Definition of Soulmate

The ancient philosopher Plato is most commonly associated with creating the notion of “soulmates”. In his play Symposium he basically states that in the beginning of time there was only one human (both a male & a female) and it was split in two to create man & woman. It states, “Each of us when separated, having one side only... is but indenture of a man, and he is always looking for his other half." Thus, creating the origins that all persons have an “other half” that they are looking for… their soulmate.

While I am not necessarily agreeing that we are “incomplete” without our soulmate I do think that they are a soul's ideal counterpart, which must be found for true happiness and fulfillment. A soul mate is a complement to oneself. One reading poetically describes it as "the tongue to the groove, the tenon to the mortise..." It is more than merely a physical attraction; it is a capacity to help each other at the physical, mental, and spiritual levels. What are you looking for in a soulmate? You look for someone with whom you can feel at home. You look for someone who will understand you and give you what you want and need. You look for an extraordinary sense of recognition, connection and attraction. I personally find the eyes, body and the sound of one's voice to be the most telling indicator of a soulmate. The eyes are so familiar and seem to 'see' into our very soul... having the ability to know us without knowing us. There is also something very familiar (almost haunting) about the sound of their voice. There is the look, feel and movement of the body. It is a feeling of being with an old friend...like you just saw each other yesterday, as if time had never passed from the last time you were together. You get this immediate feeling of comfort (or even discomfort) upon being around them or looking into their eyes, or speaking with them. For those of you that have never felt it, there is no way to describe it… but I can guarantee you will just know it when you experience it.

The movie “What Dreams May Come” is an excellent example of soulmates in action. Here are two people who meet on an off chance in a foreign country and recognize their connection. No matter where they go from their they will always "be together". If you haven’t seen this movie and you believe in the soulmates theory then you need to go check it out. I think that Richard Back does an excellent job of describing it in more detail... "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."