An Experience With Shamanic Soul Retrieval

[―λlτεrηĭτγ⇀]

I've been researching online and am reading a book on the concepts of "soul loss" and "shamanic soul retrieval". "soul loss" is a term for people who have been through really traumatic emotional experiences or perhaps terrifying shocks, like even perhaps a car accident. It is a kind of spiritual term for what Western Medicine would probably call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Basically, soul loss is described as a condition where part of a persons self or spirit energies have been lost or fragmented.

Recently, I was doing some "Reiki" energy healing work on a friend with a Rose Quartz (love energy) polished crystal wand. She'd taken some empathogenic/entactogenic medicines as well. At one point, judging by her facial expressions, in which she seemed to have a small fit, then a look as if she was kind of possessed or not there, then a snap, out of it. We had a long therapeutic talk soon after where she explained to me the things she had been through in her life.

She had become quite numbed at an early age.

Anyway, after this experience I had with her I believe I somehow did some sort of, or a portion of "soul retrieval". She's renewed, has more light in her eyes, is much more positive. she always told me how she has very little sense of herself in her body, that she could burn herself and not feel it. There were times I'd ask how she felt, physically, and she'd say she didn't really know. She's told me since the experience she's been gaining back sensitivity in her body, and that her eyesight has improved. She hasn't felt this way in years and strongly feels that she is in a process of integration.

From what I have read on the subject, soul retrieval requires a shamanic journeying to the underworld to retrieve the essence, which has fled to the protection of Pachamama. It involved drumming, journeying trance, and using one's helping spirits and power animals. I did none of this. Well, I had music on which contained drumming. lol

Anyway, I thought the experience was interesting and felt like sharing. I've repeated our experience but don't believe anything else was retrieved, tho perhaps it helped to cement and keep intact the retrieved energy which I feel is also vital.

At almost the same time she began experiencing paranormal phenomena, with a friend at each of their mutual locations, which I found strange. She's continued to smudge both locations and I did my own sort of cleansing and meditations at her location. She says that she used to experience paranormal phenomena at a young age and that this was another returning phenomena. I am not sure if something negative was expelled in correlation to the essence retrieval or if something could be trying to contradict her new energy composition/body.

Anybody have any experience with soul retrieval or has witnessed a shaman perform or talk about them?

Kambo was not involved in this, but am planning a session with her soon. This experience inspired me to start on a master herbalist certification course. Quite excited for that.

cheers

[mudhen]

Hi αlτεrηιτγ,

I don't know much about Reiki, but if the Reiki system explains that the practitioner is intentionally open to help from the spirit guides and healing energies, it does sound like you and the crystal were in a position to allow some healing to happen which could be called soul retrieval.

So many different shamnic paradigms across the world, right? Some use a tripartate world description as a way of making sense of different dimensions. Of those, some do say a journey to the lower world, or underworld, can be necessary to retrive soul parts.
Other shamanic systems say the parts can be in many different places.
What they all have in common though, as far as I have learned, is the concept that the shaman is a 'hollow bone', a conduit for the healing energies, and that being hollow and open is what we can take credit for when we witness something beautiful as you have described. Being open and ego free, to the best of our abilities, that healing can come through us for the benefit of another.

All the things you mentioned that the woman had gone through in her life are certainly things that could cause soul loss. That she was open to talking about them could indicate that she had experience healing in those areas.
Honestly, I would edit the post to remove the very personal details for a few reasons, including ethics, and that when things have been released, to name them again, or keep thinking on them, is to give them a way to come back. This is speaking beyond soul retrieval, and to other things, but still.

I do have experience in soul retrieval, and I have witnessed shamans perform them, and heard them speak about them as well.
Is this something you are interested in working with? It is beautiful work. I was taught that there are specific steps to follow, for my safety and efficiency, and for the safety and proper return of the part of the person for whom the work is being done.

I'ts good to hear you did a follow up session, and heartening to hear you had a sense of 'finished' with it.
As to the paranormal phenomena, I found it most telling that she has experinced this before as a young person. Could it be that she is again in her power enough to be either seeing or creating these experiences again? If it is something intrusive and external, which who knows is the case, it would be beneficial to her to be protected and grounded. A part of soul retrival work is in the post-care, from what I have learned and experienced, as the newly retrieved energy/soul part settles back into it's rightful place.

Thanks for posting this, it's a topic near and dear to me.

[―λlτεrηĭτγ⇀]

I honestly don't know much about Reiki either. I've not gotten around to my "reiki shamanism" book on the subject. Anyway I was pointing the wand at one chakra at a time starting at the root and making one-directional circles. I believe clockwise? I would do each chakra for a while then move to the next. sometimes while doing one I'd do half circled upward motions to the next as if pushing the rotating energy upwards.

Is this something you are interested in working with?

Yes, very much interested in learning this in a more complete way.

Could it be that she is again in her power enough to be either seeing or creating these experiences again?

I believed that it was something external that was drawn to her because of her state.
She has felt the presence at home, at a friends location, and felt followed in her car by it.

Since my original post I have also felt what she was talking about at her location. The air felt heavier, almost like it was on fire. I was seeing more visual phenomena in my visual field. almost like short little shadowy movements. I was seeing some breathing and the heats energy coming out of the radiator felt more visible then it would normally be? I felt strange and like I was tripping. colors were brighter. My mind felt dulled like in a daze. I humored that because she lives close to NYC that it could be some kind of electromagnetic pollution, radio waves or something. But that wouldn't explain her having seen her phone floating in mid air and etc.

I felt tension building as if something were right about to happen or become more visible but then her mom called me into the other room to try and get her TV to work which was oddly just not showing channels for about 15 minutes. Don't think I got it working, seemed to have just returned. ..I went back into her room and smudged and spoke some mental intentions in a mantric way, stating that good/positive/healing spirit is welcome but that bad/negative/controlling spirits were not, that negative energy and sickness is also cast out. That she, and everyone in the house is autonomous and won't be influenced except by higher divine spirits, etc. I then began a meditation. I felt positive at this point and felt that it left but that my third eye felt a little more open which I was thankful for.

A part of soul retrieval work is in the post-care

Yes, my book talks about this too and I've been trying to focus on it. When she was bothered by the above situation^^ I pushed her to go take a shower and then I was left in the room alone. This phenomena makes her very sort of paralyzed and listless. I was trying to get her to stare into my eyes as a sort of strengthening and comforting connection during the beginning of it, and really couldn't get her to. At this point I was worrying about a reversal or regression of the soul retrieval work. But she's still been great. And she has never experienced this "entity" at my location. I feel that it would be too powerless here. I have no fear of it and I also believe my room has a sort of charge to it from positive energy works and frequent smudgings and such.

She has not mentioned anything about paranormal visitations since. But at the sameish time we were experiencing it, well her first, she got text/calls from her friend saying he was experiencing stuff, and that he couldn't get work done because his mouse was moving by itself at the computer and stuff. At first I wasn't sure what to believe, wondered if maybe it was his burden and was affecting those who came close to him, or if it had to do with both of them or what. I've recommended that if it persists, since no good has seemed to come of it, that they could do a Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

What do you think?

I do have experience in soul retrieval, and I have witnessed shamans perform them, and heard them speak about them as well.

I'd love to hear anything you'd wish to share, even if through PM.

I've also had dreams of healing her, while she slept alongside of me. Thanks to Kambo, I believe, I've been having a lot of vivid and meaningful dreams lately.
I should really try and look up their meanings.

[mudhen]

Hi αlτεrηιτγ,

Thanks for taking this so seriously, but not sensationalizing. I mean, who am I to say thanks, but thanks. I think when we approach topics like this calmly but with focus, more gets done.

Sometimes after a soul retrieval, people will become agitated, or experience agitation in their surroundings. While I have no idea whether this is true for your friend or not, sometimes this happens because an entity with a person (one who has previously been comfortable dwelling within the person) is interacting with the energy of the returned soul part, and is not comfortable with the new state of health of the person. If this were the case, compassionate psychopomp work might be called for. While I hate to say any one thing or another is 'advanced work - do not try at home', I will say that there are risks involved with psychopomp work for sure.
If there were an entity with your friend, again, may or may not be, the work would best include helping that spirit get to where they need to be in a manner which causes no fear, anger, alarm or shock either for the entity or your friend.

The banishing ritual of the petagram, that is very similar to calling in the directions, right? But with specific angels? (I don't know if I am remembering right, I just use calling the directions). I think both practices are somewhat symbolic for establishing our own alignment in time and space and dimensions as well as requesting spirit aid. I don't think anything ever can come of that which is not beneficial, if practiced with calm, strong and focused intent for empowerment and wholeness.

The soul retrievals I have been a part of, they have been uniformly touching and beautiful. I don't know what I could share that you could not read on your own, but perhaps how important it's been for me to do my own diligent work on myself, and to keep my focus so crystalline and unwavering when doing that type of work, start to finish. I also only attempt the work when I am feeling strong, and when I know I have the help of spirits who are interested in the positive outcome of healing.
Something I have found beneficial for people, which likely helps them retain that soul energy and move forward with it, is to also bring back that person's animal ally, when available, and when appropriate. Something else I have found beneficial is that after the return of an ally or a soul part, that I allow the person to sit with it while I rattle, drum or sing. A lot of work is going on with this, but simplistically, I am sealing it in, helping to 'lock in' the new position.

There are many ways to look at what we are talking about, of course. I happen to be using the cosmology of shamanism in discussing. Ya? Ya. We could use psychology, alchemy, taoism or any of a number of ways to talk about the same things. But shamanism has been effective and useful for thousands and thousands of years, and I find it very comfortable.
That underworld you are talking about, I think in some systems this is what I call the 'middle world' which is where we find all so many different beings, including ghosties and such. I will read more about the term.

There is also, in some systems, the 'lower world', which is safe and earthy, and generally populated with spirits appearing as animals.
They tend to bring power, protection and insight, and imho that is invaluable to a person when doing the hard work of integrating soul parts. If your friend is open to it, and the spirits are open to it, perhaps she could explore with you bringing this help into her life.
I was taught certain steps and certain ways to do all this work, and it's taken years. It started with me working the same on myself first, and ended with me running off to the woods for a year where I met some amazing people I lived with for a time, beneath the trees. I say this, as I don't really know how to condense all of what I've learned into a post, but you did ask, and I do want to share. ;P Feel free to pm me if you like. I'm sure we have stuff to learn/teach from each other.

Do you take intentional 'journeys' when looking for information? Are you aware of or do you call on your own good guides and allies to not only keep you safe but inform you of steps you might take? You certainly don't need to answer this here. I ask because often the information on what to do and how best to do it can come from those beings, much wiser than me. It's been very valuable to me to work on my relationships with the spirits who work with me, to the point where that is where I go first for information.
Do you remember your healing dreams? Sounds like there is a lot of good information there. Anything in the dreams you can bring back and replicate in waking world?

Your description with the quartz wand sounds like you have an instinct for this. Of course you do, lol.
When we help that energy move and rise, we get to be very aware of what it causes/creates/makes room for in the person in front of us. We are messing with the status quo when we do healing work.
So, part of every work I do is to get the person's permission, and then proceed with care and focus, and if I get muddied or unsure, I redouble my effort on being open, without ego, clean, and in service. So many spirits willing to help someone with this posture. Also, I find the energy of 'gratitude' creates an environment inhospitable to negativity in any form. Emotions are excellent tools as well.

Thanks for the opportunity to talk on this, and thanks for the work you do.

[―λlτεrηĭτγ⇀]

Thanks for taking this so seriously, but not sensationalizing.

I humbly see this path as one that I will always continue to learn on. I worried my posts might sound too metaphysical and unsubstantial, but realized my goal was not to make everyone that reads this believers. Just that I am seeking knowledge/experience from those with the right eyes, so to speak, with whom benefit can come.

Sometimes after a soul retrieval, people will become agitated, or experience agitation in their surroundings. While I have no idea whether this is true for your friend or not, sometimes this happens because an entity with a person (one who has previously been comfortable dwelling within the person) is interacting with the energy of the returned soul part, and is not comfortable with the new state of health of the person

Although true, on the whole she has been in a much better state after the healing. What you stated above may be what's happened and were my thoughts as well. She was never one who I would look at think, could have a full/fullish? (not sure how it works) spirit inside of her. Tho I've thought it about other people. For example a family member who is an alcoholic, carries baggage through the years, has a bit of a split personality, focuses mostly on the negative, sometimes looks distant, not there, or something else in the eyes, makes big deals of everything and can never let go, etc. Anyway, although this girl has told me I'd never really seen her angry side, I've been very close with her for a few years and have never seen much of what I've stated. Tho through the healing and on I've seen more of herself and her light come out.

I just searched but have never heard the term "psychopomp" and will research further.

The work would best include helping that spirit get to where they need to be in a manner which causes no fear, anger, alarm or shock either for the entity or your friend.

That's the way I see it and have thought with that intention on the prospects of entity release with Kambo. Though not sure how effective, when I was doing the mental intentions I was telling about I was thoughtspeaking that it was probably best that the spirit move on, that the house nor its occupants were a hospitable place for it. That it's not what we could call the living, on this plane. That it should move on, go toward the light, etc.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos026.htm Here is a link to the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. I have not yet read it but I very much revere Paganism and Wicca.

Something I have found beneficial for people, which likely helps them retain that soul energy and move forward with it, is to also bring back that person's animal ally, when available, and when appropriate. Something else I have found beneficial is that after the return of an ally or a soul part, that I allow the person to sit with it while I rattle, drum or sing. A lot of work is going on with this, but simplistically, I am sealing it in, helping to 'lock in' the new position.

This is basically what my book says.

There is also, in some systems, the 'lower world', which is safe and earthy, and generally populated with spirits appearing as animals.

This sounds like the one I was referring to. I believe it was described as earthy.

but you did ask, and I do want to share. ;P Feel free to pm me if you like. I'm sure we have stuff to learn/teach from each other.

Please go right ahead. I don't mind long posts. Or pm works too. No doubt!

Do you take intentional 'journeys' when looking for information? Are you aware of or do you call on your own good guides and allies to not only keep you safe but inform you of steps you might take?

I do, as well as feel like I am guided without them, though sometimes am unsure how much I delude myself. For a while I was at a stage where I felt dissapointed to not have learned more on my journeys. I have learned a lot but have journeyed very many times as well. Then came to the realization that I was not bringing enough ceremony and most-especially, intention. And was not appreciating them in a sacred enough way. I feel that my results will improve duly.

Although I feel like I have some, I have never experienced contracting helping spirits. I don't know how to retrieve a power animal, and don't know what mine is. I have felt that Kambo was a power animal ally.

I recently had a Salvia experience where I felt in direct communion and communication with her. The girl whom I have been talking about was taught by her family that a dream involving teeth falling out means that someone is going to die. She has had this happen to her twice and I recently had the same type of dream and then 3 people (none very close to me) died very soon after. When in commune with salvia I mentally asked about the dream. She showed my a visualization and her response was basically that pulling people out of this plane i.e. physical death was "like pulling teeth". hence the dreams.

At one point a raggae song came on my stereo about loving marijuana where the word marijuana repeated. I felt that she was slightly offended in a lighthearted way. Like that she gives respect to the cannabis plant but that it was her moment. I had a vision of a shadow figure creeping behind green leaves, a sort of comedic identity crises. (both feminine green leafed plants).

She made a very startling and crazy synchronistic connection about the salvia death transition helping and dreamworld entities being connected with the dmt entities who oversee and control certain things. This would be long to explain and there's a background story.

I asked her if we would evolve fast enough in time to save the planet, and I was shown a vision of a ufo flying over the earth and sucking people and trees up into it like a vaccuum cleaner and going somewhere else. LOL

So I do/have had some deep journeys with some guidance. I once experienced my grandfathers presence who had past on, in a healing manner. I was forgiven for guilt I had little realized I had been carrying, about not being around enough during his last days.

Do you remember your healing dreams?

My dreaming lately has been pretty strong, but that one, no. I believe I was holding sticks, but that's all.

I redouble my effort on being open, without ego, clean, and in service. So many spirits willing to help someone with this posture. Also, I find the energy of 'gratitude' creates an environment ]

I feel this way as well. and feel very allied to tobacco. You can find my thread on it, in this forum, linked at TobaccoInfo.tk
I consider it very sacred and smoke only true organic I make myself with unbleached papers. I won't even smoke american spirits. I also use Peruvian Ague de Florida. I mean I work with a lot of medicines/methods but, in the context of shamanism.

Thanks for the opportunity to talk on this, and thanks for the work you do.

Likewise, thank you. And not sure I ever got a chance to welcome you to the forum so, welcome. 

[―λlτεrηĭτγ⇀]

I don't know much about Reiki, but if the Reiki system explains that the practitioner is intentionally open to help from the spirit guides and healing energies, it does sound like you and the crystal were in a position to allow some healing to happen which could be called soul retrieval.

 the concept that the shaman is a 'hollow bone', a conduit for the healing energies, and that being hollow and open is what we can take credit for when we witness something beautiful as you have described. Being open and ego free, to the best of our abilities, that healing can come through us for the benefit of another.

this^^^ powerful. i feel this