psychics

psychics

A group of psychics gather for a meditation session.

Definition
  1. Noun (plural in form, singular in construction):
    • The study of paranormal phenomena: "psychics" refers to the field of inquiry that investigates alleged abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition, often considered beyond the scope of conventional science.
    • Parapsychology: A synonym for the scientific study of psychic phenomena, including extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis.
Usage Examples
  • (The academic study of paranormal abilities.)
  • (The field of parapsychology is doubted by critics.)
  • (The subject matter of paranormal phenomena.)
Advanced Usage

  • "psychics vs. psychology": A distinction between the study of paranormal abilities and the traditional study of the mind and behavior.

    • While psychology focuses on observable mental processes, psychics deals with unproven extrasensory faculties. (A contrast between two fields.)

  • "the history of psychics": The chronological development of paranormal research.

    • The history of psychics includes famous mediums and controlled laboratory experiments. (The timeline of parapsychology.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Psychic (adj): relating to or possessing abilities that are beyond normal physical processes, such as telepathy.

    • She claimed to have psychic powers. (She asserted having extrasensory abilities.)

  • Psychic (n): a person who claims to have psychic abilities.

    • The psychic predicted the winner of the race. (A person who claims to see the future.)

  • Parapsychology (n): the scientific study of psychic phenomena.

    • Parapsychology investigates claims of ESP and psychokinesis. (A formal discipline.)
Synonyms
  • Parapsychology: the scientific study of paranormal mental phenomena.
  • Spiritualism: the belief that the dead can communicate with the living through mediums (related but distinct from psychics).
  • Metaphysics: a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of reality, sometimes overlapping with psychics.
Related Idioms

  • To have a sixth sense: an intuitive ability akin to psychic powers.

    • She had a sixth sense about danger, almost like psychics. (An intuitive awareness.)

  • To read someone's mind: to know what another person is thinking, often attributed to psychic ability.

    • He seemed to read my mind, as if he studied psychics. (To perceive unspoken thoughts.)