Addiction: Explored as an Archetypal Journey Toward Personal Empowerment
Aug 25 - 28, 2011
Aug 25 - 28, 2011
The struggle with addictions may well be one of the foremost defining health challenges of our age. It most certainly is one of the core power challenges. Every person has at least three core addictions that govern their life. These addictions may not be those generally associated with the addicted personality; namely: drugs, alcohol, food, and sex. But make no mistake, there is a secondary ring of addictions and even a third ring that is even more subtle that people would not even consider as addictions, yet they are exactly that. Among these more subtle additions are: power, glamour, fantasy literature, attention, money, shopping, negativity, propaganda, complaining, relationship crises, and a computer social life.
What exactly are addictions and what is it about human nature that makes us so prone to being addicts? One way to understand addictions is that they are a means through which we lock into patterns of choice that allow us to maintain a given structure of behaviors. And though we may dislike or even loathe those behaviors and the consequences of them, such as obesity or debt, we nonetheless know our way around and through the world such patterns create. We know the language in that world. We know the right excuses and we know how to manage the pain in that world, even when the pain overwhelms us. The paradox of addiction is that even the pain and crisis caused by the pain of the addiction becomes something we find a way to adapt to in order to maintain our addiction. Thus, even this complex of this paradox is a thread that most addicts can, in some way, relate to.
But beyond these behavioral patterns, however, are yet other contributing elements of the psyche – archetypes. Archetypes form the language system of the soul, patterns of power that influence every aspect of who we are and how and why we make the choices we do in our life. The addictions we have are very much tied to our archetypal patterns and our deeper struggle with self-empowerment and embracing the power of choice and personal transformation. Unless we grasp the role of our archetypal patterns, how can we possibly break free of the cycles of our many addictions? Or even recognize that we exist in the psychic field of “addiction consciousness” – regardless of what the addiction is?
In this workshop, then, addiction will be explored as journey of personal empowerment. Toward that goal, we will discuss certain archetypes that have a particularly dominant influence within the psychic field of the addict: the Shape-Shifter, the Slave, the Magician, the Dependent Child, the Victim, the Prostitute, and the Saboteur. We will also discussion the nature of possession and what it means to “be possessed”, as the addictive personality in the extreme becomes ripe for possession by “psychic free radicals”.
Finally, methods and practices for moving out of the addictive cycle will be introduced. This workshop should rightly be called an “intensive” as it will be a combination of lecture and personal exercises aimed at doing personal work. I invite every person who is looking for a new perspective on addiction to attend this workshop.
A word about the setting: This workshop is being conducted at Hockley Resort, near Toronto, Canada. CMED chose this spot for this workshop because the setting supports group work in an undistracted way. The rooms are lovely and may I add that the food is truly beyond description. I never, ever mention cuisine in a workshop description (go ahead and check that), but in this one case, I have to say that Hockley Resort exceeds anything I have ever experienced. (We may all end up leaving addicted to the place – ha).
Please join me in exploring addiction as an archetypal journey.
Love,
Caroline
Workshop Refund Policy:
- Written cancellation immediately after registration: $500 US cancellation fee per person
- Cancellation from 60 days prior to workshop: cancellation fee is 50% of total workshop cost per person
Contact Person
For those interested in registering for the 2011 Institute programs or receiving updates of information as it is being developed, please contact:
Cindy Funfsinn: cindy@myss.com or 815-220-8723.
Click here for registration information »