Native Addiction Healing

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In this episode, I explore the connection between the disconnect from wisdom, truth, and clear vision and how this disconnection contributes to the pain that leads to addictive behaviors. This disconnection stems from the widespread cultural genocide experienced by Native Peoples in North America and other colonized populations worldwide, particularly through the boarding school system. These schools were designed to assimilate Native People into the so-called dominant culture by denying youth access to their cultural norms, behaviors, worldview, and, most importantly, their spiritual awareness of the nature of all things. This spiritual awareness—accompanied by inner peace—is a natural worldview cultivated through the stillness of mind found in tribal life and a deep, enduring connection to nature.

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Black Elk was an Oglala Lakota holy man who spoke about many topics in his book, "Black Elk Speaks." In it, he discusses the Oneness of the Universe. From this Oneness comes what is true, and what is true has the presence of peace. It is the experience of peace that validates what is true. From stillness and being in the present moment, troubled people find a deep sense of peace and an improved vision of self, events, and things in general. Mindfulness, a modern therapeutic practice and an evidence-based practice, has at its root a way of being that was a common experience in Native culture. In today's times, Native culture has fewer and fewer daily activities that support being in the present moment and being with the stillness of the mind. The source of wisdom and peace is still there in each of us; we just need to find our own path into stillness.

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In this short episode I take a narrow look at the nature of trauma existing within the mind, which exist within the spiritual realm, our true nature of being. The spiritual realm is the causation level resulting in the physical formation of things and behaviors. We should understand the conditioning of the mind through the human experience that offten results in painful illusionary trauma. Many people see trauma as a powerful driver of addiction. If we think trauma is in the world then we think the solution is found within the world, again illusionary. If we understand trauma to be only in the causation level of the mind, then we can understand the solution or the answer to healing the trauma is also within the mind. 

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In this episode I discuss skills to help prevent someone from taking the next drink or use drugs. These skills are commonly taught and practiced in recovery programs. I focus on two primary skills of boundary setting and avoiding triggers. Healthy boundaries protect us and avoiding triggers helps prevent thoughts drinking or using drugs along with avoiding cravings. 

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Change often occurs only when we feel enough pain. For many people the pain experienced through living a life of addiction to alcohol or drugs or any other addiction behaviors may lead to somebody saying to themselves I must change. Whether this change may come through a formal treatment center or through a self-help group such as A.A., the most powerful form of change will always be found from within the Stillness of the mind. This change goes far beyond any spoken word and could not be learned or taught from any source outside of the mind. The key is to experience what's found within the stillness of the mind to bring about the deepest level of change, this experience validates itself to be the only meaningful change needed.

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In this episode, I explore the origins of pain that contribute to substance abuse in Native American communities. I examine the core source of this pain as a disconnect from a fundamental truth about oneness with the universe.  This concept is expressed in the words of a renowned Sioux spiritual leader, Black Elk, who states: "The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers..." I examine the disconnect within the context of historical trauma, assimilation and cultural genocide of Native American peoples.

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The remembrance of wholeness, oneness is within each of us and is accessible by way of stillness of the mind. If oneness is the truth as expressed by holly men through out time and around the world, then just about all of our beliefs, thinking, and experiences here is misinterpretation of what's real. If almost all of man is perceiving wrongly it still results in illusion which still has not effect on truth.

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Somethings are understood to work well and lead to healing at the deepest level. In this episode I weave together Native cultures source of spiritual awakening, healing, and the evidence base practice of Mindfulness. The Truth that corrects perception and provides a deep peace is within everyone, we just have to want it, reach for it, and practice it daily. Educating oneself on stillness of the mind does help.  

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How could problems continue to exist when we learn how to release the problem completely and replace it with a strong validating peace of mind. We don't try to fix effects, it will take your energy and have little results that don't last, we work with the causation of problems that truly only exist in the mind. Facts don't upset us, our interpretation of facts upset us. 

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To deal with any problem it's helpful to better understand the nature of the problem and possible solutions. In this episode I opened up the nature of addiction and the best possible solutions, as I have come to understand both. There is no one size fits all solution to any perceived problem, perhaps there is only what we are able to or are ready to comprehend at the current time with respect to how we perceive a problem or a solution.