Soul Retrieval

One of the shaman’s most important tools is soul retrieval.  It’s possible for the soul to become dis-integrated through any of a number of common traumas, circumstances or situations that might take place during a person’s normal course of living. When these occur, they may manifest in physical or emotional conditions that can not be healed by traditional medicine or psychological counseling.  Conventional therapies only treat the symptoms.  Until the root cause is addressed, the underlying problem remains – leading to recurring, sometimes increasingly more severe effects.

Soul retrieval  focuses on locating, recovering and re-integrating lost parts of the soul.

Soul retrieval is a modality that has been practiced for thousands of years, by shamans in various cultures on every continent. Though the specific techniques for recovering the soul vary from one culture to another, the premises and goals of soul retrieval very similar - and have been throughout  history.

What causes soul loss?

The reasons for soul loss vary widely.  It's unlikely that we are able to list all the causes.  The conditions under which a part of the soul will leave the body will differ from one person to another.  Here are typical circumstances that are frequently the root cause of soul loss. 

• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse as a child
• Death of a child, parent, or close friend
• Loss of a husband, wife, or lover - through death, or involuntary divorce or separation
• Sudden and unexpected loss of a meaningful job or career
• A sudden accident resulting in severe physical trauma, or sudden onset of a debilitating disease
• Exposure to shocking or extremely stressful physical or psychological conditions or events - for example, witnessing a murder, serving in a war, undergoing chemical or radiation therapy
• Codependent relationships - where one has unconsicously given a part of one's soul to another - say, in a parent/child or intimate relationship

Symptoms of Soul Loss

There are many, many symptoms that are indicative of soul loss.  In tribal cultures, it's not common for someone to experience a soul loss for very long without someone in the tribe noticing.  Members of the tribe are sensitive to other tribesmen's energy; and a conversation with the shaman will often lead to an interview with the affected person; followed by a journey to retrieve the soul.

However, contemporary culture does not support an awareness of the signs of soul loss - either by the affected individual, or those with whom he/she comes in regular contact.  So, one may frequently suffer the consequences of soul loss for years, and try a number of therapies (unsuccessfully) before seeking help from a shaman.  

Here are a few of the symptoms that are common to loss of a piece of the soul:

• Loss of vitality or passion about life
• Depression, listlessness, or a feeling that something is missing in life
• Difficulty with focusing attention on the task at hand
• An overly active mind - inability to control a continuous, random stream of thoughts - which often leads to insomnia or nightmares
• Addictions to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco as a means of escape
• Loss of memory about a period of your life
• Unhealthy or unnecessary compulsions - such as excessive use of media like the Internet, television, and pornography 
• Recurring thoughts about dying, or suicidal fantasies
• A sense of multiple personalities showing up under different conditions
• Disconnection, or disassociation leading to feelings like the world is passing by without  you, or unusually selfish behavior,, or a sense of wondering or not knowing why you're alive
• Chronic feelings of shame, low self esteem, or lack of self-confidence.
  

How does soul retrieval work?

Traditional shamanic soul retrieval involves journeying to alternate worlds to locate and recover the soul. Once recovered, the shaman will blow the soul back into the receiver.  In this process, the subject is a passive participant.  The shaman alone has the power and the ability to recover the soul.

This traditional means of soul retrieval is practiced to this day among tribal cultures; and even widely in modern culture.  

However, there are broad differences between a tribal culture and our contemporary culture.  In a tribal culture, each member identifies him/her "self" first and foremost as a member of the tribe... and less so as an individual member of the tribe. In western society, we have little or no association with a tribe; and we tend to view ourselves as separate, sovereign beings. In other words, personal sovereignty is more important to a person's view of him/her "self".

Soul loss (which equates to loss of personal power) saps part of our personal sovereignty.  

As a post-tribal shaman, Kenn Day holds that submitting to the power of a shaman as a passive participant works against the idea of regaining personal power.  If the idea is to re-empower the client, then the client must be an active participant in the soul retrieval process.

As such, Kenn's method for soul retrieval includes some basic instruction in shamanic voyaging, to prepare the client for the journey to the worlds where the soul may reside.  He will then accompany the client on the shamanic journey, as a guide and ally in having the client recover his own lost soul parts.

This method has proven effective in further empowering the client to regain his lost power.

How Do You Know if You Have Soul Loss?

 
If you're experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, or other similar symptoms.... and have been frustrated at the lack of results obtained from other sources, soul loss may very well be the cause.  A counseling session with Kenn will allow him to understand your conditions, and intuit whether a soul retrieval may help you.