soul searching[noun]Synonyms: introspection, heart-searching, self-contemplation, self-examination, self-observation, self-questioning, self-reflection, self-scrutiny, self-searching
[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
ˈsoul-ˌsearching noun [uncountable] careful examination of your thoughts and feelings because you are very worried about whether or not it is right to do something:
After much soul-searching, I decided to resign. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲