ABSTRACT
Feeling in love may not be sufficient for developing and maintaining an intimate love relationship, but it can, nevertheless, have significant value. The feeling described in Dr. Howard Halperns's article is longing, which can arouse a major opening in a hitherto closed soul or self - a spiritual awakening that may precede the ability to participate in a love relationship. Many are in relationships devoid of love, often for the purpose of avoiding aloneness and denying loneliness. Loneliness does not require that a person be alone, but if one is alone, it is possible to understand the feeling and to initiate change. The experience of longing, although it may be unrealistic, allows the self to acknowledge its loneliness. If a person is willing to explore the longing, he/she can begin to understand the depths of the soul. Therefore, the longing can provide direction for each individual to discover his or her own path of love and possibility of relationship.
