Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of Addiction Solowoniuk, 20081

 Encourage you to read The Heart of Addiction Reading and the Slides paying attention to the concepts of displacement and Case Study the Good Women  Re-read Dislocation theory and Slides – understand it  Review your notes on the Cyber Sex Video / Clean and Sober  Read Rosenthal and Staying in the Action (5 defense mechanisms)  Review Relapse concepts (efficacy, coping, craving, etc.). paying attention to Stages of Change and Dynamic Model of Change  And Finally Pay Attention to Today’s Slides and More of the first 17 pgs. Of Creativity and the Veil of Addiction Reading  Have a recollection of themes in Beyond 12 steps

 Classroom Question?  So what is the craving behind addiction?

The Process of Individuation From Latin “ individuus ” – “ undivided, ” “ whole ”  A process of psychological differentiation, having for its goal the development of the individual personality  Not to overcome one ’ s personal psychology and become perfect, but to become familiar with it  Increasing awareness of one ’ s unique psychological reality, including personal strengths and limitations, and at the same time a deeper appreciation of humanity in general  When we are on the path, we are at the goal

Jung ’ s Landscape Psyche refers to the totality of all psychological processes. It “ embraces all thought, feeling, and behavior, both conscious and unconscious. It functions as a guide which regulates and adapts the individual to his social and physical environment. ”

The Self  The Center of the Psyche  The “ Central Archetype ”  Like the Sun in the Center of the Solar System  Archetype of order, organization, and unification  Unites the personality  Responsible for fulfilling the blueprint of life  At birth – all is the Self  Connecting bridge to “ The Unity ”  Goal is psychological wholeness and completeness  Transpersonal, transcends the ego

 Giving oneself over and being possessed  Held Hostage through denial  Dracula casts no shadow – loss of soul

 Falling in love with our addiction – a lending / luring  We will need to pay it back  Moneylender and Demon Lover may emerge  Demon Lover – is our addiction  Folks will give different names to their sub personalities or archetypes if you will

 Appears helpful  May show up in dreams  Inflation / Deflation  Ego Ideal  Guilt and Guiltlessness

The Ego  The central complex in the field of consciousness  Organizing function of the conscious mind  Gives sense of identity, continuity and personality – “ I ”  Composed of conscious perceptions, memories, thoughts and feelings  The “ gatekeeper to consciousness ”  Actually a very small part of the overall psyche

Ego The Self The ego has believed that everything revolves around it. Wrong!

“The night darkens the spirit, but only to illuminate it”  Leonard states – “here was my hope”  Confrontation with meaning of our existence  Purposeful journey?

 The yearning behind addiction and the reason why addiction can be understood to be a counterfeit quest for wholeness is because the addict is trying to commune with a power that is beyond one’s one ordinary self.  And the usual choice an addict makes to get there is through egoic apparati. 

 Underneath addiction then, is a thirst for wholeness, to be truly ourselves, to feel alive, to be at one within ourselves.  However, through addictive means, a counterfeit feeling of spiritual connection or “okayness” can be misunderstood as connecting or finding this inner core. which often leads to destruction and disaster...

18 I don't want to die out here in the valley Waiting for my luck to change And I just want my dad to know That I finally made it... Everybody gets high Everybody gets low Everybody gets bruised Everybody gets sold I don't want to die out here in the valley You don't have to lie, I know that's what I'll do I don't want my mom to know That I never loved my life And I sold my soul Everybody gets high Everybody gets low Everybody gets bruised Everybody gets sold Everybody gets dark Everybody unfolds Everybody gets high Everybody gets so low And everyone's eyes are blue And everyone's mouth is dry And nobody wants to die In Van Nuys Van Nuys Song Interlude – Van Nuys

Following the Spiritual Call Solowoniuk, There are a great deal other individuals who regularly attend to their spiritual center... Some of these activities include Painting / artwork Meditation Spiritual or religious practice Prayer Reading Among other activities

 Constant Craving K.D. Lang. E ven Through the darkest phase Be it thick or thin Always someone marches brave Here beneath my skin Constant craving Has always been Maybe a great magnet pulls All souls towards truth Or maybe it is life itself That feeds wisdom To its youth Constant craving Has always been Craving Ah ha Constant craving Has always been Constant craving Has always been Constant craving Has always been Craving Ah ha Constant Craving Has always been Has always been Has always been Has always been Has always been Has always been