An Era of Addiction

What is addiction? What images trigger it? What beliefs support it? How does addiction manipulate reality? Limit perception? Is addiction the motivation behind crude materialism? Is our culture so mesmerized by fantasy that it lacks the ability to understand the consequences of certain realities? Addicts are last to see their self-demise, can a whole culture be so blind? Perhaps. It has become apparent that no longer is addiction someone else's problem, lingering behind doorways or down dark alleys. No longer are the dealers of the world only doing business on street corners or in abandoned warehouses. They are in high-rises and malls, on billboards and commercials, in schools, on the radio, in print, and always with the best deal taking residence in our psyche. *********** Great! An insightful, integrated, and enticing explanation of the process of addiction and how it creates devastation not only at an individual level, but at the level of society. Though disturbing, the concept of Cultural Addiction is quite compelling as it proves that there is a basic, understood process behind consumerism. As it asks tough questions, with clear data, it challenges all of us to look at our patterns in not only how they affect our lives, but also ultimately how they affect others and future life. --Thom Hartmann, Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight