13 Telltale Signs You're in a Karmic Relationship

• Karmic partners are two souls drawn together to resolve karma from a previous life. Since they're only meant to heal each other’s wounds, their relationship is temporary.
• At the beginning of a karmic relationship, you feel an instant and intense connection to your partner.
• As a karmic relationship progresses, it often becomes toxic—you may feel unsafe, disrespected, or emotionally drained around your partner.
• Once you’re able to recognize the unhealthy patterns in your relationship, it's time to break the karmic cycle and leave your partner.

Stages of a Karmic Relationship

You have a gut feeling that you’re about to meet someone important. At the beginning of a karmic relationship, you usually experience an indescribable feeling that your life is about to change. Since you’re approaching a powerful connection, you might have specific dreams about your partner or feel like you’re bound to meet them. To tune into your intuition, get in touch with yourself and journal your dreams—the Universe might drop clues about how or when you meet your partner if there are any recurring symbols or scenes. If you can’t tell the difference between fear and intuition, reflect on how your emotions. While fear makes you feel anxious or overwhelmed, intuition is often described as calming.

You meet your karmic partner by chance or coincidence. In karmic relationships, you’re likely to run into your partner in a random or unusual way—maybe you bump into them when you take another route to work, or you lock eyes with them in the middle of a crowd. No matter where or how you meet, you feel like your encounter must be fate. Since you’ve met your partner in a previous life, you may experience feelings of déjà vu when you see them again. When you meet for the first time, you might feel a strong desire to help your karmic partner because your soul recognizes this is the beginning of a healing journey.

You develop intense, passionate feelings toward your partner. One of the main aspects of a karmic relationship is the extreme level of romance you experience in the early stages. Many people describe this relationship as an otherworldly connection, where both partners become attached to each other quickly. During this stage, you might feel like things are too good to be true or you’re experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.

You start to have problems with your partner. In the fourth stage of your karmic relationship, things change rapidly: you might argue more frequently, or you may notice your partner always puts their needs first. Unlike the early stages of your relationship, you feel angry or resentful towards them because they’re being selfish. During an argument, try to calm yourself down. Even if your partner is acting irrationally, give yourself a moment to breathe and walk away from the situation for 10 minutes if you need to regroup.

You notice your partner repeats their negative behavior. Does every fight end the same? Or, is your partner unwilling to change their ways? If so, you’ve reached the peak of your karmic relationship. During this stage, the karmic cycle is trying to get your attention so you can reflect on your relationship and break the pattern. Remember that you can’t “fix” others, especially if they’re not willing to change or compromise.

You begin to question your relationship. After all the ups and downs of your relationship, you’re able to step back and recognize your partner's behavior is toxic. Since you’re emotionally drained (and your partner is unlikely to change), you wonder whether your relationship is even worth it. To determine whether you’re being mistreated, reflect on how you feel around your partner. If you’re always exhausted or upset after you speak to them, interpret it as a sign that you’re in an unhealthy relationship.

You decide to take action to end your relationship. While leaving your partner is scary, you know deep in your heart that you’re not in a healthy relationship. By breaking free of your partner, you now understand why your relationship was never meant to last—a karmic relationship is supposed to help you resolve your karma from a previous life (and it isn’t rooted in pure love). When ending your relationship, practice what you want to say before confronting your partner. You might want to rehearse with a trusted friend or family member so you don’t freeze up in the middle of your breakup.

Karmic Relationship Signs

You have an instant connection with your partner. When you meet your karmic partner for the first time, it feels like you’ve known them your entire life. Unlike other relationships, you’re immediately at ease, and you want to share things that you’ve never opened up about.

You’re addicted to your partner. Since two souls are colliding together, there’s an explosive energy that ignites the second you lock eyes with your partner. The emotional, physical, and sexual chemistry you have with them is on another level, and you want to be around them all the time because you can’t get enough.

You sense red flags when you meet your partner. Despite your magnetic connection, you might feel like something’s off the moment you meet your partner. While you can’t pinpoint what’s wrong in the beginning stages of your relationship, it could be your intuition warning you of the turbulent journey you’re about to experience.

Your relationship is extremely passionate in the beginning. Since a karmic relationship isn’t rooted in love, the only thing drawing two souls together is intense, passionate energy. While this feels exciting in the early stages of your relationship, it fizzles out as soon as you resolve your karma (and you may become bored with your partner prior to breaking up).

You become codependent. As your relationship progresses, you might lose yourself in the process because you’re deeply attached to your partner. If you feel like you can’t live without them, you could start to project your self-worth onto your partner and sacrifice your needs to ensure they’re happy.

Your relationship is filled with drama. Since the purpose of a karmic relationship is to clear old wounds, the energy of two souls coming together is dramatic and chaotic. You might break up and make up with your partner more times than you can count, experiencing an entire lifetime’s worth of emotions in a short period.

You don’t feel safe around your partner. With all the drama and conflict in your relationship, you may not trust your partner entirely. If you’re scared they’re going to abandon you (or you fear that the relationship will end in flames), interpret your feelings as a sign that you’re in an unhealthy karmic relationship.

You have communication issues with your partner. If you can’t trust your partner, you might be unable to communicate your needs and desires, leading to more issues in your relationship. This could be your karmic cycle telling you to learn from this experience and work on communicating effectively (so you can apply this in future relationships).

Your partner doesn’t respect your boundaries. In the middle of a karmic relationship, your partner may stop listening to you altogether. Since they don’t care about your opinions or feelings, they might begin to cut you off in conversation or walk out in the middle of a disagreement. This unhealthy behavior becomes their new normal, feeding into the karmic cycle of negative patterns.

Your partner is controlling. In a karmic connection, your partner may have the upper hand, allowing them to easily manipulate you. Since your partner is making all the decisions, it can increase codependency in your relationship, and you may begin to feel guilty about yourself.

You experience intense mood swings. A karmic relationship is an emotional rollercoaster, marked by incredible highs and lows. Since things are never consistent, you may feel like you’re going crazy in your relationship—one moment you’re happy, the next moment you’re irritated, worried, or sad.

You feel completely drained. Due to the drama and heaviness of your relationship, you may become physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted with your partner. This might feel like you’re carrying the weight of the relationship, especially if you aren’t taking the time to take care of yourself and prioritize your own needs.

Your partner brings out the worst in you. Unlike other soul connections, a karmic partner only mirrors your bad qualities, and you may become more negative, hurtful, or toxic over the course of your relationship. If you realize you’re turning into someone you don’t want to be, interpret it as a sign to walk away from your relationship.

You struggle to let go of your partner. If you don’t realize you’re in a karmic relationship, you may find it difficult to leave your partner (because of the intense energy keeping you together). But as soon as you clear your karma, you’re able to grow from your relationship and move on. Reader Poll: We asked 285 wikiHow readers who've ended karmic relationships, and 52% of them agreed that they felt sad because they still loved their partner despite the challenges. [Take Poll] It may take a while to heal and move on, and that’s normal.

Karmic vs Soulmate vs Twin Flame Relationship

Karmic relationship Karmic partners are two souls that agree to help each other clear old karma from a past life. Since both partners enter this soul contract to heal deep wounds, a karmic relationship is turbulent and short-lived—it teaches you how to maintain healthy behavior in future relationships. Unlike a soulmate or twin flame relationship, a karmic relationship is powered by the lower 3 chakras, including the sexual chakra. This means karmic relationships aren't fueled by pure love (which explains why they’re so magnetizing and passionate). A karmic relationship doesn’t have to be romantic—you can have one with a colleague, friend, sibling, or parent.

Soulmate relationship Soulmates share a deep, emotional connection that can be romantic or platonic. They’re two souls that are divinely meant for each other, helping each other evolve from selfish to giving. Unlike twin flames, soulmates are two separate souls with shared energies. Unlike karmic partners, soulmates feel a sense of comfort and calm when they meet each other—there isn’t an intense energy drawing them together. Similar to karmic partners, soulmates come in all shapes and forms. They can be a friend, family member, or romantic partner.

Twin flame relationship Twin flames refer to two individuals who share an intense soul connection–they’re two halves of the same soul (also known as mirror souls). The purpose of a twin flame relationship is to awaken your soul and promote spiritual growth. Unlike soulmates and karmic partners, you can only have one twin flame, and they’re usually romantic partners. Similar to karmic partners, twin flames can turn toxic quickly because they’re mirror souls—they reflect your insecurities, fears, and shadows (to help you become a better person).