Twin flame vs soulmate vs karmic: Understanding the differences (complete guide)

When it comes to twin flame vs soulmate vs karmic relationships, it can be hard to know the difference between them all.

It’s important to understand these connections in your life, which is why we’re here to dispel any confusion.

Remember, every single union is completely unique. Our guide will help you recognize and understand your relationships on a whole new level, but don’t let it define them.

Here’s the simplest breakdown:

• Twin flame: your mirror soul, essentially the other half.
• Soulmates: people you share a soul connection with who help you along the journey to your twin flame. You can have a number of these.
• Karmic relationship: turbulent and passionate. These relationships help you grow as a person.

Let’s dive into each relationship to help you understand the key differences and appreciate the value of those around you.

Twin flame

Every relationship has something to teach us in life. But a twin flame relationship will well and truly teach us the most. Many consider it the most intense and powerful soul encounter you can ever experience.

A twin flame is when two souls are split in two. Or two souls that are mirror images of each other. It’s based on the idea that one soul splits into two bodies – creating a relationship that will be equal parts challenging and rewarding. You can expect an instant connection when you meet your twin flame.

“Twin flames are two halves or mirrors of two different individuals,” says Barbara Spinelli, LP, a therapist, relationship expert, and CEO of Babita Spinelli Group and Opening the Doors Psychotherapy.

According to Lisa Vallejos, PhD, LPC, a therapist who specializes in relationships, “They seem to mirror one another, have shared similar life paths, history, and sometimes trauma.”

There are four essential elements that make up a twin flame relationship:

1) Emotional connection

As two souls that have been split in half, the emotional connection between you and your twin flame is expectedly intense. It is believed you experience an exchange of energy between each other, making you more attuned to each other’s needs.

As your twin flame mirrors back your flaws and faults it can be a difficult connection at first. Give it time to progress and it will come to a place of important healing.

As you explore this emotional connection between the two of you, it’s possible to find yourself falling deeper into love than you ever thought possible. Once that emotional connection between the two of you is solidified, you’ll experience pure love.

2) Mental connection

Once you meet your twin flame, it will feel like the two of you are the only people in the world. In your eyes, you’re the only ones that matter.

Your connection will run so deep, your conversations will be so intrinsically thought-provoking and personal, it will seem that nothing else actually matters.

The mental connection the two of you share will take you out of this world and create the very bubble of your co-existence – a world where only the two of you make sense.

3) Physical connection

This goes beyond a sexual connection the two of you might feel for each other. When you’re in each other’s presence, you will simply feel as one.

Physical attraction only makes up one small part of a twin flame attraction, but it’s an important one. It will feel different to any other relationship you have ever found yourself in. The primal connection will be instinctual, as your two souls communicate as one.

4) Spiritual connection

As the other half of your soul, you can sense each other’s moods and emotions and find yourselves connected on an entirely spiritual level.

You will find yourself completely and utterly in tune with each other, predicting your needs before they even form as a thought. You will find yourself in-step with each other the entire way, connected in a way you’re unable to even describe in words.

You’re not going to experience all these four elements the moment you meet your twin flame. Instead, you have to go through a journey of self-discovery and healing to be able to fully and whole-heartedly open yourself emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually with your twin flame.

This journey isn’t an easy one, and you may even lose your twin flame temporarily along the way. But, you will eventually find harmony together. Once you do, it’s a union of unconditional love that will form the centre of your being.

This leaves one important question: how do you know if you’ve met your twin flame? Here are some signs that might point to it:

• Sense that you’re meeting yourself.
• Incredible similarities that defy any explanations.
• Deep connection that you can’t put to words.
• You’ve started to prioritise your personal growth.
• Your meeting instigated a journey of change in your life.

You can expect your twin flame relationship to go through a number of changes as you learn and grow together.

It begins with that immediate, intense connection you both share and experience together.

From here, you’re sent on a journey of exploration and healing. It’s a personal journey that will open your heart and mind to many personal truths, which can be very hard to swallow.

As you come out the other side, there’s a decision to be made about the future of your twin flame relationship, and whether you’re both ready to work together. Twin flames may separate at times, but they always end up together. The truth is, while they’re separated the pain will be too much, so you always come to a place of reconciliation.

Finally, you enter a place of acceptance of your twin flame relationship. Differences are settled between the two of you and you can achieve the greatest spiritual connection possible.

Soulmate

It’s true that twin flames and soulmates are frequently confused, but there are big differences between the two. To start with, you can have a number of soulmates throughout your life.

The connection you share with your soulmate isn’t necessarily one of romantic love. It’s about finding someone who both accepts you and knows you on that deeper level.

As we saw above, twin flames are one soul that’s been split in half. Soulmates on the other hand, are two separate souls that are intrinsically linked together.

The great news when it comes to soulmate relationships is that they tend to be much more stable and balanced compared to twin flame relationships. Twin flames mirror your issues directly to you, which can cause a downhill spiral in the relationship. Yet, while apart, the suffering is even more intense. The relationship is very defining.

Your soulmate might be your life partner, or simply a friend or colleague. They simply reflect the best in you and offer a much calmer, more stable relationship that you can learn and grow from. Here are some of the different types of soulmates you might come across in your life:

1) Romantic soulmates

Just like your twin flame, soulmates can form a romantic bond as well. The bond you share can bring each other physical and emotional pleasure. The flame between soulmates is one that ignites with passion, but instead of dying out, it continues to burn forever. The commitment you two share with each other keeps that flame burning.

This begs the question, are you meant to be with your soulmate or twin flame when it comes to a romantic relationship?

It can go either way, it all depends on your personal circumstances and the relationships you have surrounding you. Twin flames have to work much harder to end up together – but it is well worth it in the end, with the extra spiritual connection and pure love they end up sharing. Of course, to reach this point, both twin flames must go through a period of personal realisation and growth in order to find each other again. This doesn’t always happen.

Soulmates are much more stable and dependable and can be just what you need in life. You may not strive for more than support and stability to see you through life’s up and downs. And who can blame you!

2) Soul partners

This is someone you haven’t seen in years, but when you reunite, the two of you simply click together.

To feel this kind of soul relationship, it will seem as though time has passed, but that separation between the two of you has had no bearing on the depth of the connection you share together.

Think about a close friend you had in primary school who came back into your life years later, a family friend you haven’t seen for a decade, or a work colleague from years ago. There’s no denying the connection you share when you come back into each other’s lives.

It will feel as if time hasn’t even passed.

3) Companion soulmates

We all crave companionship in our lives. Someone we can rely on who truly understands us. The yin to our yang.

Friends often fill this particular role, taking on an essential part in your life journey.

They’re on hand to help us when we’re in pain or suffering, always joining us on the highs and lows of life, ready to support in any way they can.

4) Kindred soulmates

Have you ever met that one person who agrees on everything with you: both the big and the small?

You laugh about the same things. You share in the same jokes. You enjoy the same hobbies. You pull each other up and help each other be the best version of yourselves possible.

There’s no jealousy or bitterness in this relationship. Just love and respect for each other, while sharing almost everything in common.

Have I found my soulmate?

Soulmates will drift in and out of your life when you need them – that’s their nature.

As your soul grows and learns along the way, the connections you once held with another soul will grow and change as well. They won’t always keep that bond that once kept them so close.

Even if someone doesn’t stay in your life long, the soul connection still existed. It still played an essential part in your life journey.

It’s important that you don’t judge the importance or depth of a soul connection you held with someone by the length of the relationship. Sometimes, it’s the short encounters that have the most impact on our lives.

Karmic relationship

Finally, let’s take a look at karmic relationships. These are extremely passionate and tend to be very turbulent relationships.

While they don’t sound overly desirable, these are the relationships that we need in life to help us learn and grow.

Karmic relationships evolve out of the unresolved issues we have from a past life.

They teach us lessons and point us in the right direction on our life’s journey.

Karmic relationships are often characterized by tumultuous highs and lows, and they can feel all consuming from the inside. They can be extremely frustrating too. In the beginning, you find yourself able to look past each other’s flaws and only see the best – it feels like you’re meant to be. Then you find yourself going through patterns of make-up, break up, fighting, and more.

The truth is, karmic relationships are doomed from the start. There’s very little chance of them lasting the distance.

There’s no mistaking a soulmate relationship for a karmic relationship – the differences are too vast. If you’re feeling emotionally exhausted from dealing with this person in your life, they’re not your soulmate. But are they your twin flame?

As you know by now, twin flames go through the same period of intoxicating drama, as you deal with your faults and reconcile your feelings. The main difference is, twin flames grow in their time apart and go through a period of spiritual healing and acceptance, which brings them back together.

So, how do you know whether the relationship you’re in is a karmic relationship? Here are some key signs that suggest it is:

1) Instant connection: whether it’s love at first sight, or an undeniable bond you simply can’t explain, you’ll feel an instant connection with this person.

2) Lots of drama: along with this instant connection, your early relationship will experience a lot of drama and emotions.

3) You’re addicted: those initial feelings that drew the two of you together are hard to shake. You will keep returning to the relationship, despite understanding it’s an unhealthy one for you.

4) Lots of highs and lows: things are great one day, the next you’re fighting and breaking up again. Unlike the twin flame relationship, there is no personal growth taking place between your connected souls. Your partner isn’t reflecting your faults and flaws back onto you, but you are learning plenty along the way. You find yourself learning exactly what you want and need out of a relationship.

5) Brings out the worst: unlike soulmates and twin flames, karmic relationships bring out the worst in you. You never feel settled and comfortable with your partner, which means your guard is constantly up and you always feel on edge.

6) Repetitive: while you might experience a period apart from your twin flame, once you work through your issues, you find each other again. In karmic relationships, this doesn’t happen. You have the same fights over and over, break up, get back together and start again.

7) You feel exhausted: karmic relationships will take everything out of you. They’re emotionally, metnally and physically draining – but you don’t even realise it at the time.

8) Fear the end: in any unhealthy relationship, the ending can often loom over us. You will find yourself fearful of what happens next, losing the strength to actually end things. It’s often easier to deal with the drama of the relationship than actually face what happens next.

9) Eventually, this relationship will come to an end. It’s not built to last. You will learn and grow from this experience, and go on to find the perfect match for you.

There’s the belief that two souls from a karmic relationship made an agreement before the souls entered this lifetime to help each other on their life path.

“A karmic relationship is one that’s filled with all-consuming passion but is extremely difficult to maintain,” says Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, a neuropsychologist and faculty member at Columbia University.

We bring our unresolved issues from a past life, and the karmic relationship acts as a guide to help us move past them. They exist to help our soul grow and balance out that bad experience from the past life. This then enables us to move forward in a healthy relationship.

While they don’t sound great, look at them as an opportunity to learn something about yourself that you didn’t know before. They offer a great lesson in love, and act as a stepping stone to greater things in life.

The difference between all three

That’s a lot to take in. And it requires you to really assess and take a deep look into your interpersonal relationships, to see where each one lies.

If you’re looking for the main difference between twin flame vs soulmate vs karmic relationships, here’s some key messages to take away. Consider it your cheat sheet guide:

• You can have several soulmate and karmic relationships in your life, but only one twin flame. Your twin flame is literally the other half of your soul – there is only one of them.
• Karmic and soulmate relationships exist in all areas of your life, whether it’s at work, at the gym, at school, or at sport. On the other hand, your twin flame is a romantic relationship, which can take a bit of work.
• Twin flame relationships and karmic relationships can both guide you towards spiritual evolution. The keynote is, you should move away from a karmic relationship. You need to learn and grow and then move on. On the other hand, twin flame relationships are there for life once you make that spiritual connection.
• Twin flames and soulmates are generally associated with happiness and love. While karmic relationships tend to be geared towards sadness and suffering.

Understand your own relationships

Remember, use this guide as just that – a guide. But don’t let it define your relationships.

Your interpersonal relationships are completely unique to you, allowing you to discover exactly who you are inside and how this is reflected on the outside world.

At the same time, reviewing your relationships and understanding them on this deeper level is also a chance to work out whether your bonds are what they’re meant to be. Are they worth keeping?

It’s up to you to change and hunt down your own connections in the world. Usually, it starts from within. Change yourself, and watch the outer world follow suit.

Find your happiness.

Finding your inner happiness

But how can you create happy relationships with others, if you’re ignoring the most important one; the relationship you have with yourself?

You see, until you work on that one, you’ll never find the happiness you’re looking for.

I learnt about this from the shaman Rudá Iandê. In his free video on cultivating healthy relationships, he gives you some unique tools that put you back at the center of your world.

He also covers some of the major mistakes most of us make in our relationships, mistakes most of us aren’t even aware of.

So why am I recommending Rudá’s life-changing advice?

Well, for a start, Rudá isn’t your average shaman. He’s been through the same ups and downs in love that most of us have experienced. And through his ancient shamanic teachings, coupled with his very modern-day journey, he’s found the solutions.

And that’s what he wants to share with you.

So, if you want to make a real change to your relationships (no matter which category they fall into) if you want to cultivate love and happiness, start today by checking out his genuine advice.

Click here to watch the free video.