Dangerous Desire

True desire is mysterious.

Committing to a relationship with it requires the willingness to be led by something greater than our intellect and into unknown territory that is dimly lit.

Making this commitment is often a direct contradiction to our hardwired need to know how things are going to work out.

Our animal instincts register anything unpredictable as dangerous and engaging desire means working with the automatic knee-jerk response of wanting to have control.

Control and predictability are intimate bedfellows and while there is comfort in the predictable, there isn’t usually much excitement!

There are many pitfalls on the path of desire and one of them is trying to assume control by making our desires rigid.

As in OM, as in life, there are few things in existence that adhere to a linear route.

It may feel dangerous to open ourselves to what we genuinely want. This leads many of us into the realm of what is inappropriate, taboo, and secret.

What we experience as danger, however, has the power to move us beyond the realm of our known boundaries. Erotic surrender is the invitation that awaits us in the space between what we know and don’t know, and the arising combination of ambivalence, yearning, power and rule-break introduces us to the experience of passion.

It may feel dangerous to open ourselves to what we genuinely want. This leads many of us into the realm of what is inappropriate, taboo, and secret. What we experience as danger, however, has the power to move us beyond the realm of our known boundaries. Erotic surrender is the invitation that awaits us in the space between what we know and don’t know, and the arising combination of ambivalence, yearning, power and rule-breaking introduces us to the experience of passion.

Connecting simply to what brings us pleasure - what absorbs our attention, stimulates our curiosity and delights our senses - and integrating these things into our daily lives adds the kind of charm and excitement that can lights up even our darkest desires. What once appeared shadowy and dangerous can now draw us in, making it possible to find love, awareness and acceptance of all our desires.

(Reading from the Wednesday 15th July International iOM meeting)