Parapsychology
/ˌpærəsaɪˈkɒlədʒi/noun
The study of alleged psychic phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis.
Did you know?Parapsychology was coined in the late 19th century from Greek roots, with para- meaning “beside” or “beyond,” making it a word built to explore phenomena that supposedly sit at the border of ordinary psychology.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
para-
“beside, beyond, against”
Ancient Greek
Greek
psychē
“soul, life, mind”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-logia
“study, discourse”
Late 19th Century
English
parapsychology
“study of psychic or anomalous mental phenomena”
Modern English
English
parapsychology
“the study of alleged extrasensory or psychic phenomena”