materialisations

Materialisation is the process by which something becomes material or concrete; it is used in various domains to denote creation, manifestation, or embodiment of ideas, phenomena, or data into a physical or observable form.

In philosophy and metaphysics, materialisation refers to the emergence of material presence from ideas, forms, or causes; it is discussed in debates about how mental or abstract entities acquire physical properties through causal processes or divine action.

In spirituality and parapsychology, materialisation commonly denotes the apparent appearance of a physical manifestation, such as a figure or object, believed by some to originate from spirits or psychokinetic processes. It is controversial and not supported by mainstream science.

In computing and information systems, materialisation (or materialization) denotes turning a logical resource into a stored, concrete one. Materialised views store the result of a query to speed access, while maintaining consistency through refresh operations; the term also appears in data modelling and replication contexts.

In physics and chemistry, materialisation can describe the creation of particles or matter from energy, or the formation of a material phase in a reaction. The term is less common in technical literature, where materialization is more often used.

Etymology and usage: derived from Latin materialis via Old French materialiser; British English uses materialisation, American English materialization.