omphaloskepsis: contemplation of one’s navel as an aid to meditation.
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek omphalos + skepsis examination
Thanks go to my own mother for advising me today that this word actually exists.
Word for the day: omphaloskepsis
- Post author:Erich Vieth
- Post published:March 4, 2007
- Post category:Whimsy
- Post comments:1 Comment
Tags: Whimsy
Erich Vieth
Erich Vieth is an attorney focusing on civil rights (including First Amendment), consumer law litigation and appellate practice. At this website often writes about censorship, corporate news media corruption and cognitive science. He is also a working musician, artist and a writer, having founded Dangerous Intersection in 2006. Erich lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his two daughters.
Literally,the word "omphaloskepsis" means " a thought emanating from
the navel, thus, an umbilical thought, and by extention, "a central thought
which existed before the thinker".