also: かいりきらんしん
noun
supernatural things; unnatural phenomena; spirits and demons
Yojijukugo referring collectively to strange, supernatural, or demonic forces and events. Often used in literary or philosophical contexts.
孔子は怪力乱神を語らなかったと伝えられる。
Confucius is said to have not spoken of supernatural things.
Standard kanji spelling for this yojijukugo.
Alternate reading; less common than かいりょくらんしん.
From the Analects of Confucius (述而第七): 子不語怪力亂神. The four characters represent strange/monstrous (怪), force/violence (力), disorder/rebellion (乱), and spirits/gods (神).