metempsychosis

 
Pronunciation: /ˌmɛtɛmsʌɪˈkəʊsɪs/

noun (plural metempsychoses /-siːz/)

[mass noun]
  • the supposed transmigration at death of the soul of a human being or animal into a new body of the same or a different species: like Eliot he has an interest in metempsychosis [count noun]: the speaker perceives himself as an avatar in a sustained metempsychosis

Derivatives

metempsychotic

adjective

metempsychotically

adverb

Origin:

late 16th century: via late Latin from Greek metempsukhōsis, from meta- (expressing change) + en 'in' + psukhē 'soul'