soul-transference
The idea that a soul can be separated from its body and trapped or transferred through supernatural means, such as breaking a mirror reflecting the soul.
2 chapters across 1 book
Conjure Wife (1953)Fritz Leiber
Norman Saylor confronts the serious political and personal threats posed by college trustees and colleagues, while grappling with the supernatural theft of his wife Tansy's soul by Mrs. Gunnison. Using a broken Prince Rupert mirror, Norman traps Mrs. Gunnison's soul outside her body and mentally confronts her invasive presence before restoring Tansy's soul to her body, resolving the metaphysical struggle between soul and body amid institutional and occult tensions.
In Chapter 21, Mrs. Carr reveals a supernatural ritual involving the manipulation of tension and dimensionality to alter life and death, drawing her guests into a risky plan. The truth about the soul transference between Mrs. Carr and Tansy Saylor is uncovered, showing that Mrs. Carr had earlier stolen Tansy's soul and trapped it, with the ritual ultimately restoring the souls to their rightful bodies. The chapter highlights the tension between belief in witchcraft and scientific skepticism, as well as the complex interplay of identity and deception.