Future of God in recovery from drug addiction.
John D. Sellman, Michael P Baker, Simon J Adamson, Lloyd G Geering
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry October 1, 2007 DOI: 10.1080/00048670701579074 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction |
| Key findings | The concept of a higher power, manifested in diverse ways, is an important factor in recovery from drug addiction, with a common final pathway of strengthening executive functions. |
Abstract
The purpose of the present paper was to explore the concept and experience of God in relation to recovery from drug addiction from a scientific perspective. Examination of a diverse literature was undertaken, including five key threads: the universality of the experience of God; the induction of spiritual experiences of God through hallucinogenic drugs; the nature of drug addiction from an evolutionary neurobiological perspective; the 12 Step movement as the prototype for the place of God in recovery from drug addiction; and identified ingredients for successful recovery from addiction. The diverse threads of literature examined can be integrated around the concept of higher power as an important factor in recovery from drug addiction. Higher power can be manifested in individuals in diverse ways: religious, ethnic, spiritual including the use of entheogens, as well as cognitive behavioural development, but a common final pathway for all is the strengthening of executive functions (the brain's 'higher power'). Practical implications for assisting people with drug addiction to achieve recovery through their own experience of God/development of higher power are outlined.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account | 2016 | Review | |
| Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents Animal models and cellular studies | 2018 | Review | |
| A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction. | 2013 | Review | |
| The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies | 2018 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Ketamine psychotherapy for heroin addiction: immediate effects and two-year follow-up. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment December 1, 2002
- The Experimental Use of Psychedelic (LSD) Psychotherapy JAMA June 15, 1970
- Can psychedelics have a role in psychiatry once again? The British Journal of Psychiatry June 1, 2005
- A review of chemical agents in the pharmacotherapy of addiction. Current Medicinal Chemistry October 1, 2002
and 3 more in the library