Soul Loss

[Karma Chameleon]

It is possible to loose one's soul? I recall reading somewhere in a book, I think it was called "Soul Retrieval", that a person can loose parts of their soul. Does anyone know more about this?

[misschief]

http://www.angrygeeks.org/mw/showthread.php?t=12276&page=2&pp=10&highlight=soul+retrieval

[-Ember]

It is a pretty standard part of many shamanistic practices. Whether one is actually losing bits of the soul or whether it is just an effective metaphor depends on how one defines the soul.

[moonstone_dreams]

I don't know. It's a very sad thing... Frank McEowen's The Mist-Filled Path: Celtic Wisdom for Exiles, Wanderers, & Seekers has a very good discussion of soul loss.

Ember, if you could elaborate on that a little bit, it'd be great. How would you define 'soul' in each case?

[Karma Chameleon]

Where do you find folks who pratice soul retrieval?

[Anahita]

For the most part, it's shamanic practitioners who do soul retrieval. They will journey to retrieve that part for you. There could be other groups who do similar things, but I'm not aware of them.

- Anahita

[semi]

There's a ton of places online to read about soul retrieval and a lot of good books too. The basic idea is that you have lost a part of your energy field. Someone may have taken it. It may have been caused by a psychic wound like when a loved one dies or from a rape. It's the spiritual equivalent of walking around with a gaping open wound in your chest. It weakens you.

Soul retrieval is a way to reshape your energy back into its proper form. A shaman journeys to one of the other worlds to find that lost piece of you. Sometimes people have to be convinced to give it back but others sometimes don't know they have a piece of you and readily give it back. For example, one of your parents may have unintentionally traumatized you during childhood and unwittingly took a piece of you. restoring that lost piece will make you and your parent feel better.

The reintegration of soul seriously changes the structure of your energy and usually causes emotional upheaval while you adjust. For this reason many shamans will only do a little at a time. But I met a shaman over the summer who does it all at once. He said "I go in, I get it, I put it back where it belongs. Deal with it." Kind of harsh but I like the all-or-nothing attitude.

Most people can probably use a little soul retrieval work done on them. I personally don't do this but I've had it done several times. I have never paid for it but some shamans do charge. The shaman I mentioned earlier said "Fifty bucks and an hour of your time really isn't that much to get your life back." True. If you need this done I can hook you up with some people who do it and some other MWers probably can too. And I'd be surprised if there wasn't an MWer who could do the soul retrieval him/herself. Good luck.

[Karma Chameleon]

If you need this done I can hook you up with some people who do it and some other MWers probably can too. And I'd be surprised if there wasn't an MWer who could do the soul retrieval him/herself. Good luck.

That'd be great! Thank you. :smile:

[-Ember]

How would you define 'soul' in each case?

Well, there are many ways to define soul. Some people believe that soul and personality are almost synonomous. In cases like that, personality changes can be understood to be gaining or loosing pieces of soul. In some cultures, sickness can be understood the same way. Other people don't believe that the soul is something divisible... it isn't possible to loose pieces. Some people don't believe it is possible to lose the whole soul and still live, others see comas and such as missing souls. In the latter case, a loosely connected soul produces symptoms like listlessness and lethargy.

[Erites]

I've felt over the last few years that there's a piece of me missing. I realise that over the years people change and whatnot but still the feeling of a loss of myself persists. I have a strong feeling that I know who has it, but that could just be projection.

It had never occured to me that this might be a real thing, as opposed to me just being nuts *l* If there's anyone out there who can maybe help with this, please, pm me.

[-Ember]

It isn't impossible to go seeking your own lost pieces... you just have to be appropriately stubborn/determined.

[Inquisitor]

I would think it rather difficult to lose one's soul without dying, and harder still to find it again without knowing where it's gone, but if you did lose your soul, at least you'd lose 21 grams with it.

[semi]

Inquisitor, by soul we're just talking energy, not a life-after-death-spirit kind of thing. It's got nothing to do with any theology, just energy work that shamans do.

[Inquisitor]

I still believe it hard that you could retrieve your own personal soul.

[semi]

I think we're talking about two different things, Inquisitor. And yes, it is hard to retrieve bits of your energy. That's why you go to someone like a shaman who's trained to do it.

[Demonboy]

Yes you can lose parts of your soul, however your soul will heal itself over time.

D