Is there any basis for the idea that sex creates a lasting spiritual tie between people? And when someone genuinely feels that a former sexual partner has somehow stayed with them, how might we understand that experience, whether it's emotional, spiritual, psychological? or through a way our bodies and memories respond to intimacy?

Yeah, this is a good question because so many people have heard this narrative, especially in a Christian context.

I'm going to look at this a couple ways.

One is that this is a really... a vast narrative that a lot of people have used to demean other people.

And saying that sex happens and there's spiritual ties, we all might have heard or have been in a sex ed class where they talk about how you are like duct tape that will stick to itself and then you can't separate it.

or that you're a cup of spit that you pass around and everyone's spit is part of that cup or you're a chewed up gum or you're a smashed up flower or whatever the framework is that they use to describe that spiritual ties happen and then you are spoiled that's a pretty common frame of looking at sexuality in a christian context and There's lots of reasons for why it is that way in today's modern sex ed society.

But let me look at that other question.

So, Mark, I know you probably have tons to say to this.