There is a yearning that is as spiritual as it is sensual. Even when it degenerates into addiction, there is something salvageable from the original impulse that can only be described as sacred. Something in the person (dare we call it a soul?) wants to be free, and it seeks its freedom any way it can.... There is a drive for transcendence that is implicit in even the most sensual of desires. Mark Epstein
About This Quote

The quote above is from a French philosopher called Emmanuel Lévinas. He was referring to the yearning that urges us to transcend ourselves and get beyond what we know. We all have this yearning to be more than who we are. It’s a drive for meaning, a need for something greater than ourselves.

The person in the quote wants their soul to be free so they can explore and experience more of life. He isn’t saying it has a religious meaning, but the desire to go beyond our everyday existence and explore a higher plane is a desire that can only come from the soul. When people have addictions, they have lost sight of that yearning and have become trapped in their addiction.

Source: Open To Desire: Embracing A Lust For Life Insights From Buddhism And Psychotherapy

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