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QUINTESSENCE
The word quintessence is used in different fields:
- In physics, quintessence is a hypothetical form of energy postulated to exist as an explanation of observations of an accelerating universe.
- In ancient and medieval natural philosophy, quintessence, meaning "fifth element", was another term for aether; it is the substance of which the heavenly bodies were supposed to be composed.
- In various comic series by DC Comics, the Quintessence is a group of five near-omnipotent beings -- Ganthet, Izaya Highfather, the Phantom Stranger, Shazam, and Zeus -- that look over the results of various happenings around the universe.
- Quintessenz (German for "quintessence") is an Austrian on-line civil liberties advocacy organization.
- Quintessence - a 1970s progressive rock band specializing in themes and sounds taken from the music of India. They were based in Notting Hill Gate, London, England.
- Quintessence - a Finnish Nu soul band, led by singer Emma Salokoski
- Quintessence (album) - an album by Borknagar
- Quintessence (The Soil Bleeds Black album) - an album by The Soil Bleeds Black
- In the role-playing game Mage: The Ascension, Quintessence is raw magical energy that mages use to manipulate reality.
Quintessence and the corresponding adjective quintessential are also used in the figurative sense of "(a thing) that is the perfect example of its kind". This is seen in the Hamlet soliloquy: "The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals and yet to me what is this quintessence of dust?"
Similar cultural concepts
The concept of a life-energy inherent in all living beings seems to be a fairly universal archetype, and appears in numerous ancient religions and systems of metaphysics (in addition to having been borrowed by George Lucas's science-fiction films).
Analogies to numina in other societies include:
Also related are the philosophical concepts of:
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