Page 26 - The New Age Chronicles Newspaper No 1 Vol 1

26 Soul Retrieval and EMDR

Soul Retrieval and

EMDR: Integrating

Shamanism and

Psychotherapy

Continued from Page 25

Brain Waves and Dream Waves

The felt experience of journeying is like a long
lucid dream.
Shamanic journeys, supported by a
driving rhythm, induce a vivid altered state of
consciousness, often with intense images. Like a
lucid dream, it is a state in which clients need to
allow the imagery to arise naturally, yet can still
exert some direction of will.
The experience of EMDR is like a set of
short lucid dreams.
Research indicates that EMDR produces
brain waves similar to those in Slow Wave
Sleep, but stronger.* Experiences can be intense,
emotionally and/or visually. Clients need to
allow the process to flow, while maintaining
some direction. There is a strange dual
awareness: being vividly in the painful past,
while feeling safe in the office.
Clients allow themselves to touch into energy.
the pain of an Inner Child, or a Lonely Teen, or With EMDR, the protocol is to help THE XZBN IS
a Wounded Warrior for a short time. They let clients to stay with their feelings and sensations,
themselves feel a little bit, then they come back. in tolerable amounts for a short set. They bring ALWAYS LOOKING
As clients allow feelings to arise for a short time their awareness back to the room briefly, then FOR RADIO SHOWS
with the alternating rhythm, gradually, repeat with the next set. When the client did this,
amazingly, the pain drains away. the Frozen Child finally started to cry. She AND HOST FOR OUR
Images with no words now have a couldn’t remember if she cried when she saw
narrative. Memories that would erupt into the her Daddy, but she was crying now. RADIO BROADCAST
present now are placed in the past. Finally it is As I encouraged her to sob, her chest NETWORKS!
clear: that was then, this is now. expanded and her hands started to shake. She
moved her hands to her chest, so I encouraged
Soul Retrieval - Where Science and her to tap there. She felt her heart breaking and
Shamanism Meet finally coming alive again. Tingling and rushes
of energy pulsed through her feet and legs. (For

Things got interesting for the client with the a trauma therapist, these are all good signs of
Frozen Inner Child when she realized that her release.)
father was 54 when he almost died. He lived for Then the Spirit Realm took over.
several years, but he was weak and struggled to Her father appeared to her.
breathe. He told her how much he loved her. He
She was now 54. Her breath was said he was proud of how hard she had studied.
shallow, and she was having panic attacks. He thanked her for helping her mother, they
There was a mysterious quality about this that were together now and happy again. And he If you think that you have
led me to integrate aspects of Soul Retrieval and even gave her some career advice.
EMDR therapy. Today, she feels more in touch with her what we are looking for in a
Preparation for EMDR usually starts body. She has realized how often she holds her radio show / host, email
with helping the client visualize a “safe space” breath, and works with a soft outbreath to programming@xzbn.net
that they can start from and return to. Clients continue releasing her old freeze pattern, and to
who are already kind of spaced out usually love come back into the present moment. She sees and a member of our
to journey out of the body. So in this case, I how much of an impact her experience at 10 programming staff will
encouraged her to do the opposite, to focus on years old has affected her career, and is reaching contact you.
her physical sensations and emotions. for bigger options. And she is able to be more
I also gave her shamanic homework: to tender and playful with her Inner Child.
spend time in nature between sessions, and to sit
next to a tree and feel herself growing roots. About the Author:
I led her through a couple of short journeys, Edie Stone, MA, LPC, is a Holistic
using the alternating rhythms, to connect with Psychotherapist and Soul-Centered Counselor in
her Spirit Guides, including protective and Boulder, CO. She has been a Certified Shamanic
nurturing figures. Journey Guide since 1995. She loves helping
With Soul Retrieval, the goal is to bring people reclaim their power, integrity, creativity, www.xzbn.net
the soul back fairly quickly, then work with and joy. She also teaches shamanism and
integration. If this had been a case of child dreamwork.
abuse, I would have taken that direction. But this Edie’s Website: www.ediestone.com and
was a case of numbness, and loss of voice and www.shamanicjourneys.net.