Hello!
I’m thrilled to witness the growing excitement around the upcoming Inner Tribe Work Course – big thanks to all who have already joined. I wanted to take a moment to address some of the common questions we’ve been receiving. Hopefully, this will give you a clearer picture of what to expect.
To jump right to a specific question, simply click on it:
THE CURRICULUM
(MIGHT BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
There are four main areas we’re going to explore: shamanic soul loss and soul retrieval, parts-of-self models, self-compassion practices, and embodiment practices.
SOUL LOSS & SOUL RETRIEVAL
We’ll start with soul loss and shamanic soul retrieval. In our culture, the word “soul” is often used imprecisely, meaning different things to different people. In original animist and hunter-gatherer cultures, there were specific words to describe different aspects of the soul.
Our first task is to clarify what we mean by soul retrieval and differentiate it from other concepts like power loss, which can appear similar but have distinct causes and remedies. We’ll also examine shamanism as a parts-of-self model, recognizing that we consist of various aspects. We’ll discuss the differences between the middle world soul (small ‘s’ soul), the lower world soul (capital ‘S’ Soul), and the upper world spirit. Additionally, we’ll clarify the distinction between spirit and the aware self or witness, which are often conflated. Understanding these distinctions will help us determine when soul loss is relevant and how to address it.
We’ll explore traditional soul retrieval techniques from indigenous practices and consider complications that may arise, such as intrusions, possessions, entanglements, and ancestral or family burdens. We’ll also address modern challenges in soul retrieval, particularly when parts are resistant to returning. This issue, common in contemporary times but less so in indigenous cultures, requires insights from modern psychotherapy, specifically parts-of-self models.
What is soul loss?
When a person experiences trauma, emotional distress, or significant life events, a part of their soul may become fragmented or dissociate from their being. This fragmentation, called soul loss, can have profound negative effects on a person’s well-being and ability to lead a fulfilling life and can result in feelings of emptiness, disconnection, depression, and a lack of purpose or passion in life.
Causes of soul loss
There are some obvious causes of the soul part leaving. Traditionally, soul loss was said to result from things such as accidents, serious illnesses, shocks and other traumatic events. However, there are other causes too.
- abuse; not just sexual, but also physical and mental/emotional too
- prolonged anxiety or fear
- loss and grief
- shame and guilt
- prolonged pain
- giving your soul to another; co-dependent relationships
- domination by another person, or a group (everything from peer pressure to religious cults)
- having your soul stolen by another, or others
- substance abuse and other addictions (losing your soul to the object of the addiction)
- not being true to oneself; disowning or disallowing parts of oneself
- however, the principal cause of soul loss in modern times is usually that we send part of our own soul away, to ‘fit in’.
Signs of soul loss:
Signs of soul loss are many and can include a sense or feeling of:
- somehow being incomplete; that something is ‘missing’
numbness or flatness; of just going through the motions - hopelessness, apathy and indifference; like a spark is missing
- being disconnected from life or what is around you; as if you are living in a dream
- depression, ranging from mild, to moderate, through to severe
feeling lost, indecisive and aimless - procrastination; time-wasting; or finding it hard to sustain focus or effort
- a lack of confidence and self-belief
- having a strong inner critic who puts you down and is always on your back
- phobias and anxieties; fearfulness
- missing memories (where have the memories gone, and why did they go?)
- addictions or other compulsive behaviours and/or thought patterns
never having really recovered from a past event - repeatedly returning to a person, location or behaviour that is unhealthy for you
inability to move on from an issue or event, despite efforts to do so
finding it hard to (re)invest in the future with enthusiasm and optimism - grief, fear, anger or rage that you cannot seem to shake off
- Other times, it’s simply a feeling that the soul retrieval may help
Soul retrieval & obstacles:
In a soul retrieval, the skilled shamanic practitioner leaves their own body and enters into shamanic reality. This is known as a “shamanic journey” and is usually (but not always) done to the accompaniment of a shamanic drum or rattle. Working with the help of their power animal(s) and other shamanic guides, the practitioner finds the soul part of the person they are journeying for, and attempts to persuade it to return. If it agrees to return, the part then receives whatever shamanic healing it needs. Then the part is gathered up, brought back to this reality, and then literally blown back into the person’s body.
The actual process of doing soul retrieval can seem surprisingly quick. This is because the retrieval itself happens outside the timescale of this reality. So the whole process can be done in the space of an hour or two.
In many cases, one session alone can be enough. But not always. In modern times, soul retrieval is a much more complicated process than it once was.
Obstacles to effective soul retireval:
- Intrusions: When soul parts leave, they leave holes in us. When this happens, other things called ‘intrusions’ can get in and need to be removed. The process of removing these is generally known as shamanic extraction.
- Introjects: Introjects are “shoulds” or “should nots” (“musts” and “must nots”, and “oughts and “ought nots”) that we have adopted over time. Some are healthy and useful (“I should look for traffic before crossing a road”, or “I ought to say please and thank you” for example). However, some introjects we adopt are not healthy, and may even be causing us harm (“I should always do what is expected of me”, or “I must never be vulnerable/angry”, for example). When it comes to soul retrieval, strong introjects can create problems. It is all very well to bring somebody’s soul part back for them. But if the soul part is a part of themselves that they have strong ‘shoulds’ or ‘should nots’ about, then if the part is to stay then these will need to be addressed (and this is often where counselling or psychotherapy can pick up the thread again).
- Body shock: The other thing that sometimes happens is that the soul part returns, but the body is still in shock. Shamanism recognises different aspects of us, each having different needs. Put simply, we are made up of body, soul and spirit. What the Body needs is to feel safe. So sometimes, as well as soul loss, there is ‘body shock’, in which case what is needed is a ‘body re-patterning’ journey too.
- Fort-holder parts: In modern soul retrieval, “fort-holders” are parts of ourselves that developed survival strategies during difficult times in childhood. They might resist the return of lost soul parts due to fear of change, making the process more complex than traditional methods.
- Power Loss: As well as soul loss we can suffer power loss – the loss of healthy connection with nature and the other-than-human world – and so, very often it is necessary to do a power-retrieval too, usually in the form of what is known as a Power Animal.
PARTS-OF-SELF MODELS
Shamanism is the original parts-of-self model in terms of recognizing there are different parts of us – our Middle-World self, Lower-World soul or Upper-World spirit, a body and so on.
There are in psychotherapy many other parts-of-self models as well that are incredibly useful. So we’ll explore some of these models, focusing particularly on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which is currently one of the most popular ones. While we’ll look at the IFS in a fair bit of detail, we’ll also compare and contrast it with other psychotherapeutic models. This comparative analysis will demonstrate how these models contribute to and enrich the shamanic understanding of the self.
Often, it’s not enough to perform a soul retrieval alone. If there’s a part that opposes the return of the lost soul fragment, integration becomes incredibly tricky, if not impossible. Therefore, understanding our inner system of parts is crucial for dealing with any opposing elements.
SELF-COMPASSION PRACTICES
When performing soul retrieval, we may encounter resistance from other parts of ourselves. In psychotherapy, the idea that “there are no bad parts” is crucial—every part must be welcomed back. This requires us to practice self-compassion and loving-kindness toward all parts of ourselves.
Self-compassion often needs to be learned, especially in a culture where many people have strong inner critics. For soul retrieval to be effective and lasting, it’s not just about bringing the soul part back or integrating it through dialogue. It involves learning and practicing self-compassion. There is a wealth of knowledge on self-compassion practices from psychotherapy and meditation, and we will explore these practices from a shamanic perspective, focusing on shamanic self-compassion practices.
EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
Finally, we will delve into embodiment and grounding practices. Being whole, having inner parts in harmony, and being properly present and embodied are interconnected. The body plays a vital role in integrating parts-of self.
The field of embodiment and shamanism is vast and fascinating. This course will serve as an introduction, with two follow-up courses planned for next year: one specifically about shamanism and the body, and another on the work of Wilhelm Reich, the founder of Body-centered Psychotherapy, and what shamanism can contribute to his understanding of the body.
Part 1: SOUL LOSS & SOUL RETRIEVAL
We’ll start with soul loss and shamanic soul retrieval. In our culture, the word “soul” is often used imprecisely, meaning different things to different people. In original animist and hunter-gatherer cultures, there were specific words to describe different aspects of the soul.
Our first task is to clarify what we mean by soul retrieval and differentiate it from other concepts like power loss, which can appear similar but have distinct causes and remedies. We’ll also examine shamanism as a parts-of-self model, recognizing that we consist of various aspects. We’ll discuss the differences between the middle world soul (small ‘s’ soul), the lower world soul (capital ‘S’ Soul), and the upper world spirit. Additionally, we’ll clarify the distinction between spirit and the aware self or witness, which are often conflated. Understanding these distinctions will help us determine when soul loss is relevant and how to address it.
We’ll explore traditional soul retrieval techniques from indigenous practices and consider complications that may arise, such as intrusions, possessions, entanglements, and ancestral or family burdens. We’ll also address modern challenges in soul retrieval, particularly when parts are resistant to returning. This issue, common in contemporary times but less so in indigenous cultures, requires insights from modern psychotherapy, specifically parts-of-self models.
Part 2: PARTS-OF-SELF MODELS
Shamanism is the original parts-of-self model in terms of recognizing there are different parts of us – our Middle-World self, Lower-World soul or Upper-World spirit, a body and so on.
There are in psychotherapy many other parts-of-self models as well that are incredibly useful. So we’ll explore some of these models, focusing particularly on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which is currently one of the most popular ones. While we’ll look at the IFS in a fair bit of detail, we’ll also compare and contrast it with other psychotherapeutic models. This comparative analysis will demonstrate how these models contribute to and enrich the shamanic understanding of the self.
Often, it’s not enough to perform a soul retrieval alone. If there’s a part that opposes the return of the lost soul fragment, integration becomes incredibly tricky, if not impossible. Therefore, understanding our inner system of parts is crucial for dealing with any opposing elements.
Part 3: SELF-COMPASSION PRACTICES
When performing soul retrieval, we may encounter resistance from other parts of ourselves. In psychotherapy, the idea that “there are no bad parts” is crucial—every part must be welcomed back. This requires us to practice self-compassion and loving-kindness toward all parts of ourselves.
Self-compassion often needs to be learned, especially in a culture where many people have strong inner critics. For soul retrieval to be effective and lasting, it’s not just about bringing the soul part back or integrating it through dialogue. It involves learning and practicing self-compassion. There is a wealth of knowledge on self-compassion practices from psychotherapy and meditation, and we will explore these practices from a shamanic perspective, focusing on shamanic self-compassion practices.
Part 4: EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
Finally, we will delve into embodiment and grounding practices. Being whole, having inner parts in harmony, and being properly present and embodied are interconnected. The body plays a vital role in integrating parts-of self.
The field of embodiment and shamanism is vast and fascinating. This course will serve as an introduction, with two follow-up courses planned for next year: one specifically about shamanism and the body, and another on the work of Wilhelm Reich, the founder of Body-centered Psychotherapy, and what shamanism can contribute to his understanding of the body.
Who is this course for?
Understanding soul loss and soul retrieval practices is absolutely fundamental to shamanism. These concepts are at the very core of shamanic work. While this topic is more complex than some of the other things I run courses on, it is an enormously important component of shamanism, which is why this course is twice the length of most of our other offerings.
Because of its length and complexity, I don’t get to offer this course often. It’s not that the course isn’t important—it’s simply that it requires more time and enough participants to run. Without learning about soul retrieval and its complications, there will be a significant gap in your shamanic practice. This makes the course essential in many ways.
As I mentioned, I don’t offer this course frequently. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to run it again—it certainly won’t be next year, and almost certainly not the year after that. So, take this opportunity while it’s available. Once the course starts, bookings will close, and I won’t be accepting late enrollments.
Not just for therapists!
You do not need a psychotherapy background to take this course. I’m used to working with groups of all experience levels and abilities.
On a course like this, there will be people who have only ever done a First Steps course, so this is only their second course in shamanism. There will also be people who have a lot of experience in shamanic work, but it’s in different traditions of shamanism and from different schools and colleges, so in terms of this particular approach to shamanism, they are beginners. Of course, there are those of you who have done other courses with us and some of you who are very experienced in this approach to shamanism. I’m pretty good at presenting the information in a way that helps all these different skill levels and experiences.
The same inclusive approach applies to the psychotherapy aspect of the course. Whether you have no background in psychotherapy, are a practicing psychotherapist, or have personal experience as a client, this course offers valuable insights and practical knowledge. Those new to psychotherapy will gain a solid foundation, while experienced practitioners will discover ways to integrate shamanism into their therapeutic work.
So, whatever your level of experience in shamanism or psychotherapy, you will gain a great deal from doing this course.
Focus on personal development, not client work
Whether you are interested in this course for your personal development or to learn how to apply shamanic work to working with others, this course is for you, regardless of your level of experience in shamanism or psychotherapy.
The focus of this course is not specifically for therapists in terms of how to work with clients, though I will answer questions about that. Like all of our courses, the emphasis is on personal work and developing your shamanic practice.
If you conduct shamanic journeys for others or are a psychotherapist with clients, you will find it easy to apply the course content to your work with others. Additionally, there will be two discussion groups: one on the website and an optional Signal group. In these groups, you can post questions, share experiences, and discuss your thoughts. I closely monitor these groups, as I always do, and will address any questions that arise, including those from psychotherapists wondering how to apply the material to specific client situations. If necessary, I will create additional teaching videos to address any issues that come up.
Also, for anyone interested in working with clients, this is a prerequisite for attending our professional module we will run next year.
What if I cannot join the live sessions?
You don’t have to attend the live sessions to benefit from the course. Although students consistently provide positive feedback about the value they gain from the live sessions, they are designed to be an additional component of the theory modules.
Approximately half of our students these days either do not attend live sessions or attend them infrequently. Nevertheless, they still report deriving significant value from the courses. Many individuals who do not attend live sessions continue to enrol in multiple courses and remain engaged. Therefore, if you cannot attend live sessions, please do not let it deter you from participating in the courses.
The live sessions are recorded, but due to technical constraints and privacy considerations during breakout sessions, only the main group discussions, typically lasting about an hour, are recorded.
Once the course begins, bookings close. However, if you are uncertain about your availability in the upcoming months, I would still encourage you to sign up. The course materials are accessible through recordings, and as long as you maintain an account with the college, you will retain access to the recordings indefinitely. You can revisit the content at any time, allowing you to progress through the course at your own pace.
Ongoing access and free course repeats
Ongoing access to the course
When you sign up for the courses, you have access to the recordings and the other teacher materials for life – life, of course, meaning for the life of the college. So as long as there’s a college running, and as long as the internet exists, you’ll have access to the recordings. So you can take as long as you want to work your way through a course, and you can come back to it and revise any bits of it as often as you want. It’s sort of like buying a book – once you bought the materials, you know, they’re yours and for as long as you want.
Free revisions
When we (re)run any course that you have done previously, you can sign up for the new version for free!
Transcripts are available!
For those whose first language isn’t English and have concerns about understanding, transcripts are available. Vimeo automatically generates transcripts for our hosted videos, and Zoom provides transcripts for live sessions, though they’re AI-generated and may not be perfect. Nevertheless, they offer sufficient assistance for comprehension.
Payment in three instalments
In terms of payment, we utilise PayPal, and you may be aware that PayPal offers a “Pay Later” option. When you book for the course, you will likely see a PayPal “Pay Later” option, allowing you to spread the payments in three interest-free instalments of £100 each. However, occasionally you may not see this button, as the option is not available in all countries worldwide, and for reasons that appear somewhat arbitrary, PayPal may not offer it to certain individuals. If you wish to pay in instalments but cannot find the “Pay Later” button, please contact me, and I will arrange to send you three monthly invoices instead, enabling you to pay in instalments that way.
Soul loss: interview with Paul Francis
I hope to see you on the course!
The Inner Tribe Work course starts on June 8th, 2024 and consists of:
- 12 pre-recorded video presentations, with accompanying learning resources. Each presentation is between 1 to 3 hours in length.
- 8 live experiential and community-orientated sessions. These are on Saturdays, are 2 hours long, and start at 2pm (UK time). Recordings of these will be available (minus the break-out room discussions, for reasons of privacy) for anyone who cannot attend live.
- A website forum and (an optional) Signal group, where students can ask questions, discuss topics, share experiences and additional resources, and get support, encouragement, and a sense of community.
- Bonus recordings as needed.
The video presentations will be released on or around June 8, 15, 22, 29, July 6 and 13. Then there is a six-week gap before the sessions start again on August 24, 31, September 7, 14, 21, and 28.
The live sessions are at 2 pm (UK time), on June 15, 22, July 6 and 13, and then a six-week gap before they resume on August 24, September 7, 14, and 28.
Blessings,
Paul Francis