Scary Theory, Puzzle Theory, Soul-Mates, and the Unifying Factor

There is this persistent claim that my soul-mate is... Ms. Fabulosa!

Na just kidding.

But really who is my soul-mate? Where is she, what is she waiting for?

Than again do I even believe in the concept of a soul-mate?
And if so, what do I mean by "soul-mate"? Is soul-mate singular in nature or do we all have multiple soul-mates?

In conversation on the topic of soul-mate with a mixture of agnostics, Muslims, Jews, and Christians it seems that there are two dominant modes of thought, The Scary theory and the Puzzle theory. In all cases, however, the dialog flowed from a key question:

What does the term "soul-mate" mean?

The agnostics generally responded that it refers to the animal instinct that predisposes you to desire a given mate. If there is a reciprocal non-drug induced urge to mate, you have found your soul-mate. In short, the soul is an amorphous label for an intangible urge.

The religious conception differed in that it's proponents (generally) attributed different degrees of higher deterministic attributes to the term soul mate. But in every case all agreed that the soul was either a G-dly representative, or a piece of G-d, guiding the individual on a given course (please see blog post for more on this http://factoru.blogspot.com/2009/12/unifying-factor-is-soul-global.html). This course includes an intersection where one meets their mate. Thus "soul-mate" is a descriptive term delineating the process in which we meet our G-d chosen mate.

Still there seems to be a raging debate on the singularity or plurality of ones soul-mate.
The arguments, ruffly, fall into two theoretical perspectives.


The "Scary Theory" (ST):

ST, posits that a soul-mate is interchangeable with the one and only. This is what makes this theory so scary, to think that I may have missed my one and only chance...
Personally I don't buy this romantic tragedy waiting-to-happen for a second. I think the Puzzle theory has more to offer.

The "Puzzle Theory" (PT):

Is predicated on the hypothesis that the "soul" pervades and guides every event in an individuals life. We are who we are, either because we have accessed our soul/self or we have denied it. Either way it defines us. Moreover it is what connects us and makes us a necessary component of all existence. Environmentalist, and economists call it globalization, or inevitable interconnectivity. But the root of the ability to connect effectively is not the internet. Nor do the environmental practices in China negatively impact us here simply because we live on the same planet. Rather it is the fact that we are actually one organism connected by our collective soul.

Like a puzzle made up of multiple parts -sizes, colors, and shapes- we are not just isolated individuals -without our proper placement the global puzzle is incomplete. This analogy carries over to the role of the pieces of the puzzle that you are intimately connected with. Thats right the pieceS... plural.

Every piece of the puzzle has a few potential soul-mates, and the larger the puzzle the more pieces AND the harder it is to find the one. Still, just as your soul inevitably fits into the larger soul that is at the heart of and enables increasing global interconnectivity. So to, if one embraces their inner soul -their purpose- they too will inevitably meet their soul-mate.

Yes, the soul-mate as understood by the Puzzle theory is another manifestation of the unifying factor.