Ikiryō

Ikiryō (生霊), literally meaning living spirit, is the term used in Japanese folklore to refer to the apparition of a living person that has temporarily separated from the body, usually because that person holds a significant grudge against someone else. While the spirit of the begrudger is separated, the spirit is believed to cause ill will towards the one who is despised. The longer the grudge remains unresolved, the longer the Ikiryō remains outside the body, the weaker the body itself becomes and eventually they will die.

Misc.

• The Ikiryō should not be confused with the spirit of a deceased person, or yūrei.
• The closest western counterpart to the Ikiryō is the English fetch or the German doppelgänger.

Japanese Culture
Religion
Buddhism - Shinto
Japanese Ghosts/Creatures
Funayūrei - Goryō - Hitodama - Ikiryō - Onryō - Ubume - Yōkai - Yūrei
Specific Japanese Ghosts/Creatures
Oiwa - Okiku - Yuki-onna
Terms
Dosojin - Grave Mound - Hannya Mask - Higanbana - Jizo - Kaidan - Miko - Mukoyōshi - Sanzu River - Shimenawa - Toro-Nagashi - Wara Ningyo
Locations
Northeastern Japan - Shizuoka - Sugisawa Village - Tono
Media and Entertainment
Kagome, Kagome - Ringu