Subject: FAQ for alt.soulmates
Date: 1 Jan 1996 15:55:46 GMT
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This is the Official FAQ for the newsgroup alt.soulmates.  The purpose of 
this FAQ is to serve as a starting point for an open discussion of the 
isssue of soulmates [particularly as related in Richard Bach's works, but 
not limited to that].  It is NOT intended to provide definitive answers 
to any of the questions asked/answered.  If the answers provided are able 
to help you, then GREAT!  If not, then discard them as you need to.  In 
now way is this FAQ supposed to be necessarily considered the "truth" -- 
it could be right, it could be wrong.  It is, however, to serve as a 
starting point is appropriate.


The purpose of alt.soulmates is the intelligent discussion of the issue 
of soulmates, especially as related by Richard Bach in his series of 
books, although discussion is not limited to Bach's works.


THIS GROUP IS NOT A PERSONALS GROUP AND PERSONAL ADS ARE NOT WELCOME.  In 
fact, NO ADS of any kind are welcome in this group.   FLAME WARS are also 
not welcome on this group.  Ideally, discussion on this group will take 
place in an intelligent, polite, diplomatic manner.  Our goal is to learn 
form each other, not to attack each other.


This FAQ is in the process of revision.  If anyone has material they 
might wish to see included in the FAQ, please email it to Deanne Carp, 
email:  dmorgan@uoguelph.ca

Most of the material in this current edition is written by Ed Carp, who 
created the newsgroup in 1993.

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              Frequently Asked Questions List for alt.soulmates


1..What is a soulmate?
2..How would one find their soulmate?
3..How do I know if they are my soulmate?
4..I thought I found my soulmate, but we still have lots of
.problems/we've broken up.  What gives?
5..Can a person have more than one soulmate?
6..Does a soulmate relationship depend on your sex, race, or
.sexual orientation?
7..I feel a strong, special bond towards a particular person.
.Does this mean they are my soulmate?
8..Are there different kinds of soulmates?
9..How many lifetimes must soulmates have together to be regarded
.as soulmates?
10..Does one have to believe in reincarnation or karma to believe in
.soulmates?
11..How old or young does one have to be to have a soulmate relationship?
12..The sex between myself and my partner is great!  Does that mean
.we have a soulmate relationship?
13..I have had many failed relationships - does that mean I'll never
.find my soulmate?
14..Why wouldn't I remember my soulmate, or be united with them right
.away in this life?  Why have I had to wait so long for them?
15..I want to learn more about soulmates - what books can I read?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1..What is a soulmate?

.There are varius schools of thought about what a soulmate is. 
.Perhaps one of the more common explanations is:

.A soulmate is anyone whom you have shared a strong, intimate bond
.with, either in this lifetime or previous lifetimes.  This bond can
.be sexual, spiritual, or emotional, or a combination of all three.
.Some people believe that this usually refers to a romantic
.partnership of some sort.

2..How would one find their soulmate?

.There are a lot of mixed opinions on this - some say to visualize
.the characteristics and qualities that you want your soulmate to
.have, and he/she will appear, others say that looking isn't necessary
.and can even detract from the search.  It is generally agreed, though,
.that when you are ready for your soulmate, he or she will appear.

3..How do I know if they are my soulmate?

.According to Jess Stearns, the one characteristic that soulmates share
.is an "instant recognition and an overwhelming sense of 'de ja vu',
.that they have known the other person before".

4..I thought I found my soulmate, but we still have lots of
.problems/we've broken up.  What gives?

.It seems that most soulmate relationships are for more than one
.purpose, the working out of karma being just one reason.  If one
.or both partners have not yet learned to work out problems between
.them, the relationship will most likely founder.  Finding your
.soulmate isn't a guarantee of instant and forever success and
.happiness.

5..Can a person have more than one soulmate?

.It seems that there are different types of soulmate relationships -
.some relationships seem destined to end.  For those relationships,
.either the karma has been balanced, or the two partners had not yet
.learned to live with the others karma and problems, and so parted,
.to go on to yet another relationship.  For others, the death of a
.soulmate can drive one to hunt out yet another partnership.  For
.example, Elizabeth Prophet had found her soulmate, only to have
.him die several years after they were married.  She married a
.close associate of his, and together they carried on his life's
.work.

6..Does a soulmate relationship depend on your sex, race, or
.sexual orientation?

.Most likely not.  Soulmate relationships occur for a variety of
.reasons between people of all ages and races, as well as
.between genders.

7..I feel a strong, special bond towards a particular person.
.Does this mean they are my soulmate?

.Perhaps.  This would certainly indicate that you have been brought
.together for a purpose, but it is up to you to find out what that
.purpose is.  Only the two of you can really know if you are 
.soulmates or not.

8..Are there different kinds of soulmates?

.Yes.  At least three types: (1) the romantic partner, LifeMate type of
.soulmate relationship, (2) the karmic type of relationship, where two
.people are brought together to work out accumulated karma, and (3)
.the twin flame type of relationship, where two people are brought
.together to work on a project together.

.NOTE: not all people will have more then one soulmate, nor will
.everyone who has multiple soulmates have more then one *kind* of 
.soulmate.  Further, it is entirely possible to have a soulmate and
.yet not be aware of the fact that the person IS your soulmate.

9..How many lifetimes must soulmates have together to be regarded
.as soulmates?

.This presupposes that one has multiple lifetimes.  We may or may not.
.For those who believe we do have multiple lifetimes:

.There isn't any set number, though there have been relationships where
.the roots have been traced back many thousands of years through the
.help of regressive hypnosis.

10..Does one have to believe in reincarnation or karma to believe in
.soulmates?

.No.  There is nothing to preclude a soulmate relationship between
.two people who have no "past history" - after all, if the classical
.idea of soulmates as being two people who have been together multiple
.lifetimes is true, the chain had to start sometime, didn't it?

11..How old or young does one have to be to have a soulmate relationship?

.There doesn't seem to be any age limit on soulmate relationships.
.It is not uncommon for there to be a wide (10 or 20+ years difference)
.age range between soulmates.

12..The sex between myself and my partner is great!  Does that mean
.we have a soulmate relationship?

.Not necessarily.  Are there other components in your relationship
.where you feel particularly close or bonded?  Remember, great sex
.doesn't necessarily indicate a relationship is great, or will
.even last.  Nor does it necessarily indicate a soulmate relationship.

13..I have had many failed relationships - does that mean I'll never
.find my soulmate?

.Not at all!  There have been many cases where soulmates have been
.brought together much later in life than would be traditionally
.supposed.

14..Why wouldn't I remember my soulmate, or be united with them right
.away in this life?  Why have I had to wait so long for them?

.Most of us did not choose to be born in this world for the sole
.purpose of being reunited with a past love - most of us have
.karma of various sorts to work out with many, many other people.
.You would not remember details of another life because it would
.be a terrible burden to carry around the knowledge of past lives,
.including many of the terrible things that had happened - including
.your own death, by the way.

.Most of us have to be prepared, it seems, to establish a relationship
.with our soulmate.  For example, think back on your life - do you feel
.you have learned and grown during the past years?  Do you feel you
.were ready for that relationship ten, five, or even a year ago?

15..I want to learn more about soulmates - what books can I read?

.There are many books out on the subject of soulmates - among the
.best I have seen are "Soulmates" by Jess Stearns, and "You Were Born
.Again To Be Together" by Dick Sutphen.  Also, of course, many of
.Richard Bach's books.

<end Official alt.soulmates FAQ>

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