Soul retrieval
Encyclopedia
Soul Retrieval refers to forms of New Age
and shamanic
practice that aim to reintegrate various interpretations of the soul that might have become disconnected, trapped or lost through trauma. In variants such as Carlos Castaneda
's recapitulation
technique, fragments of soul are sought solely within the memories of the retriever, making them largely psychoanalytical
in nature; in others, the scope extends to rehabilitation of lost soul
s of the deceased, paralleling the Roman Catholic practice of offering prayer for the dead
to assist their progress through purgatory
. Robert Monroe
explored the concept of retrieval extensively through use of out-of-body and astral projection
techniques, sometimes finding the personalities he perceived suggestive of prior incarnations
of himself.
subject during a routinely taped exploration at his institute. In this session, he ostensibly found himself presented with the crying soul of a sailor, still clinging to the floating wreckage of his ship and waiting for his first dark night in the water to end more than 100 years downstream from the date he believed was current. Through offering friendship and suggestions of ways to transcend his predicament, Monroe seemed to effect a transformation in the sailor's understanding, freeing him from a century of anguish. The session was subsequently transcribed, and Monroe eventually developed a series of binaural
frequency sets
to assist others in the replication of altered states of consciousness suitable for similar retrievals.
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
and shamanic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
practice that aim to reintegrate various interpretations of the soul that might have become disconnected, trapped or lost through trauma. In variants such as Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda was a Peruvian-born American anthropologist and author....
's recapitulation
Recapitulation (Castaneda)
Recapitulation is a term used by Carlos Castaneda in his book, The Eagle’s Gift, published in 1982. In The Eagle's Gift, Florinda, one of don Juan's party of warriors, teaches Castaneda about the process and purpose of recapitulation...
technique, fragments of soul are sought solely within the memories of the retriever, making them largely psychoanalytical
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
in nature; in others, the scope extends to rehabilitation of lost soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
s of the deceased, paralleling the Roman Catholic practice of offering prayer for the dead
Prayer for the dead
Wherever there is a belief in the continued existence of man's personality through and after death, religion naturally concerns itself with the relations between the living and the dead...
to assist their progress through purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
. Robert Monroe
Robert Monroe
Robert Allen Monroe was a New York radio broadcasting executive who became known for his research into altered consciousness. His 1971 book Journeys Out of the Body is credited with popularizing the term "out-of-body experience".Monroe achieved world-wide recognition as an explorer of human...
explored the concept of retrieval extensively through use of out-of-body and astral projection
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
techniques, sometimes finding the personalities he perceived suggestive of prior incarnations
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of himself.
Monroe's retrievals
Monroe's first exposure to retrievals came about interacting with a channellingMediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
subject during a routinely taped exploration at his institute. In this session, he ostensibly found himself presented with the crying soul of a sailor, still clinging to the floating wreckage of his ship and waiting for his first dark night in the water to end more than 100 years downstream from the date he believed was current. Through offering friendship and suggestions of ways to transcend his predicament, Monroe seemed to effect a transformation in the sailor's understanding, freeing him from a century of anguish. The session was subsequently transcribed, and Monroe eventually developed a series of binaural
Binaural beats
Binaural beats or binaural tones are auditory processing artifacts, or apparent sounds, the perception of which arises in the brain for specific physical stimuli...
frequency sets
Focus levels
Focus levels are numerical, content-neutral labels for specific altered states of consciousness associated with specific Hemi-Sync binaural beat combinations defined by The Monroe Institute...
to assist others in the replication of altered states of consciousness suitable for similar retrievals.
Further reading
- Sandra IngermanSandra IngermanSandra Ingerman is a psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner who teaches workshops on shamanism. She has taught with Michael Harner, and was the Educational Director for the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, where she served on the Board of Trustees. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors...
, Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self (2006); ISBN 978-0061227868 - Alberto VilloldoAlberto VilloldoAlberto Villoldo, Ph.D., is a Cuban-born psychologist and anthropologist who has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Inca shamans for over 25 years.-Formal Education:...
, Mending The Past & Healing The Future With Soul Retrieval; ISBN 978-1401906269