Soul Mate
Someone with whom one has a special, almost spiritual connection Soulmate (or soul mate) is a term sometimes used to designate someone with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity, friendship, love, intimacy, sexuality, and/or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul – 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.
Concepts
More in depth in classical definition
"Plato wrote in his Symposium that humans have been looking for their soul mate ever since Zeus cut them in half. In his mythic story, Plato describes a world where there were men, women and people who were both men and women. Apparently, humans began discussing how they could climb up to heaven and replace the gods. The gods were upset by this and discussed what should be done. The simplest solution would be to destroy mankind, but Zeus came up with a better idea. He suggested cutting all human beings in half. This would serve two purposes. First, it would immediately double the number of people making offerings to the gods. Second, it would weaken the humans, so they would not be able to carry out their plan. Zeus' idea was accepted, and the humans were all divided into two. Naturally, the humans were upset at this, and Zeus decided to enable each half to have intercourse with their opposite, symbolically creating a whole. Consequently, the males sought their female half, and the females sought their male half, allowing them to reproduce.
New Age concept of soulmate
There is a prevalent concept in some segments of the New Age movement that some souls are literally made and/or fated to be the mates of each other, or to play certain other important roles in each others' lives. These souls are thought to have created something in a past life and they have chosen this lifetime to help each other "heal." Following this concept, one can have many soulmates. For example: One could see another person they have never met in this lifetime and instantly hate or love them because of previous interaction(s) with the other in one or more previous lifetimes. The most popular use of this concept is in applying it to those who were loved intimately in other lifetimes which were then found in this one. Also, being conscious of the "soul mate connection" is not necessary, according to this idea.
Soulmate emotional theory
Ultimately the consequence of this notion is the unfortunate reality that soulmates often possess the ability to inflict serious emotional injury unto their twin flame, greater than any other being could. This often results in the separation of idealized love, due to the severe emotional impact. Many soulmates are destined for an eternal search, not for lack of meeting, but rather lack of acceptance. The encounter is often analogous to the collision of matter and antimatter, a violent explosive reaction will occur, but if held through to completion only pure energy, and thus harmony, will result. A soulmate can also be a person who is not of the gender they are naturally attracted to or compatible with as a conventional romantic couple. From Wikipedia under the GNU Free Documentation License
Legend:
Like the biblical story virtually all the ancient myths reference creation as involving the split of polarities from an original state of unity. The Chinese story of P`an-Ku, separating the unity of yin and yang principles. The Egyptian Atum myth where the air God Shu separates Geb and Nut from their initial love embrace. The Sumerian story of creation and the uncoupling of the god An and goddess Ki from their commingled state. The Akaddian story of Marduck splitting the goddess Tiamat. The New Zealand Maori story of creation and separation of Rangi and Pappa. Aristophanes in the Symposium references how the Greek God Zeus cut the souls of humankind in half. "Man's original body having been cut in two, each half yearned for the half that had been severed.....Love is simply the name of for the desire and pursuit of the whole. Plato in the Symposium: "The original human nature was not as they are now, but originally three in number; there was man, woman, and the union of the two." (Third Gender)
