Mentalisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A psychological concept involving mental processes and behaviors that reflect internal cognition or perceptions
2. practices that emphasize mental techniques or exercises for understanding social interactions
3. manifestations that reveal the interconnectedness between thought and behavior in various contexts

Etymology: "Mentalism" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "mental" (from Late Latin "mentalis," itself built on Latin "mens," "mind") with the suffix "-ism," which English took from Greek "-ismos" through Latin and French to mark a doctrine, system, or practice. Put together, the word names a theory or outlook that gives the mind primary importance in explaining behavior and experience. The adjective "mental" reached English from Middle French, so the root idea of "mind" travelled a long way before it was attached to the older suffix. The "-ism" ending is the same one found in words like "realism" and "behaviourism," which is where the modern sense of "mentalism" as a contrast to behaviourism becomes useful for understanding it. The plural "mentalisms" simply refers to more than one such theory or practice, as when a philosopher compares several different doctrines of mind.

Synonyms: thoughts, ideas, cognitions, beliefs, mindsets