Michael Magyar is a graduate of Framingham State University and the creator of this course. Michael earned a Bachelor of Sociology Degree with a Psychology minor in 1999. Michael became one of the leading presenters among inmates on the disease of addiction during his time in jail at the Essex County Correctional Facility (The Farm) in Lawrence, Massachusetts. While on parole and probation, he created the Addict’s Map of Consciousness and presented it to the homeless veterans during his inpatient stay at the Crescent House Transitional Residence Program in Lowell, Massachusetts. The map is the backbone of addiction recovery. It will allow the student of this course to experience Zen-like moments and will most certainly question his or her own understanding of social learning, cognitive processes and behavior theory.

The disease of addiction begins as a disease of the spirit and usually ends up as a disease of the body, mind and spirit. It becomes progressively worse until finally devouring the addict’s moral, physical, mental, emotional, economic, social and legal life. Because addiction is a spiritual disease it requires a spiritual remedy. Our modern day treatment plans have not been that successful. About 1 in every 50 American men is currently behind bars from addiction related charges. More and more people are dying every day from overdose and relapse. Perhaps it’s time to put away the brain scans and magnetic resonance imaging and go back to school -- very old school. Choosing a treatment plan from one of our ancient spiritual doctrines, with the concept of God or not, may give the addict the best chance from becoming the complete failure that is addiction.

Finding a way out of fear is the way out of addiction and may provide the addict the best chance to keep his or her life. This course is about recognizing your fears and learning how your own addiction to instincts naturally makes you an addict. This course centers around the spiritual principles found throughout the literature of Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. 

Kavita Maharaj, an internationally recognized registered meditation teacher and trainer provided insight on Vipassana meditation for this course.