noun
Refers to the inner seat of thought, emotion, or awareness. Often used in set phrases like 心頭に浮かぶ (come to mind) or 心頭を去らない (cannot get out of one's mind). Slightly formal or literary.
その光景が心頭に焼き付いて離れない。
That scene is burned into my mind and won't leave.
ふと、ある考えが心頭に浮かんだ。
Suddenly, a thought came to mind.
Compound of 心 (heart/mind) and 頭 (head), suggesting the seat of thought and emotion. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in literary Japanese for centuries.