Did you ever feel like some part of yourself is gone like you’re flying on autopilot, detached from joy, meaning, or even yourself? It’s also known as an experience of “soul loss,” and it’s not poetic license. It is a phenomenon that many of us have encountered, particularly in the aftermath of trauma or ongoing loss.
Soul loss, as both indigenous traditions and contemporary psychology imply, is what happens when a piece of your being withdraws or shatters because of emotional traumas or life changing circumstances. It’s not unusual; our whole culture is afflicted with what shamans refer to as “soul loss,” an experience of being disconnected from meaning, aliveness, and identity. This may manifest as depression, chronic fatigue, or even a stubborn sense that something is fundamentally lacking in your existence.
But freedom-filled reality is this: you have the power to reclaim those pieces of yourself that are lost. Soul searching a process aware inward gives you the ability to reclaim your true self and reignite your inner spark. Therapist De Andrea Blaylock Johnson says soul loss typically happens after trauma, but healing begins by reconnecting with yourself.
The path begins with awareness. If you’re stuck in a poison pattern, anesthetized to distractions to avoid hurting, or low energy and negative thinking, it’s time to take a break and listen. Soul loss, shamanic healer Alberto Villoldo says, can extinguish your inner spark, leaving you a shadow of your former self. But it can be turned around a cure is in your hands.
A wonderful place to begin is meditation and mindfulness leadership. Blaylock-Johnson invites you to spend thoughtful time with yourself, as you would with a friend. “Doing things that bring you joy and allow you to be your most authentic self can provide ways for you to get in touch with the essence of who you are,” she says. With meditation, yoga, or simply sitting in quiet contemplation, these practices allow you to listen for the whispers of your soul.
It is not enough for all. Intensive guidance by a skilled healer or shaman for others, though, can alter the very trajectory of one’s life. During soul retrieval sessions, practitioners will at times induce altered states of consciousness in the hopes of finding and reconnecting lost fragments of the soul. Sounds mystical, but according to the understanding that trauma causes dissociation a coping mechanism of the mind that transports us away from pain. Soul retrieval fills in the empty space, whole and full of life.
Even if you’re not yet ready to dive into shamanic practice, you can do something of value today. Ponder a few straightforward questions: What ignites my passion? What did you enjoy doing when you were a child? These are most likely to recall memories of the secret skills and joys buried deep below the surface level of social obligation or individual pain.
Secret number two? Cut out what is not working for you. It’s easy to maintain habits, relationships, or patterns because it is easy to just keep on keeping on, but letting go of what drains your energy is expansion. Or maybe cutting out negative environments and building walls of self-respect around oppressors to make room in the life of yours for your soul to grow.
And don’t destroy the potential of baby steps. It’s tempting to want to make grand movements, but venturing out in pursuit of possibility for change may be an infinitely better plan. You may begin, say, by recalling an old passion or walking down a park trail. These brief moments of joy and humanity can be crumbs, returning you to where you are meant to be.
If you are curious whether and when age is a consideration on this journey, the answer is an absolute no. Discovery and healing have no limits of age.
Lastly, soul searching is not perfection or immediate change. It is a desire to respect your feelings, to embrace your humanness, and to be open to changing. As shamanic healer Shauna Cummins says, recalling your soul is recalling an old friend you form a relationship with yourself, one of conditions-free love and compassion.
So if you’ve lost your way, know that you’re not alone and you’re not lost. Healing starts by taking one step in. And who knows? You might just discover that the answers you’ve been searching for all along were in you.
To learn more about soul loss and healing, click here or read personal rebirth experience reports. For the more advanced soul retrieval students, this article includes a complete description.
