C A T H A R S I S :
Prononc. [kataʀsis]. n.,
1. Antiquity : According to Aristotle, the purgation or purification of human emotions through their artistic representation. Tragedy brings about catharsis by allowing spectators to vicariously experience their passions.
2. Psychiatry : Therapeutic method that facilitates the resolution of a psychological trauma by bringing repressed painful memories into conscious awareness.
Etymology: XIXe century, originally "catharsis," a term in medicine meaning "natural or artificial evacuation." Borrowed from Greek katharsis, meaning "purification, purgation."
