phantasm
nounSomething apparently seen but having no physical reality; a phantom or an apparition.
nounAn illusory mental image.
nounIn Platonic philosophy, objective reality as perceived and distorted by the five senses.
nounIn psychology: A memory-image.
nounAn image of imagination.
nounAn apparition; a specter; a vision; an illusion or hallucination.
nounAn idea; a fancy; a fantastic notion.
nounSpecifically, in recent use, a phantom or apparition; the imagined appearance of a person, whether living or dead, in a place where his body is not at the same time.
nounSynonyms Phantom, Apparition, etc. See
An image formed by the mind, and supposed to be real or material; a shadowy or airy appearance; sometimes, an optical illusion; a phantom; a dream.