H P Blavatsky's View of Addiction by Dave Marsland of Cardiff Theosophical Society
Cardiff Theosophical Society in Wales
206 Newport Road,
Cardiff
CF24 1DL
www.theosophycardiff.org
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H P Blavatsky's View of Addiction
H P Blavatsky believed that addiction was a symptom of a larger spiritual problem. She postulated that humans have a spiritual higher self, which is immortal. Addiction occurs when the higher self is obscured by our lower self or ego, which is driven by obsessions, passions and desires emanating from our desire principle. According to Blavatsky, addiction is not just a physical dependence on a substance or behaviour, but the result of a spiritual deficit as well.
Blavatsky also believed that addiction was the result of Karma or law of cause and effect from life to life, which is a core concept of Blavatskyan Theosophy. Every action we take has consequences which may come back on us in this or a future incarnation. Addiction is therefore the result of past actions that have created a craving for a substance or behaviour. Blavatsky believed that addiction was a way for us to learn and grow spiritually by overcoming our lower nature.
Blavatsky's views on addiction are also related to her ideas about the nature of reality. She believed that reality is not just physical, but also spiritual. The material world is just a reflection of the spiritual world, and our experiences in the material world are meant to teach us spiritual lessons. Addiction is a reminder that we are not separate from the world around us, and that all of our actions have consequences that affect us and the world around us.
Although not speaking specifically about addiction, in the Key to Theosophy, H P Blavatsky was clear that alcohol is a hindrance to spiritual growth, making an unfavourable comparison with stronger substances.
She say;:
“Alcohol in all its forms has a direct, marked, and very deleterious influence on man's psychic condition. Wine and spirit drinking is only less destructive to the development of the inner powers, than the habitual use of hashish, opium, and similar drugs”
Blavatsky's approach to addiction is different from modern medical and psychological views of addiction. While these approaches may focus on physical dependence and individual behaviour, Blavatsky's approach is more holistic, taking into account spiritual and karmic factors. Although it may be difficult to appreciate at the time, by recognizing the spiritual aspect of addiction, we can begin to see it as an opportunity for growth and transformation.
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The first Theosophical Society was founded in New York on November 17th 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge and others.
The Theosophical Movement now consists of a diverse range of organizations which carry the Theosophical Tradition forward. The Theosophical Society in Wales is an independent body
within the Worldwide Theosophical Movement and has been promoting Theosophy since 1908.
