The Texas Bookworm  for November 20, 2008

The Para-Pedia, A Glossary for Paranormal Investigators and Ghost Hunters

A Review by Rick Moran, Founder, The Association for the Study of Unexplained Phenomenon, Inc.

With the growing interest in all things paranormal on TV these days and the explosion of new groups that seek to learn about ghosties, author Doris “Dusty” Smith has created a 50 page collection of the terminology of the trade.  The Para-Pedia is a glossary for paranormal investigators and ghost hunters and does an admirable job of giving them a common lexicon.

Smith has obviously done some serious research for this little tome; collecting every definition of the paranormal from Abuuaaya to Zoomorphism and almost everything in between.  While not a full fledged encyclopedia on the subject, it does cover most of the noteworthy words in the paranormal field, a few of which I was not aware existed; and after almost 40 years as an active investigator, that is saying something.

Smith has also included some terms more suited for a dictionary of the occult, but explains her intention was to be as all inclusive as possible in one collection that can easily fit into the die-hard ghost hunters’ bag of tricks. Among her sources is the Miriam Webster dictionary and a slew of other publications, but again Smith explains that her intention was to give the reader as clear a real definition as possible.

Of course, Smith’s intent is not a new one; several national organizations give prospective members a copy of their lexicon in an effort to get them on the same page, so to speak.  There is nothing worse than having a serious investigator attempting to communicate his experiences when they simply do not have the right words at hand to convey their message. Conversely, a good grimoire can tell the researcher what the correct word or phrase should be in matters of the paranormal.

Smith has created a good working collection in this chap book, after ten years of investigating the unexplained, some entries are familiar, but the real fun is to see the true definitions of commonly used words that folks continue to use incorrectly. One I found particularly interesting is Nanteos Cup, an artifact said to have been sent to Wales during the cleansing of the Roman Catholic Church in England by Henry VIII.  I had never heard of this term for the Holy Grail before, but with some research did find one obscure reference to Nanteos Cup in a book on the history of the Jesuits.  Nice work, Ms. Smith!

Have you ever heard of the Undine?  According to the Para-Pedia it is a ghostly, but beautiful female apparition who has been reported along the waterways in several European countries for hundreds of years.  While she means no harm to living humans, this tragic figure is said to haunt those who have been unfaithful lovers.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Para-Pedia and truly hope that paranormal investigators, new to the field or old hands consider using it as a baseline for future “ghost-speak.”

The Para-Pedia; A Glossary for Paranormal Investigators and Ghost Hunters

Compiled and authored by Doris “Dusty” Smith

© 2008 Raven’s Loch Publishing House, Daytona Beach, FL.

http://ravenslochph.com

This review is provided by THE TEXAS BOOKWORM, www.texas-bookworm.com © 2008 All rights reserved