4:44 p.m., 2004-02-03
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All information is from Paranormality the A-Z index of Paranormal, Supernatural and Unusual Phenomena. Sentences that have ***'s in them are by me. These will be comments that I add, obviously. From time to time I will be adding more information. If this information happens to be from different sources, I will credit them.
Afterlife n : a life or existence believed to follow death. It can also be life at a later time but usually after death. See also, NDE's, life after death and astral projection.
Akasha n: is believed by some mystical doctrines to be a mystical, spiritual substance where "memories" are stored since the beginning of time. It is one of the five elements in Hindu philosophy and is often described as a form of atmosphere or ether. The Akasha is thought by some to contain a record of everything that has ever happened, but also everything that will ever come to pass in the future. Theosophists believe that persons with special psychic powers can tap into the Akasha or "Astral Light". They achieve this by using their astral bodies or "astral senses" to search for spiritual insights which have been stored for all eternity.
According to ancient Indian tradition the universe consists of two fundamental properties. These are motion and the space through which motion takes place. This space is called the Akasha (Tib.: nam-mkhah). It is also believed to be the substance that enables things to step through into reality and gain visible appearance, extension and corporeality.
The Akasha relates to the three dimensional space of our sense perception and this is called the "mahakasha". The nature of the Akasha is limited not only to this three dimensionality, indeed it is made up of infinite dimensions comprising all possibilities of movement not only physical but spiritual as well.
"Akasha" is derived from the root kash, meaning "to radiate, to shine" It also has the meaning of "ether" believed to be the medium of movement.
The Akasha is thought to be indivisible, eternal and all pervading.
Akashic Record n: a memory bank or storage place for all happenings and experiences since the beginning of time. The Akashic Record supposedly holds records of all thoughts, feelings, events and actions. These are not just things which have come to pass but also things that will ever happen in the future. The "Akasha" or "Astral Light" is believed by Theosophists to contain records that persons such as clairvoyants or spiritual beings can tap into. They do this by using their "astral bodies" or "astral senses" to gain access to these stored spiritual insights.
Animal Magnetism n : a special personal power, presence, punitive force or fluid which can be transmitted from one person to another. Animal magnetism can also be a force from an individual which helps to facilitate the hypnotism of others. It is sometimes associated with healing. The term was originally coined by F.A. Mesmer and can also mean a form of magnetic personal charm and sex appeal.
ASC (Altered State of Consciousness) n : a brain state differing from normal consciousness. Sometimes associated with the transportation to a higher realm of consciousness or mystical experience. Feelings experienced during an altered brain state can be both pleasant and unpleasant.
There can be a number of different reasons why an individual might enter an altered state of consciousness and these can include: use of drugs, sometimes hypnosis, trauma, sensory deprivation, sleep disturbance, fever or a neurochemical imbalance. Certain behaviours such as chanting and frenzied behaviour are also known to produce effects.
Astral Body n : the word astral on its own means relating to, resembling or emanating from the stars. However an astral body can be defined as the ethereal counterpart of a human or animal body. In other words it is a supersensible part of the body which theosophists believe exists alongside the human or animal body and it is that part which survives the death of the human, animal or physical body. It is also thought to be the supersensible part of the body used to travel on the astral plane and through the Akasha.
Astral Plane n : the word astral on its own means relating to, resembling or emanating from the stars. The astral plane however can be likened to the Akasha, namely a place where all the thoughts, memories, fantasies and dreams of everyone in the world exist. The astral plane is thought to be a fantastic place to travel in, with many different travelers, entities and levels to it. It is said to operate at a much higher frequency than the physical plane we inhabit.
It is thought that the etheric body, spirit or mind can travel on the astral plane which is said to appear more solid than the physical plane we all inhabit, this is because in order to travel it the etheric body has to be existing and operating at the same higher frequency. The astral plane is believed to be far more mutable than the physical and is said to be changed and altered simply by the power of thought.
Atlantis n : according to Plato (c.428-c.348), Atlantis was believed to be a vast island continent, situated to the west of the Pillars of Hercules (the straits of Gibraltar). In Plato's books Timaeus and Critias he wrote of a highly advanced civilisation (similar to that of Atland), which inhabited Atlantis. Unfortunately within a single day and due to very violent storms and earthquakes both the island continent of Atlantis and its highly advanced inhabitants were destroyed over 9000 years earlier. It is believed that the whole continent simply sank to the bottom of the sea. The source of Plato's information was an Athenian scholar called Solon, who in turn had learnt of Atlantis from long lost priests and archives whilst visiting Egypt around 600 BC.
To this day no-one is really sure about the exact geographical location of Atlantis although over the years many theories have been put forward regarding this. The research continues.
Aura n : an emanation, breath or radiation that is invisible to the naked eye. It is often thought to be an invisible surrounding glow emanating from each individual. Some persons believe that they can actually see the aura of a person and depending on its colour and form, this is taken as an indication of the mental and physical well being of that person. Kirlian photography deals with the supposed art of photographing this type of phenomena.
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