1. the belief that the soul of a person or animal is reborn in a new body after death; transmigration of the soul
Usage: philosophical and religious concept; often associated with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Platonism

Examples

• The ancient Greeks, particularly followers of Pythagoras, believed in metempsychosis.
• In Hindu philosophy, metempsychosis is central to understanding the cycle of karma and rebirth.
• The poet explored themes of metempsychosis in his work, imagining souls moving between different lives.
• Metempsychosis suggests that a person might be reborn as an animal if they lived poorly in their previous life.
• Many Eastern religions embrace metempsychosis as an explanation for the diversity of life forms.
• The concept of metempsychosis has fascinated Western philosophers for centuries.