Soul Loss/Soul Retrieval: Addressing Contemporary Trauma, Abuse, and Suffering

By Donna Robbins, M.A., M.P.H.

A woman says to me: "I just feel like part of me is missing. I've been depressed since I was in grammar school, and about two months ago I started having memories of sexual abuse." This woman has intuitively tapped into what shamanic healers have known for thousands or years. Psychiatrically, she might be diagnosed as depressed, or possibly with post traumatic stress disorder. From the shamanic point of view, she probably suffers from soul loss ("part of me is missing").

Tribal healing beliefs and practices all over the Earth include the idea of soul loss as a major cause of illness and suffering. Different cultures describe different precursors to soul loss, but it is known that, due to traumatic circumstances, part of our vital essence (soul, life energy) fragments off. This occurs so that the organism can survive, so that the body and psyche do not have to experience the full impact of the circumstances. This in itself is not a problem, as these soul pieces often return after a time. Sometimes, however, they become lost in other realities. The results can range from feelings of being ungrounded through severe depression, addictions, and various physical illnesses.

To correct this situation, shamanic healers bring back the missing soul parts by means of a technique called the shamanic journey. Specifics vary from culture to culture, but basically, the shamanic healer travels in the spirit realm with spirit helpers in search of the soul pieces and returns them to the owner.

Contemporary understanding of soul loss relevant to our culture, together with a method for retrieving missing soul parts, come to us via the work of Sandra Ingerman. Sandra began her training in shamanism with Michael Harner about 20 years ago. (She is now a member of the International Faculty and Director of Training at the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.) Sandra was shown soul retrieval by a spirit helper in a shamanic journey she was doing on behalf of a client who was an incest survivor. She had heard about soul loss, but only later learned the similarity between what she had been shown and the work of traditional tribal shamans.

Subsequent to my own training with Michael Harner and Sandra Ingerman, I began my own shamanic practice in l989. Since then I have done hundreds of soul retrievals and frequently give presentations on shamanism and shamanic healing. When I talk about soul loss, people frequently approach me to say they know what I mean. As one client said to me: "Soul retrieval makes sense to me in a way I don't understand." Others say things like: "I feel like a piece of me left a long time ago"; "I've known for a long time that all of me isn't here, I'm just not whole"; "I've never been the same since I was bitten by that dog"; ". . . since my grandmother died," etc. People may or may not know or remember specific incidents, or they may know exactly when part of them left.

Circumstances of soul loss

Any trauma or suffering, such as sexual abuse, accidents, fright, rape, verbal abuse, etc. can lead to soul loss. Contemporary Western culture is an extremely difficult context in which to live, and it is not uncommon for people to experience soul loss due to accumulated suffering or existential despair-for example, when a childhood dream is squelched, or as we reach adolescence without guidance or celebration. Miscarriage and abortions as well as addictions are also associated with soul loss.

Sudden difficulty with parenting may indicate that the parent had soul loss as a child at the current age of one of her children. This can manifest as not being able to relate, or even an aversion, to a child with whom one has previously had rapport.

Indications for and effects of soul retrieval

First of all, the idea has to make sense to a person at some level, or they do not seek further information about it. Second, people seem to know whether the time is right for soul retrieval for them, which essentially means that they are ready for their life to change. A returned soul piece is likely to bring about change in a person's life. Conscious care and work are required to integrate the soul piece; otherwise, it is likely to leave again.

Following soul retrieval work, people have reported the following: having a stronger sense of self; feeling more whole, clear, grounded, or solid; having more trust in life; experiencing joy; depression lifting; anger and rage breaking up or dissolving; feeling peace. Other examples: (a) A woman reported dramatic decrease in agoraphobic symptoms: "I seem to no longer be afraid to be out in the world." (b) "My music has come back to me." (c) A woman reports being able to feel separate from her mother during a recent visit: "I could really keep my own boundaries." (d) "I feel much clearer about my values, and have been able to ask for space from my lover." Often returned soul pieces will reconnect a person with childhood desires (particularly when loss of hope of ever realizing these desires led to the fragmentation); for example, wanting to paint, to write songs and dance, to work with the fairies. Soul retrieval has also been an important factor in relieving chronic pain and other physical problems such as allergies.

Sometimes painful memories or emotions return with the soul pieces. But, again, when it is time for a soul piece to return, the person is ready for this to happen. and the person now receives specific help and guidance for processing whatever arises.

Clients often report that soul retrieval has a facilitative effect on other therapies they are undertaking, for example, psychotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic.

An interesting example of work for children is tribal shaman Tela Lake's report, quoted in an article in Shaman's Drum ("Sorcery, Psychic Phenomena, and Stress," by Robert Lake, winter 1987-88), of the effects of soul retrieval for a child whom "white doctors" had diagnosed as autistic. The child was subsequently described as "healthy, more intelligent than her peers in school, and . . . very active in local ceremonies."

Returning lost soul pieces

For some reason it is very difficult to do a soul retrieval for yourself, although it is not impossible. As Sandra Ingerman says: ". . . In shamanism, a lot of power for healing comes from the fact that another person is willing to work in the spiritual realms on your behalf." (Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self, Harper San Francisco, 1991.) Sometimes more than one soul part returns, and healing may be done on a soul part before it returns. Each missing fragment brings not only increased wholeness to the person (quantitative aspect), but also has the specific qualities, energies associated with the age at which it was lost (qualitative aspect).

Also, soul retrieval is not done in a vacuum. It usually occurs in the context of other shamanic healing and ceremony, and with recommendations for ways to support the healing process and nurture the returned soul pieces.

Stealing or giving away soul parts

Sometimes a soul part has been taken by someone else, or it is voluntarily sent to be with someone who dies or when a relationship ends to avoid having to disconnect. Or, we may ourselves take a soul part from a family member or lover. All this is done unconsciously, and with the mistaken idea that we can use someone else's power. Instead, holding part of someone else's soul impedes us from finding our own power.

Sandra Ingerman has found that soul stealing is ". . . alarmingly high especially in families where there is abuse or addiction." She also believes that codependence is another way of describing soul loss or soul exchange. Soul retrieval can break up a generational pattern of soul stealing and provide groundwork for familial healing. When a stolen soul is retrieved, the person who relinquishes the soul usually receives a healing gift as well as being relieved from the burden of the soul piece.

Other applications of soul retrieval

A sizable proportion of my practice has dealt with problems of dogs and cats. Animals respond very readily to shamanic work, sometimes with dramatic results. One cat had lost most of her fur, and after soul retrieval, she grew it back. Another cat abruptly stopped defecating all over the house.

Many clients have soul pieces from other lifetimes return to them, often shedding light on a puzzling feature of their current life-certain fears, for example.

Soul retrieval can be done for land that has become wounded and dispirited.

Sandra Ingerman believes that the emergence of soul retrieval into our contemporary culture is essentially a call for us to be whole and fully present on Earth. This may very well be true. We are in a turning time for humanity and the future of life on the planet. Soul retrieval is one way of helping us to be more fully present, more fully alive, filled with our own vital energy. We are all inextricably connected, and all benefit when this happens for any one of us.

Donna Robbins is a licensed psychologist who also has had a private practice as a shamanic counselor and healer since 1989. She is a graduate of the Three-Year Advanced Training Program of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and has been initiated into Tibetan Shamanism.