Soul Vs. Higher Self—Who’s In Charge?

What’s the difference is between your soul vs. higher self? Are they the same? Is one your boss and the other whispering conflicting advice at 2am?

Stick with me, because we’re going to break it all down in a way that’s simple, practical. This is a discussion about two powerhouse aspects of yourself.

The Big Picture—Who’s Who?

I’m going to talk about how these two powerhouse aspects of you can help you manuever through this crazy life on earth so you can learn the lessons you’ve chosen and have the experiences you desire.

Let’s start with an image. You’re on a road trip. You, behind the wheel, snacks in hand, music blasting—that’s your human self. Trying to make good choices, occasionally getting lost, sometimes stopping at a weird gas station that smells like burnt coffee and regret.

Your soul? That’s the car. It’s been through lifetimes, carrying your essence from one trip to the next. It remembers every twist, turn, triumph, and trauma. It holds your deepest desires, your wounds, your wisdom. It’s the part of you that grows.

Your higher self? That’s your internal GPS. Always connected to the satellite or Source. It sees the whole map, even when you can’t. It’s not here to scold you for wrong turns. It lovingly reroutes you, again and again, toward your highest path. Whether or not you listen is up to you.

The Soul’s Job: Experience, Growth, and Emotion

Your soul is on a long-term journey through time. It’s collecting experiences, evolving lifetime after lifetime like a cosmic PhD program. Some souls are young, learning the basics. Others are seasoned and wise, walking around with an inner depth you can’t quite explain.

Ever notice patterns in your life? Same struggles, same relationships, same type of job drama—just with different haircuts and names? Yep. That’s karma.

Think of karma as unfinished business. Lessons you didn’t fully master last time come knocking again. Not to punish you, but to give you another shot at choosing differently.

Try this Exercise:
Jot down patterns that keep showing up in your life. What’s the common thread? What might your soul be trying to work out through these experiences?

Soul Contracts & Retrieval

And then there are soul contracts. The pre-birth agreements you make to bump into certain people, face specific challenges, or dive into deep, life-changing love. I recently covered the idea of soul contracts in an episode which  you’ll find in the show notes.

Ever meet someone and feel like you’ve known them forever? Could be someone from your soul group, showing up again to play a different role in your growth.

Sometimes your soul even splinters a bit. Trauma can cause soul fragmentation, making you feel like something’s missing. Ever say, “I just don’t feel like myself”? That could be a soul piece gone off on it’s own.

The good news is you can call it back. This is the kind of thing addressed by shamanic healing in a soul retrieval session. The practitioner goes looking for those lost bits and brings them back to you.

There are other types of energy healing, as well as meditations, and even journaling which can help you reconnect and reclaim your parts to achieve wholeness.

One book I loved about the soul and life between life is Journey of Souls by Michael Newton.

The Higher Self: Your Cosmic North Star

Your higher self is an entirely different level of who you are. It’s not about your past lives because using the theory of time, it’s all happening at the same time. And this is not about your emotional baggage. The higher self is far above the petty details of every day life.

Your higher self sees the truth and your greatest potential. The timeline that leads you to the most growth, joy, and alignment—even if it’s not the easiest one.

This is where your soul is the student and your higher self is the teacher. Wise. Unshakable. Connected directly to Source.

Your higher self holds the blueprint for this lifetime including your purpose, your lessons, your gifts, and quietly drops breadcrumbs to help you stay on track.

Try this Exercise:
Take 5 quiet minutes to ask yourself: What would my higher self say about this situation? Then relax, breathe deeply and listen. Write down whatever comes. Don’t filter it or edit or doubt it. Just let it flow. The more you do this, the clearer this voice becomes.

How to Tell Who’s Talking

Here’s where things get exciting and juicy. When you’re facing a big decision, how do you know whether it’s your soul or your higher-self weighing in and giving advice?

The soul’s voice feels emotional. It’s rooted in your personal story, your longings, your wounds. It might say, “I’ve been here before. This hurts. Be careful.”

The higher self’s voice is calm, clear and direct. It doesn’t waver or explain. It might say, “You know what to do. Trust it.” That’s the difference between your soul vs. higher self.

Try this Exercise:
Think of something you’re struggling with right now. Take a moment to ask yourself, “What does my soul say about this?” Write that down.  Then ask, “What does my higher self say about this situation?  Write that down too.

Next, compare the answers. The shift in tone alone might surprise you. The information, point of view and advice is likely to be different.

The Soul’s Playground – Emotion, Creativity, Healing

If your soul had a love language, it would be emotion. That’s where it does its deepest learning. Healing emotional wounds through therapy, shadow work, or inner child healing is soul work. Every time you face a fear, rewrite a story, or feel something fully—that’s your soul leveling up.

When you use your creativity? That’s total soul expression. Have you even cried while writing a poem? Lost yourself while painting?

That’s you connecting with your soul. Feel something sacred move through you when you dance? Your soul is stretching or releasing blocked energy through movement.

Try this Exercise:
Do one creative thing today—without judgment. Just for you. See what stirs. See what you create.

Higher Self’s Playground: Intuition, Synchronicity, Stillness

Your higher self speaks through subtle signs. Butterflies in your gut. That song lyric that answers your question. That dream you can’t stop wondering what it means.

To hear the higher self, you’ve got to quiet the static and mind clutter. This is what meditation is for. But you can also walk in nature or journal. These activities help you tune into the higher frequency.

Here’s the amazing part. Your higher self often guides you to find what brings you joy. Yes, fun is sacred. Pleasure can be part of the experience and guidance. Another way to know the difference between your soul vs. higher self.

How Does This Help in Real Life?

Let’s say you’re stuck in a relationship pattern. Again. Your soul might say: You’re repeating an old lesson. Let’s figure out what the wound is here.

Your higher self might say: This dynamic doesn’t align with your highest path. Time to reconsider and decide if this relationship is for  your highest good.

Both have value. One offers healing. The other offers direction. You get to work with both aspects.

Practices to Connect

To work with your soul:

• Journal about emotional patterns and past experiences
• Do shadow work
• Dive into creative expression
• Explore past-life themes if you’re open to that

To connect with your higher self:

• Meditate
• Ask questions and free-write answers
• Practice surrender. Trust divine timing
• Follow what excites and expands you

Try one today. See how it shifts your energy.

Soul Vs. Higher Self – You Are the Bridge

Here’s the big takeaway between the soul vs. higher self. Your soul is the evolving storyteller of your existence.

On the other hand, your higher self is the steady lighthouse guiding you home.
And you, in this beautiful, messy, miraculous human form, are the bridge between them.

You get to tap into both. You get to feel and know. You get to heal and lead.

Tonight, before bed, try this:
Ask yourself, “What did my soul experience today? What did my higher self want me to see?”

Let the answers rise and come into your awareness. You might be surprised by the wisdom already within you. You’ve got the car and the GPS. The journey is all yours!

The post Soul Vs. Higher Self—Who’s In Charge? appeared first on Intuitive Edge.