[E alograp ENCEPHALOGRAPHY]
A test that measures and records the electrical activity of the brain by using sensors (electrodes) attached to the head and connected by wires to a computer. The computer records the brain’s electrical activity on the screen or on paper as wavy lines. Certain conditions, such as seizures, can be detected by observing changes in the normal pattern of this electrical activity.
Measurements of electrical activity in the brain have been instrumental in measuring stress, determining sleep patterns and monitoring body metabolism. They have also been used to detect what happens in the brain during psychic experiences, such as meditation and episodes of clairvoyance.
ELECTROKINESIS
A form of psychokinesis, electrokinesis is the ability to create and control electricity using only the powers of the mind. So far there have been no conclusive studies on or cases of factual electrokinesis.
Electrokinetic ability allegedly causes the psychic to act as a human conductor, able to receive, store and transmit large to small quantities of electricity. There is also the act of draining electricity from electronically based devices and in return recharging them. Those who practise electrokinesis claim to be able to actually explode, start up or switch off electronic devices either via intense meditation and visualization or through overwhelming emotional response.
Electrokinesis is mostly used by stage magicians as a part of their narrative when performing tricks that involve some form of electricity, such as lighting a lightbulb simply held in the palm.
ELECtronic VOICE PHENOMENA [EVP]
Communication from a voice recorded on a tape recorder from which there is no known source. EVP researchers believe the voices captured on tape are those of spirits of the dead, but sceptics argue that they are simply voices from radio or TV transmissions being picked up by the recording device.
Interest in EVP began in the late 1920s when the famous inventor Thomas Edison predicted that one day there would be a machine to allow communication with the spirits. In 1959 EVP was said to have been discovered by accident by the Swedish filmmaker Friedrich Jürgenson. Jürgenson was recording birdsong when he discovered an unknown voice on his tape. On replaying the recording later he believed that he had recorded a message from his mother, who had died four years previously.
EVP was further reported in the 1970s by Latvian psychologist Konstantin Rau-dive, who picked up unexplained voices in the background while recording something else. He began to record in empty rooms and still picked up voices, which were later thought to be messages from spirits of the dead. Raudive published his research, in German, in The Inaudible Made Audible, which was translated into English in 1971 with a new title Breakthrough. EVP voices are also called Raudive Voices in recognition of the extensive work he did recording over 100,000 voices.
In the 1980s and 1990s there were thousands of EVP researchers at work devising machines and recording the phenomenon. Several organizations, including the American Electronic Voice Phenomenon in the United States, sprang into existence. Perhaps the most well-known and best-funded device was the ‘spiricom’, invented by George Meek, a retired engineer, with the alleged help of a discarnate scientist who communicated to him during a séance. Unfortunately the success rate of the spiri-com was poor but this did not stop Meek pursuing increasingly sophisticated ways to reach astral planes.
Allegedly EVP voices are never heard during recording, only on playback. They are said to be either faint or clear and can speak or sing in a variety of languages. They are identifiable as men, women and children and according to reports the voices suggest that they can communicate through central transmitting agencies in the spirit plane.
EVP has many enthusiastic supporters who believe the phenomenon is evidence of paranormal activity, but there are also many critics who doubt the recordings are genuine. Between 1970 and 1972 the Society for Psychical Research commissioned psychical researcher D J Ellis to investigate EVP voices, and he concluded that the sounds were susceptible to imagination and most likely a natural phenomenon. Other sceptics believe that the voices are caused by psychokinesis, when sounds are imprinted on the tape by the experimenter.
DIY EVP
There are many ways to attempt to record EVP voices, and enthusiasts tend to use highly sophisticated recording equipment, but perhaps the quickest and simplest way is to turn a recorder on and leave it running. Night-time seems to be the best time to reduce the risk of interference. Often headphones must be used to hear the voices. It is said that the attitude in which the experiment is approached is important and that an open minded, relaxed and positive attitude is best. Doubt has a negative impact on results.
Despite poor experimental records EVP researchers continue to devote time and energy to finding a way to capture something on tape that proves life after death. In the last decade or so EVP has moved into other media, including TV, video and film cameras and computers. Researchers all over the world have reported images and voices appearing or coming from their TVs for which there is no known cause, as well as spontaneous printouts from computers.
ELEMENT
A natural or spiritual substance thought to be one of the fundamental energies of the universe with inherent power. Many belief systems have rituals and techniques to harness these energies and powers for boosting health or creating magic. Each culture has slight variations in the type and number or elements consulted. In Western traditions there are four elements: air, water, fire and earth. In Hinduism there are five elements: air, water, earth, fire and ether. In Taoism there are also five elements: earth, metal, water, wood and fire.
ELEMENTAL DIVINATION
Divination by means of the four elements: air (aromancy), fire (see pyromancy), water (see hydromancy) and earth (see geomancy).
ELEMENTALS
Indo-European nature spirits or angels believed to be manifestations of the four elements - water (undines), air (sylphs), fire (salamanders) and earth (gnomes). In addition, there are two other groups of nature spirits inhabiting magical elements - dryads (vegetation) and fauns or satyrs (animal life).
In modern magical philosophy elementals are seen as conscious elements inhabiting the physical world. They have extensive powers over the elements they indwell and their powers are at the disposal of the magician who has mastered the elemental force within. Elementals are thought to be able to help bring desires or wishes into being and they are important in the practice of many magical traditions, such as druidry, alchemy and Wicca. In the latter they are called down during rituals to charge spells with the power of nature. In an occult sense it is thought that they can be created by an emotional thought form, and if suffused with enough energy by their creator they can cause problems through possession or as poltergeists. This is because as creatures of a single element they can have an unbalancing effect on the human psyche
