Glossary of Terms in Parapsychology
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Fairy
Small, human-like mythical being. May be benevolent or malevolent. Also known as Fey. Mainly of Celtic & Germanic Origins
Faith Healing
Healing that is associated with prayer or belief in Divine power.
False Awakening
An experience in which a person believes he or she has woken up, but actually is still dreaming.
Faraday Cage
A wire mesh enclosure that provides a shield to radio waves.
Feedback
The giving of information to subjects about their performance on a test. See also biofeedback.
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Fire Walking
Walking on red-hot coals, without pain or damage to the feet.
Flying Saucer
A term, coined in 1947, to refer to unknown disk-like aerial objects, often believed to be extra-terrestrial spacecraft. The term has now been largely superseded by "UFO".
Focal Person
Person who is at the centre of poltergeist activity.
Forced-Choice Test
An ESP test in which the subject guesses from a predetermined list of alternative targets.
Fortean Phenomena
Strange phenomena, especially those which challenge conventional scientific knowledge. Named after the American researcher and writer Charles Fort. Fortean phenomena include those generally considered paranormal, but also bizarre non-paranormal events such as monsters and prodigies, extraordinary coincidences, and unusual rains.
Fortune Telling
Various practices which aim to divine future events. See also divination.
Fraud
The deliberate faking of paranormal phenomenon, generally for the purpose of financial gain, psychological manipulation, or notoriety. Faking for the purpose of entertainment (e.g., by stage magicians and mentalists) is not normally classed as fraud.
Free-Response Test
An ESP test in which the subject responds freely (does not choose from a fixed list of targets). For example, the subject may write down or draw their impressions, or may talk freely into a tape recorder. In order to assess the accuracy of the responses, they are compared with various targets (including the actual target) by a judge. See also preferential matching.