The Three Stages of Love: Separate, Connected, United

Building loving relationships, especially romantic relationships, is a progressive process analogous to the three stages of human development (Mind, Heart, and Spirit). Relationships pull us from our own view of how the world works and enable, maybe even necessitate, a shift in our perspective to accommodate the perspective of our partner. This process usually is painful and the mind resists it, but the process catalyzes growth for both participants in the relationship and eventually leads to intimacy. As Puran Bair discusses in this presentation from March of 2016, relationships are central to becoming fully human.