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New Definition of Alcoholism
As a recovered alcoholic and an Orthodox Roman Catholic Priest, perhaps somewhat of a Spiritual Director, within Alcoholics Anonymous I have made a conscious decision to add to Dr. William Silkworth’s definition of alcoholism.
It was Dr. Silkworth, perhaps somewhere around the year 1933, who gave us the definition of alcoholism. Dr. Silkworth is quoted widely as calling the illness a combination of "---an obsession of the mind that condemns one to drink and an allergy of the body that condemns one to die" or go mad if one continues to ingest alcohol.
With that being said, adding to this definition does not, in any way, take away from the words of Dr. Silkworth, however, it does deepen the understanding of one suffering from this spiritual sickness.
There is no argument concerning the mental or physical pain the alcoholic is experiencing during the time of his untreated alcoholism but what about his soul? Is this not a threefold illness? We are dealing with a mental obsession, physical allergy and a spiritual malady.
Taking all of this into account I have come to the conclusion that Alcoholism “is an obsession of the mind that condemns one to drink, an allergy of the body that condemns one to die and a possession of the soul that condemns one to hell.”
As we hear, every so often within an A.A. meeting, on matters of religion and spirituality this definition; religion is for someone who wants to avoid going to hell, spirituality is for someone who has been to hell and knows the way out.
What are the definitions of possession? We can review them below, reflecting on a possible relationship of past or present and experience.
Possession is merely a case where one is no longer in control of what they are doing.
Definition of possession
1
a : the act of having or taking into control
b : control or occupancy of property without regard to ownership
c : ownership
d : control of the ball or puck; also : an instance of having such control (as in football) scored on their first two possessions
2
: something owned, occupied, or controlled : property
3
a : domination by something (such as an evil spirit, a passion, or an idea)
b : a psychological state in which an individual's normal personality is replaced by another
c : self-possession
Demonic possession is when a being controls the mind (emotions or thoughts) and intellect (decision making ability) of a person by merging with the person’s consciousness. As a result, they also control the person’s actions.
Alcohol has had a long history within religion, spiritualism and the occult. Alcohol has been symbolic within various forms of spiritualism, and almost all religious denominations.
Alcohol is generally viewed within spiritualism as a gateway substance which allows demonic possession of the drinker, as well as a source of positive or negative energies from the surrounding dimensions.
Within Spiritual Science, alcohol is believed to cause a loss of control of the mind and intellect, which allows ‘black energy’ to enter. Possessions of the body becomes highly probable and the inner self becomes endangered.
I have some knowledge on the topic of demonology. My opinion is there are many individuals, inside and outside of the rooms of AA, suffering from minor possession who have no understanding of the current state of their soul.
As a recovered alcoholic and an Orthodox Roman Catholic Priest, perhaps somewhat of a Spiritual Director, within Alcoholics Anonymous I have made a conscious decision to add to Dr. William Silkworth’s definition of alcoholism.
It was Dr. Silkworth, perhaps somewhere around the year 1933, who gave us the definition of alcoholism. Dr. Silkworth is quoted widely as calling the illness a combination of "---an obsession of the mind that condemns one to drink and an allergy of the body that condemns one to die" or go mad if one continues to ingest alcohol.
With that being said, adding to this definition does not, in any way, take away from the words of Dr. Silkworth, however, it does deepen the understanding of one suffering from this spiritual sickness.
There is no argument concerning the mental or physical pain the alcoholic is experiencing during the time of his untreated alcoholism but what about his soul? Is this not a threefold illness? We are dealing with a mental obsession, physical allergy and a spiritual malady.
Taking all of this into account I have come to the conclusion that Alcoholism “is an obsession of the mind that condemns one to drink, an allergy of the body that condemns one to die and a possession of the soul that condemns one to hell.”
As we hear, every so often within an A.A. meeting, on matters of religion and spirituality this definition; religion is for someone who wants to avoid going to hell, spirituality is for someone who has been to hell and knows the way out.
What are the definitions of possession? We can review them below, reflecting on a possible relationship of past or present and experience.
Possession is merely a case where one is no longer in control of what they are doing.
Definition of possession
1
a : the act of having or taking into control
b : control or occupancy of property without regard to ownership
c : ownership
d : control of the ball or puck; also : an instance of having such control (as in football) scored on their first two possessions
2
: something owned, occupied, or controlled : property
3
a : domination by something (such as an evil spirit, a passion, or an idea)
b : a psychological state in which an individual's normal personality is replaced by another
c : self-possession
Demonic possession is when a being controls the mind (emotions or thoughts) and intellect (decision making ability) of a person by merging with the person’s consciousness. As a result, they also control the person’s actions.
Alcohol has had a long history within religion, spiritualism and the occult. Alcohol has been symbolic within various forms of spiritualism, and almost all religious denominations.
Alcohol is generally viewed within spiritualism as a gateway substance which allows demonic possession of the drinker, as well as a source of positive or negative energies from the surrounding dimensions.
Within Spiritual Science, alcohol is believed to cause a loss of control of the mind and intellect, which allows ‘black energy’ to enter. Possessions of the body becomes highly probable and the inner self becomes endangered.
I have some knowledge on the topic of demonology. My opinion is there are many individuals, inside and outside of the rooms of AA, suffering from minor possession who have no understanding of the current state of their soul.
