I’ve pretty much always believed that everything happens for a reason. Growing up in the Christian church was largely why I subscribed to this belief in my younger years, but even as I came into adulthood and parted ways with religion, the concept of a higher power stuck. Now, I’m more of the opinion that the universe writ large has its own way of making things happen. Call it fate or destiny, but I’m a fan of the saying, “Things happen for you, not to you.” This is the idea behind the invisible string theory, the concept that we’re all connected to fated people and moments via some power puling us together, like coincidences that seem just a little too cosmic.

If invisible string theory is to be believed, what (and who) is for you may very well be connected to you and stay connected to you, at least spiritually. If you’re a Swiftie, you probably recognize the idea of an “invisible string” from Taylor Swift’s song of the same name. And the broader concept—currently having a moment on TikTok—revolves around the same idea as in Swift’s lyrics: People and things may weave in and out of our lives, but those that are meant to be with us will actually always remain connected to us, via an invisible string.

The invisible string stories on TikTok run the gamut: Some people claim to have experienced “full circle” moments where they’ve come into possession of a childhood memento as an adult, or wound up marrying someone they’d met by chance years earlier… begging the question of whether that meeting was a chance encounter at all. Others claim to have received signs that loved ones who’ve passed were still connected to them and watching over. But the majority of the latest videos center around dating stories, with people sharing how they wound up with someone they had a strange, random, or funny connection to earlier in their life.

“I believe the concepts of fate and destiny and finding synchronicities have been appealing to many of us forever.” —Kate Van Horn, psychic and tarot reader

If you’re anything like me, these stories will tug at your heartstrings (pun intended)—but is there any truth to the invisible string theory? Spiritual experts say there certainly can be. “While the viral ‘invisible string theory’ isn’t backed by science, it has ties to the metaphysical and is a trend that psychics, like myself, can get behind and support,” says psychic and tarot reader Kate Van Horn, author of The Inner Tarot. “I believe the concepts of fate and destiny and finding synchronicities have been appealing to many of us forever.”

What is the invisible string theory?

The word “theory” usually indicates an idea stemming from some scholarly discipline. But in the case of the invisible string theory, it’s not so cut-and-dry. The universe works in mysterious ways, and sometimes those ways don’t have such a logical explanation.

“The invisible string theory is the idea that the universe itself is stitched together with unseen threads, all of which lead us to our destinies,” explains aura reader and psychic medium Megan Firester, who goes by Mystic Michaela. “It has its roots in string theory, in which particles are replaced with vibrating strings, but it’s gained popularity recently thanks to Taylor Swift.”

To be sure, though, string theory is primarily a theoretical framework that some physicists think could maybe explain things like, ya know, the fundamental forces of nature (quantum gravity, anyone?), whereas, invisible string theory is a metaphorical concept to explain how some people and things just seem to keep finding their way back to one another.

Invisible strings seem to be especially powerful in our relationships to other people. Have you ever had a friend or partner who wasn’t in your life for a time, but then came back into it at seemingly just the right time? Or maybe you know of someone who crossed paths with their would-be partner in multiple different settings before eventually marrying them? Van Horn says these are all-too common scenarios where an invisible string might seem to be at play.

“Invisible connections, energetic ties, and unseen spiritual bonds can link us together,” says Van Horn. “It’s a concept that believes that despite physical distance, there are subtle links between souls that are interconnected—as if they’ve been orbiting close to one another in a different dimension before eventually meeting [in this world] in divine timing.”

How can an invisible string show up in our lives?

TikTok creators have found invisible strings in their lives in all kinds of ways—all of them seemingly too unlikely to be sheer coincidence. One user shares about having lived through a break-in at her house as a child only to then meet the woman who answered her 9-1-1 call that night when she later interned at the local police precinct years later. In another video, a man’s wife was thrifting and found her husband’s childhood denim jacket 24 years later.

Despite these being pretty extreme invisible string examples, Van Horn shares that this kind of connectivity can be found in plenty of aspects of our lives. “[Invisible strings] can extend to any situation where something or someone is meant to be a part of our soul contracts and stories—including friendships, job opportunities, cities we’re meant to live in, and experiences we’re meant to have because they’ll leave an impression on us, and impact our growth and evolution,” she says.

The more open you are to accepting these little gifts and signs from the universe, the more likely you are to notice them throughout your life. In other words, believing is seeing.

“Realizing the connections that have always been in place for us to meet important people, places, and opportunities of the future is one way the invisible string theory shows itself to us.” —Megan Firester, psychic medium

“Realizing the connections that have always been in place for us to meet important people, places, and opportunities of the future is one way we can see the invisible string theory show itself to us,” says Firester. “Noticing your future husband in the background of a photo you took years before you met him, realizing your uncle was your wife’s teacher in middle school, or having the epiphany that you have been going to the same grocery store for years as your new boyfriend are all ways this theory can be seen in our lives.”

How can the invisible string theory benefit us?

In the same way that actively romanticizing your life might lead you to see more of the gems in your everyday experience, choosing to believe in the invisible string theory might just open your eyes to the serendipitous encounters you may already be having. The more you’re looking for signs that what’s meant for you is connected to you, the more likely you’ll be to notice how the universe is guiding you toward certain people, places, things, or situations.

And that can certainly include a romantic partner. “Dating can be stressful when you feel like you have to do something or be something in order to get your happy ending,” says Firester. “This theory assists with letting go, and letting the universe do what it does best.” After all, if you believe that you’re already connected to the person whom you’re meant to love, you don’t need to worry about finding them—the string will take care of that part. In this way, “invisible string theory can help you relax your mind and go with the flow of the universe,” she says.

Understanding and trusting that the universe has your back can even help you enter into new situations or relationships with confidence, Van Horn says. “Believing in this theory is actually quite empowering,” she says. “Rather than constantly fearing we’ll miss the chance to meet our perfect partner, there’s something to be said for believing that the right person isn’t always as far as we think and living life authentically, knowing they will be a vibrational match to that.”

And you certainly don’t have to be a crystal-wearing, tarot-pulling kind of person to hold that belief. (Although, I am 100-percent that person, and I will say, it’s great!) Just releasing any need to control the future or any fears of what it may bring, and trusting that the universe will work its magic is really all it takes.

Try meditating with your ideal partner in mind before you grab drinks with your next potential suitor, or write down a list of things in your life that bring you joy while you’re sipping your morning coffee. All that good energy is bound to come back around to you… and who knows? You might just feel the tug of that invisible string.