What do you think?
Rate this book
Mending the Past and Healing the Future with Soul Retrieval
This fascinating book by psychologist and medical anthropologist Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., explains the practices for healing outside of ordinary time and space. It shows how to enter the timeless now to heal events that occurred in the past, and to correct the course of destiny. Dr. Villoldo discusses ways in which you can heal yourself and your loved ones by employing intention through practices used by shamans of the Americas—which, until now, have been inaccessible to most of the world. The shamans of old called this journeying. In this book, you’ll discover that you have a four-chambered heart in the same way you have a four-chambered soul. In the first chamber, you store away the memory of a wound that derailed your destiny. In the second, you keep the limiting beliefs and soul contracts that you entered into at the time of your loss. In the third, you recover the grace and trust that will make you whole again; and in the fourth, you remember the calling and mission that you choose to unfold in this lifetime. "While everyone has a future," Villoldo says, "only certain people have a destiny." This book shows you how to find and manifest yours.
191 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2005
82 people are currently reading
603 people want to read
About the author
Alberto Villoldo
71 books355 followersBy his mid-20s Alberto Villoldo was the youngest clinical professor at San Francisco State University. He was directing his own laboratory, the Biological Self-Regulation Lab, investigating how energy medicine and visualization could change the chemistry of the brain.
One day in his biology laboratory, Alberto realized that his investigation had to get bigger instead of smaller; Alberto needed to find a system larger than the neural networks of the brain. The microscope was the wrong instrument to answer the questions he was asking. Many others were already studying the hardware – Alberto Villoldo wanted to learn to re-program the SYSTEM. Anthropological stories hinted that there were people around the globe who claimed to know such things, including the Inka in Peru, the few remaining “shamans” in today’s modern civilization.
As he did initial research into the Inka, Alberto decided that he needed to personally investigate the roots of the Inka civilization itself to collect the vestiges of a 5,000-year-old energy medicine known for healing through Spirit and light.
A few weeks later, knowing this investigation was not going to be a “part time” pastime or a brief sabbatical for a few weeks’ time, Alberto Villoldo resigned his post at the university.
University colleagues thought Alberto Villoldo was absolutely mad.
Not to be dissuaded, Alberto Villoldo traded his laboratory for a pair of hiking boots and a ticket to the Amazon. He was determined to learn from researchers whose vision had not been confined to the lens of a microscope, from people whose body of knowledge encompassed more than the measurable, material world that Alberto had been taught was the ONLY reality. He wanted to meet the people who sensed the spaces between things and perceived the luminous strands that animate all life.
Scattered throughout the remnants of this ancient Amazonian empire were a number of sages or “Earth Keepers” who remembered the ancient ways. Alberto traveled through countless villages and hamlets and met with scores of medicine men and women. The lack of a written body of knowledge meant that every village had brought its own flavor and style to the healing practices that still survived.
For more than 10 years, Alberto Villoldo trained with the jungle medicine people. Along the way, he discovered that his journey into shamanism had actually been guided by his personal desire to become whole.
In healing his own soul wounds, Alberto Villoldo walked the path of the wounded healer and learned to transform old pain, grief, anger and shame to sources of strength and compassion.
From the Amazon, Alberto Villoldo trekked the coast of Peru, from Nazca, the site of gigantic markings on the desert floor that depict power animals and geometric figures, to the fabled Shimbe lagoons in the north, home to the country’s most renowned sorcerers. Then, in Lake Titicaca – the Sea on Top of the World – Alberto Villoldo collected the stories and healing practices of the people from which, the legends say, the Inka were born.
Through it all, Alberto Villoldo discovered a set of sacred technologies that transform the body, heal the soul, and can change the way we live and the way we die.
These ancient teachings and understandings explain that a Luminous Energy Field (LEF), whose source is located in infinity, surrounds us. The LEF acts as a matrix that maintains the health and vibrancy of the physical body.
Today, Alberto Villoldo is a best-selling author and founder in the world-renowned Institute of Energy Medicine, The Four Winds Society. In all of his teachings and writings, Alberto shares the experience of infinity’s easy ability to heal and transform us, to free us from the temporal chains that keep us fettered to illness, old age and disease.
Over the course of two decades with the shamans in the jungles and high mountains of the Andes, Alberto Villoldo would discover that we are more than flesh and bone, that we are a
One day in his biology laboratory, Alberto realized that his investigation had to get bigger instead of smaller; Alberto needed to find a system larger than the neural networks of the brain. The microscope was the wrong instrument to answer the questions he was asking. Many others were already studying the hardware – Alberto Villoldo wanted to learn to re-program the SYSTEM. Anthropological stories hinted that there were people around the globe who claimed to know such things, including the Inka in Peru, the few remaining “shamans” in today’s modern civilization.
As he did initial research into the Inka, Alberto decided that he needed to personally investigate the roots of the Inka civilization itself to collect the vestiges of a 5,000-year-old energy medicine known for healing through Spirit and light.
A few weeks later, knowing this investigation was not going to be a “part time” pastime or a brief sabbatical for a few weeks’ time, Alberto Villoldo resigned his post at the university.
University colleagues thought Alberto Villoldo was absolutely mad.
Not to be dissuaded, Alberto Villoldo traded his laboratory for a pair of hiking boots and a ticket to the Amazon. He was determined to learn from researchers whose vision had not been confined to the lens of a microscope, from people whose body of knowledge encompassed more than the measurable, material world that Alberto had been taught was the ONLY reality. He wanted to meet the people who sensed the spaces between things and perceived the luminous strands that animate all life.
Scattered throughout the remnants of this ancient Amazonian empire were a number of sages or “Earth Keepers” who remembered the ancient ways. Alberto traveled through countless villages and hamlets and met with scores of medicine men and women. The lack of a written body of knowledge meant that every village had brought its own flavor and style to the healing practices that still survived.
For more than 10 years, Alberto Villoldo trained with the jungle medicine people. Along the way, he discovered that his journey into shamanism had actually been guided by his personal desire to become whole.
In healing his own soul wounds, Alberto Villoldo walked the path of the wounded healer and learned to transform old pain, grief, anger and shame to sources of strength and compassion.
From the Amazon, Alberto Villoldo trekked the coast of Peru, from Nazca, the site of gigantic markings on the desert floor that depict power animals and geometric figures, to the fabled Shimbe lagoons in the north, home to the country’s most renowned sorcerers. Then, in Lake Titicaca – the Sea on Top of the World – Alberto Villoldo collected the stories and healing practices of the people from which, the legends say, the Inka were born.
Through it all, Alberto Villoldo discovered a set of sacred technologies that transform the body, heal the soul, and can change the way we live and the way we die.
These ancient teachings and understandings explain that a Luminous Energy Field (LEF), whose source is located in infinity, surrounds us. The LEF acts as a matrix that maintains the health and vibrancy of the physical body.
Today, Alberto Villoldo is a best-selling author and founder in the world-renowned Institute of Energy Medicine, The Four Winds Society. In all of his teachings and writings, Alberto shares the experience of infinity’s easy ability to heal and transform us, to free us from the temporal chains that keep us fettered to illness, old age and disease.
Over the course of two decades with the shamans in the jungles and high mountains of the Andes, Alberto Villoldo would discover that we are more than flesh and bone, that we are a
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 8, 2013
It's hard to write about a book that affects your inner world and inner thoughts so intensely. Its like those clips you see on Pinterest or Tumblr that show those beautiful poetic foreign words that have no translation in English.
What I will say is, this book certainly makes you think and lifts you out of that sometimes small and myopic world of details and to-do lists that one can get too caught up in. It's like yoga stretching for your mind.
I have enjoyed all of Villoldos' books and wish I didn't have to return this one as soon as I did as someone else requested it at the library.
What I will say is, this book certainly makes you think and lifts you out of that sometimes small and myopic world of details and to-do lists that one can get too caught up in. It's like yoga stretching for your mind.
I have enjoyed all of Villoldos' books and wish I didn't have to return this one as soon as I did as someone else requested it at the library.
August 18, 2017
For a Shamanic book, it has a lot of christian myths and stories that kind of ruins the feeling and offer nothing to the book. Also, why do people still use the "Anne Frank" stories, even though it's been proven it's a hoax, I'll never understand.
If you can ignore the above, this is a great book. One of the rare books that talk about soul retrieval. It's a very advanced topic and this books makes a great journey of this topic.
I would suggest this book to anyone willing and ready to explore the deeper and difficult stages of ascension.
If you can ignore the above, this is a great book. One of the rare books that talk about soul retrieval. It's a very advanced topic and this books makes a great journey of this topic.
I would suggest this book to anyone willing and ready to explore the deeper and difficult stages of ascension.
July 5, 2016
I really loved Alberto's earlier work especially the four winds which I know is very poetic and perhaps not entirely factual. As a long time student of shamanic interests I took the time and trouble to fully connect to this program. I recorded my sessions. The book is very ambitious and I have to give it for credit for trying. Funny however the exercises did feel a little bit forced and although I had some fairly remarkable experiences by using it I can't say that it helped me to progress very much but then again of course with this kind of thing it's a very very subjective experience and I can't really fault the book for that. I think for anyone new to the subject you would probably find this immensely interesting. I've only given it three stars because for me it didn't quite do what I hoped it would.
March 23, 2008
This book was not as fun to read as Alberto Villoldo's memoirs. It is more of an instructional book on how to do Soul Retreival. It was very interesting and informative, but I hink that it would be nearly impossible to learn the techniques outlined in this book by yourself. It is important to have someone who has already mastered the techniques to teach you.
August 29, 2017
Excellent work and a powerful read and if you want a deep insight into the workings of shamanic ways, this is the way to start
April 12, 2023
Afdalen in je ziel gaat over het herstellen van verloren zielsdelen. Het boek biedt een combinatie van (wetenschappelijke) theorie, spirituele informatie en praktische oefeningen. In het boek maakt de auteur gebruik van sjamanistische technieken die hij heeft geleerd op zijn reizen.
Ieder hoofdstuk begint met een dagboekfragment van de auteur zelf. Het is leuk om op die manier een inkijk te krijgen in zijn eigen proces m.b.t. dit onderwerp. Ieder hoofdstuk heeft een informatief deel, waarin er een perfecte balans is tussen wetenschap en spiritualiteit. Na deze theoretische informatie volgen oefeningen. Deze zijn praktisch en meteen toepasbaar. Elk hoofdstuk eindigt met een meditatiereis.
Tijdens de meditaties in het boek ga je op reis door je eigen bewustzijn. Stap voor stap word je naar verschillende werelden in jezelf geleid en ga je aan de slag met je eigen zielsdelen. Je reist naar het verleden, het heden en toekomst. Door de meditaties van het boek, wordt je je meer bewust van bepaalde situaties die er in jezelf leven. Door bewust te worden van deze situaties, gevoelens, gebeurtenissen, herinneringen en ervaringen, kun je ze gaan transformeren. De meditaties zijn daar een goede en praktische tool voor.
Tip: Sommige meditatiereizen zijn best lang. Vindt je het lastig om de meditatie te lezen en hem dan uit te voeren, spreek ze dan zelf in, zo kun je gemakkelijker je eigen geleide meditatie volgen.
Het doel van het boek is om delen van je zelf te helen zodat je een op een andere manier in het leven kan gaan staan. De kern van dit boek is dat jij je eigen lotsbestemming in de hand hebt. Dit boek helpt je de beste versie van jezelf te worden.
Als je verdieping zoekt in de diepere lagen van je eigen bewustzijn en je graag met jezelf aan de slag wilt, dan is dit boek echt een aanrader.
Zou jij deze innerlijke reis met jezelf aan willen gaan?
Ieder hoofdstuk begint met een dagboekfragment van de auteur zelf. Het is leuk om op die manier een inkijk te krijgen in zijn eigen proces m.b.t. dit onderwerp. Ieder hoofdstuk heeft een informatief deel, waarin er een perfecte balans is tussen wetenschap en spiritualiteit. Na deze theoretische informatie volgen oefeningen. Deze zijn praktisch en meteen toepasbaar. Elk hoofdstuk eindigt met een meditatiereis.
Tijdens de meditaties in het boek ga je op reis door je eigen bewustzijn. Stap voor stap word je naar verschillende werelden in jezelf geleid en ga je aan de slag met je eigen zielsdelen. Je reist naar het verleden, het heden en toekomst. Door de meditaties van het boek, wordt je je meer bewust van bepaalde situaties die er in jezelf leven. Door bewust te worden van deze situaties, gevoelens, gebeurtenissen, herinneringen en ervaringen, kun je ze gaan transformeren. De meditaties zijn daar een goede en praktische tool voor.
Tip: Sommige meditatiereizen zijn best lang. Vindt je het lastig om de meditatie te lezen en hem dan uit te voeren, spreek ze dan zelf in, zo kun je gemakkelijker je eigen geleide meditatie volgen.
Het doel van het boek is om delen van je zelf te helen zodat je een op een andere manier in het leven kan gaan staan. De kern van dit boek is dat jij je eigen lotsbestemming in de hand hebt. Dit boek helpt je de beste versie van jezelf te worden.
Als je verdieping zoekt in de diepere lagen van je eigen bewustzijn en je graag met jezelf aan de slag wilt, dan is dit boek echt een aanrader.
Zou jij deze innerlijke reis met jezelf aan willen gaan?
July 24, 2024
When he sticks to writing about the things he's learned from the Laika, it's good. Otherwise, he is kind of insufferable to read. He comes off as a narcissist who thinks *he* can demystify and dispell your incorrect beliefs about healing and spirituality or something.
In the book he refers himself in first-person, but the little quote-snippets at the beginning of the chapters are entries from his own journal that he cites as "Alberto's journal entry." LOL. It's almost like he sees himself as a quotable figure or something.
Additionally, he made some weird claims that there have been "rigorous academic studies on praying" and falls to cite any such studies. I looked them up, and researchers actually have concluded that the results are weak. Look, I think it's totally FINE to say that people have tried experimenting with the efficacy of prayer and have found good results. But don't say you're credentialed in any way and then lie about what your credentialed community says.
He also weirdly inserts sexist notions of women (such as in his Parsival story that frankly didn't really connect his ideas well) and blames them for men's behaviors...
And lastly, the "noble savage" trope is strong in this one. And it's honestly a little confusing to me how a tribe in the Amazon has a largely similar chakra system to the Hindus in India.
I find it a little amusing that, according to him, the Laika initially didn't want anything to do with him until he gave them Western medicine,
In the book he refers himself in first-person, but the little quote-snippets at the beginning of the chapters are entries from his own journal that he cites as "Alberto's journal entry." LOL. It's almost like he sees himself as a quotable figure or something.
Additionally, he made some weird claims that there have been "rigorous academic studies on praying" and falls to cite any such studies. I looked them up, and researchers actually have concluded that the results are weak. Look, I think it's totally FINE to say that people have tried experimenting with the efficacy of prayer and have found good results. But don't say you're credentialed in any way and then lie about what your credentialed community says.
He also weirdly inserts sexist notions of women (such as in his Parsival story that frankly didn't really connect his ideas well) and blames them for men's behaviors...
And lastly, the "noble savage" trope is strong in this one. And it's honestly a little confusing to me how a tribe in the Amazon has a largely similar chakra system to the Hindus in India.
I find it a little amusing that, according to him, the Laika initially didn't want anything to do with him until he gave them Western medicine,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2022
În perioada anilor '80, am petrecut nenumărate ore în laborator pentru ca să studiez mintea umană, în căutarea unei dovezi tangibile că, undeva, ascunsă în spatele materiei cenuşii din interiorul creierelor noastre, există o conştiinţă. Eram fascinat de puterea extraordinară a minţii de a crea boli psihosomatice, dar tocmai această fascinaţie m-a îndrumat către domeniul psihologiei - şi, mai târziu, al antropologiei medicale. După un timp, mi-a trecut prin minte că, în loc să vânez răspunsurile ştiinţifice printre milioanele de sinapse din creier, s-ar putea să trebuiască să explorez şi să abordez, într-o manieră diferită, investigaţiile asupra conştiinţei umane. Am început de la teoria că, în acelaşi fel în care creăm bolile psihosomatice, mintea noastră este capabilă să creeze, tot psihosomatic, şi starea de sănătate. Şi am pornit în căutarea acelor specialişti care puteau să îmi ofere păreri despre felul în care noi, oamenii, ne putem antrena mintea să se vindece şi să transforme corpul. Din studiile mele antropologice, ştiam că în culturile băştinaşe din America de Sud existau şamani despre care s-a scris că realizau vindecări miraculoase - atât prin contact direct, cât şi de la distanţă. M-am hotărât să călătoresc în lumea lor, cu mintea mea de om de ştiinţă, dar păstrând o atitudine deschisă faţă de tot ceea aş fi putut descoperi.
November 1, 2025
I don't really have a lot to say right now. There was a lot of repeat of things in other books by the same author. I didn't enjoy the vibe of trying to scare the reader by making one feel like you have to do this or that or you'll die young or whatever. One part especially where he blames hos father for the death of his brother and mentions that he thought the brother should have done as he said instead and he would still have been alive... ugh.
I did enjoy the parts about the view of the map of cosmos and the author describing that in depth, since I myself live by the nordic shamanic map that looks a bit different.
I did enjoy the parts about the view of the map of cosmos and the author describing that in depth, since I myself live by the nordic shamanic map that looks a bit different.
December 13, 2025
Kijk, als je zeer wetenschappelijk bent ingesteld dan zou je dit waarschijnlijk een enorm bullshitboek vinden. En misschien zijn sommige zaken in dit boek wel een beetje te zweverig voor ons of in ieder geval mij westerling. Maar toch voelt mij onderbuik dat er veel waarheid in deze woorden staat. Ik denk dat ik daar vooral mee bedoel dat je niet alleen naar buiten moet kijken, maar ook naar binnen. Of misschien ook moet beseffen dat niet-westerse wereldbeelden ook wereldbeelden zijn die er mogen wezen. Duidelijk is dat je na dit stukje eigenlijk nog steeds niet weer wat dit boek over gaat.
May 6, 2024
As a Shamanic practitioner I really wanted to finish this book. However in order to do the exercises in the book justice, there really has to be companion mp3s in order to do all the exercises. I essentially stopped reading. There are simpler ways to do soul retrievals, which I outline in my book Into the Tree: Journeying into the Spirit World.
April 10, 2019
This book is throws some wild stuff in our direction. I would rather do this work with a healer present but recording the meditations is helpful. I would have liked him to go just a little deeper with examples as well as background. But well done either way.
October 8, 2024
Even though I'm not hugely into shamanism or some of the stories shared, I still believe this book contains so much gold. So much so that I wish I there was an audio version of the meditations. I suspect this is one to revisit often.
May 24, 2021
A good book to heal your past wounds and heling your past,presence and future in a shamanic way.
February 2, 2022
One of Alberto Villoldo's books that share core shamanic healing techniques for the person who wishes to heal, to embrace a spiritual path, and to enrich their lives with a greater purpose.
October 28, 2025
I loved it!!
September 3, 2019
Unbelievable book. Literally took me to another world.
November 24, 2023
“There are dreamers and there are those who are being dreamed.”
This is a revolutionary book.
The soul can be shattered into pieces by past-life trauma and soul retrieval is the way to collect these pieces and put them back together in the present. There are also spiritual protectors that can be called upon in this healing journey.
It’s a shamanic paradigm that has been lost in modern civilization. Alberto Villoldo brings back this sacred practice. The challenge for the reader is to explore this new healing paradigm and its vast landscape.
Enjoy the exploration.
This is a revolutionary book.
The soul can be shattered into pieces by past-life trauma and soul retrieval is the way to collect these pieces and put them back together in the present. There are also spiritual protectors that can be called upon in this healing journey.
It’s a shamanic paradigm that has been lost in modern civilization. Alberto Villoldo brings back this sacred practice. The challenge for the reader is to explore this new healing paradigm and its vast landscape.
Enjoy the exploration.
March 11, 2015
Some interesting visualization and journaling exercises wrapped in a hodge podge of allegories and snippets of the authors diary. It made me want to read a book about Laika Shamanism by a better and more coherent writer. I would have given it 2 stars, but the apocalyptic admonitions and hints of an odd New Age eugenics in the last chapter really dropped my opinion on the writer from harmlessly spacey to slightly delusional.
June 17, 2013
this is where I am in my life journey, my mind is open , my heart is being led and there are just some things in life that you have to experience for yourself, when you as an individual are ready. It may be a book that you stick on your to read list and then someday when you are feeling the nudge, you will explore it for yourself. :)
January 17, 2015
Feeling kind of mixed about this book.
Some of it I didn't really connect with, other parts I did.
I didn't do all the exercises, only the ones I was drawn to.
Might come back to it and do the others at a later point.
Some of it I didn't really connect with, other parts I did.
I didn't do all the exercises, only the ones I was drawn to.
Might come back to it and do the others at a later point.
Read
July 19, 2008Had to buy this book to reread and mark it up with my questions and comments.
February 7, 2009
An excellent book that taught me techniques of Past Life work within my healing.
April 21, 2009
Very helpful for healing past wounds.
Read
August 11, 2011An interesting, if somewhat watered-down and quasi-Christian take on shamanism.
September 22, 2015
Excellent book on the topic of Shamanism. Explains in practical hands on terms that help all who seek to heal.
April 23, 2017
Části, kde se mluví o vědě, jsou samé nesmysly, pokud je zkoušíme chápat vědecky. Naopak ty psychologické a terapeutické části jsou skvělé a užitečné.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews