metempsychosis

n. transmigration of the soul, whereby upon death a soul takes up residence in another body, human or animal. The belief is inherent in the doctrine of samsara, the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth, that is central to Hinduism and Buddhism. An important and unanswerable issue attends the doctrine: the extent to which the reincarnated soul retains its memories and personality. In the ancient Western world, a similar belief in multiple lives was taught by Greek philosophers Pythagoras (c. 569–c. 475 bce) and Empedocles (c. 493–c. 453 bce). See also reincarnation.

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Psychology term of the day

March 15th 2025

receiver

1. in communication theory, a device or process, such as hearing on a radio receiver or the sensory apparatus of vision, that translates a signal into an intelligible message. In psychological applications of information theory, the human being has sometimes been treated as a receiver; this analogy has motivated various aspects of research (e.g., the ability to cope with noise).

2. in telepathy experiments, the participant who attempts to receive information transmitted by the sender. See also percipient.