A mixed-methods exploration of spiritual awakening and corresponding levels of executive functioning in participants of 12-Step programs for methamphetamine recovery

This mixed-methods pilot study of spiritual awakening and corresponding levels of executive functioning gathered qualitative and quantitative data from a group of 12 abstinent individuals recovering from methamphetamine addiction who have reported having a spiritual awakening. The sample consisted of 8 men and 4 women ages ranging from 25 to 48 years (M = 35). Qualitative data collection included 8 semi-structured interview questions about drug use, spiritual awakening, recovery, and cognitive functioning. Quantitative data were collected using 2 direct measures of executive functioning and 3 self-report questionnaires measuring executive functioning in daily life, factors involved in maintaining abstinence, and spiritual transcendence. A finding of interest was that many of the participants reported no longer having cravings, and some reported that cravings had gone away instantaneously following their spiritual awakening experience. Because cue-induced craving is both implicated in relapse and known to persist years after use, this finding is of special interest to both the field of transpersonal psychology and the field of addiction. Qualitative data revealed similar themes to those found in prior research done on alcoholism and spiritual awakening. Themes included hitting bottom, surrendering, and an awareness of the presence of a compassionate higher power. Executive functioning measures were found to be in the normal range. No correlations were found between measures of spiritual transcendence and self-report measures of executive functioning and factors involved in maintaining abstinence. All participants had at least 1 year of abstinence, and thus prolonged abstinence may have been a contributing factor. The findings of this study support transpersonal theories of addiction suggesting that the drive behind addiction is the desire for Divine union and that spiritual awakening can indeed be a powerful and instrumental part of one's recovery from methamphetamine addiction. Further study using brain-imaging technology to research this phenomenon is proposed.