||Ca*thar"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;. See Cathartic.] (Med.) A natural or artificial purgation of any passage, as of the mouth, bowels, etc.

Ca*thar"sis (?), n. (Psychotherapy) The process of relieving an abnormal excitement by reëstablishing the association of the emotion with the memory or idea of the event that first caused it, and of eliminating it by complete expression (called the abreaction).

Ca*thar"sis (?), n. (Psychotherapy) The process of relieving an abnormal excitement by reëstablishing the association of the emotion with the memory or idea of the event that first caused it, and of eliminating it by complete expression (called the abreaction).

• (medicine) Purging of the digestive system
  
• A figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear
  
• A release of emotional tension after an overwhelming experience that restores the spirit
  
• (psychology) A therapeutic technique to relieve tension