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omnipotence

n. in psychology, the delusion that one can personally direct, or control, reality outside of the self by thought or wish alone. Psychology generally considers feelings of omnipotence to fall anywhere between neurosis, in its milder forms, and psychosis, when the delusion is expressed as alienation from or outright denial of reality. In psychoanalytic theory, the main emphasis is on the infant’s feeling that he or she is all-powerful, which is thought to arise (a) out of satisfaction of the child’s slightest gesture; (b) out of increasing cognitive and physical abilities; and (c) as a reaction formation to feelings of helplessness and anxiety. See also megalomania; primary narcissism. —omnipotent adj.

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

biological warfare

biological warfare

the use of agents such as bacteria, viruses, and toxins to incapacitate or destroy humans, nonhuman animals, or crops in war.