Frequently Asked Questions

Soul Retrieval and Soul Recovery both modern terms for one of many ancient shamanic healing practices. You will find we use both term interchangeably.

The shaman journeys into altered state, with the aide of his/her guides, and is able to return missing soul pieces, as well as information surrounding it. This information enables the person to learn more about them self and gives them additional tools to continue on their growth path.

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Soul pieces are parts of our essence, life-force, energy matrix or spirit that we have left behind during the dramas and traumas of life. Losing soul pieces is like losing pieces of the 1000 piece puzzle. When you’ve lost a few, you can’t see the whole picture.

The shaman sees these soul pieces in many forms, from symbols to witnessing an actual event. When the shamanic journey is completed and the soul pieces are returned, the shaman will give you a detailed report on each soul piece, explaining the symbols or circumstances under which they were found. Often the symbols have private meanings for the client or may trigger an association to a situation or event that can lead to resolution of some long standing issues. In some cases, a piece may not immediately be recognized, but information will come in during the weeks that follow the journey.

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Often we encounter challenges that distance us from our true selves and weaken us when we allow these encounters to deplete our life force. These challenges range from simple day-to-day dramas or patterns to major life traumas.

Soul pieces will split off during an emotional, physical, mental or spiritual trauma. Some possible ways to lose a soul piece are: a car accident, a death of someone you love, a loss of a pet, a divorce, a move to another state or country, assault, abuse of any kind – physical or emotional, sexual molestation, rape, living in a dysfunctional family or work situation, etc.

Someone can unconsciously “take” a piece of another person or we can also give a piece of our self to another. People with missing pieces may unconsciously take a piece of someone else to help make them whole, or they take because they are emotionally “needy”.

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Common signs that one may have experienced soul loss include:

• Not feeling “whole” – Saying things like “I feel like I’m missing something” or “I don’t have it all together”
• Stuck in the “past” after a loved one, child or adult, has died. You can’t seem to move out of the past to live in the present
• Ungrounded .  .. “space cadet”, “spacey”, constantly daydreaming, not wanting to be here on Earth, not wanting to CONNECT with reality . . . these people are usually out of body at least 12 to 18 inches
• Blocks of memory loss . . . at any time in life . . . but particularly from childhood
• Unable to release some emotional trauma from the past . . . a death, divorce, loss of some kind
• Asking: “Why am I here?” A sense of no direction, no focus, a wandering around aimlessly, no sense of purpose or self
• Addictions . . . of any kind, such as alcohol, drugs, food, binging, anorexia, cravings, gambling, love, codependency
• Loss of emotional feeling . . . can’t cry, can’t feel . . . a general “emotional numbness”
• Very sick since birth . . . especially during the first 12 years of life
• Depression of any kind
• Schizophrenia or any other kind of psychotic “break from reality”
• Shame fuels loss of self-esteem/confidence, and has been caused (usually) in childhood

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For an in person journey, the shaman lies next to the client touching hands as physical contact. The client just sort of “hangs out” — doesn’t journey and tries to remain conscious and receptive. The shaman enters altered state to walk into the spirit realm and retrieves the soul pieces. Once all the pieces are found, he/she will blow the soul pieces back into the client’s heart and crown chakras. If an extraction is being done, the shaman will scan the energy system with his/her hands several inches over the body. Blocks will be removed and repairs are done using tools such as feathers and crystals. The energy body is then sealed by circling the body with a rattle.

Long distance journeys are very similar to in person journeys for the shaman, only the client is not there physically. The shaman enters altered state and requests permission of his/her guides and the guides of the client to perform the soul retrieval. Once this permission is granted, he/she will continue on and retrieve any lost soul pieces. An extraction is done as well by scanning the energy body of the client while the shaman is in altered state. The shaman uses the same ceremonies and procedures in altered state that he/she would use during an in person journey. After the soul pieces are retrieved and the extraction is done, the shaman gives a report the the client by phone, mail or email.

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There are as many responses to soul recovery as their are clients. Each person responds differently. Some feel a sense of immediate relief, as if a weight is lifting off their shoulders. There might also be tears, a sense of joy, physical or emotional pain. If you are integrating deeply emotional soul pieces you may experience some emotional highs and lows in the first month after soul retrieval. A possibility exists for an aggravation or temporary worsening of a physical ailment. Your senses are completely engaged . . . everything may looks more colorful, tastes are tastier, etc. Dreams return and are remembered, they become more vivid and past memories that were lost, may come back. If someone had taken your soul piece, that person may call you, write you a letter or show up unexpectedly about a month after the soul retrieval . . . so, be prepared! With the return of pieces, there is a “reawakening” of the body on all levels of itself. The reactions experienced are just too many to list. Just know that you will definitely feel different.

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From the Shaman’s perspective, a soul retrieval always works. The soul pieces are retrieved and returned to you. It is extremely rare that a soul piece that has been returned splits back off. Depending on the soul pieces returned, the trauma might be too minor to feel the return of the soul piece. Sometimes, a client may not be ready to receive back that piece unconsciously, although they will say they’re ready consciously. A client may think soul retrieval is silly or they’re afraid of it, and others are just not ready at this point in their growth to deal with the returning soul pieces. The soul pieces will remain in the person’s soul matrix staying quietly in the background supporting their personal development.

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Our policy at Shamanic Connection is that journeys are performed on your time schedule, but normally no sooner than 3 months apart. It takes 3 months to integrate the returned soul pieces. You may schedule additional sessions every 3 months or when you feel prepared and ready for your next journey. Some clients are every 3 months like clock work until all their soul pieces have been returned. Others may go a year or two between journeys before they are ready for the next group of soul pieces. You are the one that has to do the work, so only you know when you feel ready. Remember, this is a self-empowerment process. We will counsel you on how to work with these newly returned pieces.

If you go through a trauma of any kind where you feel a piece of you split off or was taken, call us. This is like urgent care — let’s retrieve the soul piece as soon as possible. If you are facing surgery, get extraction done FIRST. . . sometimes it may halt the surgery or aid in a quicker recovery and shorter stay in the hospital. An “annual checkup” by your shaman is PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE at it’s finest!

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Soul Retrieval works equally well, whether in person or by long distance. Long distance journeys work because the shaman travels in the spirit realm where there is no time or distance. In the spirit realm, the shaman is able to travel to you. From there, the shaman and his/her guides proceed to collect your soul pieces with Spirit’s permission.

Long distance journeys are very similar to in person journeys for the shaman, only the client is not there physically. The shaman enters altered state and requests permission of his/her guides and the guides of the client to perform the soul retrieval. Once this permission is granted, he/she will continue on and retrieve any lost soul pieces. An extraction is done as well by scanning the energy body of the client while the shaman is in altered state. After the soul pieces are retrieved and the extraction is done, the shaman gives a report the the client by phone, mail or email.

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An ethical shaman (see How to Choose Your Shaman) will not perform a shamanic journey on anyone without their knowledge. Conscious permission is required before a journey can be done for someone.Exceptions are a parent requesting a journey for a child or a relative requesting a journey for a family memeber that is not in a conscious state or for someone who has crossed over. Even in these exceptions, the shaman will first receive permission for the journey that person’s spirit guides.

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Spirit guides are helping spirits that aid the shaman on his/her journeys and in tracking lost soul pieces. The guides may offer specialized skills that can assist with he journey or extraction process. Spirit guides also provide protection and guidance for the shaman’s journeys.

A spirit guide can assume many forms, depending on the cosmology of the shaman. In both the Native American and Celtic cosmologies which Gary Gent and Debbie Gent work, the guides most often appear in animal form (sometimes referred to as power animals or animal totems). In some cases, they may appear in human form or as Faeries or Elementals or as tree or plant spirits.

Teacher spirits often appear in human form — such as ancestors, gods and goddesses, deities, the spirits of deceased historical figures, etc.

Everyone has spirit guides that are protecting, supporting and helping us whether or not we’re aware of their presence. Sometimes guides are “brought back” during a soul recovery, making a conscious connection, to assist a person in their healing and growth process.

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Shamans travel to the upper, real (or middle) and lower worlds in search of soul pieces. The upper world is one of light and love. The real or middle world is the one in which we currently exist, and the lower world is shared between the realm of Mother Earth and the underworld. These various places are experienced in what is termed “non ordinary reality”.

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While we have seen spectacular healings over the years, no claims are made for any medical or therapeutic benefit from a journey. We do not suggest soul retrieval as a replacement for approved medical techniques or discontinuing use of drug prescribed by your medical doctor without his/her approval. 

Soul retrieval and extraction may be helpful in some chronic illnesses. Sometimes clients have agreed to carry on family (genetic) patterns and soul recovery can help to release these patterns from their energy bodies. Also, undergoing a series of extractions can help improve a person’s energy flow and support their healing process.

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The shaman can help the person who is dying to contact their spirit guides to help make the transition easier. He/she helps them to return any soul pieces of others that they have been holding. If the person has already crossed over, the shaman can help the person’s spirit by returning soul pieces and helping them move on into the light. While occasionally the shaman may receive a message from a loved one who has crossed over, the shaman does not act as a medium to exchange messages.

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Yes. Journeys work on animals, plants and the Earth. Journeys are a healing process for “All Our Relations”. Journeys can be used on animals to help heal physical conditions, behavior problems and acute conditions such as accidents or trauma.

Debbie is our resident “Animal Whisperer”. During the journeys she performs for animals, she takes time to communicate with the animal to ask questions or discuss issues they my be having as well as retrieving soul pieces and doing extraction or energy healing.

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Yes, a journey is used for clearing stuck energy from houses, businesses and land as a result of current or past traumas that have taken place there.

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