What is a Soul Mate?

The term soul mate can be and has been variously defined by different authors according to the dictates of the worldview to which they ascribe. From an experiential point of view, however, it grows out of a basic human condition that psychologist and author, Thomas Moore, describes thusly: "The soul wants union not only with other persons but also with another dimension altogether, one we can call eternal, immortal, mythic, or a host of other names." A soul mate, therefore, is any person, whether friend, family or lover, who can connect us to this dimension simply by virtue of being in relationship with them. The seeming rarity of this experience in many people's lives should teach us that this is not as simple as it sounds. To find that person or those persons with whom we can commune at the deepest levels can sometimes take on all the trappings of a heroic quest. We long to know perfectly and to be perfectly known.