The #1 addiction: Nicotine

Chewing and/or smoking tobacco is a dirty, filthy, unforgiving habit!

Day 6: To abstain is to add life. It is not a subtraction.

Addiction to the unreal :)

Being right.

......and what is the swing of the Sea?

Power! Without a doubt. Unfortunately what people strive for is power over others. If they strove for power over themselves- their thoughts and their actions, it would be a force for good.

The human species has been stuck in the red zone. Red of war, red of lust. Lowest chakra mentality and expression.

I'm beginning to understand why I don't connect with theory well. Theory is dry to me and lacks the juice of electricity. Theory lacks emotional content. I have to back my words/thoughts/feelings with my stories. It's my truth.

I am in a relationship with a man after being single for seven years. My relationships with men used to wrap around red. It was the driving force. Now it's different and my passion seems to be in the whole aura of my field. South pole is no longer bulging and controlling. A new roundness seems to be in play. I am learning about this newness day by day. It's an organic/evolving process.

When a man approaches me with "red" I am now repelled rather than attracted. I find that I need space in a relationship. Space that allows me breathing room to be all my colors. Space to be creative in expression. How does one explain that to a man who is very red?

In my relationship with Goddess I sense my earth body is similar to Earth Mother body. In this oneness I see planet earth bulging at the South Pole because of the "red" that her people are generating. She needs humans to expand our colors so that we can generate a layer of balanced protection for Her. This shift moves us into a new field of Love. I wonder what to call it?

Have a rainbow colored day!

Trish~~

Consumerism.

Top addictions = cigarettes and alchohol, a close-running third being synthetic narcotic drugs.

The western world is drugging their children as ADD ADHD; but, meanwhile, they are bored kids in school. I think it's rather sad, that working parents are so willing to drug their children, just to keep them quiet and listless.... scary times are here!

Nicotine, alchohol and synthetic drugs industries are a multi-billion dollar obssessed business's. They don't care that their products are destructive, and kill. They just care about the dollars... government thrives off thier sales, called: taxes.

So, people are allowed to kill themselves softly with these addictive products, while the government raises prices on them, for tax-purposes; but, call it--an effort to curb use.. yeah right.. and I have a gold mine here I'd like to sell...

North

negativity or pessimism!

How odd it may sound:

the red chakra is the root chakra that puts you with two feet on the ground into your own strength. All the chakra's are needed in your life. With two feed firmly on the ground and being a person that can walk straight up, being pulled at your crown into space, you will have to find the balance somewhere inbetween.

Finding that strength in the middle is the secret!

Mieke

#12 - negativity and pessimism is likely the mirrored butterfly-effect of its essence. It is who and what, spawned the effect in the first place, which is urgent for scrutiny, and to be subsided.

Question: is a branch, freed from it's tree, blowing hard in the wind, and hits someone--is it the fault of that someone, the branch for letting go, the tree, for letting go, the branch for not clinging, the wind for blowing?

Sounds like a dumb question--but, it is clearly, the only one I can come up with...

Answer: there is no blame. The wind comes from nature, and we respond to nature. As such, the remnants of negativism and pessimism, are as much a vital part of nature, as the taming of the beast of nature as itself.

The two, cannot be parted.

How can we blame, the branch that hit someone; when it was the wind.. which threw it? (wink)

I am guilty of negative/pessimistic personality myself(anyone notice?); but, my presence, is as much important to the "whole matter" of nature and human-emotion and human-evolutionary motions; as that, of calming positivism and optimism type people.

IF it were not for the balance of good, and evil; negative and positive... change could not occur.

So, I embrace myself; negative-ways as I am; and can only hope that others truly learn to value all aspects of the human evolution; and not just that, which is more pleasingly receiving...

much love,
North

Drug addiction is pandemic. There is confusion about addiction - and what constitutes addiction. Many behaviors are compulsive, impulsive, and problematic - but are not addictions - labeling Gambling as an addiction distorts the reality and is counter productive. Lumping all problematic behaviors into a single category of addiction fails a treatment mission by reinforcing denial patterns.
Ohg

Hi North,

Agreed, the two cannot be parted.

But perception can :)

I came from the negative, my whole teen period was negative, negative, negative, you could say that I have lost 20 years of my life. Until i found out the secret that I and only I was responsible for the way I looked at life and that love and joy were to be found in the little things in life as well as in the bigger things.

The moment I realized this, i accepted myself the way I was and from then on my life changed, not in the amount of money, not in the amount of a beautiful body or face, but in the amount of being happy with myself the way i was and being happy with what i had at exactly that moment.

And Yoga was the bliss! It gave me the insight that i was and would always be accepted the way i was and am. With all my chakra's!

When I realized that life went upwards and better and better (does not mean i did not encounter negative things in my life, a lot actually, but I could handle all of them with love, because I loved myself).

I do not want to convince you of anything North, you know me by now I hope? Am praying for you, and if I win the lottery right now, all the money goes to you! :)

And if I could take away your pain I would, you know that!

Much love and blessings, always

Mieke

Well said Mieke!(hugs) However, if you won the lottery, I would not allow you to give it to me..you know me by now. Though, if you ever did win; and opened your own book publishing company and wanted to hire me, with ridiculously high pay; I would let you.

Also, I would not give you my pain.. I'd rather hold onto it, rather than let anyone else... feel it.

I suppose, I was defending the right of "negativism and positivism" to be viewed as an existing and important aspect of change.

Without the two, we could not "move" as a motionary or evolutionary being, merely responding to life, people and environment; which mix our emotional-barrel.

Sadly, we don't all have life-altering things happen, which change a negative or pessimistic perspective into a positive, optimistic one... sadly, our need to exist, are as vital, as a positive, or optimistic persons need.. to exist.

Sadly all the more, is when we believe we exist at all.. negative or positive.. it is still an obscured reality.

North

dear North,
and dear Mieke,
I cherish you both!
~ Kate

greatest addiction ....
LOVE
;)

Dear Kate,

I get IT..the Mother of all addictions!

gambling!

Good question, RL.

A question for the times. The answer is self addiction. To care for oneself and none else.
True that charity starts at home. But now our home is our globe, more than ever before.

It seems there's not much love, peace and compassion left to be shared with the unfortunate.
Everyone seems to be for himself/herself. Times have changed. You cannot save yourself if you do not save others.

Think!

if u regularly buy a lottery ticket, u are a gambler... not all gamblers are drinkers or smokers...so it is gambling, by a country mile! the number one addiction is gambling!

Actually, if one looks and the underlying nature of addiction, it is not to a "substance or thing out there", but rather to the energy level of consciousness. For example, it is a common belief that one becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, when in fact the effects of drugs is merely to suppress the lower energy fields of anxiety, fear, anger, resentment and etc. and allows the person to experience the higher energy fields.

It is really the 'experience' of the high to which one becomes addicted. A high in this case being one higher than one's own level of consciousness at the moment. This high state that people seek, by whatever means, is in reality the experience of one's own essence but is mistakenly identified with the thing "out there"

The reverse of this is also true. One can become so enamored of the negative energy of the lower levels of consciousness the life energy of their true essence is robbed and they become isolated from the higher levels of love and joy/happiness, those things that can only come from within and balancing one's own energy.

So that said, I would say that the number one addiction is our denial of the true nature of addiction.

Love, joy and peace
bonnie

Robert Larson:

The number one addiction is to the physical/mental sensation of "craving".

Craving for:

Alcohol, enlightenment, cars, nirvana, land, food, jewels, money, spiritual insight, drugs, success, cloths, electronic devices, information, the second coming of Christ....add infinitum.

Notice that the human state of craving is never fulfilled. As soon as one craving is dealt with another crops up with no or little gap between.

It seems that the only time humans experience "identity" is in this state of "craving'.

Speaking of lottery-playing.. Saturday night, the lotto 649 was 30-million dollars!! It was split... a winner in Quebec or Montreal; and one here in town, whom owns the only chinese restaurant!! He is very nice, awesome to work with, and great to his employees, friendly, always smiling; so, it's nice to see it go to someone so kindhearted!! : )

Maybe Mieke has a point, after all.... smiles.

The Internet?

I just want more and better quality more.

Kate, I think the questioner meant the most addicted to, not the best to be adicted to. If love mas the most addicted to, the world would be John Lennon's world.

Being addictive is the natural state of mechanical man. Mass man. By knowing this about you, the ruling elite manipulate you from moment to moment. Drawing you in. Deeper and deeper into the illusion. Next stop "Second Life".

y o u w i l l b e a s s i m i l a t e d

Laurence speaketh...p-24

Robert asks..."What is the number one addiction ...in the world?"

"Alcohol, enlightenment, cars, nirvana, land, food, jewels, money, spiritual insight, drugs, success, cloths, electronic devices, information, the second coming of Christ...add infinitum."

"add infinitum"? add? intersting!

Laurence...the man wants to know what is the number one addiction...dude! i believe one word is the answer?...damn!

"greatest addiction ....
LOVE"

Yo Kate
nice one

derek

~~~~~
for the luv addicts :)

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOU5JfGYx4c

~~~~~

Very funny bonnie! nice link.

Number one addiction;

Air
then water and food...

Love

Kate.. Derek--love is not good love, when it is from an addictive source; that only means, it is a temporary relief... like that, which alchohol or drugs offer.

Real love stands the test of time, the balance between optimism and pessimism. It outlives the hurts, pains, doubts, change.

Addictive love, is temporary self-satisfaction, to feel emotionally inibriated, intoxicated from mere words of sweetness; which is often a false sense of what love really is...

Love,
North

Seriously though.. been thinking on this one off and on all day, going about making a white cake, with broiled frosting...

The biggest global addiction is: fear

LPB...the not-so-bright one...damn!

It is Larsen, not Larson. Also, it is ad infinitum, add infinitum...ok dude, u up on the Swiss Alps! damn!

Legal, addictive, and dangerous psychiatric drugs. This by far is the worst addiction we have partly because people think they are doing good for their minds by taking these drugs. At least with the illegal street drugs people have the expectation that damage is being caused. Please, please look at the site below to see how these legal, prescription, psychiatric drugs are negatively affecting people and society in general. It's absolutely criminal to allow this to continue.

HTTP://WWW.SSRISTORIES.COM/INDEX.PHP

Well I can't speak for Kate, but I see Love as the Mother of all addictions in the sense that Love is really what we are seeking. It's not an addiction in itself but folks searching outside of themselves and not seeing any hope of finding it then try to assuage their longing for what is their birthright by trying all sorts of 'drug' inducements both unconsciously internal, generated from behaviours, and from artificial interference with such metabolisms.
These take one towards the well-being that is Love at one's centre but without the necessary spiritual awareness which can only increase the longing but burn out the very vehicle in which the Love that heralded in to the world waits patiently to truly make Itself manifest.

I hope you get my drift. It's not easy to turn it around.

Diablo:

#29? I believe you have misread my post.

I only used one word for what I believe to be the number one addiction.

"Craving".

The list is not of addictions but symptoms of what I state is the number one addiction.

It would be nice if the number one addiction was Love, for it is Love that overcomes all else.

Overcoming an addiction is really hard without a change in perrception. It takes acceptance and a willingness to know that what one seeks is inside oneself.

Bonnie

Number one addiction: to who I imagine that I am

I agree with post #2 & #40

The hardest addiction to break is the addiction to "reality" as percieved.

i before e except after c, dangit

LPB...fyi...

all addictions are cravings...so...it's still a one word answer...duh!

Diablo #43,

Is LPB not the same dude who once said that Carl Sagan was a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology?

If he is, then he is not what he thinks he is - brilliant.

Smiles.

Diablo there is a distinction between craving and addiction.

Addiction has craving as a component. Craving can come without addiction.

I am saying it is the sensation of craving we are addicted to.

There is no "sensation" of addiction.

But hey what do I know?

there is no distinction, dude!...duh! damn!

Diablo:

Not sure what to make of your anger but your level of intellegence conversation makes me look smart. Duh! And that I ain't. So that makes you what? Damn!! Get a grip dude.

Diablo:

Addiction:

"the quality or state of being addicted "

Addicted

"to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively "

The substance I refer to in my first post is the biochemicals associated with the physiological/mental sensations of craving.

Craving

"an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing."

And take it from an addict who's been there. I can crave for something as much as I want to and as long as I do not surrender to it nor make it a habitual practice, such as gorging on chocolate to the point where I develop diabetes, I am not addicted.

One can crave without being addicted.

Distinction

Forget about distinctions. I don't you have the capacity. You hardly have the vocabulary.

well if u think u r smart, dude, who am i to convince u otherwise? u have already made ur intelligence here abundantly clear...no?

Larsen wants to know what is the number one addiction in the world...i think that's a pretty straight forward question...it is a one word answer!

Love addiction

Fossil fuels.

Unsustainable lifestyles based on polluting, non-renewable energy sources.

There are others, too. Spiritually, it is the addiction to the ego. The idea of separate self is the root of all addictions. That's why AA starts with the first step being surrender. It is also the first step of following the spiritual path. As long as you keep thinking "it's all about me" you're doomed.

And if you haven't ever had a deep surrender experience of just letting go and letting Existence run without your needs and control interfering, then you are still fantasizing that it's about you.

It isn't. Never has been, and never will be. Because you aren't. There is no "me" for it to be about.

At the mass civilization however, it is an addiction to a lifestyle that eventually results in decimating our society. That lifestyle is based on fossil fuels and the non-biodegradable by-product of oil, plastic.

The USA is behaving exactly like an oil addict. We believe ourselves to be separate from the rest of the world, and we believe we MUST have our oil, even if we have to kill and commit other crimes to get it.

So we commit war crimes and kill lots of people in order to get it.

I guess I don't need to tell you how many master's degrees it took to figure that out.

Diablo:

#49.

If it's a straight forward one word answer why have you used more then one word, as I myself have, to describe what you believe the answer to be?

And why have you used many more words on this thread to not answer the question, instead making my education as to how to answer "Larsen" your personal project?

So the one word I have used all along to answer Robert Larsen's question I will repeat so that others won't get smoked by your screen:

"CRAVING"

I'm done with you dude on this thread. You have once again come across as a lonely, miserable, bored, child with nothing better to do then attempt to harass people.

As I said a few months ago I got who you are and finally once again you got me laughing 'cause I see the joke and the joke is you.

Have a great evening. DAMN!!!!! Whahahaha!!!!

Could harassing be heading for number one spot?!!

u are the butt of many jokes, dude!

everybody knows that...and fyi...

i am not lonely, i am not bored and i am not miserable...so much for ur bery percipient mind...

hey dude...way up there on the Swiss Alps...what's the def. of a hermit? what kind of a winna secludes himself on a cold mountain top, anyway? damn!

yogi-one #51:

I saw on the news last night that farmers in the US are being paid to grow switch grass for green fuel. And...scientists are pouncing on that to create a better product by genetic manipulation. Why can't humans leave nature alone and quit trying to improve it? Man's tries to play God/Goddess and creates a global mess. Where's the humility and respect for a system of which we are one part? What's wrong with our brain?

Trish~~

Self Reflective Consciousness or...
Self Centered Consciousness.
An addiction of unparalled proportions.
Todd

u make no sense, dude!

I had a point when I asked the question, but i'm not to clear as to what it was. Something along the lines of negitivity, blaming, cable tv news...the spreading of it...the selfishness of pointing and blaming physically and mentally instead of choosing another form of selfishness which is to mentally find the good in everything and marching foreward, and physically helping others who can't without judgement.
Something like that. I'm not sure. I had a crappy day at work, my boss is a prick!

Larsen is Norwegian, Larson Swedish, but I don't mind either. Grandma was Swedish. She made good pancakes.
Thank you all!

danasheilds number 4 was the closest to where I was coming from.