By Kathy Murray
E is for…
ECTOPLASM
Ghostly mist or substance, mostly white in colour, left behind by ghosts in graveyards or other haunted places. Mediums (a person who contacts the dead in séances), have been known to produce ectoplasm through their ears, nose, eyes and mouth.
ENFIELD POLTERGEIST
A case in North London in the late 1970s, the Enfield Poltergeist made its debut by shaking the beds of the Harper family. The activity eventually led to scratching sounds coming from under the floorboards and loud bangs on the walls. Objects were thrown about and fires appeared out of nowhere. The occurrences seemed to dwindle a year from when they started.
EVP
EVP stands for Electronic Voice Phenomenon. This occurs when a spirit voice is captured on audio tape or other sound recording devices. A “ghost hunter” will place the audio device in a room and let it record on its own. Some people, upon playback, can hear spirits speaking. Usually the voice has a metallic quality to it. Rarely the words on the tape are spoken backwards, but it has been known to happen. The movie WHITE NOISE features a character who records EVPs.
EXORCISM
A ritual to drive out supernatural beings from a person or a place. This doesn’t usually take place unless the haunting is extreme in nature.
EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION
Also known as ESP, extrasensory perception is the term for when a person possesses the ability to read or hear other people’s thoughts (telepathy). It can also apply to a person who can move objects with his or her mind (psychokinesis or telekinesis), or someone who can learn the history (and sometimes what’s to come in the future) of a place or object just by looking at or touching it.
EXTRATERRESTRIAL
A being or object from somewhere outside of Earth. Marvin the Martian and E.T. are examples of fictional extraterrestrial life forms in popular culture. Most UFOs (unidentified flying objects) are also considered extraterrestrial.