psychic phenomenon
- noun
- /ˈsaɪkɪk fəˈnɛmənən/
:
fenómeno psíquico
- During the séance, she claimed to have experienced a psychic phenomenon when the lights flickered without explanation.
Examples
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The sudden appearance of the ghost was considered a psychic phenomenon by those present, as it defied logical explanation.
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Many people believe that dreams can be a psychic phenomenon, revealing messages from the subconscious.
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What have we learned from neuroimaging of psychic phenomenon, people who are in that, you know, receptive state?
How Paranormal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'psychic' (relating to paranormal/extra-sensory powers) modifies 'phenomenon' (an observable event), yielding an event attributed to psychic causes. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer this sense, and the construction mirrors equivalent transparent patterns in other languages.
Etymology
The term psychic phenomenon comes from combining the word psychic, about the 'mind', and phenomenon, a 'strange event'. People used this picture to describe odd events that seem to come from the mind alone, like sensing someone far away or objects moving without being touched, so today it means an event believed to be caused by special mental power.