Belovedness

The feeling of feeling loved, especially by the mother. The concept is centrally important in Diamond’s work as the key to health and high Life Energy, and it closely relates to the concept of Cantillation*. Belovedness is Diamond’s coinage, for although beloved is standard English, both as a noun meaning “much loved person” and an adjective meaning “well loved,” the simple extension belovedness has no prior usage.

Commentary: Diamond first began using the term in the early 1990s, since when it has become central to his work. It relates closely to two other terms in the Diamond lexicon, Matrophilia*, and Cantillation*. Matrophilia, as its name implies, relates specifically to the love of the mother, whereas Belovedness is broader. Cantillation, which predates Belovedness by at least a decade, is even closer in usage, and there is arguably a sense that Belovedness has replaced the earlier term.

Explore:

• Audio: “Belovedness, Anguish, and Life Energy” (seminar)
• Video: “Knowing Belovedness”