Soul loss is a condition that can occur due to traumatic events, distressing life experiences, and certain relationship dynamics, where fragments of the soul become detached from the individual’s core self. This fragmentation serves as a survival mechanism, helping individuals cope with trauma. However, the separation of these soul parts can lead to various physical, emotional, and psychological issues. Understanding what is soul loss is essential for recognizing its symptoms and seeking appropriate healing.
Background
The soul, as referred to in soul retrieval, is the energetic essence of your being. It encompasses the intangible aspects of your being, including gifts, qualities, and aspects of who you are. It is the you that transcends physical experience. Pieces and parts of that soul essence can sometimes become separated, trapped, and/or lost. If you imagine the soul energy as a sphere, when soul loss occurs, there are voids and areas that are missing.
What is soul loss? Soul loss is part of the human experience. It’s designed to protect our nonphysical essence from various kinds of trauma. If something traumatic is happening, we don’t want to be fully present in our bodies and in the experience. Examples include things such as a car accident, physical violence, or an emotional assault. Instead, part of us goes away to avoid the trauma. Psychologists refer to this as dissociation. The shamanic community calls it soul loss. Either way, it helps us to survive the various kinds of trauma and difficulties that happen in our lives.
Lots of kinds of trauma can cause soul loss. Examples include accidents, surgery, sexual violence, and combat trauma. Whenever someone says, “I’ve never been the same since my accident/that relationship/my surgery,” they are describing a soul loss experience. Trauma that causes soul loss can be subtle and different for each person. Being teased or shamed can cause a sensitive child to lose soul parts. I’ve seen people who lost soul parts because being trapped in a math class was so unengaging that they didn’t want to be there.
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How Soul Loss Protects
Part of the answer to “What is soul loss?” is that it’s a protective mechanism. Soul loss causes part of our life essence to leave in order to protect itself from being damaged or traumatized. The soul part leaving sometimes carries away some of the memory and immediacy of the experience. In the normal course of events, the soul part would return on its own after the trauma had passed. But sometimes the trauma is so severe that the soul part goes away far and fast. Then, it can’t find its way back and gets lost. In cases of chronic trauma or abuse, the soul part may not know it’s safe to come back. There’s no time in shamanic reality. So, the soul part doesn’t know that twenty years have passed, and the violent stepfather is no longer present.
Other Types of Soul Loss
In understanding “What is soul loss?” it’s useful to note another type of soul loss occurs when a part leaves because it doesn’t fit or because it is sent away. This could be an aspect that is shamed or punished. For example, a girl might send away her anger. Sometimes we send soul parts away because they don’t fit into our adult lives, disowning our impractical passions. A fuller sense of self-acceptance and self-expression are among the outcomes of a soul retrieval session.
Finally, soul loss can happen when parts of our soul are taken by or given to the significant people in our lives. As human beings, we struggle to maintain good physical and emotional boundaries. The concept of good energetic boundaries is not something that occurs to most people. When soul parts are taken or exchanged, it invariably happens on an unconscious, energetic level. People who have had soul parts taken unknowingly take soul parts from others. While there’s no judgment or blame, this does put people in an inappropriate energetic relationship.
In getting a clear idea of what is soul loss, picture a mother, already diminished by her own soul loss experiences, looking at her child. She might think that if she could just have some of her child’s vitality and energy, she would be able to cope with her life. On an energetic level, she reaches out and takes some of the child’s essence. The child may resist at first, but eventually it is easier to give up the soul part than keep struggling. Or perhaps the child feels sorry for the parent and gives up their soul part willingly. Again, I want to emphasize that this isn’t deliberate. When I retrieve soul parts, parents are glad to give up their children’s soul parts once they realize what they’ve done.
Soul Loss in Romantic Relationship
In understanding what is soul loss, romantic relationship related soul loss has a significant role. In a romantic relationship, the people involved often will trade soul parts. Our culture’s love mythology implies that when we love someone, we give them our heart and our soul. It’s easy to mistake a lack of energetic boundaries for closeness and connection. People often unconsciously give their lover some of their own vital life essence along with their love. This exchange makes both people more dependent on each other, less able to stand on their own, and thus less likely to leave. It can feel safer and more connected to both parties. But in reality, this diminishes both people.
Whatever the source of soul loss, the effects are much the same. Soul loss will diminish a person’s sense of well-being and joy in life. It can cause a lack of vitality and interest in the world. People often feel depressed, listless, and as though the world was all gray. Soul loss can lead to gaps in memory. People can feel fragmented or spacey or even like pieces are missing. Sometimes people become accident-prone or keep falling into the path of misfortune. People with soul loss can spend a lot of energy working through events of their past and still feel impacted by them. In extreme cases, soul loss can cause a lack of sense of self, suicidal tendencies, and vulnerability to physical illness.
Causes of Soul Loss
In understanding “What is soul loss?” it’s useful to know that can occur due to a variety of reasons, including:
- Traumatic Events: Incidents such as accidents, physical or emotional abuse, and sudden loss can cause soul loss. Our soul is eternal, transcending the human experience, so parts will often step away to avoid trauma. Psychologists describe this as dissociation. Shamanic practitioners call it soul loss.
- Distressing Life Experiences and/or Depression: Events that evoke deep sorrow, fear, or stress can lead to soul loss. Sometimes a part of us simply doesn’t want to be here. Many people are ambivalent about their lives. This can show up as suicidal tendencies. It can also show up in what I think of as a lack of life wish. The person may not have a death wish, but neither do they have a life wish. Part of the soul may attempt to exit the human condition ahead of the rest of the soul.
- Unhealthy Relationship Dynamics: People who’ve lost soul parts are seeking to fill the hole, often by taking other people’s soul parts.
Symptoms of Soul Loss
Identifying what is soul loss involves recognizing its symptoms. Here are some common indicators:
- Fatigue: Persistent tiredness despite adequate rest.
- Depression: Ongoing feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
- Anxiety: Frequent anxiety or panic attacks.
- Memory Lapses: Difficulty remembering significant life events.
- Feeling Incomplete: A pervasive sense of something missing.
- Emotional Numbness: Inability to fully experience emotions.
- Lack of Enthusiasm: Reduced passion for activities once enjoyed.
- Difficulty in Relationships: Struggles in forming or maintaining meaningful connections. Also, choosing and staying with unhealthy and/or abusive partners.
- Addictive Behaviors: Engaging in substance abuse or compulsive activities.
- Chronic Illness: Unexplained or persistent physical ailments.
- Vulnerability to Mishaps and Accidents: Increased susceptibility to accidents.
For more detail on soul loss symptoms, check out 11 Soul Loss Symptoms
Healing from Soul Loss
Recognizing what is soul loss is the first step towards healing. Soul retrieval is a shamanic healing practice designed to restore lost soul fragments, promoting overall well-being and restoring balance. This process involves a shamanic practitioner journeying to recover and reintegrate these lost parts. It may sound like a lot of territory, but my work specializes in providing a comprehensive soul retrieval to address all these kinds of soul loss in one session, for most clients. More on that here…
Conclusion
Understanding what is soul loss and recognizing its symptoms can significantly impact one’s path to healing. By addressing the underlying issues through practices like soul retrieval, individuals can restore their wholeness and well-being.
Additional Resources
Check out my Full Soul Retrieval Article Series for more information, including What is a Soul Retrieval?
Want a full overview of the soul retrieval process? Check out What to Expect in Your Soul Retrieval Session- https://handsoverheart.com/2017/01/20/about-soul-retrieval/
Want to learn more about my soul retrieval work? https://handsoverheart.com/soul-retrieval/
Ready to book a session? https://handsoverheart.com/book-a-session/
Curious about how long people have been receiving some version of shamanic healing? Check out this article! https://www.thecollector.com/shamans-mesolithic-period/
