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Ontological addiction theory: Attachment to me, mine, and I.

William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Sofiane Diouri, Javier García-campayo, Yasuhiro Kotera, Mark D Griffiths

Journal of Behavioral Addictions June 7, 2018 DOI: 10.1556/2006.7.2018.45 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Addiction Buddhism Meditation
Keywords Humans Behavior, addictive Psychological theory Object attachment Mental disorders Mental illness Emptiness Non-attachment Ontological addiction
Key points Proposes that ontological addiction theory offers a novel metaphysical account of psychopathology in which implausible beliefs about how one exists can become addictive and lead to functional impairment and mental illness, drawing on the Buddhist claim that phenomena including the self do not manifest inherently or independently. The authors cite supportive evidence from meditation awareness training and studies of non-attachment, emptiness, compassion, and loving-kindness, and call for further empirical testing.

Abstract

Background: Ontological addiction theory (OAT) is a novel metaphysical model of psychopathology and posits that human beings are prone to forming implausible beliefs concerning the way they think they exist, and that these beliefs can become addictive leading to functional impairments and mental illness. The theoretical underpinnings of OAT derive from the Buddhist philosophical perspective that all phenomena, including the self, do not manifest inherently or independently. Aims and

Methods: This paper outlines the theoretical foundations of OAT along with indicative supportive empirical evidence from studies evaluating meditation awareness training as well as studies investigating non-attachment, emptiness, compassion, and loving-kindness.

Results: OAT provides a novel perspective on addiction, the factors that underlie mental illness, and how beliefs concerning selfhood are shaped and reified.

Conclusion: In addition to continuing to test the underlying assumptions of OAT, future empirical research needs to determine how ontological addiction fits with extant theories of self, reality, and suffering, as well with more established models of addiction.

Comparable studies

Other theoretical and historical papers on addiction, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm General population 2016 Theoretical or philosophical paper
Restructuring reward processing with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement: novel therapeutic mechanisms to remediate hedonic dysregulation in addiction, stress, and pain. 2016 Theoretical or philosophical paper
Ayahuasca’s entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from ‘addiction’ 2017 Theoretical or philosophical paper
Hypotheses Regarding the Mechanisms of Ayahuasca in the Treatment of Addictions 2012 Theoretical or philosophical paper
Biosynthesis of an Anti-Addiction Agent from the Iboga Plant. 2019 Theoretical or philosophical paper

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Addiction Buddhism Meditation