Pantheism – the belief in a Divinity that is present in all things in the universe.
Panentheism – the belief in a Divinity that is present in all things in the universe and beyond; that the Divine is both omnipresent and transcendent.
Peak Experience – a term used by the American psychologists Abraham Maslow to describe experiences that are especially joyful and exciting, such as when we are inspired by great music and art, or are overwhelmed by the beauty of nature. Peak experiences are found in transient moments where we become more whole, integrated and aware of ourselves and the world. They are moments where we become more loving, accepting of others, have less inner conflict and anxiety, and become more clear-headed and able to put our energies to more constructive use.
Perennial Wisdom – a belief that underlying all the great wisdom traditions there is is a universal truth that can be found running through them.
Persona – a term used by Carl Jung to describe a false ideal image that we identify with, which is often imposed upon us by society.
Physical Phenomena – an area of mediumship which deals with how the spirit world can bring about materialisations of spirit personalities, dematerialise physical objects and rematerialise them again, or recreate the audible voice of a spirit personality.
Pluralism – theologically implies there being more than one principle at work in the universe.
Polytheism – the belief in many gods.
Pranayama – the practice of overcoming limitations of the body and mind through the use of psychic and pranic energy, particularly with the aid of breathing exercises.
Prayer – there are many forms of prayer. For example, some Christian practices of contemplative prayer are comparable to Eastern practices of meditation. Other forms of prayer can include affirmations or reflecting on sacred texts.
Projection – negative parts of our character that are denied and projected onto others.
Psyche – the inner instrument through which we think, feel and discriminate. It consists of the lower, higher and unconscious mind and the individual sense of self.
Psychic – someone who has the ability to know things without the aid of the physical senses, or something that cannot be explained by accepted laws of science. The word also refers to psychological levels of our being and levels connected with the unconscious mind.
Psychic Abilities – different traditions have called psychic abilities by different names, such as the siddhis in Hindu yoga, in which the ultimate siddhi is the realisation of one’s True Nature and liberation from restrictive states of existence.
Psychometry – the ability to psychically feel into physical objects and obtain information connected with the object.
Psychosynthesis – a school of transpersonal psychology founded by the Italian psychologist Roberto Assagioli.
Quantum Theory – an area of science that studies the laws of physics that are happening on a very small scale. Of particular interest in this field is the discovery that on a sub-atomic level there is no clear separation between people, object and other phenomena - that there is an ultimate interconnectedness between all.
Qur’an – the holy book of the Islamic tradition.
Reincarnation – the belief that after-death the soul is reborn into another physical body, or into another realm, such as the heavenly realm, or the realm of hungry ghosts or fighting demons, as mentioned in the Buddhist tradition. But it should be noted that these realms can also be interpreted as different psychological states of being that we slip in and out of numerous times a day.
© 2007 Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston)
