Anthropos and Shadow in Addiction: A Jungian Basis for Understanding and Treatment

Four months before his death, Carl Jung wrote to Bill W., one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, that the “helpful formula” for treating alcoholism is “spiritus contra spiritum,” or spirit against spirit, noting that the term used to denote the “highest religious experience” is also used for the “most depraving poison.” He describes alcoholism as “the equivalent, on a low level, of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness…”  In this talk, we will explore addiction from a Jungian perspective by endeavoring to understand not just its pathological aspect (the reductive approach) but, more importantly, its transformative potential.  In approaching addiction from a symbolic perspective, we can better understand its telos or purpose in forcing the sufferer onto an individuating path leading towards, as Jung puts it, “the union with God.”  Approaches to treatment will be discussed, with a focus on Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon and other similar programs and the way in which they are designed to bring about spiritual/psychological healing through participation in community and the practice of the twelve steps.  Dreams, mythological motifs and other images will be used to help illustrate this talk.