Soul Retrieval

Also, see "What is Shamanic Healing?" under the "Techniques" section of the E-book "Healing The Earth/Ourselves: A Personal Guide to Inner/Outer Transmutation" on this Web site>

Below are some excerpts from Sandra Ingerman's book, Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self (HarperSanFrancisco, 1991), that explain the process of Soul Retrieval.

What we do here is not identical, but close enough. You can get a pretty good idea of what goes on. Everyone who performs soul retreival does it a little bit differently.

Sandra taught me soul retrieval in 2000, and since then, I've done hundreds of them. She has been very good about recommending me, especially here in the Southeast, where practitioners are few. Most of those who come here for soul retrieval are from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee.
It's really pretty simple. I like to talk to the person first, just to establish a little rapport.
You should fill out the form on the Web site and send it to me.
Then, I will journey shamanically to see what I see, and report back to you.
The form you fill out gives me "permission" to journey for you.
You are charged only after the soul retrieval is done.
If you want soul retrieval, I can do it long distance, or you can come here to have it done. We would have to set a date that would be mutually agreeable.
I recommend that people come here to have it done, because it's an experience that is worth having, firsthand.
Normally, a person would only have soul retrieval once or twice in a lifetime, so it's a signficant event. Energetically, it's like open heart surgery, pretty heavy. So, it would be good to bring someone who can drive you to and from; and not to make any appointments for that day, and to pamper yourself for a couple of days afterwards. If you would like for that person to be present during the soul retrieval, that is perfectly fine, too. It's really a unique and beautiful experience.

The Process of Retrieving a Power Animal or Soul Part

(Excerpted from "Soul Retrieval: Mending The Fragmented Self" By Sandra Ingerman; HarperSanFrancisco; 1991)

Our culture is not comfortable with rituals except in very limited fashion, such as within church walls.

But you should be apprised: Retrieving a power animal or soul part is serious shamanic work.

The ritual is carefully prescribed and the person who is having the power animal or soul part retrieved only has one duty: Be open, relaxed, respectful and ready to receive the power animal or soul part.

Remember, we are venturing into the realm of spirits, a place shamans have been respectful visitors for many thousands of years.

We are humbly asking that good spirits, guides, angels and teachers of the universe take pity on us, have compassion, and be willing to aid us in our journey, so that healing and wholeness can result.

The secret of successful power animal/soul retrieval is good intent.

If our intent is pure and good and respectful, we may be rewarded by compassionate powers who have only our healing and spiritual and physical betterment in mind.

Outlined here is the procedure, so you can be prepared for the ritual.

As stated, you have only to be receptive. Nothing else is required.

The intervention of one human being (the shaman) on behalf of another often seems to evoke sympathy in the universe, and usually a former, lost power animal volunteers to come back with the journeying shaman.

With missing soul parts, the retrieval can be trickier, depending on whether the soul part left of its own volition and wants to come back or if it was "stolen" by someone.

Power animals normally come and go unexpectedly from a person, especially after a few years. Hence, the regular practice of this exercise is an important way for a person to be assured of possessing person power. But, if a person shows power-loss through depression or illness, and asks for help, such work should be immediately undertaken.

For soul retrievals, it's usually not necessary to have more than a couple to return major missing pieces. Pieces of our souls are lost through trama from time to time in our lifetimes; it can be something as "insignificant" as falling off a bicycle as a child to more serious events such as child abuse or, as an adult, the death of a loved one, loss of a job, divorce or other causes.

Of course, if a person goes through a severe trauma, the quicker the retrieval, the better.

The steps for both power animal and soul retrieval are similar and are as follows:

1. Plan an afternoon, evening or weekend when nothing heavy is scheduled. Although the retrieval shouldn't take more than an hour total, it is important that the person needing the retrieval have plenty of time beforehand to prepare for the retrieval so he/she can be rested and alert; afterwards, it's advised the client/patient (hereafter called "seeker") have plenty of time for him/herself for quiet reflection. It's best if there is someone to drive the seeker to and from the session, as it can lead to a feeling of "spacyness," or "not being there." Eat only a light lunch and no dinner before the session; and, of course, no alcohol or other mind-altering drugs.

2. Once entering the treatment area, the seeker should lie down on the floor in a comfortable manner on his/her back. A guided meditation may be read or soft music may be played, depending on what's needed. When it's time to begin, a rattle will be shaken to clear the energy in the room and each of the six directions (east, north, west, south, up, and down) will be honored. The good spirits of the universe will be invited to attend.

3. Rattling will continue until the shaman feels connected enough (a light trance) to begin to journey. Then, either a drumming tape or a drummer will take over, beating a steady cadence (about 180 times minute) conducive to bringing on the altered state of consciousness needed for the shaman to journey.

4. The shaman will then lie on the floor, body up against the seeker, shoulder-to-shoulder, hip-to-hip, foot-to-foot. The beat of the drum is essential to the maintenance of the journey. In a sense, the drum is the journey, guiding the shaman's consciousness into non-ordinary reality.

5. While the seeker remains relaxed, calm and open, the shaman will travel either to the Upper World or Lower World, to do the retrieval. The shaman will be guided by his/her own power animal.

6. After the shaman retrieves the power animal/soul part, he/she will still up and knell next to the seeker and blow the part into the heart chakra (chest); then, the shaman will assist the seeker in sitting up, whereupon, the shaman will blow any residual power into the crown chakra (top of the head).

7. The shaman will then rattle around the seeker's body, sealing the power in the seeker's body.

8. A singing bowl will be played to help bring the seeker into harmony with the missing part and to ground both the shaman and the seeker into ordinary reality.

9. The Shaman will tell the seeker what he/she saw while journeying and may draw symbols or objects seen that may be useful to the seeker.

10. It's best if the seeker quietly relaxes afterwards to integrate the renewed aspect of his/her being. Having a missing power object or soul part can be a powerful experience. Or, the seeker may feel "nothing." But, the effects should be felt in the next few days with greater vitality. It's important that the seeker allow room in his/her life for this new aspect of personhood, following intution and being open to new feelings and viewpoints. A great healing takes place. Sometimes, repressed or painful memories will surface. Don't try to either stuff them back down or dwell on them; both tactics will only hamper the process of self-growth. They should be acknowledged and released so that they can be healed. The most pronounced effects often are felt during the week to 10 days after a retrieval has taken place.

Effects of Soul Retrieval

(Excerpted from "Soul Retrieval: Mending The Fragmented Self" By Sandra Ingerman; HarperSanFrancisco; 1991)

The most difficult part of explaining soul retrievals to others is describing its effects. They vary so widely that there is absolutely no way to predict what will happen for a particular individual. We are each unique, and our psyche has its own way and timing for dealing with issues that come up. The effects of soul retrieval are extremely varied, both short- and long-term.

Soon after a soul retrieval people may report that they feel "more present" or "filled up."

Some say they feel "bigger" or "lighter." Many discover that their senses are awakened, and colors are more vivid. They hear better, their sense of smell is awakened -- they are more "in their bodies." People who came feeling ill and depleted often report feeling more energy, power, and strength immediately.

These changes can cause some disorientation for a few days, which is actually a positive reaction. When a person has been "out" of his or her body for thirty or forty years and is suddenly "in," everything seems a little different. It may compare to leaning to one side for years and then suddenly straightening up. One then experiences the world in a much different way.

I was very surprised at how disoriented I was after my own soul retrieval. Immediately after my session I had to drive Christina, who did the soul retrieval, sixty-five miles to the airport.

I got into the driver's seat of my van, put my hands around the steering wheel, and stepped on the gas. I couldn't understand why my van wouldn't move. I picked up some shiny objects (my keys), staring at them and trying to figure out what to do with them. Needless to say, the ride to the airport was quite an adventure.

Let me suggest an exercise for you to try.

Look around the room you're in now, and find an object that attracts your attention. Go to that object, and sit in front of it. Close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths to center yourself Now open your eyes, and fully focus all your attention on the object for just a couple of minutes. Look at every detail, study the color, notice the texture, concentrate, be aware. Now leave that object, and look around you. Bringing your awareness into the present to focus on the object might bring you fully into your body for a while. When you look around the room, notice whether from that state of heightened awareness you perceive things around you differently.

Sometimes a person becomes very giddy after a soul retrieval. Or a person may burst into tears, moved by the soul retrieval experience and the information. Tears often come if a memory of the trauma floods back in. We must remember that because the soul part left with the memory of the trauma, the memory returns with the part; the memory may come back immediately or over several weeks. Some people feel nothing immediately after the soul retrieval. Such a person might say, "I feel more peaceful," and leave, thanking me for my efforts and wishing me well.

I must admit that after I say the words, "Welcome home," I experience seconds that feel like minutes, filled with both anxiety and excitement as I wait for my clients to open their eyes and look into mine. What will happen?

Sometimes the intensity of their gaze shocks and scares me. At other times the softness in their eyes makes me melt. Often the look is one of a mischievous child who has returned. This invokes my own mischievous child, and I just want to laugh.

The wonderment of clients looking around with new senses always thrills me in doing this work. For some people it is like waking up from a very long sleep. For others it's like getting into bed at night, sinking down under the covers, wiggling around feeling the comfort and warmth, and sighing, "Aaaah!"

Sometimes the effect of a soul retrieval surprises a client, who might be geared up for an emotional backlash after getting back a certain soul part.

When I worked with Jo, I brought back a part of her that left at age four when her mother would not allow the child to climb a backyard tree; little Jo was furious, and her strong-willed part left, angry at being told no.

The adult Jo was anxious about having her soul retrieval. She knew she had had a trying relationship with her mother but couldn't remember the details. When I reported the tree-climbing incident to Jo after I welcomed her home, she burst into laughter. What was such a big event to Jo at age four, an event that was terribly traumatic then, seemed so insignificant to a woman of forty who, by this time, had been told no many times.

The effect of the soul retrieval can often be surprising as the client reexperiences the event from an adult perspective rather than from a child's point of view. Frequently the incident does not seem as traumatic to the adult, although the child may have experienced it as shattering.

In most soul retrievals I find the effects are delayed about two weeks. Feelings of happiness, sadness, or anger seem to intensify over time. People might become temporarily depressed a few weeks after the soul retrieval; sometimes we must walk through the darkness to get to the light. Yet when clients have been chronically depressed, the return of the essence seems to spark the light of life they were looking for.

Most people do, with time, feel the power, strength, and sensation of being present in their bodies. Many people notice that their dreams change significantly. Some people say their dreams become more vivid; many report that memories surrounding past trauma are shown in dreams. People who never remembered their dreams in the past begin doing so now.