Constance Scharff
How is it that addicts recover? It is an age-old question that until recently has had no good answer, because by and large until the middle of the 20th century, addicts didn’t recover, at least not in any appreciable numbers. However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thinkers like William James, Carl Jung, and Bill Wilson (one of the founders of Addicts Anonymous), posited that addiction recovery is grounded in a spiritual shift, a change in consciousness so profound that addicts are “miraculously” transformed from addict to non-addict, a person who has “recovered.” Alcoholics Anonymous is founded on this very principle.
Recent research in addiction and addiction recovery is confirming this early theory. Scholars like Gregory Bateson and Bradford Keeney suggest that addiction recovery is a 3rd order change, a radical shift in consciousness that allows the addict to both perceive and live his/her life differently, not as an addict, but as a person in recovery. Contemporary neuroscientists and neuropsychologists also seem to be confirming this idea. In particular, Dan Siegel shows how mindfulness meditation makes changes in the brain in line with both addiction recovery and profound consciousness shifts. Other research shows how intensive one-on-one psychotherapy can create the psychic shift of the “educational” variety that is so well-known in Alcoholics Anonymous. Finally, renewed research into the use of entheogens will be discussed. How can substances like ibogaine, ayahuasca, LSD and others be used in therapeutic settings to create the circumstances for consciousness shifts that will lead to recovery or improvement for those suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and co-occurring disorders such as depression, PTSD or anxiety? Do these treatments have the potential to decrease the amount of time individuals spend in addiction treatment centers or the costs associated with addiction treatment and are they an option for nations where access to quality addiction treatment is limited or nonexistent? Are entheogens the future for creating shifts in consciousness for addicts, allowing even greater numbers of those who suffer to recover?
constance.scharff@cliffsidemalibu.com