This is...a little terrifying to read knowing that I could do this any day now if I decided to. I’m almost afraid of what it would be like, and the possibility of liking it.
but, you see...we are never whole until all the pieces of our soul are together and as one unit. the retrieval is a journey to the three worlds..upper, middle and the nether worlds to plead with the piece of the detached dismembered soul to return. one is accompanied by a shaman or psychopomp in this journey. it was also accompanied by a lot of rhythmic drumming.
anything can happen during this journey. one may meet helpful guides or animal guides..or dangerous elements that want to hold on to your piece of lost soul and wouldn't let it go free. sometimes the piece of the lost soul doesnt want to return because in it's detached state, it finds healing because the trauma memories were too acrid.
the shaman sometimes acts on your behalf to wrestle or fight or even kill these hostile beings if they prevent the soul retrieval. sometimes its peaceful. sometimes dangerous. retrieval is not guaranteed. it was one of the many trippy experiences i have had...there was no use of drugs or alcohol. there was no burning incense or smoke or any such thing as i had requested that we dont do any of that. it was just the drumming.
i continued to feel trippy and spaced out for 3-4 days after the experience. i stopped driving for a week or so because i had trouble focusing visually even though i was able to continue functioning normally. i slept a lot and i slept well. but a lot of 'beings' i met during the retrieval trip stayed with me for a long time.
did i imagine them? was it a suggestion by the shaman? maybe. did it matter? i felt so much better and had a certain clarity of mind and lightness of spirit for many many months afterwards.
i was not necessarily a skeptic but neither was a believer. i like to walk into experiences with an open mind. sometimes it works. other times it fails. but in this particular case, it was more beneficial than detrimental.
during the journey i created a few characters to support me during my journey into the under world. i created a different kind of companion for the upper world. i conversed with them for a long time after the experience and then slowly as i got busy with work and other things consumed my time, they slowly faded away. but i like to think that they still reside somewhere deep inside my consciousness. and that they will come back if i beckon them or if the need arises that i have to go retrieve another piece of my soul.