shaman

n. in various indigenous cultures, especially those that include nature and ancestor worship, a male or female spiritual leader who uses allegedly supernatural or magical powers for divination (particularly diagnosis) and to heal mental or physical illness. The status of shamans is not conferred by recognized organizations but is held to arise from a significant personal physical or mental crisis or to be hereditary. Shamanism includes a wide spectrum of traditional beliefs and practices, many of which involve communication with the spirit and animal worlds in pursuit of physical or mental healing. —shamanic adj. —shamanistic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

adultomorphism

1. the attribution of adult traits or motives to children. Compare pedomorphism.

2. more specifically, the tendency to reconstruct developmental phases by extrapolating from adult psychopathology. —adultomorphic adj.