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phanerothyme

adj. a term coined by British writer Aldous Huxley (1894–1964) to describe the effect of mind-altering drugs, such as LSD (from Greek phanein, “to reveal,” and thymos, “mind, soul”). He first used the term in a letter (1956) to his friend Humphry Osmond (1917–2004), who counterproposed the term psychedelic, which has the same etymological sense of “mind-revealing.” See also hallucinogen.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

agape

agape

n. a complex form of love involving feelings of tenderness; protectiveness; self-denial; and aesthetic preference for the features, gestures, speech, and other traits of a person. The term, which derives from a Greek word meaning “brotherly love,” is sometimes used to denote an unselfish love as taught by such religious figures as Jesus and the Buddha.