Using the Icarus myth as a metaphor, this essay argues that addiction represents a distorted pursuit of transcendence—the human desire to go beyond ordinary limits. Addiction, a chronic disorder involving compulsive substance use or behavior, offers only fleeting euphoria and perpetuates dependency, unlike healthy transcendence achieved through practices like meditation. Concepts such as Sigmund Freud's oceanic feelings and Abraham Maslow's peak experiences parallel the addict's search for unity, but addiction undermines genuine fulfillment. Spirituality plays a key role in both the development of addiction and recovery, reconnecting individuals to meaning and purpose. Neuroscientific insights point to ancient brain regions like the periaqueductal grey as underlying the drive for transcendence. The essay advocates for addiction therapy that balances the desire for transcendence with sustainable growth, avoiding Icarus's fatal extremes.
Oceanic feelings—experiences of boundlessness, unity, or fragmentation—can foster spiritual experiences but also contribute to psychosis proneness. In a survey of 480 non-clinical adults, positive oceanic feelings were strongly linked to increased connectedness and general religiosity, while negative oceanic feelings showed weak to moderate associations with schizotypy and personality organization. Personality organization fully mediated the relationship between negative oceanic feelings and both schizotypy and general religiosity, and partially mediated the link with connectedness. Positive oceanic feelings enhanced religiosity and connectedness independently of personality organization. Strengthening personality organization may protect against destabilizing effects of negative oceanic experiences, informing psychotherapy and spiritual counseling.