The Mindful Addict: A Memoir of the Awakening of a Spirit

The enlightening and worldly journeys of a once hopeless addict whose life was profoundly changed after a chance meeting with a nomadic spiritual healer.

In the mid-sixties, Tom Catton searched for meaning by experimenting with pot, LSD, and other drugs popular then--but instead of the spiritual connection he sought, Catton found himself hooked in the web of addiction and consumed by feelings of separation. In this earnest, insightful, and wonderfully written book, Catton, now in long-term recovery, describes how he transcended his challenges through the study and practice of meditation and introspection.

Along the way, he journeyed across the world, from the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Kolkata (Calcutta), meeting remarkable "teachers," like the magnetic Flobird, who became his mentor, his spiritual guide, and his friend. She inhabits the pages of this book, along with other singular world figures Catton met in his sojourn--like the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. They are all here, in The Mindful Addict, and their lessons and love infuse these pages with wisdom and heart.

About the Author
Tom Catton: Tom Catton has been in long-term recovery for thirty-nine years. His story appears in a twelve-step fellowship text with more than seven million copies in circulation around the world. Tom is invited to speak in the US and internationally several times a year at twelve-step conventions in front of audiences ranging from 500 to 10,000 people. He has been taking twelve-step meetings into the prison system in Hawaii since 1984. He has been active in service positions over the years, including serving on a committee that met for over three years to write a recovery text for a twelve-step fellowship. Tom is on the advisory board of the Buddhist Recovery Network, and is also trained in Tibetan singing bowl therapy. He leads a Buddhist recovery meditation group that meets twice a month in Hawaii.