Changes

Castiel and Crowley both predict that Sam's soul will have been tortured by Lucifer and Michael, and would be so severely damaged that it would harm Sam to have it returned, even drive him insane.<ref name="six10" /> Following this, Sam decides he doesn't want his soul back, and summons Balthazar to see if there is a way to keep a soul out of its body. Balthazar informs him of a ritual that involves him defiling his body, that needs the blood of his father (that needn't come from the "father of your blood") to keep his soul out his body. This leads Sam to try and kill Bobby only to be stopped at the last moment by Dean.<ref name="six11">[[6.11 Appointment in Samarra]]</ref>

Sam is eventually reunited with his soul when Dean approaches Death for help.<ref name="six11" /> Death himself liberates it from Hell and personally delivers it back to Sam's body, despite his protests. Death installs it with the promise that a wall will be erected in Sam's mind which will prevent him from remembering his torment in Hell, but advises him to not "scratch away at it", lest the wall collapse and his memories come flooding back - though he suggests that this may happen over time regardless. Castiel says of the soul's condition once it is returned that it feels like it has been skinned alive.<ref name="six12">[[6.12 Like A Virgin]]</ref>

* [http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/09/09/supernatural-dvd-sneak-peek/ Jared, Jensen and Kripke talk about Sam and his soul]