catharsis

(kə-thärˈsĭs)

1. Medicine Purgation, especially for the digestive system.
2. A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience.
3. A release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit.
4. Psychology
   a. A technique used to relieve tension and anxiety by bringing repressed feelings and fears to consciousness.
   b. The therapeutic result of this process; abreaction.