This unconscious search for Twin Flame love is humanness at its finest. Your heart knows, at its deepest level, the desire you have for seeking out and finding not only a life partner, but the part of yourself that you can just sense is missing. But beware. Your Twin Flame will not only know you at every level of your being, they will also represent the duality of who you are — the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, and the purposeful and sloth-like nature of your inner soul.

What is a “Twin Flame”?

Your Twin Flame is not, as many believe, the same thing as a soulmate. Twin flames are believed to be essentially two souls split into two separate bodies. These mirror souls therefore share a deeply intense connection, and when they meet, the connection is typically both healing and simultaneously challenging. There is no one perfect definition of a Twin Flame, but as explained by Dr. Lisa Vallejos, “The true purpose of a twin flame is to help mold you into the type of person who is capable of embodying divine, unconditional love … first for yourself, and then for humanity.” Most importantly, your Twin Flame will call you out on every bluff you attempt in your efforts to maintain superficial independence and egoism. RELATED: 12 Signs You Met Your False Twin Flame — And What To Do Next Of course, it’s tough to reach the apex of a Twin Flame relationship unless you know what you are looking for. You must be ready for what happens when Twin Flames meet.

Here are 7 signs you’ve met your Twin Flame and found love with the person who represents the half of you that’s been absent … until now.

Twin Flame Signs: 7 things that happen when you meet your twin flame

1. You live separate lives.

Twin Flames often live separate lives. This separate-ness is essential for knowing yourself at the fullest level prior to meeting the additional half of your soul. The spiritual growth and path you seek, as well as your determination to clean up your own personal and emotional baggage, is what propels you and your mirror image together. Both of you have to work on yourselves before encountering the other. When you do encounter each other, the feeling is one of déjà vu. You feel like you’ve known this person forever, wondering where they have been all of your life. The sparks will fly instantaneously. However, be aware that Twin Flames don’t always fall in love. Sometimes, the flame is meant to be a kindred spirit, rather than a sexual or love relationship. At first, you will believe it is all about the physical melding, but time may reveal it is more about the purpose of what you both bring to the table for the good of all, rather than for the good of yourself. The more internal work you do to clear your insecurities, your selfish ways, even your fears and ego, the closer your Twin Flame will come towards you. The Universe will draw your energies together without your having to seek or search. Until such time, you may continue to live separate lives. I met my Twin Flame early on in life. We lived very separate and very different lives. Though close in proximity, the union was nothing short of miraculous. It was also detrimental to the health of both of us. We were too young, too immersed in our own sad affairs, and too combative at times to realize the part of ourselves through the eyes of another. We were too foolish to see the part of ourselves that seemed missing was right in front of us.

2. You fight like cats and dogs at first.

When your Twin Flame arrives, your reunion will have you speaking in terms of feeling, emotion, elation, and curiosity. It will seem as though you both have been on similar paths, though far from each other. However, there will be times when one of you will deflect deeper evaluations, deeper energy, and deeper emotion than the other is ready to handle. For this reason, one of you may always wish to run. You will struggle to see yourself in the image of the person in front of you. You may even struggle to admit the change in the face of such depth and perception. The truth is you may not like what you see but your heart will know it as truth. Hence, arguments like nothing you have ever encountered may happen. Your head will tell you to run, to leave, to get the heck out, but your heart will perish just as it did when the mystical God of sky and thunder, Zeus, separated you long ago. You are mirror images of each other and not everything you see in the mirror is perfect at first. In the initial stages of a Twin Flame relationship, you will exhibit a push/pull continuum, one that will possibly leave you raw and vulnerable. Yet, in the end, as time together forges its reconnection, the joining of your souls for the good of all will emerge. If you sense the one you are with is truly your Twin Flame, do not give up hope. This pattern of push/pull, with all its arguments and love, is designed as a continuation to flush out the baggage you have not been able to comprehend or complete prior to your souls’ meeting.

3. You feel like each other’s home.

When the initial stages of mirror images are complete, you will feel at home in body, mind, spirit, and soul. It will seem as though all of the work each of you has done separately, as well as together has been worth it. You no longer dread finding the perfect mate, the perfect friend, or the perfect parent — your twin flame will seemingly read your thoughts, your mind, and your body language. Both will be willing to do whatever is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the relationship as one. This feeling of home will have compassion and no judgment or resentment. Both of you will work together so the trash of old wounds can no longer accumulate. RELATED: Twin Flame Q&A Column: My Soulmate Is Married, What Do I Do?

4. You are your best self when you are with them.

Your twin flame will not accept anything less than your best. This person knows who you are at your core, so they know when you are half-stepping. Being around them makes you want to be better in every area of your life. Performing at the highest level will be priority for you when you are in their presence. You have the freedom to tap into who you are beyond the surface and enter into a new realm of possibilities.

5. You feel an instant connection.

Meeting someone and instantly feeling drawn to them can mean you have come across your twin flame. Maybe you lock eyes at a gathering and can’t look away, or you find yourself wanting to know more about them as soon as your friend introduces you. Either way, that magnetic pull you feel to them is undeniable. This connection may even last beyond calling it quits once you engage in a relationship.

6. Your lives align in several ways.

Once you begin to open up and reveal your life’s journey, you will notice that your twin flame has traveled a similar, almost identical, path as you. Whether it be experiences from the past, or future aspirations, you will find that this person seems to have been with you all along and knows right where you’re headed. While refreshing, this can also become frustrating because giving up is not an option while you are with them. Be ready to stay the course!

7. You break up to make up … and break up again.

Ending a relationship can be difficult, and downright heartbreaking. Once you align with your twin flame, this process will be frequent in your relationship. Calling it quits then running back is a common practice. You could stay apart for moments or years. Someway, somehow life will be sure to have you cross each other’s paths again. Since your connection is unbreakable, prepare to be tested and tried. Don’t lose hope, twin flame relationships are so deeply rooted that a break up is just a drop in your bucket of love. Photo element: olimpstudio via Canva RELATED: What To Do If The Relationship With Your Twin Flame Doesn’t Work Out As one soul, you can be, and most often times are, powerful in your own strengths and abilities to get things done with a purpose that meets universal love and acceptance for peace and prosperity. In other words, your work will be for others, not just for you. Twin Flames embody a feeling of trust, continuity, contentment, and satisfaction. Even when away from each other, both understand the commitment and bond you have formed and embrace is something that is not to be tempted or tried. Together, you make the most of life as you care for each other and the time-honored pledge you made long before you met. You become the soul Zeus separated when he feared the power of conjoined souls personified. As you evaluate your relationships, ask yourself whether you honor the people in your life. Do you find your relationships afford less competition and more quality of life? More importantly, have you sought out the person who mirrors everything about you, the one person who already knows your deepest secrets and is okay with them, or are you with someone who refuses to see their own trash without being willing to take it out each day? The meeting of Twin Flames is intense, emotional, and passionate. When you join with your mirror image, embrace it with all your heart. Realize this union was foretold long ago and that together both of you are home. You are complete. Hollywood offers examples of Twin Flame relationships, like Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, Johnny and June Carter Cash, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier, Yoko Ono and John Lennon. These couples expressed a great love for each other and shared the depths of their ideas for human kindness with the world. Twin Flame love is a gift from God. When you find it, it is the greatest gift available to two hearts that now beat as one. RELATED: Why Having A Twin Flame Leads To A More Fulfilling Relationship (And 5 Ways To Find Yours) Susan Dykes is a spiritual coach who embraces all the love a heart can endure. She teaches the processes of finding the love of your life, the very heart of your soul.

What It Means To Have A Twin Flame   7 Signs You ve Met Yours   Susan Dykes - 87What It Means To Have A Twin Flame   7 Signs You ve Met Yours   Susan Dykes - 61