According to Websters, platonic love is a pure, spiritual affection, subsisting between persons of opposite sex, unmixed with carnal desires, and regarding the mind only and its excellences.

According to Science reference, platonic love in its modern popular sense is an affectionate relationship into which the sexual element does not enter, especially in cases where one might easily assume otherwise. A simple example of platonic relationships is a deep, non-sexual friendship between two heterosexual people of the opposite sexes.

- At the same time, this interpretation is a misunderstanding of the nature of the Platonic ideal of love, which from its origin was that of a chaste but passionate love, based not on uninterest but virtuous restraint of sexual desire.-

According to Wikipedia, platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.

Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has as its topic the subject of love or Eros generally. It explains the possibilities of how the feeling of love began, and how it has evolved – both sexually and non-sexually. Of particular importance is the speech of Socrates, relating the ideas attributed to the prophetess Diotima, which present love as a means of ascent to contemplation of the divine. For Diotima, and for Plato generally, the most correct use of love of other human beings is to direct one's mind to love of divinity. In short, with genuine platonic love, the beautiful or lovely other person inspires the mind and the soul and directs one's attention to spiritual things.

The English term dates back as far as Sir William Davenant's Platonic Lovers (1636). It is derived from the concept in Plato's Symposium of the love of the idea of good which lies at the root of all virtue and truth. For a brief period, Platonic love was a fashionable subject at the English royal court, especially in the circle around Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I. Platonic love was the theme of some of the courtly masques performed in the Caroline era—though the fashion soon waned under pressures of social and political change.

Barbara Graziosi, professor of Classics at Durham University, described Platonic love as the "Christian apology" of Greek love.

How to Understand Platonic Love and Friendship

1) Understand what love itself is. Love is a deep emotion expressed through affection and creates and attachment or bond between people. Different types of love exist for different relationships. For example, a mother and daughter have familial love, partners have romantic love. The love between friends is platonic love.

2) Consider your thoughts about the person. Do you think of them romantically or erotically? Thoughts such as these suggest you might have a different love for this person. If your thoughts are innocent, then you most likely have a platonic love for them.

3) Do not mistake your love for something more. One of the most common confusions occur when people mistake their affection towards their friends as something deeper. Whether consciously or subconsciously, it is easy to mistake feelings of love.

4) Understand how strong platonic love can be. It is perfectly normal for people to experience intense feelings for those they care about without the love being of a romantic nature. Very similar to that of actual love, platonic love creates a powerful attachment between people.

5) Think about what your idea of friendship is. Do you consider acquaintances as friends or do you need to have a profound knowledge of the person before you classify them as a friend? In order to identify the type of love, you must first have a comparison to what your norm for platonic love is.

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by:: Jae sern