Alexander Lowen defines pleasure as “the feeling of harmony between an organism and its environment.” This may not be the usual understanding of the word, but it makes the distinction between behavior that is nourishing and behavior that is addictive.
So what does it mean to live in real pleasure in a world that is going crazy and in a world where suffering is so pervasive? Do I even have a right to live in pleasure when so many people live in war, poverty, hunger, and disease? It doesn’t seem intuitive, but it could be that the world needs my pleasure to balance the darkness. Perhaps I have been privileged to bring joy, love, and celebration into a world hungry for those energies.
Does my suffering take away the suffering of another person? I doubt it. Perhaps my pleasure (and I am talking deep pleasure here, not empty pleasure-seeking) could be a love gift that brings light to a dark and hungry world? Could there be something about entrainment, the falling in with an external vibration? Could it be that if enough people genuinely experienced pleasure and love, the vibration of the whole planet would rise?
Years ago, I made up a mantra — “It is a political and moral obligation to live in pleasure.’ I believe that people privileged enough to experience true pleasure will want to act ethically and in a way that radiates contentment around them. Living in pleasure, we would not want to create conflict with people. We wouldn’t want to detract from nature’s beauty around us or disrespect our resources. We wouldn’t want to undermine a child’s joy or development. Perhaps when we radiate our pleasure, it will become contagious, and more people will be compelled to join in.
It doesn’t take money to experience pleasure, but it requires self-love. The most extraordinary pleasure will not be received if one does not feel deserving. The world is abundant with delights, but we miss them often because we are focused on past or future sins, wounds, or losses.
While grieving the loss of my beloved Chris, I felt a dull bass note at the bottom of my being. Even when I experienced joy, it did not penetrate my depths. I may have been surrounded by blessings, but I didn’t notice.
One day I noticed that something was different. The dark had dissolved into a lighter vibration, and suddenly bits of happiness, pleasure, and the remembrance that I was loved no matter what crept in.
There will always be suffering in this complex world of ours. We don’t seem to have a lot of choice about that. It is possible, however, that we can choose pleasure, even in our darkest hours. The smallest peek can remind us that we are always held in love.