The missing link of worldview
Written by Hossein Dezhakam the founder of Congress 60
Since 1996 after my own treatment was completed I was planning for group treatment of drug abusers with the D.S.T method.
It is mentionable that today after all these years and gaining various experiences from variety of addiction treatment methods, I have come to this conclusion that group therapy (form of treatment for a group of patients with similar emotional problems) is different from individual treatment in a group. In group therapy the power or the conscious of the group is the treatment force. Thus whenever a party of addicts is gathered in order to gain recovery then the group therapy begins.
Now if the dominant thought of group is destructive, then the group would march toward more corruption. They may solve a problem temporary but they will create other problems instead. But if the dominant thought of group is positive and constructive then maybe some members could reach addiction treatment, but their treatment would be incomplete. This incomplete treatment will leave harmful effects on the immunity systems of their bodies and psyche and these defects will last to the end of their lives.
But about individual treatment in group, initially we need to clarify: treatment protocol, treatment length, punctuality and order, group authorities, therapist, consultant, aids, guide and also the responsibilities of the members so the whole group could follow certain and enlighten method and knowledge.
Moreover, the authority of the group must have the power of punishment and encouragement. Of course after several time of warning the most severe punishment is temporary banishing from the group.
Those times, one day I was educating some drug abusers (individual treatment in group) and the speech led to the creation of mankind. I said that power of will was given to human at his creation point and we are masters of our destinies, thus becoming drug abusers at this point is mainly our own fault that we chose addiction. I talked about heaven and descending to earth, I talked about the moral story of Habil and Qabil; that Qabil misused his power of will and murdered his brother Hobil.
At that moment I paid attention to the group to witness their reaction to my speech.
.jpg)
I found out that some are all ears, some were about to sleep, and the rest are looking at me quizzically! I tried to focus more on them to realize what they are thinking about?
Reading their minds wasn’t tough for me because they were same as me, in other words they were my past and I could have been the future of some of them.
I realized they were reflecting: we are dying of the pain of withdrawal; instead of giving us something to feel better this fellow is stoned and is talking about human creation! What does it have to do with us? Let the god take care of that and let us be!
My body is supposed to go in a grave ultimately and termites and ants will fest on it then why should I let it go healthy? Let me enjoy being intoxicated! I will smoke and drink as much as I can and then I will deliver a destructed body to the graveyard.
Reality is before my eyes and can be touched with my hands. I have nothing to do with human creation. Let’s enjoy the moment! Or:
Khayyam, if you are intoxicated with wine, enjoy!
If you are seated with a lover of thine, enjoy!
In the end, the void the whole world employ
Imagine thou are not, while waiting the line, enjoy!
The rest are myth, enjoy the moment! These were thoughts of some drug abusers who were seated in front of me. The class is finished, any questions? I said.
One said: pardon master, we are here for addiction treatment not to become a philosopher. Your talks are good, but what does it have to do with addiction? Don’t you think this is no theosophy class?
I said: I appreciate your frank talking, if you want to withdraw addiction then you don’t need my words, but if you would like to cure yourself and reach equilibrium you must become a philosopher or a mystic. Philosopher searches for truth and a mystic is a person who walks the righteous path.
Now in order to shed light on this issue answer this question; according to you addiction is a crime or an illness?
Some said crime and some said illness.
I said: crimes are written policies, but illness is a state. In other words a legislator could determine whether an act is a crime or not but he can’t declare an illness not illness!
For instance a legislator could say sexually transmitted diseases are crime but he can’t say that kidney failure is not an illness! Having him said the later is like claiming that according to our written policies from now on fire has no heat and water is not wet.
Now answer another question addiction is an illness of body or an illness of psyche?
Some said: addiction is mysterious, incurable and progressive. Others said: addiction is same as high blood pressure or diabetes and is incurable we can only maintain it.
I said: addiction is not incurable, nor progressive nor mysterious. We can make it move backward with tapering (gradual decreasing).
Is not mysterious, because narcotics and alcohols passes the blood barrier of the brain and affects Neurotransmitters gradually and creates imbalance state of mind.
Is not incurable, because we can reach certain treatment thorough regaining the balance with an appropriate medicine and proper time. Meanwhile addiction is not like high blood pressure or diabetes because these have no certain cure nowadays but addiction has certain cure.
Now if we could cure body and psyche of an addict do you think he would reach certain cure or balance?
They all said: no. I asked why?
They said because the brain, mind and the thinking of an addict is corrupted.
I said: you are right. Because even if body and psyche are cured, yet one more illness remains.
They asked: what illness?
I said: you said yourselves, the illness of mind, thought, notion, perspective, cognition, knowledge, decency or the missing link of certain addiction treatment which is the worldview.
The drug abuser has carried out a wrong notion and lived by an incorrect viewpoint and has lost the path of his life. He must make corrections in his life in order to return to the healthy path and applied worldview is needed in doing so.
.JPG)
They said: would you please explain worldview a bit more?
I said: every game has its own rules, like sports, theater, cinema, even hide and seek has its rules. Thus even a simple game has rules and we must obey those rules and we can’t do as we like. So how come that living has no rules?
Applied worldview teaches us how to live, how to reach peace and to avoid conflicts with others.
They said: this worldview you are talking about is contributed to addiction?
I said: it used to be for addiction treatment only, but today I believe it can be useful for everyone.
They asked: what made you think of valleys?
I said: it wasn’t something new, in our culture mentors like Attar of Nishapur (553-627) who used to live at 7 and 8 century has pictured or written 7 valleys to guide human to pass the disvalues and reach the values. These seven valleys are:
· The Valley of Quest
· The Valley of Love
· The Valley of Understanding
· The Valley of Independence and Detachment
· The Valley of Unity
· The Valley of Astonishment and Bewilderment
· The Valley of Deprivation and Death
Moreover the Sufi people believed in intuition and perception of deeper meanings behind outward appearances. In order to reach intuition, Sufi tolerates ascesis.
8 steps were described by Nur ad-Dīn Abd ar-Rahmān Jāmī for the first travel which is a travel from people to supreme power. These steps are:
Quest, edification, understanding, hilarity, love, astonishment, deprivation and death, Unitarianism
I have written 14 valleys (suitable for our time) to find ourselves or to move from darkness to light, from fear to courage, from infidelity to faith, from humiliation to pride and last but not least from hatred to love. These valleys are written in 14 years sporadically.
These valleys are listed below:
1. All structures begin with contemplation; without contemplation, all that exist will decline.
2. No creature comes into existence without a purpose; none of us are insignificant even if we think of ourselves as that.
3. We should know that nobody is concerned as deeply as a human being for his true self.
4. In vital matters, leaving the responsibility to God means neglecting one’s own responsibility.
5. Cognition alone is not the ultimate approach to problem solving in our world. It will be completed with experience and achievement.
6. Wisdom's command, as the commander in chief, should be carried out accordingly.
7. The mystery and secret in discovering the truth lies in two factors: finding the right path and what we derive from it.
8. The path is revealed with progress.
9. Tolerance is built when a force begins at a low level and gradually increases.
10. Human being past attributes don’t remain the same because he is constantly changing.
11. All roaring rivers and gushing springs will ultimately reach the sea and ocean.
12. Ultimately, the first command is carried out.
13. The end of each point is the beginning of a new line.
14. Love is the only true existence; all else are empty containers.
Written by: Hossein Dezhakam
Translated by: Ehsan Ranjbar