Our sexual drive, more than any other instinct, can be a bridge to the Fourth Instinct and to our future. By removing the dullness of habitual perceptions, by awakening the loving inside us, by transcending both the self-centeredness of the instinct for power and the self-preserving calculations of the instinct to survive. Through sex, we can stand naked -- physically and spiritually -- vulnerable to each other.
We hear it in the stanzas of popular love songs or in the sensual mysticism of Saint John of the Cross: the principle of union, of the binding that frees, and the love that liberates. Perhaps this is why the instinct for sex and the Fourth Instinct share so much common vocabulary.
Our desire for wholeness can drive us both into the arms of a lover and into the arms of God. "If I can say to somebody else, ‘I love you,'" wrote Erich Fromm, "I must be able to say, ‘I love in you everybody, I love through you the world, I love in you also myself.'" Love is the bond we share with each other and with God.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.