Page 75 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

Ghosts and Phantoms 55

At first Krogman theorized that a “super From the Latin apparitus, past participle of
lightning bolt” might have struck Reeser, her apparere, meaning to appear.
body serving as a conductor to ground the cur-
rent through a wall-type heater behind the astral self Theosophical belief that humans
chair. He discarded this theory as soon as he possess a second body that cannot be per-
learned that local weather bureau records ceived with normal senses, yet it coexists
showed no lightning in St. Petersburg on the with the human body and survives death.
night Reeser met her bizarre death. automatic writing Writing that occurs in an
Krogman remarked that he had never seen unconscious state or when one is in a
a skull so shrunken or a body so completely trance or supposed telepathic contact with
consumed by heat. Such evidence was con- a spirit.
trary to normal experience, and he regarded it
discarnate The lack of a physical body.
as the most amazing thing he had ever seen. If
Coined from dis- and the Latin stem carn,
he were living in the Middle Ages, he mused,
meaning flesh.
he would suspect black magic.
Spontaneous human combustion seems to Geiger counter An instrument named after its
strike without warning and without leaving a inventor, German physicist Hans Geiger
clue. It seems to occur primarily among the (1882–1945), that is used to measure and
elderly and among women, but there is no stan- detect such things as particles from radioac-
dard rule for these grim cases of preternatural tive materials.
combustibility. Nearly every theory, such as hallucinations A false or distorted perception
that those who imbibe heavily might be more of events during which one vividly imag-
susceptible to the burning death, has been dis- ines seeing, hearing or sensing objects or
proved and rejected. At this time, no investiga- other people to be present, when in fact
tor has determined the critical set of circum- they are not witnessed by others.
stances that might bring body cells to the stage
at which they might spontaneously burst into megalith Very large, sometimes enormous
the flames that feed on the body’s own fatty tis- stones that stand alone or are a part of
sue, and SHC remains a baffling mystery in the architecture of prehistoric structures.
annals of the unexplained and the unknown.
Novena of Masses In the Roman Catholic
M Delving Deeper Church, the recitation of prayers or devo-
Arnold, Larry E. Ablaze! The Mysterious Fires of Spon- tions for a particular purpose, for nine con-
taneous Human Combustion. New York: M. Evans secutive days. From the Latin nus,meaning
& Co., 1996. nine each and from novern, meaning nine.
“Ball Lightning Link to Human Combustion.”
paranormal Events or phenomena that are
Ananova, December 12, 2001. [Online] http://
beyond the range of normal experience
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_479064.html.
and not understood or explained in terms
Bord, Janet, and Colin Bord. Unexplained Mysteries of
of current scientific knowledge.
the 20th Century. Chicago: Contemporary Books,
1989. phenomena Unusual or extraordinary things
Gaddis, Vincent H. Mysterious Fires and Lights. New or occurrences that are experienced or per-
York: David McKay, 1967. ceived. From Latin via the Greek word
Rickard, Bob, and John Michell. Unexplained Phenom- phainomenon, meaning that which appears.
ena. London: Rough Guides, 2000. Past participle of phainein, to bring to light
or to shine.

philanthropist Someone who is benevolent or
Making the Connection generous in his or her desire or activities to
improve the social, spiritual or material
apparition The unexpected or sudden appear- welfare of humankind. From the late
ance of something strange, such as a ghost. Latin, ultimately, Greek philanthropos,

The Gale Enc y clopedia of the Unusu al and Unexplained