(This is the fourth and final article in Pam Spence's series on ancestral healing.) 

Soul loss is a common condition treated by shamans, and often considered to be the source of many different illnesses. Basically, soul loss occurs when there is a traumatic event and a part of the soul splits off and seeks safe haven. Often, the soul part returns on its own, but if it doesn’t, soul loss occurs. When this happens, a person can feel as if a vital part of their self is missing. This can lead to physical and psychological illnesses, including depression and addiction – to alcohol, drugs, food, and relationships – as the person tries to fill the void. When this happens, a shaman can journey to the soul part and, if the soul part is willing, return it to the person.  

It’s important to understand that soul loss doesn’t just happen to individuals, but can be passed from generation to generation.

What are the signs that that this has happened? Ancestral soul loss can be characterized by patterns of bad luck in a family, a sense of disconnectedness among family members, and an overall lack of cohesiveness in the family unit.  (Can you think of deep family riffs that seem to keep repeating without much rhyme or reason?)

Soul work can be helpful for individuals who have issues around being adopted, who are youth at risk, people who are poorly socialized. Generally speaking, soul work can help people who have no sense of their roots, no sense of place or belonging. Often, a ritual/ceremony to heal ancestral wounds can help heal the ancestral soul loss, and the conditions may start to shift.

Some shamanic traditions view certain individuals as having a genetic proclivity to ancestral issues. In other words, they believe it takes several generations of abuse/trauma to create schizophrenia and other psychological disorders. Think about the different traditions that talk about the conditions (the sins, etc.) of the ancestors being visited upon current generations.  

This would explain why many shamanic cultures look to the ancestors for help with questions of healing. After all, ancestors have been "living" with these questions for many generations. They understand the pain of illness, and the struggles that triggered them. This wisdom can be a great source of healing. In concluding this series on ancestral healing, the one thing to really take to heart is that in healing the ancestors, we heal ourselves, and in healing ourselves we heal the world around us.

Pam Spence is a writer and shamanic healer who relies on the power of words, art, imagination, and the wisdom of the ancient ones when working with clients or conducting workshops. She lives and works in Chicago, Illinois, and can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it