Those of us who are struggling with questions of love and commitment today are pioneers in a territory that has never before been consciously explored. It is important to realize just how new this situation is, so we do not blame ourselves for the difficulties we face in our relationships. In former times, if people wanted to explore the deeper mysteries of life, they would often enter a monastery or hermitage far away from conventional family ties. For many of us today, however, intimate relationship has become the new wilderness that brings us face to face with all our gods and demons. It is calling on us to free ourselves from old habits and blind spots, and to develop the full range of our powers, sensitivities, and depths as human beings — right in the middle of everyday life.
— John Welwood, Toward a Psychology of Awakening