F

fairy: A broad term used to describe a large variety of supernatural creatures. Most fairy folklore originated in Britain, Ireland and Europe.

fakir: An Indian holy man who lives by begging and is said to possess magical powers.

familiar: In English witchcraft, spirits in the service of witches or magicians. Usually visible as, for example, a cat or dog.

fan death: The belief that sleeping in a closed room with a running electric fan can cause death.

fascinate: The act of casting a spell or throwing the evil eye on a person.

Feng shui: Chinese study of hidden forces and currents thought to be present in the earthly environment.

fetish: An object used to represent and create a bond with the spirit world. Common fetish objects include dolls, stones, animal teeth and claws.

Findhorn: A spiritual community founded in 1962, in northern Scotland. The community garden was said to produce superior crops due to supernatural assistance.

flying rods: A phenomena in which mysterious rod-shaped objects appear in video footage or photographs.

Forer effect: The tendency of people to interpret statements about personality traits as being accurate for them personally, even when they are not.

Fortean phenomena: An umbrella term to describe any paranormal phenomena. Named after researcher Charles Fort (1874-1932) who spent much of his life cataloguing such phenomena.