Shamanism involves practices explored by earliest humans that, through trial and error, and acknowledging and utilizing subtler realms of our being along with characteristics evident in Nature, have evolved and attained lasting presence well into modern times. Of such shamanic practices, Tantra is the oldest and most developed shamanic practice extant today.
This article derives from the ideas discussed in Sandra Ingerman’s book Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self. Ingerman discusses the techniques shamans use to retrieve parts of a person which seem to have left them in consequence to a traumatic situation. These situations can range from anything which some would consider insignificant like the loss of a toy as a child to sexual and physical abuse.
This article derives from the ideas discussed in Sandra Ingerman’s book Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self. Ingerman discusses the techniques shamans use to retrieve parts of a person which seem to have left them in consequence to a traumatic situation. These situations can range from anything which some would consider insignificant like the loss of a toy as a child to sexual and physical abuse.
“For shamans the world over, illness has always
been seen as a spiritual predicament.” They say that because of some crisis, the
essence or vital part of our life-source separates from our consciousness in
order to survive the experience and the full impact of the pain. We see this
clearly happening in cases of abuse. This does not differ from some of the
views therapists take about a particular situation. John Bradshaw in particular
says that “in incest parts of the vital self will split off to lessen the impact
because the pain and humiliation are unbearable.
Shamans and psychotherapists both deal with the reintegration of these split-off parts. What makes the shaman different from the therapist is that the shaman does not put the loss in the realm of the unconscious or blocked out memories. The shaman sees the other parts living or existing in another separate reality. He is a messenger, a communicator, and retriever between those parts and the main body of consciousness. When a part of the soul is lost, a vital essence of one’s being is gone. One may feel depressed, lonely, bored or anxiety-ridden and not know why. This lost part is what some people tend to look for in relationships, addictions, or even religious organizations. There is false idea that these things are going to make them feel more alive.
