Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Eckhart Tolle's Advice For Dealing With Addiction

By Kotivalo (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Eckhart Tolle, for those of you who do not know, is regarded as one of the most spiritually influential individuals in the world. He has authored several books, including The Power of Now, and A New Earth: Awakening to your Life's Purpose. A New Earth became the first spiritual book to be selected for Oprah Winfrey's 's Book Club as well as the subject of a ten-week online workshop co-taught by Eckhart and Oprah.

By Kyle Hoobin (twitter.com/kylehoobin) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

So why are we mentioning Tolle in the Drunk Lawyer Blog? In A New Earth, Tolle provides some advice for individuals suffering from addiction problems. On page 246 of my paperback edition of A New Earth, Tolle describes an addiction as "a long-standing compulsive behavior pattern." To some addicts, this behavior takes on its own subpersonality that may possess the mind of an addict at times.

Many addicts, such as those in Alcoholics Anonymous, live with, and overcome, their addiction "one day at a time." Abstaining from their addiction for the rest of their lives may seem like an insurmountable task. But focusing on just today - living in the now and not thinking about the future - makes achieving sobriety manageable.

Tolle's advice seems geared for that day-to-day challenge. He says that when an addict observes the compulsion arising to engage in some form of destructive conduct (be it smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, porn, the internet, etc), the addict should try this simple practice: Stop what ever it is you are doing or thinking, and take three conscious breaths. That means to observe your deep inhalations and exhalations. Then become aware of the compulsive need arising inside you. You can sense it, and feel it. Realize that you are the observer watching it. Then take more deliberate, conscious breaths.

Tolle believes that just this practice of conscious breathing to make you aware and in the present may be enough for the compulsive urge to disappear in some individuals. If not, don't give up. He believes that continued practice of this conscious breathing technique will eventually cause the addiction pattern to weaken and dissolve.

The essence of Tolle's teaching is that you are not your addiction, you are not even your body. You are consciousness without conditions. Your true self is formless and eternal. So taking those conscious breaths helps you become still and remember who and what you are.

Peace.

1 comment:

  1. Common brussp with eckhart this illusion will also end

    ReplyDelete