Spirituality Predicts Less Compulsive Sexual Behavior While Religiosity Predicts More By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “In a spiritual encounter, all relationships are seen as mirrors of the self, while the heart remains open to freely express and receive love without possessiveness.”― Michael Mirdad Sexual behavior is a very important aspect of human […]
Spirituality Activates the Brain Networks Underlying Other-Than-Self Attention By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Understanding the neural bases of spiritual experiences may help us better understand their roles in resilience and recovery from mental health and addictive disorders.” – Ephrat Livni Spirituality is defined as “one’s personal affirmation of and relationship to a […]
Spirituality Interferes with Successful Treatment of Cannabis Abuse in Adolescents By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “there are three main reasons that cannabis is seen as a spiritual tool. First, “It is a light intoxicant and can therefore be used fairly frequently and without the kinds of impairment associated with major hallucinogens.” Second, […]
“Addiction tries to make a spiritual experience static. When we are in an addictive process, we want to hold on to the moment, not feeling the discomfort of the longing but attempting to maintain what we feel in an instant. Our spirituality becomes stagnate and the addiction leads us into a deep bondage with […]
“What fascinates me about addiction and obsessive behavior is that people would choose an altered state of consciousness that’s toxic and ostensibly destroys most aspects of your normal life, because for a brief moment you feel okay.” – Moby Substance abuse and addiction is a large and difficult problem for all groups. But, it […]
In a previous post we described the relationship between spirituality and recovery from alcoholism. https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1032110166812909/?type=1&theater This is great, but, what about other addictions? Is spirituality helpful with these also? Substance abuse and addiction is a terrible problem. It isn’t just illicit drugs but includes many prescriptions drugs especially opioid pain relievers. It is estimated that […]
Mindfulness Improves Physical and Mental Well-Being By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “scientists have found that practicing mindfulness is associated with changes in the structure and function of the brain as well as changes in our body’s response to stress, suggesting that this practice has important impacts on our physical and emotional health.” – University […]
Kick Opioid Dependence with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Ultimately, mindfulness drives at the root of compulsive behaviors by undermining the assumption that inner experience is intolerable and therefore requires immediate relief through substance use.” – Jennifer Talley Substance abuse and addiction is a terrible problem. It isn’t just illicit […]