When you meet someone with whom you just click, you might wonder if they’re your soulmate. However, the connection between you feels even deeper than that. No matter what, you can’t walk away from them and the thought of not having them around fills you with dread. Maybe you’re experiencing a soul tie. But what is this type of relationship and is it healthy? Read on for everything you need to know.
What is a soul tie?
A soul tie is a spiritual connection or bond between two individuals. It’s believed to be created through intense emotional experiences or intimate physical relationships. The concept of soul ties is rooted in various religious and spiritual beliefs, including Christianity and African spiritualism, both of which believe that our connections with people are more than just emotional. More often than not, soul ties are shared with romantic partners. However, this is not a requirement.
The purpose of this deep connection is unclear. However, many believe it functions as a way to bring two people together to achieve a common goal, provide emotional support, or grow in their spiritual journey. These relationships can be good or bad. In healthy relationships, a soul tie can help both people grow and evolve. However, in more toxic situations, this connection can be detrimental both to the relationship and the individuals who share it.
What are the benefits of this kind of connection?
- Emotional support. A positive soul tie can provide emotional support and comfort, helping individuals to feel understood and valued. Because you “get” each other on a deep level, you’re able to be there for each other in unique ways. This can ensure you never feel alone or emotionally neglected.
- Mutual Growth. This connection can bring two individuals together to grow in their personal and spiritual journeys, providing opportunities for mutual growth and learning. Because you uplift and inspire one another, you enable each other to become the best possible versions of yourselves.
- Deep Connection. A soul tie can create a deep, meaningful connection between two individuals, leading to a bond that lasts a lifetime. While you love and feel close to your friends and family, a soul tie is different. It’s an inexplicable bond that words can’t fully describe.
- Inspiration. Such a close relationship can provide inspiration and motivation in a person’s life. With someone by your side with whom you connect so deeply, you find yourself feeling like a superhero. There’s nothing you can’t do. Suddenly your dreams and goals don’t seem so impossible.
- Healing. This relationship can provide a source of healing, helping individuals to overcome challenges and pain. You feel as though you have a safe place to rest. Not only that, but you can let your guard down and feel vulnerable. You know the other person has your best interests at heart. This gives you time and space to breathe and heal.
- Love. A soul tie can bring love and joy into one’s life, creating a sense of happiness and fulfillment. Having support, affection, understanding, and appreciation is life-changing. It’s a love unlike any you’ve experienced with anyone else.
- Shared Experience. When you’re so close to someone on such a spiritual level, there’s the opportunity for shared experiences. This goes beyond just doing things together. It’s about evolving and learning life’s lessons. As a result, it allows you to create meaningful memories together.
Downsides of a soul tie connection
- You may experience motional pain. A negative soul tie can result in emotional pain and distress, especially if the connection is with a toxic or unhealthy individual. You can end up feeling desperately sad or hurt. However, you also feel as if you can’t leave because the ties that bind you are so strong.
- Your personal growth could be hindered. When you’re in an unhealthy relationship with this person, it can hinder personal growth and prevent individuals from moving forward in their lives. You rely too heavily on the importance of your connection. As a result, you neglect parts of your life and hold yourself back.
- You could have attachment issues. It can lead to attachment issues, causing individuals to cling to the relationship even if it is harmful. You worry that you’ll never find this kind of connection with anyone else. As such, if you were to walk away, you’d be doomed to be lonely forever. That’s not true, but it’s hard to realize that when emotions are running high.
- You might become codependent. These intense relationships can result in codependency. Individuals become overly dependent on each other and struggle to maintain a healthy balance. You suddenly forget who you were without them and how you functioned.
- You may experience control and manipulation. In the wrong hands, control and manipulation could creep into the relationship, leading to power imbalances in the relationship. Emotional abuse should never be tolerated. However, it’s sometimes hard to recognize when shrouded in the soul tie connection.
- You could become isolated. A negative soul tie can interfere with the development of other healthy relationships, leading to isolation and loneliness. You may focus on this singular connection to the point of neglecting or even shutting out all others. This results in alienation from your friends and even your family.
How to break a soul tie
If you realize you’re in a relationship that’s completely unhealthy, you need to get out. It’s not easy to walk away, but it’s vital you do. Here are some things that might help you cut the cord.
- Attend therapy. Therapy can be an effective means of breaking a negative soul tie. A therapist can help individuals to identify and process the emotions and thoughts associated with the attachment, and work to overcome it. Whether you attend therapy with your tie or on your own is not important.
- Set boundaries and keep them. Setting and maintaining boundaries can help to break an unhealthy connection by reducing contact and limiting the influence of the toxic individual. Whether your boundaries are seeing one another less or going no contact, demand your boundaries are respected.
- Practice self-care. Engaging in self-care practices such as exercise, mindfulness, and self-reflection can help to break a negative soul tie by promoting self-awareness and inner peace.
- Reflect and forgive. Reflection and forgiveness can play a crucial role in breaking a negative soul tie. Reflecting on the relationship and working to forgive both oneself and the other individual can help to release the attachment. Of course, this is an ongoing process and may take months or even years to fully achieve. As long as you’re striving toward it regularly, you should still experience relief.
