Addiction, Thirst and Spirituality

Addiction, Thirst and Spirituality

Samantha Smithstein
In his correspondence with Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the psychologist Carl Jung stated his opinion that craving for alcohol was really “the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness.” In their book on Maharishi Ayur-Veda, Transcendental Meditation, and treatment of addiction, authors David O’Connell and Charles Alexander state that in addition to genetics and physiology, “addiction arises from the ‘mistake of the intellect,’ known as pragyaparadha, in which one perceives one’s self not in terms of the wholeness of pure consciousness (the Self), but rather as a highly limited individual personality burdened with conflicting impulses and feelings, cut off from the wholeness of pure consciousness.”….
Valerie Slaymaker … reviewed a series of studies examining the role of spirituality in addiction treatment. In the introduction to her article, she acknowledges the difficulty of defining spirituality.
“Spirituality is a difficult concept to study scientifically,” she states. “Ask 10 people how they define spirituality and you will receive 10 different answers. To some, spirituality implies a connection with the metaphysical, whether that is a traditional concept of God or a non-traditional concept of a higher power. To others, spirituality is intertwined with religion and formal, organized practices such as church attendance and group prayer.”  That said, spirituality has become an integral part of many forms of treatment for addiction. “Despite differences in conceptualization, and challenges with measurement,” Slaymaker states, “scientists have begun to examine spirituality’s role in recovery from alcohol and drug dependence.”
Slaymaker found that studies suggest that people with a spiritual belief system are less depressed, less anxious, and less suicidal than non-spiritual people, and that they are better able to cope with stressful and traumatic events. Those who incorporate spirituality into their daily lives through meditation, prayer, and other spiritual practices report having a more positive outlook and an overall sense of satisfaction with life.
Dr Slaymaker also pointed to research that compared individuals in treatment for alcohol use who relapsed with individuals who maintained abstinence. Although all participants demonstrated significant initial increases in spirituality scores (measured by spiritual experiences, gratitude, tolerance, humility, and other factors), those who relapsed showed significant declines in spirituality scores in a three-month follow-up. Still other research highlighted by Dr Slaymaker has shown that higher spirituality levels directly relate to improved treatment outcomes and life satisfaction….
So how does one cultivate a more spiritual life? There are many paths to expanding spiritual connection, some formal and others not. Twelve Step programs, organized religion, some forms of therapeutic treatment, meditation, and yoga are all more formalized paths. Going for a hike in the woods is not. In his letter to Bill Wilson, Carl Jung addressed it by stating his opinion that “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.”….
However one cultivates it, the cultivation of a spiritual life must be conscious, purposeful, and regular to be effective.  While the rigorous separation of church and state in the US gives everyone a right to pursue their own path of connection to something more expansive than our own self, this leaves the task of finding that path up to us.  And find it we must.

From What the Wild Things Are (2012)