permaculture

[rmhoward@omninet.net.au]

On 7 Nov 2003 at 21:32, RIA SWIFT wrote:

> FYI...there is very simple and highly effective method for changing
> those 'addictions' that is way beyond cognitive or behavior therapy. 
> IMO modern psychotherapy is very far behind what other non-traditional
> therapists and outside therapies are accomplishing.  The most
> accessible one that I know of is The Sedona Method.  They have a great
> web site and give you a sample for free.  It was developed by a
> physicist, for whatever that is worth. Creates real and lasting
> change.  Well worth checking out. Ria

With respect - googling sedona therapy and going through the first 100 odd 
links produced 
nothing but advertising. This, in itself is enough to make me suspicious of 
claims about any 
putative benefits. The only independent description of the actual therapy i 
found was in some 
flame wars in newsgroups. It basically sounds like rehashed new age feel good 
crap to me. 

My point about 'addiction' was that it was a by product of the dislocation 
and devaluing of 
reproductive work as a consequence of the growth of capitalist economics with 
it's emphasis 
on productive values.

As John Schinnerer pointed out(quoting Bateson) addictions and habits share 
common 
features. In my experience, people with 'bad' (i.e. unsustainable) addictions 
usually replace 
them with sustainable habits. But learning new habits when you are old is 
much harder than 
learning new habits when you are young. Which is why child care is such an 
important issue 
in reproductive economics and why PC in schools is almost as important as 
(say)sex 
education. 

Addictive behaviour is a pathology of selfishness ( i need etc..) and this 
has it's origins in a 
social order that values selfishness above all other things(capitalism). Also 
we must recognize 
that capitalism (more specifically the CIA in Vietnam and Columbia) supplies 
the drugs 
because there is a profit to be made. The introduction of heroin into the US, 
Australia and 
Europe, (initially by the CIA) was at least partly due to the recognition 
(buy the CIA and 
others) of it's potential disruptive impact on the organisation of working 
class resistance to the 
agenda of global capitalism. 

Overcoming drug addiction is a long term process and essentially involves 
people being 
reorientated into developing reproductive skills in their daily lives. The 
physical consequences 
of drugs, and the social networks available to individuals are critical 
issues. Above all people 
need a rationale which critiques the culture of selfishness known as 
capitalism - this is why 
religion works for many people.

Real and lasting change will only occur when capitalism loses it's hegemonic 
power over the 
world's people.

Bob