Soul retrieval is a common healing technique in shamanism, in which part of person’s soul is believed to be lost during a trauma or series of events. The soul part is found in the spirit realm and reunited with the person’s main soul.

During a shamanic healing, the trauma that led to the soul loss is seen either literally or symbolically. If symbolic, the event might conceptually represent an abusive childhood as a whole. If literal, it would show a specific trauma. Either way, the situation needs to acknowledged, recognized as a mistake, and forgiven. The person can then move on—having successfully learned an important life lesson.