harmine

n. a naturally occurring hallucinogen derived from the plants Peganum harmala, native to the Middle East, and Banisteriopsis caapi, native to the South American tropics. Harmine is a potent monoamine oxidase inhibitor and is a principal ingredient in ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage.

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Psychology term of the day

December 23rd 2024

foot fetishism

a form of fetishism in which sexual excitement is achieved through contact with or masturbation near a shoe or foot. Shoes or feet are among the most common varieties of fetish, but there is little understanding of why this occurs. The condition is also called retifism, named for French writer Nicolas-Edme Rétif (1734–1806), also known as Rétif de la Bretonne, who is said to have had a sexual interest in women’s footwear.