Engulfment Quotes

“Engulfment is a moment of hypnosis.”
― Roland Barthes, A Lover's Discourse: Fragments

“With intimacy comes the possibility of “engulfment” or being taken hostage by the demands of others. We may have distorted perceptions of the “demands” and obligations placed upon us by those who claim to love us. Trusting that love to be unconditional is almost impossible for us, and we are always scanning for the unstated “subtext” or hidden “agenda” connected to this love.”
― Mary Crocker Cook, Awakening Hope. A Developmental, Behavioral, Biological Approach to Codependency Treatment.

“What scares us ultimately may not be closeness itself but the feelings it evokes. For someone with a fear of engulfment, closeness may set in motion an old, familiar cycle in which closeness led to abandonment or abuse. Now we believe, cellularly though not necessarily intellectually, that if someone gets close, he will abandon or abuse us.”
― David Richo, 亲密关系的重建