In the last part of this article, we covered in detail how the subtle energy system within us is impacted when dealing with Addiction and how to use meditation strategies. If you missed it, you can read it here.

In this part, we deal with additional strategies that supplement Sahaja meditation in dealing with addiction.

Cognitive and Emotional Appraisals

In addition to healing through meditation and subtle system related techniques, a significant part of the recovery from addiction occurs by deploying specific cognitive and emotional strategies. First, being a Sahaja meditator and knowing how the realms of consciousness work, the practitioner needs to realize that losing control and giving into addiction is a play of the collective subconscious. It is literally like being played by those negative forces against our will and an attack on our left energy channel. The pure spirit that is our real identity can never be tempted and is beyond influences like an addiction.

Thus, this method of using cognitive and emotional appraisals involves trying to associate oneself with this true identity, the Spirit. As we meditate more, the Spirit grows stronger and gets nourished. When we are irregular with meditation and give in to negative forces, the influence of the positive power of the Spirit declines. The trick is to nourish this Spirit and the spiritual side within us. Simply being aware that we’re the Spirit can overcome our physical, mental, and emotional urges. This awareness is critical to staying on the path to addiction recovery.

Fighting Temptation

At times, when the temptation is extreme, a lot of practitioners are known to stop all activity and seek the state of thoughtless awareness. In Sahaja meditation, this is the state of pure Spirit which maximizes the influence of the all-pervading energy on our subtle energy system. This approach can be relatively easier than fighting the temptation by sheer willpower and at a cognitive level, or by fighting with our emotions. The goal is to rise above these thoughts and emotions into that realm of complete vacuum and stillness within us. Once we emerge from this state of meditation, we’ll likely find that the temptation to indulge has disappeared.

Self-Awareness

Practitioners also develop a heightened sense of self-awareness and keen perception of themselves as they become regular meditators. They can sense the temptation and the lure from the addiction well in advance and this gives them time to use some special techniques, such as the fire element treatment or a deep meditation, to ward it off. Over time and repetition, the sub-conscious elements seem to lose their grip and addictive behaviors begin to recede.

It’s important to understand that Self-Awareness in Sahaja meditation is far superior to cognitive mindfulness – this Self-Awareness comes from the subtler powers of accessing the Collective UnConscious which activates the power of our Inner Self or Spirit within us. One of the greatest qualities of the Spirit is its abilities to witness the physical, cognitive and emotional side of ourselves.

At a practical level, this simply means we begin to develop the ability to watch our thoughts, emotions and our materialistic tendencies and behaviors, including our addictive behaviors.

Attentional Control

Whenever our attention is slanted towards the left side of our subtle energy system or the left channel, the brain recalls memories and images from the past. In the case of people with addiction, this can be perilous because this brings about images from the past and patterns that have the tendency to lure us back. The level of resilience we develop in warding off this temptation is important; when we’re filled with positivity and a strong left channel, we can simply brush this off. Sometimes, the forces luring us back into the left side can overpower us. The long-term strategy that works for people who are addicted or even those who have been cured of addictions is to be alert with their attentional control. They need to have a built-in alarm that alerts their attention at the slightest incidence of something that is about to drag them back to the addiction – people, places, circumstances, or the substances of the addiction. Next, they need to train and practice how to quickly divert their attention away and flush out this negativity through regular meditation and cleansing techniques.

In our experience and interaction with practitioners, this is harder to do in the initial stages of addiction and becomes easier with practice. Still, there is no such thing as getting cured or forgetting about the addiction. The threat of a relapse always exists and training the attention and staying alert is the only way to prevent falling back into the habit.

Motivation and Social Support

As with other forms of treatments or therapy for addiction, we in Sahaja meditation recommend positive motivation and reinforcement and social support. However, our version may be a little different from the typical Alcoholics Anonymous type of meeting. We recommend the company of other Sahaja practitioners in group meditation or participation in our other events which aren’t necessarily dealing with addiction. This is very different from a support group type setting in that group meditation has a powerful clearing effect. In this case, sharing of experiences is about taking the mind off the problem and focusing on higher things in life like spirituality and getting to know the diverse backgrounds of practitioners. Sahaja group meetings are particularly representative of all cultures and backgrounds from around the world, so they really expose the practitioner to multiple perspectives that help widen their horizons.

Summing Up

In a nutshell, Sahaja meditation provides different strategies for coping with addiction such as holistic healing, collective support, and a variety of targeted techniques that address the root cause of the issues. However, we do not promise any cure and always advise practitioners to follow medical advice and maintain existing treatments.

Sahaja is a serious and deep form of meditation, much beyond mere cognitive coping strategies. It works well for any type of addiction.

If you are interested in addiction-specific meditation sessions and courses that we offer, we are happy to help by organizing one-on-one guidance or sessions in small groups. Sahaja can help you achieve deep levels of self-awareness, provided you are committed. We’ve seen lots of people who suffer from addiction take advantage of what we have to offer and turn their lives around. The best part is that Sahaja works independently of all other methods and can be used as a complementary therapy or technique with other addiction recovery programs or strategies.