Plural of epiphenomenon; secondary effects or byproducts that result from but do not influence a main process or condition.
From epi- (upon) + phenomena (plural of phenomenon, from Greek phainomenon). The term originated in philosophy and neuroscience to describe effects that appear alongside but aren't causal to main events.
Think of consciousness as a byproduct of brain activity rather than its controller—epiphenomena are all the extra stuff that comes along for the ride but doesn't steer the ship!
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