Spiritual Sex: Ecstatic Love Beyond the Physical

Sex therapist Linda E. Savage asks us to imagine living in a culture where sex is sacred and not a sin and sexuality is seen as a positive expression of the life force - the norm in many cultures pre-dating Greek and Roman times. In these cultures, she says, sexuality was widely understood as a pathway to spiritual ecstasy.

Eleven minutes: that's the estimated time most couples spend making love and sometimes its not even much fun. Between one quarter and one half of long term relationships are beset with low desire and it is common for spouses to find other sexual outlets. We are living in a time when all the marital roles and rules have changed and old solutions don't seem to be working.

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So imagine living in a culture where sex was sacred and not a sin and sexuality was seen as a positive expression of the life force. This perspective was the norm in many cultures pre-dating Greek and Roman times and these societies date back 30,000 years. Even as late as 3,500 years ago those who lived on the island of Crete recognized sexual pleasure as a wonderful way to connect with spirit, renew the abundance of the land, and unite deeply with one another. In this culture sexuality was widely understood as a pathway to spiritual ecstasy. Read more