I began to understand that suffering and disappointments and melancholy are there not to vex us or cheapen us or deprive us of our dignity but to mature and transfigure us. ~ Hermann Hesse (Peter Camenzind)
The sensitive, the complex, the internally restless … If there was one type of person in life that could embody all of these three elements, it would be the Mature Souls of the world.
Mature Souls are the diplomats of this planet, the introspective self-explorers, the existential idealists, the angsty artists and the humanitarian environmentalists. If you can identify with any of these groups of people, you are most likely a Mature Soul.
The Difference Between Old and Mature Souls
While Mature Souls feel an innate sense of disconnection from the elementary, infantile and materialistic views held by other Soul Ages, they feel less at peace than Old Souls do due to their inner turmoil. This may be because Mature Souls are still in the process of transition from the external world to the internal world, the material world to the spiritual world, and the physical world to the psychological world.
As a result, Mature Souls feel a lot of confusion, displacement and uneasiness in their lives, seeking to reconcile their deeper inner dreams, beliefs, and values with their personal, interpersonal and global perceptions of the world.
Just as each Soul Age, or level of conscious evolution, transitions into the next, so too can the Mature Soul share a variety of characteristics with both Young Soul attitudes, as well as Old Soul mentalities.
11 Signs You’re a Mature Soul
Living life as a Mature Soul can certainly be challenging and isolating, but there are many of us out there who share the same journey. So if you think you may be a Mature Soul, read the signs below!
1. You ask deep questions about life
“Why am I here?”, “What happens after death?”, “Am I being authentic to my life purpose?”, “How can I truly find my life calling?” Such are the types of questions asked by Mature Souls in an attempt to understand the truth of their lives, and existence as a whole. Many Mature Souls spend large amounts of their lives pursuing the answers to such complex questions.
2. You crave self-expression
To live an authentic life, self-expression is not only important, but vital for Mature Souls. Whether through artistic, humanitarian, philosophical, environmental, spiritual or other types of pursuits, Mature Souls must express their deeper, inner passions and callings. Otherwise, without this freedom, Mature Souls feel empty, depressed or caged in.
3. You tend to be a pacifist
Due to their sensitive natures, Mature Souls rarely support violence, warfare or hostility of any kind, whether inter-personally or inter-racially. For this reason, they rarely get involved in career paths that involve conflict (e.g. law, politics, navy, army, air force, etc.)
4. You are highly compassionate
Mature Souls are often deeply caring people who are disturbed by the pain and suffering of others. “Your misfortune is my misfortune” is usually an unspoken feeling many Mature Souls carry, and often this leads to the development of Empathic abilities throughout their lifetimes. The ability to feel and experience what other living beings do often adds to their internal conflict.
5. You tend to be moody
Still identifying closely with their thoughts and feelings, Mature Souls tend to be moody and changeable due to their inability to detach themselves from their ever-changing emotional landscapes. Mature Souls are still in the process of learning awareness of what is, acceptance of what was, and non-identification with their transient emotions.
6. You pursue knowledge for its own sake
It’s uncommon for Mature Souls to gain high qualifications, diplomas and other certifications merely for monetary or social status incentives. Rather, Mature Souls love to educate themselves to improve, extend and deepen their understanding of other people, the universe and most essentially, themselves. As existential confusion and a sense of “not feeling at ease” constantly plagues the Mature Soul, seeking out knowledge is one of the most favored ways this Soul Age soothes their inner discomfort. Many Mature Souls are avid readers or autodidacts for this reason.
7. You always feel as though you are “searching for something”
This elusive and pervasive feeling drives a lot of the Mature Soul’s pursuits in life. “Who am I really?”, “What will make me happy and whole?”, “How can I feel fulfilled?” In essence, the Mature Soul feels a constant sense of discontentment and restlessness in their lives. Most are trying to find what, if anything, will make them happy, whole and filled with that mythical sense of inner peace many proclaim to have attained.
8. You are open-minded
Rarely ever dogmatic or straight-laced, Mature Souls are the free spirits and free thinkers of the world who will often explore many different paths in life in an attempt to find themselves and understand the universe. Many Mature Souls drift for large periods of their lives back and forth between various lifestyles, spiritual traditions and social movements. Very little is off-limits to them.
9. You are prone to excessive psychological stress
Mature Souls are highly complex people, still learning the best ways to juggle and reconcile the inner and outer worlds, the mundane with the sacred and the meaningless with the meaningful. Their highly sensitive natures, for this reason, are prone to mental, emotional and sensory overload which can result in a variety of psychological stresses and illnesses (e.g. chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, etc.) Unfortunately, this can also lead to drug and alcohol problems for those who don’t learn the appropriate coping mechanisms, as ways to mask their unresolved pain. However, for those who have learned ways to deal with psychological stress, these Mature Souls often enter the counseling and psychology fields with great success.
10. You value meaningful relationships
A warm and supportive family, a loyal and tender friend, an attentive and gentle lover – such is what Mature Souls highly value in life: someone to deeply connect with. This is also what tends to create a lot of strife in the Mature Soul’s life if they are unable to find or establish such harmonious bonds. Nevertheless, the Mature Soul cares greatly about others, and so craves for others to treat them in the same manner.
11. You are an intense person
Whether mentally or emotionally (or both), Mature Souls are rarely ever the phlegmatic, frigid or apathetic people of life. Rather, their inner angst often fuels their social interactions and personal pursuits. Thus, the Mature Soul may come across as being overly earnest, passionate or even forcible in their daily lives. Their intensity makes them excellent activists, artists, and writers.
***
Although complex and moody, Mature Souls like Old Souls often feel older than their age reflects, seeking for meaning, purpose and wholeness in life.
Are you a Mature Soul? I’d love to hear your feelings, thoughts and experiences below.
You might also like to take our Mature Soul test!
I am a mature soul, I cry a lot for the world. I feel my pain and everyone else’s pain. I’m tired, this world is so cold. I wish I was rich so I could rescue all the animals of the world and set them free and love/care for the ones who were forced to be domestic. I would feed the starving children of the world. I would clean up Mother Earth because she is sick. And I would move far away from this AI loving Sociaty. I always wonder and spend hours researching why I’m here and what I am here to do. I suffer from anxiety.I study astrology a lot and I have always believed an eye for an eye is the way it should be
Whatever you mentioned in the description of mature soul, almost each and everything is resonate with me.
Thanks for that, now I can connect the dots, why those things happening in my life which I always wanted to know the reasons. Thanks
I totally agree with the content of this article. And i faced all the 11 signs.
This is me and if I have past lives, I want to know them.
Please kindly contact me personally.
I feel there is plenty we can talk about.
I am writing books guided by the subject at hand
I wish to be able to discuss my views, similar to those in Old Souls,
with someone
Thank you for this article. I have always felt older than my friends. I never wrote an exam just for the sake of the degree. I am a medical graduate. I became a doctor bcz of the meaningfullness of the job. At a point in my life i tried so hard to force myself to attain higher degree just like my colleagues for higher status but it never wrked for me. I was very confused and sad at myself bcz it felt so meaningless. I am very satisfied with the little pleasures in my life. I wish to be a warm, cozy, comfy person whom people can approach whenever they are sad.this post gave answers to lot of my worries. Its alright to give love and care high value. Its how my soul is. Its how i am. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this article! It’s been the most helpful information I have come across in a long time. It explains the inner turmoil and constant seeking… OMG
I am so grateful!!! xx