Asmodeus (Asmodeus, Asmodaeus, pronounced Ashmed or Ashmedeus in Hebrew, also Chammadai, Sydonai) is a semi-Biblical demon mostly known thanks to the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit; he is also mentioned in some Talmudic legends and in demonology, as he is a leading figure in the construction efforts of the Temple of Solomon. Amongst many scholars, legends about Asmodai are thought to derive from Zoroastrianism, and incorporated into Judaism, and subsequently Christianity, during the Persian Achaemenids' rule over the Jews.

The soul of a person that is projected outside of their body. The invisible spirit of a person or an animal. See Astral Projection.

See also Astral Plane and Astral Projection.

The level of existence through which spirits of the dead first pass. The level in which an astrally projected spirit travels.

See also Astral Body and Astral Projection

The separation of the astral body (or spirit) from the physical body. The astral body travels in the astral plane, to places near and far.

See also Astral Body and Astral Plane

An energy field that surrounds living creatures.

This is a communication with a ghost where the ghost controls a writer's hand and writes out messages. A person produces written material while controlled by a spirit, the person is not conscious of what they are writing. A person may write pages and pages of words that they do not remember writing when they come back to their conscious state.

An automatic, spontaneous and involuntary muscular movement which is not caused by the conscious mind.

Some believe this can be caused by ghosts or spirits, however in most instances you will find that only paranormal enthusiast claim this and that it holds no ground within the scientific community.

A logical explanation for the movement of a Planchette on a Ouija board, which is not caused by the conscious, but can be attributed to the subconscious mind. Also as a potential projection of deep thought.

See also Ideomotor Automatic Writing and Ouija Board.

[1] Any reaction that occurs automatically without conscious thought or reflection (especially the undirected behavior seen in psychomotor epilepsy)

[2] Automatic behavior, from the Greek automatos or self-acting, is the spontaneous production of often purposeless verbal or motor behavior without conscious self-control or self-censorship. This condition can be observed in a variety of contexts, including schizophrenia, psychogenic fugue, epilepsy (in complex partial seizures and Jacksonian seizures), narcolepsy or in response to a traumatic event. The individual does not recall the behavior. According to the book 'The Mind Machine' by Colin Blakemore, hypoglycemia usually leads quickly to unconsciousness, but as blood glucose level falls, there is 'a window of experience between sanity and coma in which self-control is lost', and the body 'behaves on its own'.

Automatic behavior can also be exhibited whilst in the REM state ─subjects can hold conversations, sit up and even open their eyes. Those acts are considered sub-conscious as most of the time the events cannot be recalled by the subject. It is most common when the subject has had under 10 hours sleep within a 36 hour period.

A spirit or omen; Scotland and Ireland is the origin.

A demon character supposedly worshipped by the Knights Templar in 14th century France.

Spectral hound. The Barguest (also called Padfoot and Guytrash) is a large black dog, but has taken on other forms including bears and sheep. It portends doom (which rather complements its dark coat) and it has been known to be well dispoed towards people.

Also known as Barghast or Barghest. The most famous example in the UK is that of Black Shuck, tales of whom can be found from the far east coast of norfolk right across the home counties and down into Devon and Cornwall. Can be confused with lycanthrope myth.