supernormal

views updated Jun 08 2018

su·per·nor·mal / ˌsoōpərˈnôrməl/ • adj. exceeding or beyond the normal; exceptional: a supernormal human.DERIVATIVES: su·per·nor·mal·i·ty / -ˌnôrˈmalitē/ n.

Supernormal

views updated May 23 2018

Supernormal

A term substituted in psychical research for "supernatural. " It was coined by F. W. H. Myers and is applied to phenomena that are beyond what usually happensbeyond, that is, in the sense of suggesting unknown physical laws. While supernormal phenomena point to new powers, abnormal phenomena indicate the degeneration of powers already acquired. The term "paranormal" is now preferred.

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