Soulmates are subjective concepts. We try to convince ourselves they exist and then look for psychological facts that can support this belief. Sometimes, we look for other opinions to confirm our beliefs about soulmates.
Sometimes, however, we reach a point where we believe that soulmates are not real. Why do only a few people find their true soul mate if they exist? No scientific evidence or counterarguments can hide these uncertainties. Then we realize how difficult it is to believe something without scientific evidence.
It happens to all of us. Once we find our soulmate, it is easy to end that sentence and realize that this is the person we’ve been looking for. There is nothing else to search for. There’s nothing more to be asked for. There is no point in searching for another person after finding our soulmate. Do we have evidence of soulmates? Psychological facts may even back them up.
Let’s find out. This list contains psychological facts that can help you decide if soulmate or soulmate marriages are right for you.
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Psychological Facts about Soulmates
Study – I
Soulmates can experience high levels of satisfaction and high levels of conflict and divorce.
The study by the University of Virginia, which was conducted on 1414 married couples from Louisiana (1998-2004), found that people who follow the traditions of permanent marriage and gender equalization with the support of religious institutions and social networks have happier marriages as long as they communicate well with one another.
However, spouses who believe in the soulmate model of marriage are more satisfied, but they also have to deal with many conflicts.
Further findings revealed that spouses who adhere to traditional marriage norms but do not receive social support report a lacklustre marriage.
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The marital happiness of soulmates depends on their fulfilment.
According to the same study, soulmates were more likely to view marriage as a chance for companionship, personality growth, emotional security, and individual fulfilment than those who hold a traditional view of marriage.
Because of the expressive nature of their relationship, they are more likely to be invested in the emotional potential of their marital relationship. Because of the expressive nature of modern married life, marital happiness is strongly linked to the exchanges of emotional intimacy among spouses.
This expressive focus will likely foster better marital quality. The individual’s fulfilment can lead to marital happiness and better relationships.
The Soulmate model of marital enrichment enhances marital quality, while the institutional model fosters marital stability.
Research shows that marital stability is more likely to be achieved by the institutional marriage model than by the soulmate model. However, it isn’t clear whether the institutional or soulmate model is more likely to result in marital stability for U.S. spouses.
Couples who view their relationship as expressive might be more likely than others to find marital happiness. The opposite may be true for couples who place a strong emphasis on marital permanence and are surrounded by friends and family.
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People who believe in soulmates are open to conditional love and will be willing to part ways if they feel they aren’t meant for each other.
Soulmates opt for the ethic of conditional marriage. They can only stay married if they feel fulfilled and happy. They can move on with their lives and not live together for the better or worse.
They believe that marriage is a way to achieve personal growth and individual fulfilment.
A couple seeking a soulmate approach to marriage may be more inclined to embrace a conditional love ethic, which allows them the freedom to leave the union if they are unhappy.
However, this conditional approach to love is not as likely to build trust and commitment in a relationship–especially when a spouse’s partner knows that his or her love is conditional.
Due to lower levels of commitment and trust, spouses might be less likely to emotionally invest in one another.
- Social support gives women 55 per cent greater chances of reporting conflict with their soulmates.
- Women who did not receive social support were 67% more likely to report conflict with their soulmates than those who received it.
- A soulmate husband is more likely to report conflict than a common man.
- In the case of spouses who are soulmates, the divorce rate is lower than that for husbands.
Study – II
Renae Frank, Department of Psychology at Aurora University, conducted the study on 143 adults known as Implicit relation theory.
Implicit theories of relationships (ITRs) divide people into those who believe relationships are destined for each other and those that believe relationships develop slowly with effort.
According to the soulmate theory, finding the right partner is key to a happy relationship. This Theory can be further divided into Pure Soulmate Theory, Strong Soulmate Theory, and Weak Soulmate Theory.
The belief that success in relationships requires effort is the basis of the work-it out Theory. This Theory can be further divided into three types: Pure work it all Theory, Strong work it out Theory, and Weak work it out Theory.
People with strong soulmate theories are more likely to remain in violent relationships than those with weaker ones.
People who believe in a strong soulmate theory engage in constant partner evaluations early in a relationship. They may also use strategies to keep their beliefs about their partner as their true soulmate once they have committed to the relationship.
People with strong soulmate theories are more likely to stay in violent relationships than those with weaker soulmates.
- People with strong soulmate theories were more open to a partner’s mistakes if they had a good partner fit than those without.
- It was more likely that soulmates would put more effort into solving problems than those who ‘work it out.
Study – III
- People who consider themselves to be in soulmate relationships are identified as having an intuitive component.
- Bloomstein’s (2001) study examined the soulmate experiences of five adults between 47 and 82. It identified four premises in their soulmate experiences: predetermination, mystical identification, paranormal communication and perfect self-enclosure.
