is not used often in American paranormal investigations and ghost hunts, however is used more often in other countries.
• “Parasitic” refers to an entity that is believed to feed off the energy of a human or animal.
• “Phantom” is another word for “ghost” that is not used often in America, but is more frequently in other countries.
• “Shadow People” which is also spoken of in the single tense as “shadow person.” This is an entity that resembles a shadow instead of an apparition or manifestation. In general these are typically caused by an optical illusion through peripheral vision. Some mind altering recreational drugs can cause someone to see shadow people. Severe sleep deprivation can cause someone to see them as well. Anxiety which is known to have perception altering affects can cause someone to see what they believe to be a shadow person. A shadow person is often given a representation as a negative entity on paranormal television shows, often lurking in corners, or visiting sick people, or those close to death.
• “Spectre” is a term of French origin that means “ghost.” You will hear it used more often in France and surrounding countries. You will not hear it often in the paranormal investigation field in America.
• “Sprite” is another term for fairy. It is also used to describe a faint flash of light seen above thunderstorms by air craft pilots. It is caused by the collision of high-energy electrons with air molecules. Some paranormal investigators and ghost hunters have reported seeing similar phenomenon near ground level.
• “Tulpa” is a paranormal entity that is created through mental or spiritual abilities. It is typically an intelligent entity similar to a spirit that is sentient. When someone has an imaginary friend that they believe with all their heart is real and eventually becomes a paranormal entity is one method on how this could occur. It is believed people who are able to reach a deep meditative state are able to create a tulpa using their own energies. A tulpa is similar to a spirit, except it is caused by a human that is alive in contrast to a spirit which is an entity of someone who has died.

In my research I have found dozens of other terms that are used to describe paranormal entities, however they were of mythical or religious origin, and not typically spoken of by paranormal investigators or ghost hunters.