Library · 67 terms
Glossary
A
Affirmation
A short, positive statement a person repeats to themselves, such as a line about their own worth or abilities. In psychology, a related idea called self-affirmation is studied, in which people reflect on the values that matter most to them.
Angel
From the Greek angelos, the equivalent of the Hebrew mal'akh, meaning messenger. In many religions, angels are spiritual beings believed to act as go-betweens between the divine and human beings, carrying messages, protection or guidance.
See: Angels , Angels in our lives
Angel numbers
A modern practice drawn from numerology in which repeated number sequences, such as 111 or 444, are read as messages from angels or the spiritual world. People who follow it look up a meaning for each sequence. It is a belief, not an established fact.
See: Angels , Guidance from the angels
Angelic hierarchy
The ordered ranks of angels described in Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions. Christian writers described nine orders, or choirs, of angels, ranging from those said to be closest to God to those said to work most directly with people.
Archangel
A chief or high-ranking angel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are the most widely named, and in Islam the archangel Gabriel is believed to have revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.
Aura
In several spiritual traditions, a field of light or energy said to surround the human body, often described in colors that practitioners link to mood, health or character. There is no scientific evidence that auras exist.
See: Your aura
B
Bagua
In feng shui, a map based on the eight trigrams of classical Chinese thought. Practitioners lay it over the floor plan of a room or home to link each area with a part of life, such as wealth, relationships or health.
See: How to use feng shui
Bhramari
A pranayama, or yogic breathing practice, in which you breathe out slowly while making a smooth humming sound like a bee. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word for bee, and in English it is often called bee breath.
See: Humming and sound
Body scan
A meditation in which you move your attention slowly through the body, part by part, noticing sensations without trying to change them. It is a core component of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and is often practiced lying down.
See: Body scan meditation
C
Chakra
Sanskrit for wheel. In certain forms of Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism, chakras are centers of psychic energy in the body, and the best-known system names seven major ones along the spine. Linking them to rainbow colors is a 20th-century Western addition.
Circadian rhythm
The body's roughly 24-hour cycle of physical, mental and behavioral changes. Light and dark have the biggest influence on it, and a master clock in the brain sets the timing of melatonin release, which helps govern when you feel sleepy.
Clairsentience
In psychic and spiritualist traditions, the claimed ability to sense information about people, places or events through feelings or bodily sensations rather than the usual senses. The word joins the French clair, clear, with sentience, feeling.
See: Accepting and developing spiritual gifts , Being empathic
Cold exposure
Deliberate time spent in cold water or cold air, such as cold showers, cold plunges or open-water swims. It carries real risks, including cold shock, so people with heart conditions or other health concerns should talk to a clinician first.
See: Cold water exposure
Crystal
In New Age practice, stones such as quartz or amethyst that people hold, wear or place nearby during meditation, often believing they store or carry energy. Critics describe the health claims made for crystals as unscientific.
D
Dark empath
A label from personality research and popular psychology for a person who combines high empathy with so-called dark traits such as manipulativeness. It describes a pattern some researchers study. It is not a clinical diagnosis.
See: Being empathic
Dharma
A Sanskrit word used across Indian religions with several meanings, including duty, right conduct and cosmic order. In Buddhism it also refers to the Buddha's teaching, one of the three central refuges of the tradition.
Digital sunset
A habit of switching off phones, tablets and other screens a set time before bed to help you wind down. The CDC's sleep advice lists turning devices off at least 30 minutes before bedtime as one of its recommended sleep habits.
See: Digital sunset
E
Earthing
Direct skin contact with the ground, such as walking barefoot on grass, or using conductive mats or sheets indoors. It is promoted for sleep and pain, but the evidence so far is thin and early. It is also called grounding.
See: Grounding
Empath
In popular psychology and spiritual writing, a person who says they feel other people's emotions very strongly, sometimes as if those emotions were their own. It is a self-description, not a clinical or diagnostic term.
See: Being empathic
Evidence tier
On this site, the label showing how much support a topic has. Guides and practices are marked Tradition, Mixed or Research-informed, and modalities carry an evidence rating of insufficient, limited, some or good.
See: Editorial policy , Modalities
Examen
A short, daily prayerful review of the day that comes from the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. People look back over recent hours for moments of gratitude and regret, and Jesuits practice it at noon and at the end of the day.
See: Evening review
F
Feng shui
A Chinese tradition of arranging buildings, rooms and objects so they harmonize with the flow of qi, or vital energy. The name means wind and water. People use it today when choosing furniture placement, colors and layouts at home.
See: How to use feng shui
Forest bathing
English for the Japanese shinrin-yoku, which means spending slow, quiet time among trees while paying attention through all the senses. The term was coined in Japan in 1982, and the practice has no exercise goal or set route.
See: Forest bathing
G
Gem essence
In New Age practice, water said to take on the qualities of a gemstone that was placed in or near it. People take it in drops or use it in sprays. It is a belief without scientific support.
Gratitude practice
Regularly noting what you are thankful for, for example by keeping a short journal or writing a letter to someone who helped you. The word gratitude comes from the Latin gratia, meaning grace or thanks.
See: Gratitude journaling
Grief
A reaction to a major loss, such as the death of someone you love, that is most often painful. It can take a year or longer to ease, and counseling or a support group can help.
Grounding
Techniques that bring your attention back to the present through the senses, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise of noticing things you can see, touch, hear, smell and taste. The word is also used as another name for earthing.
See: Grounding
Guardian angel
In Jewish, Christian and other traditions, an angel believed to watch over and protect a particular person throughout life. Many people pray to or think of their guardian angel for comfort, guidance or a sense of company.
See: Angels in our lives
H
Heart-rate variability
The natural variation in time between one heartbeat and the next, usually measured in milliseconds. The part of this variation driven by the vagus nerve is used as a marker of parasympathetic, or calming, nervous system activity.
Heyoka empath
Heyoka is a sacred contrary or clown figure in Lakota tradition who acts in reverse or provocative ways. Modern spiritual writing separately uses heyoka empath for an empath said to mirror others through humor or contrary behavior.
See: Being empathic
Holistic health
An approach that cares for the whole person, including body, mind and social life, rather than one symptom or organ. It overlaps with what the NCCIH calls whole person health, which looks at how many factors shape well-being together.
I
Intention
A chosen aim for how you want to act or be. In yoga, a heartfelt resolve is called a sankalpa. In psychology, intentions are often studied as if-then plans that link a particular situation to a planned response.
Interoception
The sense of the body's internal state, such as heartbeat, breathing, hunger, fullness and muscle tension. It is studied in psychology and neuroscience and is often practiced informally through exercises such as the body scan.
See: Body scan meditation
Intuition
Knowing or judging something without conscious reasoning, sometimes called a gut feeling. Psychology studies it as fast, automatic thinking, and many spiritual traditions describe it as an inner voice or inner knowing.
K
Karma
Sanskrit for action. In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, the principle that intentional actions shape a person's future experience, including future lives. In everyday English it is often used loosely to mean getting back what you give.
L
Law of attraction
A belief from New Thought and New Age teaching that a person's thoughts and feelings draw matching experiences into their life, so that positive focus brings positive results. Research does not support the claim.
Loving-kindness
English for metta in Pali or maitri in Sanskrit: warm goodwill toward oneself and others. In loving-kindness meditation, people silently repeat phrases of good wishes, starting with themselves and widening out to others.
M
Manifestation
In New Age and self-help practice, the belief that focused intention, visualization and action can bring desired outcomes into being. People often practice it by writing down goals, making vision boards or repeating affirmations.
See: Six steps to successful manifestation , The spiritual law of manifestation
Mantra
A sacred syllable, word or verse repeated aloud or silently in Hindu, Buddhist and other meditation and prayer. The word comes from the Sanskrit man, to think, and -tra, instrument, so it is often glossed as a tool of the mind.
Meridian
In traditional Chinese medicine, one of the channels through which qi is said to flow around the body. Acupuncture and acupressure points are described as lying along these meridians, each linked with particular organs.
See: Acupuncture , Acupressure
Mind-body connection
The two-way links between mental states and physical health. Researchers study it through areas such as stress, sleep, movement and breathing, looking at how thoughts and emotions affect the body and how the body affects mood.
See: The body, mind and spirit connection , The mind-body connection and illness
Mindfulness
Paying attention to the present moment without judgment, as the NCCIH describes it. Drawn in part from Buddhist meditation, it is the basis of structured programs such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).
Mudra
A symbolic hand gesture used in Hindu and Buddhist ritual, art, dance and meditation. The Sanskrit word means seal or sign. In meditation, a common example is resting the tips of the thumb and index finger together.
P
Placebo
An inactive substance or procedure, such as a sugar pill, given as a comparison in research studies. The placebo effect is the improvement people report because of expectation or the setting of care, rather than any active ingredient.
See: Editorial policy
Prana
In yoga and wider Indian thought, the vital breath or life force said to move through the body and all living things. The Sanskrit word is closely tied to breathing, and yogic practices often aim to guide prana through the breath.
Pranayama
The yogic practice of focusing on and regulating the breath, from the Sanskrit prana, breath or life force, and ayama, extension or control. Examples include slow counted breathing and bhramari, or bee breath.
See: Box breathing , Breath, the bridge between body and mind
Psychoneuroimmunology
The scientific field that studies how psychological processes, the nervous system and the immune system interact. Researchers in this field look at questions such as how stress and mood relate to immune function.
Q
Qi
In Chinese thought and traditional Chinese medicine, the vital energy said to flow through the body and the natural world. Often written chi in English, it is central to practices such as acupuncture, qigong, tai chi and feng shui.
Qigong
Chinese practices that coordinate slow breathing, gentle movement and focused attention, developed as part of traditional Chinese medicine. The name combines qi, vital energy, with gong, meaning skill or work.
See: Qigong basics
R
Rainbow Bridge
An image from a widely shared modern prose poem about pet loss: a peaceful place where pets are said to wait until they are reunited with their people. Many grieving owners use the phrase, saying a pet has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
See: When a pet dies
Reflexology
A practice of applying pressure to points on the feet, hands or ears. Practitioners say each point corresponds to another part of the body, and they use maps of the feet and hands to guide where they press.
See: Reflexology
Reiki
A Japanese practice in which a practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above a person's body. Practitioners describe this as channeling energy to support balance and relaxation, and the name is often translated as universal life energy.
See: Reiki
Reincarnation
Belief in the rebirth of the soul or self in a series of successive lives. It is central to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, was adopted by theosophists, and is held today by many people in New Age thought.
See: What reincarnation means , The spiritual law of reincarnation
S
Sacred space
A place set apart from ordinary use for prayer, ritual or reflection, such as a temple, a shrine or a quiet corner at home. The word sacred comes from the Latin sacer, meaning set off or set apart.
Sleep hygiene
Everyday habits and surroundings that support good sleep, such as keeping a consistent sleep schedule and a cool, dark, quiet bedroom. The term is used by sleep clinicians and by public health bodies including the CDC.
Smudging
Burning dried herbs such as sage to cleanse a space or person with the smoke. It is rooted in ceremonies of some Indigenous North American peoples and has been widely borrowed in New Age practice, a borrowing some Indigenous people view with concern.
Soul mission
In spiritual and self-help writing, the idea that each person has a particular purpose to discover and live out over their lifetime. Some teachers link it to past lives or a soul plan, while others frame it in terms of personal values.
Spiritual bypassing
A term from psychology for using spiritual ideas or practices to avoid facing painful emotions, unresolved problems or hard decisions. An example is insisting on staying positive instead of acknowledging grief or anger.
Synchronicity
Psychiatrist Carl Jung's term for meaningful coincidences that have no apparent causal link, such as thinking of an old friend just before they call. In spiritual writing, people often read such moments as signs.
T
Tai chi
A practice of slow, flowing movements combined with controlled breathing and a meditative state of mind. It began as a Chinese martial art and is now practiced widely as gentle exercise, often in groups and outdoors.
See: Tai chi basics
Trataka
A yogic practice of steady gazing at a single point, such as a candle flame, for as long as is comfortable. It is listed among the six purification practices of hatha yoga and is often used to train concentration.
See: Candle gazing
U
Universal spiritual laws
A modern New Age and self-help framework of principles, such as karma and gratitude, said to govern spiritual life in the way physical laws govern nature. The number and names of the laws vary from teacher to teacher.
See: Spiritual laws , Introduction to the universal spiritual laws
V
Vagus nerve
A long cranial nerve that runs from the brain stem to the heart, lungs and gut. It is a main pathway of the parasympathetic, or rest-and-digest, nervous system and carries signals in both directions.
Vibration
In New Age thought, the idea that people, places and things each have an energetic frequency that can be raised through practices such as gratitude or meditation. It is a belief, not a physical measurement.
See: Raising your vibration , The spiritual law of frequency and vibration
Violet flame
In some modern esoteric and Ascended Master teachings, a visualized violet light used in prayer, decrees and meditation. Followers describe calling on it for spiritual transformation and to release negative patterns.
See: The violet flame
W
Well-being
A state of feeling well and functioning well in daily life. The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Y
Yoga nidra
A guided rest practice done lying down, in which a teacher leads you through stages such as body awareness and breath. Its name means yogic sleep, and the modern form was devised by Satyananda Saraswati in 1976.
See: Yoga nidra