
In English, there is the wonderful expression “to fall in love”. Once again, a beautiful example of the hidden, inner truth of language: the letting go, the entrusting, the movement into a space of deep devotion.
In German, the term refers simply to sich verlieben, yet it is remarkably well suited to exploring, at a deeper level, the existential themes of devotion that lead us from personality – the conditioned I – to our true nature, the Self. In the Self, we are open, unshielded, profoundly trusting and safe – self-assured in the truest sense. Self-assurance as the result of experiencing love – self-love that has nothing to do with egoism.
This perspective marks the beginning of a profound and existential reflection on the essence of love – especially in contrast to the conditioned “love” often lived and experienced in a world shaped by imprinting, scarcity, and protective mechanisms.
“We arise in love.”
The idea that “Love does not arise in us; we arise in love” points to the insight that love is neither a personal achievement nor a psychological state. Love is a fundamental field of being from which we emerge in our fullness as human beings, precisely by entrusting ourselves to it. Love permeates everything; it flows into us – it is the origin, the space from which we return to our reality as whole beings and from which we are able to shape our relationships. It is a profoundly generous energy when we are willing to connect with it.
Imprinting as a Filter of Love
Early childhood experiences shape how we learn love and relationship. When love in our development was tied to conditions – for example, Mum loves you when you behave – we internalise an image of “love” bound to performance, fear, control, and adaptation. But this is not love.
The result?
- We later seek, often unconsciously, the familiar rather than the true.
- We mistake neediness, attachment, or emotional drama for love.
- We react instead of truly surrendering.
- We follow a conditioned “love” programme.
The outcome is a feeling that may resemble love, yet in truth it is the compensation of deep-seated, psychologically anchored experiences of lack, which manifest in bodily sensations. This means that we do not live as ourselves, but as a shaped and adapted version of ourselves – the I.
“To fall in love” – the falling as surrender
In this sense, “to fall in love” is not simply a romantic impulse, but a genuine movement towards the all-encompassing force of life:
- A remembering of what we truly are – connected with ourselves and with everything – safe and held.
- A stepping into what lies beyond fear and control, and therefore into a reality that is uniquely our own.
- An opening to what is unshielded, vulnerable, and authentic.
The Role of Trust
Those who have internalised, through early imprinting, the need to protect themselves find it difficult to let go and trust. The nervous system remains on constant alert (autonomic nervous system/sympathetic activation), anticipating the next perceived threat. Unconditional love is therefore experienced as dangerous, because it removes control. Yet it is precisely in this nakedness that the gateway to the true Self lies – the Self from which self-trust emerges.
The Path Back to Unconditional Love
The aim is not to “love more”, but to release everything that prevents us from falling into love, receiving it within us, and allowing it to unfold in our lives.
In this releasing, this falling, a space opens within us in which love is no longer something one gives or receives, but something one is.
The essence? Love does not fade – as is so often cited as a reason for separation in close relationships. One simply chooses to step out of that space. That would be the honest answer.
The Business of Tomorrow Arises from Love
What we illustrate on a personal level is equally the force that becomes available to organisations that recognise and embrace the essence of the enterprise as their highest guiding principle. Love reshapes the conditioned image of business, transforming relationships with employees, society, and the wider whole of existence. It addresses the root of many crises of our time – the crisis of disconnection.




