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The preternatural or praeternatural is that which appears outside or beyond (Latin præter) the natural
Nature

File:Jungle in Punjab.JPGNature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe....
. While this may include what is more commonly called the supernatural
Supernatural

The term supernatural or supranatural pertains to an order of existence beyond the scientifically visible universe. Religious miracles are typically supernatural claims, as are Spell and curses, divination, the belief that there is an afterlife for the dead, and innumerable others....
, it may also simply indicate extremity — an ordinary phenomenon taken 'beyond' the natural. One may have, for example, a preternatural desire, a preternatural curiosity, a preternaturally acute ear (sense of hearing), or even preternaturally big ears.

Often used to distinguish from the divine
Divinity

Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems ? and even by different individuals within a given faith ? to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power, or its attributes or manifestations in the world....
 (supernatural) while maintaining a distinction from the purely natural.






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The preternatural or praeternatural is that which appears outside or beyond (Latin præter) the natural
Nature

File:Jungle in Punjab.JPGNature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe....
. While this may include what is more commonly called the supernatural
Supernatural

The term supernatural or supranatural pertains to an order of existence beyond the scientifically visible universe. Religious miracles are typically supernatural claims, as are Spell and curses, divination, the belief that there is an afterlife for the dead, and innumerable others....
, it may also simply indicate extremity — an ordinary phenomenon taken 'beyond' the natural. One may have, for example, a preternatural desire, a preternatural curiosity, a preternaturally acute ear (sense of hearing), or even preternaturally big ears.

Often used to distinguish from the divine
Divinity

Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems ? and even by different individuals within a given faith ? to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power, or its attributes or manifestations in the world....
 (supernatural) while maintaining a distinction from the purely natural. For instance, in certain theology
Theology

Theology is the study of the existence or attributes of a deity or gods, or more generally the study of religion or spirituality. It is sometimes contrasted with religious studies: theology is understood as the study of religion from an internal perspective , and religious studies as the study of religion from an external perspective....
, the angel
Ángel

?ngel is the third single from Belinda Peregr?n's debut album: Belinda. It was a massive hit in Mexico and an international hit for Belinda....
s, both holy and fallen, are endowed with preternatural powers. Their intellect, speed, and other characteristics are beyond human capacities but are still finite.

Some examples of preternatural creatures in fiction include fairies
Fairy

A fairy is a type of mythological being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as spirit#Metaphysical and metaphorical uses, supernatural or preternatural....
, werewolves
Werewolf

Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes from the Greek ????????p??, ????? and ?????p?? , are Mythology or folklore humans with the ability to shape shifting into Gray Wolf or anthropomorphism wolf-like creatures, either purposely, by being bitten by another werewolf, or after being placed under a curse....
, vampire
Vampire

Vampires are mythology or folklore Revenant who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living. In folkloric tales, the undead vampires often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighbourhoods they inhabited when they were alive....
s, zombie
Zombie

A zombie is a reanimated human corpse. Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Haitian Vodou, which told of the people being controlled as laborers by a powerful sorcerer....
s, and the Chupacabra
Chupacabra

The Chupacabra, also called el Chupacabra is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico , Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities....
.

See also

  • Supernatural
    Supernatural

    The term supernatural or supranatural pertains to an order of existence beyond the scientifically visible universe. Religious miracles are typically supernatural claims, as are Spell and curses, divination, the belief that there is an afterlife for the dead, and innumerable others....
  • Paranormal
    Paranormal

    Paranormal is a general term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation, or phenomena alleged to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure....
  • Anomaly
    Anomaly

    An anomaly is any occurrence or object that is strange, unusual, or unique. It can also mean a discrepancy or deviation from an established rule....


External links

  • Possession and Exorcism, J.A. Fortea
  • The Columbia Guide to Standard American English at Bartleby.com