31 Signs You’ve Sold Your Soul And How To Get It Back (2024)

In this guide, we’ll cover the signs you’ve sold your soul and how to get it back.

It’s a concept that comes up relatively often in my life coaching sessions. That’s why I’m keen to share it with you in this blog post. 

So, let’s dive in.

What Is Selling Your Soul?

The concept of selling your soul is a metaphor, used when one betrays the inner part of themselves which is pure and virtuous.

Most religions and spiritual communities believe that all humans have a soul. It’s often said that the soul leaves the human body after it dies and continues to live on elsewhere. Some believe that the soul goes on to live in heaven for eternity. Others suggest it is reincarnated into the body of another being here on Earth.

Either way, all communities believe that the soul is absolutely a good and pure entity. It’s what makes humans naturally want to be kind and do right by others. 

The key point is: our soul is what makes us a good person. That’s why, when someone displays behavior that’s extremely unkind or unvirtuous, it’s said that they sold their soul to the devil.  

Indeed, it is often the temptation of pleasure that causes someone to betray the message of their soul. In many religions, these sinful temptations are said to be offered by the devil.  

In some religions, it’s suggested that if people betray the teachings of God, their souls will burn in hell forever with the devil. Most religions teach that if a person is bad on Earth, he’ll pay in the afterlife. 

However, it would appear that there are repercussions during your life here on Earth too. To discover what these are, continue reading the list below.    

Related Content: Soul Contracts – Facts You Soul Should Know

31 Signs You’ve Sold Your Soul

In this list, you’ll find clues that you sold your soul to the devil, plus some symptoms of having done so in the past.

1. You Were Selfish 

Remember that our souls teach us to be kind and virtuous to others. If you acted in a way that you knew would benefit yourself and no-one else, that’s a key starting point to suggest that you sold your soul. 

2. Other People Are Suffering From Your Actions

If a handful or even hundreds of people are suffering as a result of someone’s actions, that’s another clear indicator of that person selling their soul.

3. You Feel Guilt

This is one of the most common signs that you’ve sold your soul. It’s rare that someone would feel good (or even fine) after selling their soul.   

Signs You’ve Sold Your Soul
Photo By Andrea Piacquadio On Pexels

4. You Had To Lie To Get What You Want

If your actions were kind and virtuous, you wouldn’t need to lie about them. In fact, it was arguably the moment you lied when you sold your soul to the devil. The same could be said if you had to break a promise to achieve what you wanted. 

5. You Pressure Someone Into Something They Didn’t Want

Those involved in direct sales are often accused of high-pressure selling, trying to control customers and doing whatever it takes to secure the sale, no matter whether the customers  want it or not. 

Salespeople work hard, but there are right and wrong ways to influence others. Pressuring or manipulating people can be wrong, even if the customer eventually agrees to sign off on whatever you’re doing.

6. You Ignored The Smallprint 

Maybe it was you who had to sign a deal that harmed other people’s lives. By deliberately not investigating the consequences of your actions, you are arguably still selling your soul to the devil.

As Dr. Rex Touth said: “You must know what you’re doing when you make the deal or Satan will cheat you blind.” 

7. You Hid The Smallprint

If you were the one proposing a deal and you hid details from the buyer, that’s still akin to selling your soul. Omission is still a lie.

8. There Was No Win-Win  

There should be value for both parties in any transaction. If the exchange wasn’t in the best interests of both parties, you’re usually selling your soul to get it done.

9. You Chose Pleasure Over Purpose 

To get his deals done, the devil usually tempts a good person with pleasure over purpose or fulfillment.  

10. You Went Against Your Core Values

If you don’t stay true to what you believe is right in this world, that’s akin to selling your soul.

Related: Easy Ways To Start Living For Yourself And Stop Living For Others

11. You Went Against Moral Principles

There are certain things in this world that are universally regarded as wrong and immoral. If you went against these moral principles, you can be sure you decided to sell your soul.

12. You Ignored People Telling You Not To Do It

This is similar to ignoring the smallprint. If you don’t listen to others’ opinions on your actions, that’s a good indicator that you’re about to sell your soul.

13. Your Friends And Family Are Disappointed

If good and virtuous people are disappointed with your actions, you can be pretty sure you’ve sold your soul.  

14. You’re Resorting To Escapism 

Alcohol. Drugs. Casual sex. Spending your money on endless short-term pleasure. These are all common ways to try and avoid the guilt after realizing you sold your soul. 

15. You Acted Out Of Scarcity

If you thought that this evil deal was the only way to achieve the better life you wanted, that’s another sign you decided to sell your soul. There are plenty of paths to success that don’t involve harming other people’s lives.

16. You Exploited People’s Desperation 

In such scenarios, this is nearly always akin to selling your soul.

17. You Paid Well Below The Market Rate

When people sell items or services well below the market rate, it’s based on desperation. Often, they’re desperate for any amount of money to provide a life for themselves or their family. Sometimes, it’s a win-win. But often, the buyer has no choice. 

A perfect example is the construction of Dubai. The construction workers were paid $175 per month to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with no rest. The construction of the stadiums for the 2022 Qatar World Cup is another example. These people needed a job at all costs, but ended up stuck in jobs which were equal to human rights violations for many years.

The people in power had to sell their souls to make these projects happen. 

18. It Weighs Down On You Physically

Do you carry tension in your muscles every day? This negative energy is a common symptom of stress, but also potentially of the guilt you feel after selling your soul. 

19. There Was No Joy In Your Everyday Life 

This is often what inspires people to sell their soul in the first place. Perhaps a guy or girl became so tired of their mediocre life that they’d eventually do anything to try and get out of it, no matter who it hurt.

The sad truth is: these people tend to experience no joy in their life after selling their soul either. In fact, the guilt and other symptoms can gnaw at them and make their life worse. 

20. You Have No Self-Respect

This is another scenario that would inspire a person to sell their soul. They either had no self-respect before performing the action, or they lost it after doing the deed.

21. You Didn’t Do The ‘Right Thing’ 

If you didn’t sense your action was the ‘right thing’ to do, there’s a good chance you were selling your soul to do it anyway.

22. You’re Not Proud Of Your Actions  

It’s rare that people are proud of deciding to sell their soul.

23. You’re Always Rationalising Your Actions 

If you’re always making excuses for what you did – to yourself and to others – there’s a good chance you decided to sell your soul (and you know it deep down).

24. You Tell Yourself That Other People Are Bad

This is one of the most classic rationalisations for deciding to hurt others. 

25. You Acted Out Of Vengeance

It’s almost never kind, virtuous, nor the ‘right thing’ to act on desires for revenge.

26. You Think Your Joy Is More Important Than Other People’s  

A narcissistic attitude like this might inspire someone to sell their soul. 

27. You Were Chasing Money, Power Or Sex

Money, power and sex are known as the trinity of satisfaction and pleasure. This is what the devil usually offers in exchange for your soul.

Related: Ways To Find Happiness Beyond Material Possessions

28. You Broke The Law

Most laws exist to help people do right by each other and make life better for society. So, if you consciously decided to break the law, there’s a chance you sold your soul to do it. 

Not everyone who breaks the law is selling their soul though. A guy who drives in the bus lane to get to the hospital quicker might not hurt anyone. Assaulting a bus driver and stealing his bus, however…

29. You Ran Away After The Deal Was Done

A classic symptom of guilt after a person sells their soul. Instead of offering their customers ongoing support, guilty people take the money and run.

30. You Fear The Wrath Of Your God

This is one of the most common symptoms when religious people sell their souls. No-one likes the idea of spending the afterlife burning in hell, after all. 

31. You Can’t Sleep 

Another classic symptom of guilt. If people are asking: “how do you sleep at night?”, that suggests they think you must have sold your soul.  

How To Get Your Soul Back

In most religions, it’s agreed you can get your soul back, even after selling it to the devil.

To do so, you would need to confess your sins and ask God for forgiveness. You’d also need to take future steps to right your wrongs and continue to show that you were actually a kind and virtuous person. 

If you’re not religious, you can still confess to the whole world around you and take steps to improve the lives of those you wronged.  

Any Questions? 

Thanks for reading my post. I hope it improved your understanding of this topic and helped you realize whether you sold your soul to get what you want. If you got value from the article, consider sending it to a friend.  

If you have any questions on this subject, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. 

I’ll be happy to answer them and it would mean the world to hear from you.

About The Author

Bijan Kholghi is a certified life coach with the Milton Erickson Institute Heidelberg (Germany). He helps clients and couples reach breakthroughs in their lives by changing subconscious patterns. His solution-oriented approach is based on Systemic- and Hypnotherapy.

Bijan