doppelgänger a supposedly ghostly counterpart or double of a living person. eidolism a belief in ghosts. eidolon a phantom or apparition. phantasm a vision or other perception of something that has no physical or objective reality, especially in the sense of a ghost or other supernatural apparition. Also phantasma. See also images; philosophy. phantasmology spectrology. phasmophobia an abnormal fear of ghosts. sciomancy fortunetelling through communication with the spirits of the dead. —sciomantic, adj. sciotheism a religion in which ghosts are worshiped instead of gods. spectrology the study of ghosts, phantoms, or apparitions. Also called phantasmology, spookology. —spectrological, adj. spectrophobia an abnormal fear of specters or phantoms. spookology spectrology. supernaturalism 1. the condition or quality of existing outside the known experience of man or caused by forces beyond those of nature. 2. belief in supernatural events or forces. Also supranaturalism. —supernaturalist, n., adj. —supernatural, supernaturalistic, adj. supranaturalism supernaturalism. —supranaturalist, n., adj. —supranatural, supranaturalistic, adj.