Karmic relationships: Here is what you should know

In a world of human connections, some relationships seem to carry a unique weight, a sense of destiny or recurrence that transcends the ordinary. These are often referred to as karmic relationships, a concept deeply rooted in spiritual and philosophical traditions.

According to Forbes health website, the concept draws on the Indian philosophy of karma, the belief that one’s actions determine the trajectory of their future lives through spiritual rebirth.

While statistics on karmic relationships may not be readily available due to the personal nature of the concept, experts say these relationships are bound to happen.

“You just suddenly fall into them. They are soul contracts that were predestined,” says Sharifah Namusisi, a licensed marriage, cognitive behaviour and family therapist at Let’s Fix It, an individual and couple’s counselling organisation in Kampala.

Karmic relationships often exhibit distinct characteristics that set them apart. They are marked by an intense and immediate connection, a feeling of inevitability or destiny and a sense of unfinished business from past interactions.

Signs may include recurring themes or issues, a push-pull dynamic and a powerful emotional charge. If a relationship feels inexplicably intense and seems to trigger deep-seated emotions or patterns, it might be worth calling it karmic.

According to Namusisi, unlike love, they are painful and people in such relationships go through a lot of suffering.

“They are extremely turbulent and involve too many sufferings. This is because they are considered to be made of unresolved issues, conflicts from past life, unhealed parts, inner fears and childhood wounds for both partners,” Namusisi explains.

Signs

Namusisi explains that there is no checklist that can summarise every karmic relationship, but common signs you are in a karmic relationship include:

You are drawn in fast, you feel a magnetic pull towards that person, a deep connection right from the onset. There is also a feeling of an immediate and powerful instant connection to the other person.

You feel that you have known the person before. Sometimes you get a very good feeling about this, with some fear attached, depending on what the karma is.

There are unending patterns of ongoing conflict, “The relationship is tumultuous. For example, if drama is the foundation for your love affair, chances are you are in a karmic relationship, “Namusisi notes.

Things feel off early on, if you noticed a lot of red flags in the early stages of the relationship, sometimes those triggers are part of the very lesson the relationship is meant to teach you.  Whether that means learning how to heal your own toxic behaviours you are bringing into a relationship or how to avoid such unhealthy dynamics in the future.

The partners are unpleasant to be around.  For whatever reason, you find their presence to be heavy and begrudging. Yet despite the unpleasant feeling, you do not want to let go; even though you know you should. You keep experiencing intense attraction and repulsion for that person.

Emotional rollercoaster

You feel like you are on an “emotional rollercoaster” which leads to emotional burnout.

Things are never quite consistent and while you may have good, even wonderful days, where everything seems perfect, there is a part of you that knows it is only a matter of time before things go awry.

The relationship makes you exhausted. All the ups and downs, miscommunications, and codependence become energetically, mentally and emotionally exhausting.

You feel like you cannot let go, you may make excuses for your partner despite all of these things because your connection is so strong and you feel like you are meant to be.

Note

 You cannot sustain the relationship. These partnerships take more than they give. For that reason, staying in this type of relationship can be unwise.

“The worst-case scenario is that a karmic relationship can impact your mental health and well-being. Should you feel as though the relationship has become toxic and does not serve you, you will need to walk away,” Namusisi states.

One partner dominates the other, giving them no freedom to choose what they want to do. They do not last, because karmic relationships can often become unhealthy. The point is to learn from what is not working and to leave. Eventually, when you are ready and have learnt the lessons you are meant to learn, you will both move on.

 While there are many negatives to a karmic relationship, their purpose is to teach partners something new. They are here to serve as tutorials, to hopefully be better people and correct past hurts.

Instead of seeing the union as something filled with constant friction, you can aim higher to see the karmic relationship as an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery.

Karmic relationships can help by cultivating self-awareness, recognising patterns and lessons, practicing forgiveness and seeking to grow and evolve from the experience.

Who is likely to get involved in this relationship?

Individuals who are spiritually inclined or have a heightened sense of self-awareness may find themselves more attuned to the energies of karmic relationships. Additionally, those who have unresolved issues or patterns from past experiences may be drawn into these connections as a means of confronting and resolving lingering issues.

How should avoid them?

While it is challenging to entirely avoid karmic relationships, especially given their often-unforeseen nature, cultivating self-awareness is a powerful tool. Understanding one’s own patterns, unresolved issues and emotional triggers can provide insight into potential karmic entanglements. Seeking healthy relationships built on mutual respect and communication can also serve as a protective factor.

When in one

Navigating a karmic relationship requires a delicate balance of self-reflection and open communication.

With karmic relationships, there are often fluttery butterflies, all-consuming obsession and an almost compulsive quality to the connection as they bring out your greatest triggers; you can fight and experience repetitive conflict that may go without resolution until addressed.

Due to this emotionally addictive cycle, you may find it difficult to walk away from your partner but you can put measures to stop the relationship from devolving into toxicity.

 Setting boundaries is an important factor.