Ever met someone who sweeps you off your feet so thoroughly it feels like you’ve wandered into the final act of a rom-com?

If things then start to unravel in the most confusing, “Is it me or is it them?” way possible, congratulations: you may have encountered a narcissist play-acting as your soulmate.

It’s a whirlwind. It’s dizzying. It’s also completely manufactured.

Narcissists are Oscar-worthy when it comes to love bombing and forging connections so intense, you’ll need a metaphysical seatbelt. Their soulmate act is less about timeless love and more about you becoming their unwitting co-star.

Here’s how they do it, in 17 not-so-subtle moves.

1. Showering You with Fairy-Tale Flattery

Narcissists start things off with the kind of praise that would make Shakespeare blush. You’re “the most beautiful soul,” “the only one who really gets them,” or simply “the answer to every wish.”

Sounds poetic, but they’re basically reading from a script designed to make you feel like the only person in the universe.

2. Mirroring Everything You Do

Suddenly they love every band you adore, have the same obscure hobby, and even start ordering your usual coffee. Narcissists become chameleons, mirroring your taste, opinions, and quirks as if you were separated at birth.

It’s not empathy—it’s strategic mimicry.

3. Fast-Tracking Emotional Intimacy

Where most healthy relationships would pace themselves, narcissists hit the gas. Deep conversations about childhood traumas and life dreams arrive before dessert.

You’ll hear “I’ve never told anyone this before” so often you’ll start to wonder if you missed a memo.

4. Overwhelming Declarations of Destiny

The soulmate script gets heavy with fate talk. “I feel like we were meant to meet,” “I knew you were The One the moment I saw you,” or my personal favorite—“We must have met in a past life.”

If this soulmate routine seems to be running on fast-forward, trust that it’s not your imagination.

5. Crafting Inside Jokes and “Special” Rituals

Narcissists love creating the illusion of a connection that’s so unique, nobody else could possibly understand it. Private jokes, nicknames, and little rituals come thick and fast.

It’s all designed to make you feel you’re in an exclusive club of two.

6. Over-Sharing to Force Vulnerability

TMI is their middle name. They will unload their “deepest wounds” within days, subtly (or not so subtly) encouraging you to do the same.

Vulnerability feels good…until you realize you’ve handed over your emotional playbook to someone who might weaponize it.

7. Flooding You with Small Gifts and Gestures

From playlists curated “just for you” to spontaneous flowers and surprise dinners, narcissists are excellent at the grand gesture.

The catch? It’s more about dazzling you into compliance than genuine thoughtfulness.

8. Framing the Relationship as ‘Us Against the World’

Nothing says soulmate like a little healthy paranoia. Narcissists often frame your bond as something that must be protected from outside misunderstanding or jealousy.

Suddenly, anyone who questions your whirlwind romance is “jealous” or “trying to come between us.”

9. Echoing Your Hopes and Fears

Notice how your dreams for the future suddenly become their dreams too? And your fears? Oh, they totally “get it.” Narcissists echo your emotional wavelengths to foster a sense of rare understanding.

Spoiler: It’s all surface-level.

10. Playing the “Wounded Healer” Card

Narcissists have a knack for painting themselves as both deeply broken and uniquely capable of healing when they’re with you.

It’s a clever way to hook your empathy and turn the relationship into a “healing journey” that just so happens to revolve around them.

11. Creating Manufactured Memories

Was that picnic in the rain really so magical, or did it just come with a side of excessive Instagram documentation?

Narcissists engineer “perfect” moments and then replay them to reinforce the soulmate narrative—even when reality didn’t quite match the script.

12. Using Sex as Proof of Cosmic Connection

Physical intimacy with a narcissist can feel intense, theatrical… and suspiciously like a hallmark of your “rare” union.

They’ll hype up your chemistry as something supernatural, when in fact it’s just another manipulative high note in their performance.

13. Isolating You in Subtle Ways

Suddenly you’re spending all your free time together, and your friends and family are seeing a lot less of you.

Narcissists often create soulmate bonds by isolating their partner, making the relationship the center of the universe—and everything else an afterthought.

14. Acting Jealous for “Romantic” Reasons

That twinge of possessiveness gets spun as proof of deep feeling. Narcissists will often act jealous, not because they’re insecure, but because it underlines the “meant to be” narrative.

If anyone else so much as glances at you, prepare for a dramatic monologue.

15. Love-Bombing Followed by Sudden Withdrawal

Once you’re hooked, the flattery and affection might dry up overnight. Narcissists often create intense highs, only to vanish or grow cold, leaving you questioning what you did wrong.

The goal? To make you chase the soulmate feeling, over and over.

16. Triangulating with Exes or Admirers

Comparison is a favorite pastime. “No one has ever understood me like you do,” they’ll say, while dropping hints about all the people who tried and failed.

Sometimes they even bring real or imaginary exes into the picture, just to make you work a little harder to prove you’re “the one.”

17. Making You Doubt Your Own Reality

When all else fails, the narcissist’s secret weapon is gaslighting. “Did I really say that?” “You’re imagining things.”

The goal is simple: to keep you off-balance, hyper-focused on the relationship, and convinced that this soulmate connection is your only safe harbor. (Spoiler: It’s not.)

Spotting the Script and Reclaiming Your Story

Nobody wants to find out their soulmate is actually auditioning for the lead in a psychological thriller. But seeing the patterns is the first step in stepping out of the drama.

Healthy love doesn’t roar in and demand center stage; it unfolds, quietly and honestly, over time.

If you’re feeling more like an extra than a partner, it’s time to step back, say “cut!” and rewrite your own script. The truest soulmate bond will never need special effects.