I’m continuing on yesterday’s topic because I think it’s fascinating.
Why do compulsions/addictions work? DBW said in his comments yesterday “most compulsions are the result of an effort to fill a vague, or not so vague, emptiness–a hole in the soul.” I agree. And although they seem to be temporary fixes, why do they fix at all? How do they “fix”?
In a letter to Bill W (one of the founders of AA) Carl Jung says this about a mutual acquaintance who had recently found the program, “His craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness, expressed in medieval language: the union with God.”
The reason for AA’s success over the years is due to it’s understanding of alcoholism as being a spiritual problem in need of a spiritual solution.
Jung continues: “The only right and legitimate way to such an experience is, that it happens to you in reality and it can only happen to you when you walk on a path, which leads you to a higher understanding. You might be led to that goal by an act of grace or through a personal and honest contact with friends, or through a higher education of the mind beyond the confines of mere rationalism. I see from your letter that Roland H has chosen the second way, which was, under the circumstances, obviously the best one.”
This concurs with DBW’s comment that one must find something more meaningful to fill that hole. Not an easy task for many. Once again ladies and gentlemen, Carl Jung: “You see, Alcohol in Latin is “spiritus” and you use the same word for the highest religious experience as well as for the most depraving poison. The helpful formula therefore is: spiritus contra spiritum.”
My question remains the same. What value are these things on this planet that give us that feeling of wholeness in a quick fix sort of way. I agree that compulsions and addictions eventually overtake many lives and destroy them. They are like a deal with the Devil. The Devil says if you take this drug you will find wholeness and spiritual fulfillment. The Devil’s right, you do. But soon the only path to God is through this drug and you become wholly dependent on it, nothing else will do, thus the Devil owns your soul. I believe that moderation is the key, but in my own experience, even with AA, many answers that have been given to me were complete and total abstinence, just say no. Not an easy thing to do if your compulsion is food, or sex, or shopping. And let’s face it, some things just won’t take no for an answer.
So like I said in yesterday’s post, there seems to be an aspect of giving the Devil his due, or, since my spiritual beliefs tend to lean in a much more polytheistic manner, the Devil, or Devils, are all Gods and demand their reverence, their due. Moderation fits well here because with so many Gods demanding their piece of your soul one must be careful to moderate one’s reverences.
For me, this takes a lot of work. It’s difficult to figure out what each specific addiction/compulsion is asking of me; which God is demanding my allegiance through my gambling, my drinking, and my sexual desires? To me, at this point in my life, it’s all good.
I remember many years ago waking up out of a sound sleep with a thought that seemed to come out of nowhere, “God neither rewards nor punishes.” It was a spiritual revelation for me at the time and sent me on a different path in my life. I recently had a similar experience except the message this time was, “God and the Devil are one.”
Heavy stuff, controversial stuff, sorry to put it all out there, but Sheila told me to just write what’s going on with me. Enjoy your day!
Here is my revelation story.
My parents divorced when I was quite young and my father (an alcoholic and then recovering alcoholic) pretty much fell off the face of the earth. Some years later when I was a senior in high school he showed up and was living in the same city where I was going to attend college.
Well my first year at college was pretty wild with lots of drinking a little experimenting with grass.
I happened to be over at my Dad’s place one day and opened the refrigerator and there was one beer. I don’t know the whole story behind psychology of this (from the recovering alcoholics point of view), but it had an effect on me.
I remember seeing the beer and it reminded me. There was no life flashing before my eyes or great emotional moment, but it did have an impact on me.
From day on, I drifted from the group of people that I partied with a lot of the time and moved to other friends and moderated my drinking much more.
Was this God tapping me on the shoulder? Maybe all I needed was a subtle reminder.
I’ve lived a relatively moderate life. Never felt the severe temptation to addictions that many others obviously do. That probably has something to do with the loving, safe, secure environment I had in childhood.
However, avoiding destructive addictions does not automatically lead to a completely happy life. I’ve avoided doing damage (well, with maybe a $500 deductible) to myself or those I love, but the search for meaning and fulfillment in life is a struggle in which I have yet to prevail. Even though I’ve steered away from the most common and devastating pitfalls, it’s getting to the point in that search for meaning where time is no longer on my side…
Hello Blue David,
If you read my comment, so many years later, I would really like to talk about the sentence about good and evil. I had the same experience coming out of a dream : good and bad are one and the same thing. Perturbing. If you would like to exchange on this… miji67(at)yahoo(dot)fr
you fail to recognize the physical difference between alcoholics / addicts and “normal” people. while all of us have a spiritual longing that can be fulfilled by substances, only about 10% of the population develops the physical cravings of addiction. once set in motion it is near impossible to stop and the longer left to progress, the more difficult it becomes. without a profound spiritual experience, it seems to be impossible.
i like the recognition that there is only one “power” in the universe. i do not believe in a devil or evil presence. those are purely human traits. i believe God is more fundamental, more organic, than to be concerned or even aware of the details of our existence. it seems to me that nature always strives for balance, order, and harmony. regardless of the ferocity of the disturbance, over time things seem to return to a balanced state.
i do believe in prayer and meditation, however. i think that our conciousness is connected to the power that underlies everything and can help direct it. if nothing more, it helps us to be present to the current moment and more aware the world around us. it is so much more rewarding to live life as it comes and participate in the “real” world than to be caught up in selfish drama and fantastic scenerios that are little more than wishful thinking.