The state of joyful absorption in the moment with an infant—forgetting the self in delight with the beloved—as a spiritual practice and relational skill.
Rabia's mystical states were described as intoxication (sukr)—a dissolution of self-consciousness in overwhelming love and presence. While infancy doesn't require mystical ecstasy, it does invite a similar quality: the absorption possible when an adult is fully present with a child, delighting in their existence without agenda. Intoxication with Presence describes those moments when a caregiver and infant lock eyes, when time seems to pause, when the adult's internal chatter quiets and only the child exists. These moments are not luxury; they are foundational to secure attachment and the child's sense of mattering. Rabia's tradition celebrates this absorbed presence as spiritually significant, not frivolous. In a productivity-obsessed culture, giving oneself permission to be 'intoxicated' with an infant—to waste time in play, to laugh at nothing, to simply be together—becomes countercultural spiritual resistance. This concept validates the parent's intuitive joy and reframes it as essential spiritual work.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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