I am now 82 years old and have always been perceived as weird! Never read such an appropriate article as to how I feel most of the time. Slowing down is natural with age and it has led to my acceptance of how I am and comfort with my psychological state. I never considered myself as particularly highly intelligent, I never made any great contributions to society or science, but I have a mind that loves investigating things in history, technological development, music ancient and modern, structures of social components of education, business and environmental, in other words things that most people have little to no interest in discussing or responding! I have never had an addiction unless playing a lot of Texas hold em poker which allows me to focus and pay attention to just that. Thank you for this wonderful article...I am so glad to know that I am really not alone.
Thank you! Most of the people are saying what I would say. So suffice it to say, this speaks to me. It has taken me nearly 77 years to realize my value to me. I started creating, and I stopped trying to find friends or to be liked. I like me now. I do not put myself in situations that make me nauseated and anxious. I stay home and go places by myself if I must get out. I spent my life as a psychotherapist trying to heal myself, but now I love my new quiet life.
Carl Jung had a revolutionary idea about alcoholism: he saw it not just as a sickness, but as a "spiritual search in disguise." He believed that deep down, the addiction is the soul's desperate attempt to connect with something sacred or divine that has been lost. For Jung, every alcoholic is fundamentally a mystic who is trying to find wholeness, and the addiction acts as a harsh tool for spiritual change by forcing the destruction of their false self (the ego).
The Soul's Thirst and the False Answer
Jung said all people have a "spiritual thirst"—a need to connect with something bigger than themselves. He felt this thirst is much stronger in alcoholics because modern life has created a spiritual void. He called alcoholics the "canaries in the coal mine" of a disconnected culture, showing the pain of this emptiness.
The problem is that alcohol only offers a fake spiritual experience. It gives a quick escape and a false sense of connection, but it's ultimately destructive. Alcohol hijacks the natural brain pathways meant for genuine spiritual connection, offering a temporary, counterfeit feeling of "coming home."
The Ego's Breakdown: A Path to the True Self
Jung saw alcoholism as a "wrecking ball" used by a higher power to systematically break down the person's ego—the part of the mind built on control and false beliefs. This process is painful, leading to isolation and consequences. But Jung argued it's not punishment; it's preparation.
When an alcoholic "hits rock bottom," Jung viewed this total defeat not as a failure, but as a "spiritual doorway." It's the moment when all illusions shatter, forcing them to surrender the ego. This difficult process makes room for the "true self" to emerge.
Surrender, Transformation, and the Modern Mystic
Jung emphasized that real recovery starts with surrender—giving up personal will to a Higher Power. This act, which looks like defeat, is actually the key to empowerment.
The alcoholic's journey reflects an ancient process called alchemy, where pain is transformed into wisdom. Through surrender, a new identity is formed.
In the end, the person achieves a rebirth, becoming a "modern mystic." They learn to integrate their deep spiritual awareness into everyday life. Their journey proves that suffering is not meaningless; it is the essential ingredient for redemption and lasting change.
This view suggests that the struggle with addiction holds a deeper purpose.
The suffering isn't meaningless. It's the organism's most honest signal, pointing directly at what isn't working, without interpretation, without negotiation. The problem isn't the suffering itself. It's that most people try to end it rather than read it. The addiction silences the signal. Recovery begins when the signal is finally heard for what it is.
The way you articulate your life experiences helps me see my own feelings in a raw way, and it is so beautiful. I'm 5 years sober, I'm quiet about most of the things that mean anything to me. I'm different from others and I feel so seen and understood through your writing. That gap has permeated my father and mother and I broke the cycle. I'm learning to slow down. I know that I'm now addicted to busyness but with practice and grace, I'll continue to learn to slow down and celebrate my introverted ways. ❤️ Thank you for putting your work out for us to read. I certainly connect with what you share.
Thank you so much, I really wish people who took their lives because of the mental and emotional pain that is almost impossible to explain or at least be understood by many, would have had a chance to read this, for them to know that it’s okay to be different and that they were never alone. I hope it reaches all the individuals in the world that need it. Thank you.
The gap you're describing is real and the path you found is genuine. Building a life that finally matches the depth of the mind and that works. What you're pointing at with slow living is the conditions that allow the metacognitive observer to finally rest instead of running continuously.
There is also a more direct path: going below the patterns entirely rather than building around them. Not closing the gap by filling it but dissolving the structure that creates it. Both paths lead to the same place. Yours is slower and perhaps more sustainable for most people. The other requires something most people aren't ready for — radical honesty about what the gap actually is.
I've never thought of myself as highly intelligent but I have experienced all of this. Turning to alcohol to numb the gap. And I thought everybody thought deeply about their own thoughts on top of thoughts!
This is definitely me. It's funny though, when I read the line about doing the slow things that nourish our souls, I immediately thought of the classical guitar concert I'm going to tonight. I never do things just for me like that and I've felt guilty about it, but reading this reminded me of why I felt so compelled to buy the ticket even when my mind tried to convince me it was a waste of time. Looking forward to an intentionally slow evening for a change.
Like others here have stated, I feel this could’ve been written for me, so thank you kindly. Very poignant.
My former therapist, Dr. Khalid Sohail (Green Zone: https://www.greenzoneliving.ca/contact-us.html) used to advise me to “take life like a turtle”. His office desk was covered with gifts of turtle figurines from his patients who took that advice to heart.
Sohail came from the Jungian school of psychotherapy, and is a dedicated secular humanist who gave up on his Islamic upbringing after witnessing far too much political and religious violence in Pakistan before relocating to Canada to practice, to the benefit of all his patients.
His gentle guidance and wisdom, shared in his many books and poems, are still valuable references for me. Also, his practice is funded as a public health service that is provincial government supported, and no cost is incurred by the patients. It is exceptional even in Canada, for this sort of treatment support, and he fought to achieve it for his clients.
So your message to “slow down” is well received and understood, as are the other factors you mentioned that preceded my downshift to a turtle’s pace. There are various useful sayings and cliches that resonate with the effort to slow down, and they lose their triviality when applied to real life situations. But some really ring true.
I can’t give proper credit to whomever put these wonderful words together, but they are invaluable to me:
“When the mind is present, the world moves at the proper speed.”
I am now 82 years old and have always been perceived as weird! Never read such an appropriate article as to how I feel most of the time. Slowing down is natural with age and it has led to my acceptance of how I am and comfort with my psychological state. I never considered myself as particularly highly intelligent, I never made any great contributions to society or science, but I have a mind that loves investigating things in history, technological development, music ancient and modern, structures of social components of education, business and environmental, in other words things that most people have little to no interest in discussing or responding! I have never had an addiction unless playing a lot of Texas hold em poker which allows me to focus and pay attention to just that. Thank you for this wonderful article...I am so glad to know that I am really not alone.
Thank you! Most of the people are saying what I would say. So suffice it to say, this speaks to me. It has taken me nearly 77 years to realize my value to me. I started creating, and I stopped trying to find friends or to be liked. I like me now. I do not put myself in situations that make me nauseated and anxious. I stay home and go places by myself if I must get out. I spent my life as a psychotherapist trying to heal myself, but now I love my new quiet life.
The problem may not be intelligence itself, but the absence of environments where depth can be shared without self-editing.
I met myself again in this piece. Thanks for articulating how our existence feels. I feel seen and less alone.
I feel seen, heard and suddenly not alone. Thank you deeply 🤍.
Carl Jung's View: Alcoholism as a Spiritual Quest
Carl Jung had a revolutionary idea about alcoholism: he saw it not just as a sickness, but as a "spiritual search in disguise." He believed that deep down, the addiction is the soul's desperate attempt to connect with something sacred or divine that has been lost. For Jung, every alcoholic is fundamentally a mystic who is trying to find wholeness, and the addiction acts as a harsh tool for spiritual change by forcing the destruction of their false self (the ego).
The Soul's Thirst and the False Answer
Jung said all people have a "spiritual thirst"—a need to connect with something bigger than themselves. He felt this thirst is much stronger in alcoholics because modern life has created a spiritual void. He called alcoholics the "canaries in the coal mine" of a disconnected culture, showing the pain of this emptiness.
The problem is that alcohol only offers a fake spiritual experience. It gives a quick escape and a false sense of connection, but it's ultimately destructive. Alcohol hijacks the natural brain pathways meant for genuine spiritual connection, offering a temporary, counterfeit feeling of "coming home."
The Ego's Breakdown: A Path to the True Self
Jung saw alcoholism as a "wrecking ball" used by a higher power to systematically break down the person's ego—the part of the mind built on control and false beliefs. This process is painful, leading to isolation and consequences. But Jung argued it's not punishment; it's preparation.
When an alcoholic "hits rock bottom," Jung viewed this total defeat not as a failure, but as a "spiritual doorway." It's the moment when all illusions shatter, forcing them to surrender the ego. This difficult process makes room for the "true self" to emerge.
Surrender, Transformation, and the Modern Mystic
Jung emphasized that real recovery starts with surrender—giving up personal will to a Higher Power. This act, which looks like defeat, is actually the key to empowerment.
The alcoholic's journey reflects an ancient process called alchemy, where pain is transformed into wisdom. Through surrender, a new identity is formed.
In the end, the person achieves a rebirth, becoming a "modern mystic." They learn to integrate their deep spiritual awareness into everyday life. Their journey proves that suffering is not meaningless; it is the essential ingredient for redemption and lasting change.
This view suggests that the struggle with addiction holds a deeper purpose.
The Inward Arrow Journal | ©️IzzyBarros 2026
The suffering isn't meaningless. It's the organism's most honest signal, pointing directly at what isn't working, without interpretation, without negotiation. The problem isn't the suffering itself. It's that most people try to end it rather than read it. The addiction silences the signal. Recovery begins when the signal is finally heard for what it is.
The way you articulate your life experiences helps me see my own feelings in a raw way, and it is so beautiful. I'm 5 years sober, I'm quiet about most of the things that mean anything to me. I'm different from others and I feel so seen and understood through your writing. That gap has permeated my father and mother and I broke the cycle. I'm learning to slow down. I know that I'm now addicted to busyness but with practice and grace, I'll continue to learn to slow down and celebrate my introverted ways. ❤️ Thank you for putting your work out for us to read. I certainly connect with what you share.
Thank you so much, I really wish people who took their lives because of the mental and emotional pain that is almost impossible to explain or at least be understood by many, would have had a chance to read this, for them to know that it’s okay to be different and that they were never alone. I hope it reaches all the individuals in the world that need it. Thank you.
This speaks deeply to my soul. Thank you.
The gap you're describing is real and the path you found is genuine. Building a life that finally matches the depth of the mind and that works. What you're pointing at with slow living is the conditions that allow the metacognitive observer to finally rest instead of running continuously.
There is also a more direct path: going below the patterns entirely rather than building around them. Not closing the gap by filling it but dissolving the structure that creates it. Both paths lead to the same place. Yours is slower and perhaps more sustainable for most people. The other requires something most people aren't ready for — radical honesty about what the gap actually is.
I've never thought of myself as highly intelligent but I have experienced all of this. Turning to alcohol to numb the gap. And I thought everybody thought deeply about their own thoughts on top of thoughts!
creating somethings heals you.
This is definitely me. It's funny though, when I read the line about doing the slow things that nourish our souls, I immediately thought of the classical guitar concert I'm going to tonight. I never do things just for me like that and I've felt guilty about it, but reading this reminded me of why I felt so compelled to buy the ticket even when my mind tried to convince me it was a waste of time. Looking forward to an intentionally slow evening for a change.
Wow, it was like you wrote this for me
Brilliant, Karun
Like others here have stated, I feel this could’ve been written for me, so thank you kindly. Very poignant.
My former therapist, Dr. Khalid Sohail (Green Zone: https://www.greenzoneliving.ca/contact-us.html) used to advise me to “take life like a turtle”. His office desk was covered with gifts of turtle figurines from his patients who took that advice to heart.
Sohail came from the Jungian school of psychotherapy, and is a dedicated secular humanist who gave up on his Islamic upbringing after witnessing far too much political and religious violence in Pakistan before relocating to Canada to practice, to the benefit of all his patients.
His gentle guidance and wisdom, shared in his many books and poems, are still valuable references for me. Also, his practice is funded as a public health service that is provincial government supported, and no cost is incurred by the patients. It is exceptional even in Canada, for this sort of treatment support, and he fought to achieve it for his clients.
So your message to “slow down” is well received and understood, as are the other factors you mentioned that preceded my downshift to a turtle’s pace. There are various useful sayings and cliches that resonate with the effort to slow down, and they lose their triviality when applied to real life situations. But some really ring true.
I can’t give proper credit to whomever put these wonderful words together, but they are invaluable to me:
“When the mind is present, the world moves at the proper speed.”
🙏 ❤️
(….link about Forest Bathing). Enjoy
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/d08b7fddb7518a45dba1cffa09af660b5004034c9a48c5922ea4bbcfbe7616be/Z7KHAAXW5NDJHDPSDUEFL4V6GQ