The term loss of soul - In

shamanism Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiri ...

the term refers to the loss of

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...

part of the life force,

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

Causes of soul loss in shamanism

The prevailing concept in traditional shamanism is "any illness is a consequence of a lost or stolen soul. The Khanty and Mansi had the idea that a person had five souls. The main explanation of the mechanism of soul loss is that in order to preserve oneself in an intolerable situation, part of the soul leaves, as continuing to be in these conditions is so uncomfortable that it can lead to complete disintegration. In some cultures saying God bless you after sneezing is believed to help prevent soul loss In

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and ...

Motorcycle accidents are believed to cause soul loss, resulting in a revival of the belief

Symptoms of Soul Loss in Shamanism

Sandra Ingerman, in her book Return of the Soul, identifies the following symptoms of soul loss: * Dissociation * Chronic illnesses * Depression * Multiple personality syndrome * Chemical dependency *

Post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats o ...

* Difficulty making decisions * Feeling numb *

Apathy Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of inter ...

* Chronic bad luck * Memory lapses

Soul Retrieval by a Shaman

Some people believe that the soul can be returned with the help of

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spir ...

, that he goes to his helper spirits and/or teachers with a request to help in the return of the soul, negotiates with the part of the soul found, asks about the reasons for its departure, finds out the conditions under which the soul will be willing to return, with the claim that the shaman shifts the vast majority of the work of returning the soul to other entities. In preparation for the return of the soul, the shaman may preliminarily produce the return of an animal power.

References

{{Reflist Shamanism Pages with unreviewed translations