Twin Flame Vs Soul Mate: 8 KEY Differences

Author: Paul R. Brian 

Twin flame and soul mate: they’re two terms you may have heard a lot.

If you’re like me, you’ve been wondering about what exactly the difference is between these two.

Here’s the answer once and for all about the crucial differences between a soul mate and a twin flame.

First and foremost the concept of a twin flame is of two halves of the same soul.

We find this in many myths and spiritual traditions, including ancient Greece: the idea that one soul is divided into two parts before birth.

This is the origin of the term “my other half,” which some couples use, for example.

The idea of a twin flame has existed since ancient times as I said.

Whether you believe in it or not, meeting someone who seems to be a mirror image of you and has many of the same experiences and beliefs as you is definitely an uncanny experience.

If you’re wondering whether you’ve actually met your twin flame or not, here are 14 Crystal Clear Signs You’ve Met Your Twin Flame.

The term twin flame was invented in the 1970s by a New Age visionary called Elizabeth Prophet.

She said we each have one individual who is our other spiritual half and that we are meant to connect with them in life.

Soul mates, on the other hand, are understood by most spiritual thinkers and New Age teachers to be souls with whom we are deeply connected and attracted, but not the other half of our soul.

MORE: Soul Mate Vs Twin Flame Vs Karmic: KEY Differences Explained.

A twin flame is your other half. You can only have one other half, after all two halves make a whole.

A soul mate, by contrast, is another person you’re profoundly connected to. But it isn’t necessarily a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Your twin flame is someone you may or not meet in your lifetime, as are your various soul mates.

Chances are you will come across both in the course of your destiny and living your life.

But the twin flame will only be once.

The soul mate? You could have different ones at different times.

You may have several soul mates in your life, but you’ll only ever have one twin flame.

This is a very key difference between twin flame vs. soul mate.

When you meet someone very special where you feel an intense bond, it may be hard to determine if they’re a twin flame or a soul mate.

Sometimes this is a definition and a surety that only arrives with time and getting to know this person better.

Another key thing to understand about twin flame vs. soul mate is that soul mate connections often tend to be more harmonious.

Some believe that soul mates are those we shared experiences with in a past life, while twin flames are literally our other half.

Soul mate connections tend to be more uplifting and positive, whereas twin flame relationships can go the other way.

If you think about it, it makes sense:

When you’re meeting basically the other mirror of yourself, that doesn’t only include the good stuff!

It includes your negative side, your struggles, your issues and your frustrations.

Many times, twin flames actually end up setting each other off.

They’re so similar that they drive each other up the wall with their behavior and habits.

There may be strong attraction as well, but in some cases it’s so strong that it ends up burning both parties!

Soul mate connections tend to be a little more chill…

They’re about spending relaxing time together, complementing each other’s weaknesses and having a great life that you share.

By the way, would you like to find out just how committed your twin flame, soul mate or lover is to you? You can find out with our quick and easy quiz on whether he’s a “commitment friendly” man.

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Another of the crucial differences of twin flame vs soul mate connections is how they impact you.

When you meet and get involved with your twin flame, it tends to change you.

Sometimes it changes you rapidly as you realize new aspects of yourself and shift in senses you might have never imagined.

Your twin flame may open your eyes, challenge you, clash with you and confront you.

You may realize you’re not who you thought you were, or at least that there are many more layers to you and many different “sides”.

Soul mates, on the other hand, are more affirming.

They are the type of person who ends up making you feel better about yourself, supporting you when you’re down or making you see a ray of light where you only saw darkness before.

The danger of the soul mate connection, in fact, is that you could fall for them so much that you become codependent.

You may change and develop in your relationship with them, but it tends to be more of the two of you in the same boat and affirming each other.

There’s not nearly as much friction or dynamic change in the sense of changing who you are or what you both stand for.

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Soul mates complement each other and bring out each other’s best.

There may be strong attraction romantically and physically or there may not.

Twin flames tend to have a strong attraction as well, but they are more of a mirror than a complement.

Think of it this way:

A twin flame is like seeing yourself in a mirror. You realize and love some things about them and hate and fear others.

A soul mate is like being a half completed puzzle and suddenly finding a bunch of pieces that fit!

You realize that many things you love in others are coming to you from your soul mate and they’re helping you grow and learn in a thousand unexpected ways.

When you meet your soul mate you usually know right away.

It’s like a lightning bolt has hit you out of the blue and smacked you between the eyes. Except you're not dead, you're more alive than ever!

It’s the opposite of being dead. In fact, you may feel like you’ve been reborn and are ready for a new life with your soul mate.

It’s exciting and refreshing to be in this kind of situation of dramatic change and transformation with somebody new.

Whether it’s romantic, sexual, friendship or a kind of kindred spirit in a work or mentorship context, the soul mate unlocks a new door to a life you never dreamed of.

They’re somebody you’re intensely attracted to and drawn to right away without thinking twice.

One of the other key things about the twin flame vs soul mate distinction is that they tend to come at different times in your love life.

The twin flame challenges you and unlocks parts of yourself you may have hidden from.

Related: 19 Undeniable Signs You’re Experiencing Twin Flame Energy.

The twin flame connection is intense and may be full of ups and downs. You discover things about yourself and what you’re looking for that you never expected.

Many times, the twin flame connection opens you up to your soul mate down the road.

You’ve unlocked and faced so many obstacles internally and with your twin flame that you’re ready for a more harmonious an fulfilling relationship with a different person.

This is not always the case, but it often is!

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Soul mates tend to get along well from the start. I’m not saying that they never fight, but the relationship tends to be very amicable.

Twin flames, by contrast, don’t always get along so well. They also don’t always understand each other.

This may sound surprising, but think about it:

How well do you understand yourself?

The twin flame is a mirror of you. All the things you do which end up self-sabotaging or being confusing to you, will also confuse you in them.

The soul mate, by contrast, is someone whose behavior and words will tend to make sense for you.

This is an important difference to pay attention to and a way to tell the two categories apart.

While both involve strong attraction of some kind and an intense connection, twin flames can be much more confusing and frustrating, whereas soul mates tend to make your path clearer and shine a light.

As Beth Gillette writes:

“A soulmate connection will feel easy and expand your greatness.
It might feel too good to be true, especially if relationships in the past have felt like a full-time job trying to understand each other.”

As I mentioned earlier, usually a soul mate is somebody you hit it off with right away.

This is often in the category of “love at first sight.”

Even if you don’t believe in that, meeting your soul mate is likely to be a fairly strong experience that you’ll always remember:

You say hi or lock eyes, and it’s on.

You may get to know them over the course of a few days and already feel quite confident that this connection is out of the ordinary and seems in the realm of being a soul mate.

Your twin flame may take a bit longer to recognize. Sometimes you don’t even quite realize that it’s a very profound connection until a few weeks of getting to know this person.

The reason is that when you’re meeting your other half it can almost feel like looking for your glasses when you’re wearing them.

The connection is so strong and so immediate that you sometimes don’t notice, because this person is almost like being around yourself.

Then one day you wake up and realize that this person is your other half in a very real way.

Twin flame relationships and soul mate relationships are both worthwhile and will help you grow as a person.

The twin flame is likely to be a more difficult relationship and often doesn’t turn into a successful relationship.

However it’s still extremely meaningful and may bring you into touch with your life and your mission in a very deep way.

Everyone has a soul mate, because everyone has several people in their life who will be able to understand and care for them better than anyone else.

Soul mates are those people who make our lives so much better and who we often meet when we least expect it.

We all have at least one, and often many.

The short answer is no.

For reasons of destiny or past lives, not all of us have a twin flame or will meet them in our life if we do.

The twin flame connection is quite mysterious and works in many different ways, but generally speaking it is far rarer than soul mates.

Perhaps your twin flame was not born into this life cycle that you’re in, or perhaps they’re working out their own karma in a completely different life this time around.

Twin flame relationships and soul mate relationships do not come in one form only.

They can occur as friendships, kindred spirits, sexual and romantic relationships or even deep mentorships and professional relationships like a master and apprentice.

The twin flame often tends to be a more difficult connection, as I’ve mentioned, but it doesn’t come in only one form.

Twin flames can be married or they can be strangers who meet at a bus stop.

Soul mates tend to happen suddenly and be powerful, but they may end up in a romantic relationship or as lifelong friends.

There are really no firm and fast rules about this, so the bottom line is that not all twin flame or soul mate connections are romantic or sexual, however more soul mate connections are romantically intimate than twin flame connections.

Paul R. Brian

Paul Rowan Brian is a freelance journalist, author and writer from Canada. He's written for Ideapod, Hack Spirit and Love Connection and is focused on culture, relationships and self-development. You can follow him on Twitter @paulrbrian.

Renée Shen

Author & Editor For National Council for Research on Women. Founder of the popular women's dating & relationship advice website, The Feminine Woman.

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