Humans are social creatures who rely greatly on their community for support, companionship, and connection. Relationships are one of the main factors that contribute to our happiness and mental health. We have many different types of relationships in our lives that can dictate the types of interactions we experience and how supported we feel. When it comes to intimate partners and relationships, you may have heard of a few different relationship types. Soulmates, twin flames, and other types of relationships are becoming more common knowledge in today’s society.
While relationships have many moving parts that make one connection different than others, it can be hard to understand the type of relationship you have with a certain individual when you’re in the midst of it. Understanding what goes into the relationship and connection you have with someone can help you better navigate your interactions, emotions, and how to grow this connection to the next step while keeping it healthy and enjoyable.
Today, we’ll take a deeper look at a very specific type of relationship — soul ties. Soul ties are often thought of as being created through sex, though they are much more complex than this. While sex can enhance or strengthen soul ties, a soul tie with another individual can run very deep in many ways. We’ll take a closer look at what soul ties are and how you break it.
What Are Soul Ties?
The level of connection that we feel with certain individuals can vary greatly. For those connections that are so deep they are embedded in your soul, we can consider these to be soul ties. This idea is rooted in Christian ideas. It’s believed that if you have sexual intercourse with someone, you’ll be connected to them. This is used as evidence of the belief of not having sex outside of marriage. If you do, then you will have a connection to someone for the rest of your life — regardless of marital status to them or someone else.
Outside of Christian beliefs, soul ties can be looked at as a spiritualization of normal feelings of attachment that may occur after sex. Biologically, looking at the idea of soul ties, the bonding hormone called oxytocin is released during orgasms. This hormone can be responsible for the attachment that many feel after sex that may be considered a soul tie, though this isn’t always the case. Some individuals don’t feel emotionally bonded to each other after sex and may participate in casual dating or a friends with benefits agreement in healthy ways because of their lack of attachment, despite the sex.
Outside of sexual relationships and experiences, soul ties can be considered a general term for a soul connection between two individuals. Not all soul ties have to be romantic relationships. Soul ties can be from knowing one another in a past life, being from the same soul family, or having a soul contract to meet in this lifetime and have some type of connection. Despite soul ties, this person may not be someone that you want to have in your life, which should be honored. There are many different ways to look at soul ties, which include the lens of religion, biology, and spirituality. Whatever meaning of soul ties resonates with you the most is a great way to understand this type of relationship and connection that you may have with certain individuals.
Unhealthy Soul Ties
While soul ties sound like a very unique and meaningful relationship to have, all dynamics can be unhealthy and even toxic. A toxic relationship that involves soul ties may be heavily one-sided. Soul ties should add to you as an individual, not complete you. Feeling like you’re broken without your partner may be a sign of negative attachment — which can occur when someone becomes lost in their role as a partner and lets go of their individuality.
Understanding your attachment style and that of your partner can help you understand the dynamic within your soul-tie relationship. By knowing your needs and your partner’s needs, which are rooted in your attachment styles, you can better advocate for getting these needs met through open communication. An unhealthy attachment can lead to a one-sided soul tie — which no individual wants to experience. A one-sided soul tie can be very painful emotionally and hard to grow, so it’s best to keep your eye out for signs of one and take steps to prevent this.
In addition to unhealthy attachment, a toxic soul tie can also form if the person that you’re connected to isn’t a positive influence or compatible individual. If a soul tie feels dark, constraining, obsessive, or overwhelming, your mental and physical health may be at risk because of it. Looking at soul ties through a lens of spirituality and past lives, soul ties may contain a learning experience. Healthy soul ties may be a positive learning experience, while an unhealthy soul tie may be a chance to recognize, eliminate, and release the negative connection. If a soul tie is bringing negative energy, feelings, or behaviors into your life, it’s best to break the connection.
Signs of Soul Ties
All types of soul ties can be recognized by examining the relationship you have and the feelings that surround it. The soul ties meaning is a connection embedded within your soul, and looking for signs of this can help you understand your relationship with someone on a different level. To understand if you have a healthy or unhealthy soul tie, you must first recognize the signs of a soul tie in general.
Feeling an Inexplicable Connection
When you have soul ties with another individual, your feelings towards them may be stronger than with other people in your life. Soul ties will cause a profound connection between you and an individual. You may feel that something is drawing you to them and that this connection is meant to be in your life. Is there one person, or even a few people in your life that whom you feel a deeper emotional connection? This may be a sign of soul ties.
Someone Feels Familiar
One belief behind the cause of soul ties is knowing someone in a past life, being from the same soul family, or having a deep connection. This type of connection and relationship may cause someone to feel familiar rather quickly. It may be because you have known each other before, or because your connection is so deep that this person feels that they have always been around.
Dreaming About This Person
Dreams can be manifestations of our thoughts and feelings — both conscious and unconscious. These thoughts and feelings may be why you’re dreaming about work struggles, upcoming changes, and more. They may also be why you dream about someone that you have soul ties with. An emotional soul tie may cause many strong feelings and thoughts. These thoughts and feelings can cause the person that you have this connection with to show up in your mind — even when you’re asleep.
They Appear at a Significant Time in Your Life
Soul ties can be considered a relationship that you’re destined to experience. Because of this, they may appear at times that you need them most. If you are having a pivotal or difficult time in your life, healthy soul ties may appear to help you heal, and even offer expertise to guide you in the right direction.
The Connection Lasts a Long Time
Once soul ties have formed from a deep emotional connection, you may feel them infinitely. If your relationship with a former romantic partner has ended but soul ties were present, you may still feel this connection after years have passed. Even outside of romantic relationships, soul ties between friends can be felt no matter how far apart you are or how long it has been since you saw each other or spoke. Soul ties link two people together far beyond the confines of time and space, which explains why they are such a long-lasting connection.
Your Life Feels Incomplete Without Them
Because of the strong connection that soul ties form, your life may feel like something is missing if they aren’t there. This can mean both temporary absence and permanent. When a relationship between those with soul ties doesn’t work out, it may be incredibly painful to overcome the soul ties that have now been severed. While it’s still possible to move forward and have a very happy life, of course, these soul ties will always have made an impression on you and your life.
How To Break Soul Ties
Soul ties are something that most people will experience with at least one person in their lives. While this experience is usually very uplifting and comforting, some soul ties may need to come to an end. In some cases, breaking soul ties may be necessary when there are toxic or unhealthy soul ties present. This can be a hard decision to make sometimes, and if you feel you want to break soul ties with an individual for any reason, there are a few ways to go about doing so. We’ll take a look at the basics of breaking soul ties so you know how to navigate this complex situation.
Remember Your Individual Self Worth
One of the most important parts of going about soul tie-breaking is remembering and emphasizing that you’re whole and complete by yourself. Having a romantic relationship with a high level of connection and dependence on one another can leave you feeling empty when it ends. While this feeling can be difficult to face, you can overcome it. If you know that these soul ties need to be broken for whatever reason, it’s best to honor that feeling and find methods that help you to overcome this change.
Looking at breaking soul ties through the lens of Christianity, marriage is believed to be two people becoming one. The Christian belief represents two whole individuals, mending together to become one — not two halves who need the other half to be complete. Taking this view can help you remember and understand that you’re just as complete and valid on your own as you are with a partner or soul ties.
Take a Healing Approach
Ending any romantic, platonic, or another type of relationship is never easy — especially when soul ties are involved. Healing can be done in many different ways — licensed professional help, self-care, religious support, spiritual growth, and much more. Finding the approach that’s best for you is the key to feeling supported and safe during your journey of breaking soul ties. Healing the wound that you may feel after breaking soul ties can make this journey just a little bit easier.
Try Practicing Meditation
Meditation is used for many different needs and benefits — one of those being mental health and healing. Everyone is bound to be going through something difficult at any given time — whether that’s work stress, family turbulence, money concerns, major life changes, or breaking soul ties. All of these events can cause us to feel anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, and more. Turning to meditation is a great way to help us slow down, process these things, and re–examine them with a clear head and calm thoughts.
There are many different types of meditation that you can try and implement in your life to help with breaking soul ties. On top of breaking soul ties, meditation can help reduce stress, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness, lengthen attention spans, and much more. If you are struggling with breaking soul ties, consider making meditation a regular practice within your life.
Calling on Spiritual or Religious Guidance
Who do you call on when you are facing struggles or personal battles in your life? When in times of trouble, many may turn to prayer or other forms of spiritual guidance for help to navigate these situations. Praying or calling on any spirit guides to be with you during times of distress can help you feel supported in your decisions and journey. Having regular conversations and building a strong relationship with your spirit guides or religious figures can help ease your path to breaking soul ties.
Getting Professional Help
Therapy is an increasingly popular mental health resource, for good reasons. Therapy can be used for both avoiding crises and helping you overcome them once they’ve struck. Ending a relationship, especially a very strong one with soul ties, can be much easier when you have someone that you can trust for support and guidance. Therapists are trained professionals who can help you come up with the best methods for you as an individual to overcome these changes. Therapy can be done regularly as you navigate the path of breaking soul ties and can greatly benefit your experience.
Practice Clear, Deep Communication
Soul ties consist of a deep connection that’s unlike one you have with anyone else. Because of this, breaking them must consist of a deep conversation that goes beyond the ears and into the soul. Openly discussing the need to end a relationship and why can help them to understand that your soul ties must be severed. Even if they don’t agree or understand why their soul will recognize the change that’s occurring. Openly discussing your feelings and decision can help both of you make peace with the change and have a healthy understanding of one another- even without soul ties.
Focus On Your Spiritual Growth
During hard times, growing your spirituality and sense of self is one of the best ways to become comfortable in your new norm. This may consist of taking up new hobbies, educating yourself on new topics, strengthening your relationship with yourself and others, and even finding a mentor to guide you on your journey. Keeping yourself busy with new tasks and interests to immerse yourself in can greatly help you transform and evolve after breaking soul ties in order to care for yourself first. With some time and practice, you’re sure to find your new rhythm and space for growth after breaking soul ties.
Final Thoughts
Soul ties are a unique, deep form of a relationship between two individuals. This type of connection can be felt in a different way than most and may last an entire lifetime and beyond. While soul ties are usually beneficial and a great form of emotional connection, toxic and unhealthy soul ties can exist.
If you find yourself in a relationship that involves toxic soul ties, it’s best to try and find a way to end this connection. The last thing that anyone wants is to be burdened or even unsafe because of a soul tie connection. Ending soul ties can be done in many ways. Communication, spiritual guidance, professional support, and other methods can be used to make this process a bit easier. Be sure to give these different strategies a try when you are going through the end of a soul tie connection. With time, you’re sure to find the method that best helps you overcome and cope with this major adjustment within your life.
