This page gathers the 159 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Pseudoscience”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples. Page 1 of 2: from “Adamic earth” to “power of suggestion”.
- Adamic earth noun The primordial substance of corporeal matter, said to be closely related to the philosopher’s stone and symbolically identified as “red…
- air noun One of the four elements of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
- albedo noun One of the four major stages of the magnum opus, involving purification of the prima materia.
- alchemical adj Of or pertaining to the medieval chemical science and philosophy of alchemy.
- alembic noun An early chemical apparatus, consisting of two retorts connected by a tube, used to purify substances by distillation.
- alembroth noun The "salt of wisdom" of the alchemists, a double salt composed of the chlorides of ammonium and mercury, formerly used as a stimulant.
- apport noun The supposed paranormal transference of an object from one place to another, or the appearance of an object from an unknown source, often…
- aqua fortis noun A corrosive liquor made of saltpeter, serving as a solvent for dissolving silver and all other metals except gold.
- aqua vitae noun An aqueous solution of alcohol typically prepared by distilling wine.
- archeus noun The vital principle or force believed by the Paracelsians to be responsible for alchemical reactions within living bodies, and hence for…
- asport noun An object that is spontaneously moved or "teleported" to another place.
- astral noun A supernatural being from the astral plane.
- astral body noun A ghost-like replica of one's physical body which supposedly inhabits or is somehow associated with the physical body, conceived as a…
- astral plane noun A supernatural plane of existence consisting of the world of the celestial spheres, propounded by esoteric philosophies, some religious…
- astral projection noun The ability to deliberately detach one's mind, or a ghost-like replica of one's body (one's astral body), from one's physical body and to…
- aura noun A supposed emanation from and surrounding a living person or thing, regarded by mystics as consisting of the essence of the individual.
- azoth noun The first principle of metals, that is, mercury, which was formerly supposed to exist in all metals, and to be extractable from them.
- base metal noun one that was hoped to be transmuted into a precious metal.
- biodetoxification noun Any of various spurious personal nutritional detoxification processes
- biodynamic adj Of, or relating to a form of organic agriculture with mystical and holistic elements, based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner.
- biokinesis noun The ability, through the use of psychic power, to affect organic matter on a microscopic level, to manipulate the physiology (e.g. heart…
- biopath noun A person with the telepathic ability to manipulate the physiology (e.g. heart rate, breathing or brainwaves) and voluntary motor functions…
- biopathy noun The psychic ability to manipulate the physiology (e.g. heart rate, breathing or brainwaves) and voluntary motor functions of other people…
- biorhythm noun Any of three sinusoidal graphs, normally plotted by a computer, containing a person's birthdate as an origin, that are claimed to provide…
- c-decay noun The discredited theory that the speed of light has decreased over time, proposed by creationists in order to support the belief that the…
- calcine verb To heat (a substance) to remove its impurities and refine it.
- caput mortuum noun Worthless residue of sublimation or distillation.
- ceration noun The process of softening a hard, dry substance by gradually adding liquid through imbibition while heating.
- chrysosperm noun The seed of gold; an alchemical means of creating gold.
- cibation noun The operation of feeding the contents of the crucible with fresh material.
- clairaudient adj Having, pertaining to, or involving clairaudience.
- clairvoyance noun The power to see or perceive things, objects or events beyond the natural range of the senses, such as the past or the future.
- cohobate verb To treat a material with a boiling liquid and repeatedly return the distillate.
- colloidal silver noun colloid consisting of silver particles suspended in liquid, originally used by doctors from the early 20th century until the 1940s (when…
- control noun A spirit that takes possession of a psychic or medium and allows other spirits to communicate with the living.
- conversion therapy noun The practice of psychiatric or psychological treatment to attempt to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of an LGBT person…
- creationist orchard noun A diagram referenced by Christian creationists that illustrates the alleged origins of multiple unrelated created kinds of species.
- cyberpath noun A person with techno-telepathic ability, capable of reading the electrical signals of electronic devices (such as computers) around them.
- Darwinism noun Any of various theories, now generally discredited, which apply aspects of Darwin's theory (noun sense 1) to other situations such as the…
- dephlegmate verb To deprive of superabundant water, as by evaporation or distillation; to clear of aqueous matter; to rectify; used of spirits and acids.
- earth noun The aforementioned soil- or rock-based material, considered one of the four or five classical elements.
- ectoplasm noun A visible substance believed to emanate from the body of a spiritualistic medium during communication with the dead.
- elixir noun A liquid which converts lead to gold.
- empath noun Someone who does so through psychicness, telepathy, etc: that is, through either supernatural powers or neurotechnological powers.
- empathic adj Doing so through psychicness, telepathy, etc: that is, through either supernatural powers or neurotechnological powers.
- empathy noun A paranormal ability to psychically read another person's emotions.
- ens noun Something supposed to condense within itself all the virtues and qualities of a substance from which it is extracted; an essence, an active…
- ESP noun Abbreviation of extrasensory perception.
- false memory syndrome noun A condition in which a person's identity and relationships are affected by memories which are factually incorrect but strongly believed.
- fire noun The aforementioned chemical reaction of burning, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.
- flood geology noun The attempt to interpret and reconcile geological features of the Earth in accordance with a literal belief in the global flood described…
- gnome noun An elemental (spirit or corporeal creature associated with a classical element) associated with earth.
- helm noun The upper part or cap of an alembic or retort.
- homeopathy noun A system of treating diseases with small amounts of substances which, in larger amounts, would produce the observed symptoms.
- homunculus noun A small, artificially created human or human-like being.
- hyperdiffusion noun Pseudoarchaeological hypothesis that postulated that historical technologies can be traced to a single civilization.
- hyperdiffusionism noun Pseudoarchaeological hypothesis that postulated that historical technologies can be traced to a single civilization.
- hypnotic suggestion noun A statement made during hypnosis describing a change in behavior or experience that does not require the conscious effort of the…
- intelligent haunting noun A specter of a human soul that still retains a varying level of consciousness and can interact in several ways with the living.
- irreducible complexity noun The proposition that complex organs such as eyes and flagella must have started existing in their current form; i.e., that they cannot have…
- irreducibly complex adj Of a system, composed of several well-matched, interacting parts where the removal of any one part causes the system to cease functioning…
- jupiter noun Tin.
- Kirlian photography noun A technique for recording photographic images of corona discharges and hence, supposedly, the auras of living creatures.
- leprosity noun The supposed impurity or impurities of various metals, understood as causing their deviation from gold.
- leprous adj Of gold or other metals: contaminated with other substances; impure.
- leucosis noun Synonym of albedo.
- liver of sulfur noun A loosely defined mixture of potassium sulfide, potassium polysulfide, potassium thiosulfate, and likely potassium bisulfide.
- luna noun Silver.
- lunar adj Of or pertaining to silver (which was symbolically associated with the Moon by alchemists).
- magisterium noun The philosopher's stone.
- magistery noun A pure quality with the power to cure or to turn one substance into another; also, a substance such as a philosopher's stone able to turn…
- magnum opus noun The process of working with the prima materia to create the philosopher's stone.
- malleation noun The act or process of malleating (beating into a plate, sheet, or leaf, as a metal)
- Mars noun Iron.
- mediumship noun The state of being a medium (psychic conduit); purported ability to mediate communication between spirits of the dead and living human…
- melanosis noun Synonym of nigredo.
- mercurification noun The process or operation of obtaining mercury, in its fluid form, from mercuric minerals.
- mercury noun Quicksilver, mercury. (No longer capitalized, as the name of the metal is no longer recognized as that of the planet.)
- mesmerizable adj Capable of storing a hypnotic force.
- missing time noun A time period of amnesia or a gap in conscious memory reported by individuals who have experienced alien abduction.
- morphic resonance noun A supposed metaphysical process of selection for traits and behaviors expressed by similar beings in the past, through a morphic field.
- mysterium noun Any of various unknown elements thought to make up existing forms of matter, or a substance seen as an elemental or pure form of something…
- neuro-linguistic programming noun A field of study that attempts to build a set of transferable skills by programming the unconscious mind.
- nigredo noun A process of putrefaction or decomposition, one of the four major stages of the alchemical magnum opus.
- od noun A hypothetical force or natural power, which was supposed by Carl Reichenbach and others to inhere in certain people and produce phenomena…
- odic adj Synonym of odylic (“of or pertaining to the od or odyle (“a hypothetical force or natural power, now proved not to exist, which was…
- odyle noun Synonym of od (“a hypothetical force or natural power, now proved not to exist, which was supposed by Carl Reichenbach and others to inhere…
- odylic adj Of or pertaining to the od or odyle (“a hypothetical force or natural power, now proved not to exist, which was supposed by Carl…
- percipient noun One who has perceived a paranormal event.
- perpetual motion machine noun A hypothetical, pseudoscientific device that exhibits perpetual motion, especially one that does useful work with no input of energy.
- phantasmal adj Of or pertaining to, or having the characteristics of, a phantasm (“perception or vision of a living or dead person who is not physically…
- philosopher's stone noun A supposed substance able to turn base metals, such as lead or mercury, into gold or silver, also sometimes claimed to cure any illness (as…
- phlegm noun A watery distillation, especially one obtained from plant matter; an aqueous solution.
- photokinesis noun The ability to mentally manipulate light.
- physical noun A physical manifestation of psychic origin, as through ectoplasmic solidification.
- physical mediumship noun The ability to make the spirit world cause physical phenomena that can be observed by anyone present.
- poltergeist noun An unseen ghost which makes noises and causes disruption, especially by causing physical objects to move or fly about.
- polywater noun A supposed polymeric form of water reported to have been produced in fine capillaries; now known to be illusory.
- potable gold noun A theoretical substance which would confer eternal life on the drinker.
- power of suggestion noun The idea or theory in which one individual guides the thoughts and behavior of another through a suggestion or a proposal.