Soul Loss – Among people who understand that human and otherthanhuman persons may have one or more souls, there is a common understanding that all or part of a soul may become detached from the person. Illnesses or bad luck may be thought to be caused by damage to a person’s soul, perhaps as a result of a breach of a taboo or a soul’s abduction by predatory spirits. In such cases, shamans may be employed for their skill as adepts at soul projection (or journeying) and thereby capable of soul retrieval.
SOURCE:
Historical Dictionary of Shamanism by Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis 2007