Redirecting Desire: How to Take Control of Your Cravings

“I want to make a change in my life. I must start eating healthy. I have a weakness for chocolate and sweets. I feel like I’m only drawn to unhealthy food. When I see fruits and vegetables, I have zero appetite for them.”

One of the foundations of creation is that G-d gave only human beings the power of choice. Some people have to work harder on it, some less, but in any case, it takes true willpower and inner sacrifice to successfully choose what’s truly good for us.

To understand this better, you need to know two important and powerful forces in the soul, taken from the world of Kabbalah and Chassidut.

The first concept is the Force of Attraction (in Chassidic terms, koach ha-mitaveh- the desiring force).

The second is the Power of Imagination (tzior ha-taavah- the image or vision of desire).

The power of attraction is a strong force that naturally seeks connection. On one hand, it can create unity, but on the other, it can cause disconnection- depending on where it's directed.

The imagination awakens the soul’s pleasure center and serves as a bridge that fuels and guides the force of attraction.

The more vividly you imagine the chocolate, including the scent and texture, the force of attraction will pull you towards it more strongly when you see the chocolate in front of you. This is because your imagination directly intensifies and shapes the attraction.

The more you engage your imagination, the more it powers the attraction. The good news is that imagination is something you can control. Imagination has the power to push beyond current reality, it helps us find solutions, and gives us a ‘taste’ of pleasure from things we only picture in our minds.

If you let your imagination run wild with no guidance, and allow it to constantly dwell on chocolate and sweets, naturally you’ll end up under the control of those thoughts. This is the reason you feel so strongly that you have no appetite for healthy food.

When you learn to manage your imagination, you’ll be able to control your attraction. Think of your imagination as the act of driving, and the attraction as the engine. If you learn to press the pedals properly and turn the wheel in the right direction, you’ll be able to guide your force of attraction to where you want to go.

There is a natural, initial pull shaped by past experiences, flavors, smells, and other influences that built and reinforced your original cravings. The goal is to take the reins of your imagination, and when you do, the attraction will naturally follow, including that ‘initial’ pull that once felt unchangeable.

Inspired by Dr. Yechiel Harari's fascinating lecture.

Hanna Dayan hanna.tipul@gmail.com