PsychologyAugust 27, 2026
parapsychology
par-uh-sy-KOL-uh-jee
Definition
The study of alleged psychic phenomena, such as telepathy or precognition, which fall outside the scope of conventional science.
Etymology
The word is a 20th-century coinage, combining the Greek prefix 'para-' (meaning beside or beyond) with 'psychology,' intended to describe research into phenomena that lie beyond the boundaries of standard psychological study.
In the news
The article references parapsychology as a controversial field founded by J.B. and Louisa Rhine, which initially focused on testing extra-sensory perception through large-scale statistical experiments.
How a ‘psychic’ horse named Clever Hans changed the way we do science
Read the full article ↗The Conversation