Soul Mate

[kimbra_ailis]

How do you define Soul Mates?


Soulmate is a term sometimes used to designate someone with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity, friendship, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality and/or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul – which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate, the one and only other half of one's soul, for which all souls are driven to find and join. However, not everyone who uses these terms intends them to carry such mystical connotations.

One theory of soulmates, presented by Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium, is that humans originally were combined of four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces, but Zeus feared their power and split them all in half, condemning them to spending their lives searching for the other half to complete them:
[Primeval man] could walk upright as men now do, backwards or forwards as he pleased, and he could also roll over and over at a great pace, turning on his four hands and four feet, eight in all, like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast…Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods... Doubt reigned in the celestial councils. Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts, as they had done the giants, then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but, on the other hand, the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained. At last, after a good deal of reflection, Zeus discovered a way. He said: 'Methinks I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist, but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us. They shall walk upright on two legs, and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet, I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg.'
—Aristophanes, Plato’s Symposium,

Some people believe that souls are literally made and/or fated to be the mates of each other, or to play certain other important roles in each other's lives.

According to theories popularized by Theosophy and in a modified form by Edgar Cayce, God created androgynous souls, equally male and female. The souls split into separate genders later, perhaps because they incurred karma while playing around on the earth, or "separation from God". Over countless reincarnations, each half seeks the other. When all karmic debt is purged, the two will fuse back together and return to the ultimate.

Reincarnation: Some believe that a soul mate is someone with whom a person has shared other life times through reincarnation.
The soul mate could be a friend, business partner, parent, child, sibling, spouse or other family member. These soul mates can be of the same or opposite sex.

Other Half: Others believe, like the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, that a soul mate is a person's "other half". This concept was the basis of the movie, "The Butcher's Wife" where the idea of "split-aparts" searching for one another was explored.
People all over the world believe that we are all searching for someone to make us whole and to share our journey of life with.
A dictionary definition is: One of two persons compatible with each other in disposition, point of view, or sensitivity.

Predestination: The movie "Still Breathing" examines the thought that people are drawn together as soul mates by destiny or fate and that being with our soul mate is something we have no control over. This idea of predestination and connection even after death between soul mates was also examined in the movie "What Dreams May Come".

Making Life Come to Life: Richard Bach describes soul mates as "A soulmate is someone who has the locks to fit our keys, and the keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we; we can be loved for who we are and for who we're pretending to be. Each of us unveils the best part of one another. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person were safe in our paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life. "

Profound Connection:Thomas Moore, in his book Soul Mates: Honoring the Mysteries of Love and Relationship, page xvii, describes a soul mate as "someone to whom we feel profoundly connected, as though the communication and communing that take place between us were not the product of intentional efforts, but rather a divine grace. This kind of relationship is so important to the soul that many have said there is nothing more precious in life."

Feeling at Ease With one Another: We don't believe a soul mate is the ideal or one and only person in someone's life. Our definition of soul mates is people who together want to work on making their marriage a great one. Their relationship feels like a natural fit, and although they need to work on their marriage, it is not hard to do. When soul mates first meet, there is an immediate sense of being at ease and connected.

General Belief: Most believe that soul mates can accept and love every part of the other's personality and that life with a soul mate is easy and natural.







Do you believe in soul mates?

Do you believe that a person may be two or more soul mates?

[John_F_Drake]

I believe.

I don't necessarily believe in more than one, but I don't disbelieve it either.

Based on my religion, I actively believe the predestination route, because by the nature of druidism, we've done this all before.  We WERE together before already.

So sayeth religion, anyway.  I wonder if I was such a mix of faith and skepticism in my previous lives.

[mydarkerside]

Voted yes on this, and didn't even have to ask for an "all of the above" option this time ;)

I've had multiple "soul-mates"... some have ended up relationships, one is just a very good friend, no matter how much we'd both like to take it further, and one is my best friend, and has been since 5th grade.

Back when "Goober Peas" was popular music...

Even though the relationships I've had with these people haven't been the "happily ever after" thing that I always kind of want, I know that we met and loved and left for a reason. And there's a part of me that believes, as John said above here, "we've done this all before.  We WERE together before already." and too that I would add "we will do it again" as well.

When my last relationship ended over the summer, I told her "Next time, let's get it right, ok?"

[Sprayman]

I used to believe - but now I'm not so sure. Voted undecided.

[Mist]

I voted undecided.
It would be a nice thought, but I'm not so sure about it.  It would be nice if it were true.

[Quixote]

I believe.  I'm a Bokononist.

You meet people who are part of your karass.

(P.S.  If you haven't had the pleasure, it's Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle")

[Dr Verloc]

Quixote wrote:

I believe.  I'm a Bokononist.

Wasn't there a Book of Bokonon that dealt with pain? I believe it was the seventh.

I voted undecided. There may be a soul mate for me, though I would really like to believe that I can achieve a deep and intimate connection with a woman I desire through pain, torture, and degradation. It truly is one of the most intimate relationships possible. We will come to know each other for what we truly are. I would like to believe that I attain a profound, deep, and natural affinity with all my patients.

But perhaps there could be someone out there, a soul mate, with whom I have such a connection.

Dr Verloc

[mothbrad]

I vote no - at least for practical terms.  In my experience, people who are waiting for their soul mates, or think they've found their soul mates, often don't put in the work necessary to make a relationship work, and freak out when the first major issues come up.

Yep, I'm a romantic, but I think romance has to grow, rather than stay steady or diminish, in an ideal relationship.

[Quixote]

The girl who was the person I felt the deepest connection with I've ever known in my life phoned me out of the blue, drunk at three AM and said she didn't feel like she wanted to have a boyfriend anymore.

I still believe in miracles.

Buy the ticket, take the ride.

[subnoxious]

I believe, but not in more than one. More than one soul mate? That in and of itself means that the anyones you've been with could have been that person which doesn't jibe when talking about someone with whom you are the yin to their yang.

So, I didn't vote.

That said, I've not yet come across mine. It is very possible I may never. That, quite simply, is just the way things go.

[Quixote]

Sorry, did you say something?  I was looking at the new avatar.

Be with you in a minute.  :)

[subnoxious]

only one minute? damn you're speedy.

[Quixote]

*grin*  I miss you when you aren't around.

Bitch.

[subnoxious]

such terms of endearment will get you eveywhere! (but you already know this much)

[Quixote]

*bigger grin*