The Alchemy of Addiction: Carl Jung, the Enneagram, and Contemplative Wisdom Traditions

Within this important book, Stephen J. Costello draws on Eastern philosophy, Western psychology, and wisdom traditions to offer an interpretation and answer to the multidimensional problem of addiction.

The nature of pleasure, pain, and attachment are discussed, together with stress as a key source of our suffering. Justifying and grounding the work is C. G. Jung’s central insight that the solution to our disordered desires lies in cultivating a spiritual approach to life. As such, a detailed exploration of the Twelve Steps of recovery is elucidated from the threefold perspective of the philosophy of Advaita, the Enneagram system, and the Christian contemplations of Richard Rohr, John Main, and Thomas Keating, as well as St Ignatius of Loyola. The work concludes with a brief look at Platonic ethics, especially the virtue of temperance, St Benedict’s spirituality of humility, and the law of dharma as a blueprint for purposeful non-addicted living.

This book will appeal to a wide variety of readers such as mental health professionals in the counselling and psychotherapy professions, as well as students of depth psychology and philosophy.

Dr Stephen J. Costello is an acclaimed philosopher, depth psychologist, and Enneagram coach. He was educated at St. Gerard’s School, Castleknock College, and University College Dublin, where he graduated with B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in philosophy. He subsequently trained first in psychoanalysis (Trinity College) and then in logotherapy and existential analysis (USA and Vienna). He is the author of sixteen books and is the founder-director of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Ireland, which offers online diploma courses and training. He leads corporate seminars and clinical workshops both nationally and internationally. His website is www.stephenjcostello.com