I only recently found out there was an actual term for that shared experience of learning a word and stambling upon it unusually frequently afterwards: ‘The BAADER-MEINHOFF phenomenon’.
Yes, it seems there’s a scientific explanation for that, which leaves out cosmic magic.
The Baader-Meinhoff explains that this happens because once you become aware of a new word, your brain starts noticing it more often. In fact, it’s not limited to words.
The name itself has a cool story. Unlike many scientific terms, it has no direct connection to the person who coined it. Instead, the two last names are the names of leaders of a left-wing German militant group that has nothing to do with the phenomenon. The thing is someone who experienced the BMP, gave that specific example.
More accurately, it was named frequency illusion in 2005.
So, next new word you learn and feels like it’s lurking, it’s your brain allucinating higher than normal frequency.
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