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%ADDICT PARADIGM SHIFT REFORM REVOLUTION CONVERSION 900717

     The  process  by which an addict who  "bottoms  out";
(i.e.; shifts from thinking and feeling like an addict, to
thinking  and  feeling  like  a  healthy  person)   is   a
mysterious  process which is not under the control of  any
planned human effort.  The person who is imprisoned in the
addictive  paradigm is motivated and guided  by  addictive
attitudes and destructive spiritual beliefs.

     The  process of shifting from addictive attitudes  to
healthy attitudes is a mysterious spiritual process, not a
technical achievement.  It is not a strenuous achievement,
but the result of a relaxation of the strenuous efforts to
maintain  the pseudo-integrity of the disintegrative games
of  mutual self deception which are played by addicts  and
their supportive codependents.

     The  revolution  from addictive attitudes to  healthy
attitudes  is a turning around in a spiritual space  which
is  invisible  to  people  who are  trapped  in  addictive
thought  processes.   The  revolution  takes  place  in  a
dimension  of  human being which transcends the  level  of
perception  of  the  addictive mentality;  just  as  three
dimensional  people transcend the level of  perception  of
flatland people.

     The  conversion  from addictive ways of thinking  and
feeling, to healthy ways of thinking and feeling is not an
achievement of human effort;  but it may occur within  the
context  of  honest human conversation.  Open  and  honest
conversation  may  contribute  in essential  ways  to  the
essential  paradigm  conversion which in  mysterious  ways
makes the miraculous difference.

     In  the absence of the mysterious change in  beliefs;
the  addict  cannot  perceive  and  desire  the   possible
integrative  consequences of living with healthy  beliefs,
attitudes,  assumptions,  presuppositions,  relationships,
approaches,  and spiritual being.  Thus those consequences
cannot be the fruit of technical efforts to achieve them.

     In  the presence of the mysterious change in beliefs;
the  nature of the universe of personal experience changes
in miraculous, mysterious and apparently magical ways.

What  was  apparently  impossible  becomes   clearly
possible.   What was apparently possible  becomes  clearly
impossible.

     The  addict is trying to achieve the impossible,  and
keeps   trying   because  of  attitudes  which  make   the
achievement  of  personal salvation appear  necessary  and
possible.

     The addict:

     1.  Has not known and accepted true love.

     2.  Desperately wants true love, without knowing what
true love is.

     3.  Is  terrified of what true love would do  to  the
familiar  and  respected addictive games  of  mutual  self
deception.

     4.  Is trying to achieve the satisfactions of unknown
true love through dishonest manipulations.

     5.  Is standing in the way of the  changes which need
to take place for the essential paradigm-shift to occur.

     6.  Fears what is involved in the essential paradigm-
shift, and works very hard to avoid the anticipated terror
of the shift.

     7.  Wants to be in addictive control of the paradigm-
shift  which would transform all of the addictive  desires
and thought patterns into healthy ways of being whole  and
enjoying personal and communal integrity.

     8.  Believes  that  the  elements  of  the  addictive
paradigm   are   the  keys  to  personal   salvation   and
satisfaction.

     9.  Fears  that  any other pattern of  beliefs  would
leave no defense against probable abuse of self by  others
as remembered subconsciously by the child-within.

     10.  Cannot   believe  that  true  love  is  possible
because the child-within has not known true love,  and has
not  been  able to accept true love as worthy of  respect;
because of the unconsciously remembered active and passive
abuse  of the child-within by untrustworthy others in  the
extended family of origin of the child-within.

     Under  such  circumstances  it is  only  through  the
acceptance and enjoyment of the miracle of true love  that
the addict can begin the life-long processes of honest and
apparently   fearful:    change,    revolution,    prayer,
meditation,  relaxation,  play, recreation,  conversation,
conversion,    redemption,    rest,    sleep,    dreaming,
envisioning,    recovery,   renewal,   rebirth,    growth,
transformation, transcendence, escape, honesty,  openness,
intimacy,   affection,   receiving,   accepting,   giving,
sharing,  cooperation,  integration,  reunion,  communion,
dialogue,  listening,  life and death.  In the absence  of
such a mysterious acceptance it all appears impossible and
does not appear to occur.

     Health  comes to us when we accept our need for  true
acceptance and honesty.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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