2 8 S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 8 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 2 2 Addiction and the Quest for Wholeness Samuel Bendeck Sotillos Received March 8, 2022 Revised March 29, 2022 Accepted March 31, 2022 The global rise of addictions in the modern world is alarming. What the discipline of modern Western psychology fails to recognize is the connection between the loss of a sense of the sacred and the rise in addiction and mental illness. Due to the spiritual desolation prevalent in the present day and its traumatizing effects, the human search for wholeness and healing is all too often diverted into destructive and dysfunctional behaviors. It is only a spiritual approach to the science of the soul that allows psychology to restore the categories of Spirit, soul, and body, along with their corresponding degrees of reality. This paper examines the root causes of addiction in order to better understand the collective search for wholeness and healing. The framework employed for this study is the perennial psychology – an application of the universal wisdom found in humanity’s spiritual patrimony to the proper understanding of this burgeoning crisis. The objective of the study is to propose a more integrative approach to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of addiction. Key words Addiction, substance use disorders, perennial psychology, perennial philosophy
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