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'Transcendence treated the hole in my soul,' former longtime addict says
by Global Good News staff writer

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20 November 2012

At a conference on Stress, Meditation, Addictions, and Self-Recovery, Dr Norman Rosenthal shared the story of one of his patients to illustrate the effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation in the treatment of addiction.

Dr Rosenthal, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine, shared the story of Jonah, an older man who spent 27 years in active addiction, 9 years in recovery, and 28 years as an addiction counselor.

Jonah said, 'I believe I was born an addict, that the predisposition for the illness was always there. . . . I believe that addiction at its root is a hole in the soul, a spiritual illness. It's the need for more, more, more. And when you fill that hole with junk—alcohol, drugs, . . . whatever—the hole is temporarily sated, but it just gets worse.'

He said that his use of drugs and alcohol had gotten him into at least 12 motor vehicle accidents.

'That is why I go to the prisons on a daily basis and I give of my time, because I can never makes amends sufficiently for all the damage to all the people [I have done],' Jonah said.

Dr Rosenthal added, now that Jonah is in active recovery, his prefrontal cortex is back online and he is taking responsibility for his actions.

What has helped him in his recovery? Transcendental Meditation.

He said, 'When I transcended I connected with something permanent, something I'd been seeking all my life' on the outer, surface level. 'Now I'm finding it at the absolute level,' experiencing a deeper level of consciousness.

Said Dr Rosenthal, with Transcendental Meditation Jonah 'now has an experience that feels deeply satisfying, doesn't do anybody any harm, and is responsible for him being able to lead a productive life with rich relationships with other people, a sense of purpose, and making the world a better place.'

Added Jonah, 'Transcendence treated the hole in my soul.'

See previous articles in this series:
∙ Transcendental Meditation 'surge protector' against flood of stress hormones, helps reduce mortality, addictions
∙ Training the nervous system not to overreact: Transcendental Meditation powerful tool in addiction recovery
∙ Conference on addictions highlights 'demonstrable health benefits of Transcendental Meditation'
∙ Transcendental Meditation increases brain coherence, quiets 'alarm bells' - helps reduce addiction
∙ Transcendental Meditation increases alpha rhythms, important in recovery from addictions
∙ Expert on Transcendence describes three different kinds of meditation
∙ Meditation long used to treat addictions: Dr Norman Rosenthal
∙ Dr Norman Rosenthal addresses conference on stress, addiction, and Transcendental Meditation
∙ Using Transcendental Meditation in addiction recovery: Dr Norman Rosenthal

Copyright © 2013 Global Good News Service

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