Page 13 - EMERGE MANUAL 2024

TANTRIC VIEW

Unlike other yogic paths that aim to transcend or avoid the shadow self,

Tantra embraces all aspects of human experience, including the darker,
chaotic ones like addiction. Healing addiction involves acknowledging,
illuminating, and consciously integrating these shadow elements into

one's life.

“We need to avoid the trap of believing that addiction can be

reduced to the actions of brain chemicals or nerve circuits or any
other kind of neurobiological, psychological or sociological data.
A multilevel exploration is necessary because it's impossible to
understand addiction fully from any one perspective, no matter

how accurate. Addiction is a complex condition, a complex
interaction between human beings and their environment. We
need to view it simultaneously from many different angles - or, at
least, while examining it from one angle, we need to keep the

others in mind. Addiction has biological, chemical, neurological,
psychological, medical, emotional, social, political, economic and
spiritual underpinnings and perhaps others I haven't thought

about. To get anywhere near a complete picture we must keep
shaking the kaleidoscope to see what other patterns emerge.”

- GABOR MATE

ADDICTION INVOLVES

1. Compulsive engagement with the behavior, a preoccupation with it
2. Impaired control over the behavior
3. Persistence or relapse, despite evidence of harm
4. Dissatisfaction, irritability or intense craving when the object - be it

a drug, activity or other goal - is not immediately available

- GABOR MATE

EMERGE 2024