To separate from a physical body; to exist without physical form, or (as adjective) lacking a body or material form.
From dis- (separation) + incarnate (from Latin incarnatus, made flesh, from in- + caro, flesh). The word reverses incarnate, which means to give physical form to something spiritual, creating its opposite.
Spiritualists and ghost researchers loved this word because it perfectly captured their belief that consciousness could exist without a body—it's the opposite of incarnate, which means 'becoming flesh.' Medieval theologians also used it to describe angels or spirits, making it a word with deep roots in discussing non-material existence.
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