Can you control love?

[Anala]

Perhaps my perspective is a bit different. There are all kinds of love.

There have been people that I have met and we recognize the light of each other. It is a sudden recognition on a soul level. No actions or words need to be spoken. I feel it is not something to hold on to, only recognized. Sparks of recognition of a member of a soul family.

Some of the most profound loves are those of empathy and compassion for humanity. To be able to see the beauty of another human being on a spiritual level.

There is also the one we choose to spend a lifetime with; each bringing many levels of knowledge and lessons. Each bring their foibles, wounds, abilities; helping the other along to move forward. One can not force the other to learn or to teach. There is holding space and witnessing. It is a dance of mutual respect.

In terms of infatuation, there is so much energy it can become intoxicating and addictive. Sometimes it simply that, not necessarily meant to last.

I enjoy reading all of the words that wax poetic. :)

[Miss Hepburn]

Ah, no. I am love's slave.

[Heart]

Each type of loving energy is a stepping stone to something even greater, as we understand and experience the physical we are also stepping into the energy behind that relationship risking to be exposed to the impossible it just takes a simple internal enquiry to experience a connection with another beyond our reach

what is the next stepping stone after we know and experience these connections?
For I it is reflection, come full circle, accepting that what I went through was needed, its certainly something I will never forget I do however understand what others go through so am there for them when they need advice

[Starman]

What we call “love” is not always love; sometimes it is infatuation, or something other then love. Possessing a person is not love. Human love often comes with conditions and those conditions are sometimes controlling or a way to manipulate the relationship.

So it depends whether we are talking about conditional love or unconditional love. There are all kinds of adult relationships; a codependent relationship, a counter dependant relationship, an apathetic relationship, etc., and people often stay in these dysfunctional type of relationships not for love but because of their own inadequacies.

We give to each other the work or lack of work that we have done on ourselves; if my character is coarse I will give that coarseness to you and call it love. Everyone does not love in the same way. Love in its pure formlessness is unconditional but human relationships, at least most, are very conditional.

[Miss Hepburn]

Control it?
No. I'd say it's the elusive butterfly.

[DesertRose]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I'd say it's the elusive butterfly.

Well said, Miss.. :)

[lamb1]

Interesting. I'm in this topic still, crying im my room and trying to meditate and understand a little of all this. Can you Control love? I was trying to kill the feeling, to shut up the feeling and dismiss it, have it worked? No, but it only made things harder, I would rather make myself silly and stupid than try to erase something that is pure and trusting im the very essence of itself. Want to go back home and find my joy and happiness and share it with the world.

[dream jo]

I know you can't force people to love you because I had it done to me this man kept threatening me with emotional blackmail because I would not go out of them or love him because his person was a nasty place of a plus at the time I was in the early 20s it was his left fifties almost 60s but all he did was and emotional blackmail me and scare me because I knew if it gone through that threat I will be in prison and I don't that's fair pretty tall and you can't force Earth to love you
I know one day love will come my way and it's much it is much how can I put I went early for it rated for that and for it to happen and it will happen one day when I list expect

[RedEmbers]

I'm going to try and answer this question just to see what I can learn about myself here; hehe.

Divine inspiration; when it comes to me going with the flow of inspiration or love, to me is feels like pure energy and something which I do not really control, although I choose where to channel or put my focus with love.
So yes, I am both inspired by love and I also do seem to have some control over where I focus my love.
I say this because any devotion to my hobbies or my loved ones, is an act of love and dedication which I choose to focus on with love.
Even when I have "fallen in love" with a person who has not returned those feelings, it has been an act of love and practiced focus on letting go, which is also a loving action.

There is that saying "acts of love" which implies a fair degree of control.

It is neither "either or for me". It is both and it is probably also everything.

[SaraTherase]

I think love is a choice, when it come to loving someone else or vice versa.

We can accept and embrace or reject and resist it.

I feel though at our very core and essence we are love and I feel it depends on the kind of love whether it can be controlled or not. Perhaps romantic and platonic love can be moderated but true love not so much.