Limerence, Attachment and the Other We Create : Episode 19

🎧 Episode 19: Limerence, Attachment, and the Other We CreateWhat happens when longing becomes more real than the person it is attached to?In this episode of Mind the Body, I explore the psychology of limerence - the intense, consuming experience of longing for another person who often remains emotionally unavailable, uncertain, or just out of reach. Drawing on attachment theory, psychoanalytic thinking, and Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott, I examine why limerence can feel so powerful, why it is rarely about the other person alone.Together, we explore how early attachment experiences shape our expectations of love, how the mind constructs an internal version of the other, and why healing requires more than understanding. Beneath limerence lies something deeper: grief, longing, and the possibility of creating a new experience of connection.In This Episode:What limerence is and why it can feel so consumingHow attachment patterns shape romantic longingThe internal world we create around the people we desireWhy insight alone cannot resolve limerenceThe relationship between longing, grief, and healingWhat it means to turn from fantasy toward realityA Question to Sit With:What might my longing be trying to tell me about the kind of love, care, or recognition I needed long before this person appeared?References:Chefetz, R., Soffer-Dudek, N., & Somer, E. (2023). When Daydreaming Becomes Maladaptive: Phenomenological and Psychoanalytic Perspectives. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 37, 319–338.Sperling, M. B. (1988). Phenomenology and Developmental Origins of Desperate Love. Psychoanalysis and Contemporary Thought, 11(4), 741–761.Tennov, D. (1979). Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love. Stein and Day.Verhulst, J. (1984). Limerence: Notes on the Nature and Function of Passionate Love. Psychoanalysis and Contemporary Thought, 7(1), 115–138.Winnicott, D. W. (1974). Fear of Breakdown. International Review of Psycho-Analysis, 1, 103–107.Take a breath, stay curious, and explore what it truly means to Mind The Body.Join the CommunitySubscribe or follow the show so you never miss an episode.Share this episode with a friend who’s exploring body image healing, the mind–body connection, emotional healing, and the patterns that shape how we see ourselves.Connect or learn more: www.yvettevuaran.com Sign up for my Mind The Body NewsletterFollow @mindthebodypodcast @yvettevuaran