Addictions

Question 1

Evolution and Survival of the fittest

Answer 1

Darwin broke down the idea of human’s special origin from god
Spencer’s Survival of the fittest
Marx’s Das Capita challenged conventional view of religion as moral force for good. He believed relgiion to be oppressive, hindering humanitity’s ability to be successful.

All of these challenge how we fit into nature. Crisis for theologians. Conservatives said there was no way to reconcile Bible with Darwin and Spencer and Marx. Liberals tried to reconcile their views, leading to the development of Biblical interpretation, which is a mode of reading the Old Testament. Stripped away idea that it came wholly from God and could not be interpretted. Instead, the esssence of the bible was still god but the words were literature.

Religion negotioation with relevancy in America as well. Becomes less about Bible coming directly from God and more of an example, leading to social Christianity, which advocated for social change, living moral life will bring you closer to god. Social Christianity makes its way into political discourse.

Question 2

Alcohol

Answer 2

Policies of prohibition made because alcohol is seen as a cuase of a social ill. In this context, we see the development of NGOs such as AA. 1-3 acknowledges that they are powerless over their addiction, 4-7 looking inwards, seeing how their drinking has affected others. Confession and appology. 8-12 living out these steps more broadly. Kind of parallel to religious conversion. Alcoholism isn’t really understood as clinical until early 20th century.

Question 3

LSD and psychiatry

Answer 3

• supposed to be respitory stimulant
• Hoffman went on accidental acid trip in 1943
• became of interest in psychiatry

SK became home of LSD and schizophrenia studies. Thought that LSD had capacity to establish knowledge of psychosis => cure.

• found that positive encounters with God were more efficient than negative encounters with delerium.
• Focus on making problem drinker comfy during administration of LSD. Trying to induce experience with God. interviews with patient halfway through: “do you believe in God?” “Do you want to meet God?” “Did you meet God?” “What did God say?” -> stop drinking, theft, sin, etc.

Jensen blended LSD with AA procedure in Wyburn. These alcoholics were high risk who didn’t see success in other programmes. The church and psychadelic community should work together, people said. The papers released by the researchers suggested 50% success rate. Skepticism because of subjectivity and unorthodox practice. Toronto (and other places) tried to replicate the result and couldn’t.

Blending between medical and religious understanding of psychiatry and treatment.