6 Levels of Love and Consciousness, AGAPE PLATO, SOCRATES, SYMPOSIUM

In this week's episode of. #AlkistisTV on YouTube, I discuss how the levels of consiousness are related to the levels of love, comparing with Platonic Love...
Platonic love (in the original sense of the term) is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has as its topic the subject of love or Eros generally, but is a metaphor for levels of consciousness.

In the Symposium, Plato explains the possibilities of how the feeling of love began and how it has evolved—both sexually and non-sexually. Of particular importance is the speech of Socrates, relating the idea of platonic love as attributed to the prophetess Diotima, which presents it as a means of ascent to contemplation of the divine.

For Diotima, and for Plato generally, the most correct use of love of other human beings is to direct one's mind to love of divinity. In short, with genuine Platonic Love, the beautiful or lovely other person inspires the mind and the soul and directs one's attention to spiritual things. Socrates, in Plato's "Symposium", explained two types of love or Eros—Vulgar Eros or earthly love and Divine Eros or divine love. Vulgar Eros is nothing but mere material attraction towards a beautiful body for physical pleasure and reproduction.

​Divine Eros begins the journey from physical attraction i.e. attraction towards beautiful form or body but transcends gradually to love for Supreme Beauty. This concept of Divine Eros is later transformed into the term "Platonic love"; As our consciousness expands, so does our love...