table-tilting

n. in spiritualism, movements of a table during a seance, ostensibly reflecting the efforts of spirits to communicate with the participants. In parapsychology, the same movements might be attributed to psychokinesis. Table-tilting seances were very popular in the Victorian era, but the phenomenon itself was often faked. Also called table-tipping; table-turning.

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Psychology term of the day

October 15th 2024

relational shift

the developmental change in analogical thinking that occurs when the child moves from focusing on perceptual similarity to focusing on relational similarity when solving problems.