Symposium

Exert from Plato's Symposium

[Primeval man] could walk upright as men now do, backwards or forwards as he pleased, and he could also roll over and over at a great pace, turning on his four hands and four feet, eight in all, like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast …Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods ... Doubt reigned in the celestial councils. Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts, as they had done the giants, then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but, on the other hand, the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained. At last, after a good deal of reflection, Zeus discovered a way. He said: 'I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist, but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us. They shall walk upright on two legs, and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet, I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg.'

I was watching an episode of Bones just now and Dr. Brennan shared a piece of knowledge at the end, just like she always does. She mentioned how Plato viewed a soul mate, or twin flame as it's also referred to. Man being split into two and forced to wander the earth for eternity searching to fill the emptiness in their souls. This made me think about all of the different uses for the term soul mate that I've heard. I myself agree with Plato, maybe not on the aspect of Zeus but the idea of my other half being out there somewhere has always been a comforting thought in times of heartache. It has also been a guiding string connected to my heart which, when you boil it down, is much like wearing it on your sleeve. History has shown that wearing my heart in such a way has caused it to break a couple of times, but current events are proving to be very positive for it.

The idea of a soul mate is a fond thought for many. To find the one that completes you in mind, body, and spirt has been used in many romantic stories, old and new. Little girls grow up with stories of Snow White and Cinderella and their Prince Charming. Little boys as well hear stories of Superman and Lois Lane, Spider-man and Mary Jane. A soul mate is a common element that children's stories have held, regardless of the gender that they are directed towards. The thought is romantic and heartwarming. It's what sells millions of books and novels each year. It's what keeps some people warm at night, whether it be a thought or an actual person.

Now from the view of my mother. She believes that she has found a soul mate in a friend. It is not a physical relationship, but simply the feeling of a kindred  spirit. This brings up a theory that when the souls were split, they were separated into two sexes because they incurred karma while on the Earth. Could it be possible that some same sex souls were also created? Could a soul mate possibly be a friend for life, creating not a physical but intellectual relationship that completes the mind not the body? Or is it possible that there are different types of soul mates, ones for the body, others for the mind.