Wed 28th July 2010 - The shaman and the addict

The shadow side of each one of us is mostly unknown, rejected or suppressed to / by us.

It is part of who we are which we forgotten.

The more our psyche is open to the light the more we can transform ourselves deeply. We have two options:

Either to ignore the shadow self or to engage it and allow it to come to the surface. We recognise it and take responsibility for it.

Both the shaman and the addicts goes for extremes and for intense experiences - for the Buzz - Energy - Power.

The shaman has great experience in this. s/he is brave - courageous. The shaman goes to the limit of his/her own power.

The addict goes to the limit of the experience.

The difference between the addict and the shaman is that the shaman is sober. The shaman doesn’t loose control and is totally rooted in the experience while the addict gives the power to the addiction.

We are all addicts in some form or another being it a substance, relationship patterns, dysfunctions, self and so on.

Shamanic practice can help us to move out of the addiction dynamic.

The addiction recognise a need whether the need is true or not, and addiction acts on it, relate to the need by intensify it to a point where the person loose control.

We are all the time suppressing the shadow self. We do not root ourselves in Reality. We prefer not to hear, not to see, and instead prefer to be rooted into out thought processes and imagination. This is called projection.

The process of projection creates a Shadow - which is the lack of clarity and lack of truth.

Jung said that the shadow self is pure gold.

It is the catalyst we need to transform. If we bring fourth what is within us, it saves us. If not it will destroy us.

Addiction is a perceived need which we habitually intensify up to a point where it takes control over us.

Our needs become addictions because we believe we have something missing or we do not believe that we are whole.

I am complete. I am whole. I will take responsibility for my life. I do not need anyone to make me happy. I do not need anyone or anything to complete who I am. I am whole within myself.

Thank you Maria Ruth for taking the notes