Quit Smoking the Easy Way Using Spiritual Practices and Prayer

This past year has been very transformative to say the least. I lost about 60 pounds and I stopped smoking. Both without banging my head, yelling at the kid, or otherwise losing my mind. In fact I didn't give up anything in either case. With respect to smoking, I freed myself from the trap and the slavery of nicotine.

I didn't do it by myself, though. I had a powerful friend and superior help.

That friend came in the form of God, 'my friend in high place' as I like to call Him. The superior help came by applying the spiritual methods of "Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking." I'm sure Allen Carr didn't set out to make it spiritual. But he did nevertheless. And while I read the book, Allen became my friend too.

How is it spiritual? I've informally studied Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Sufism, Vedanta, and others, as well as my own beliefs as follower of Meher Baba. I see spiritual themes where others may not.

There's three spiritual themes which stood out in Allen Carr's method: desirelessness, nothing, and thinking.

If you are familiar with Buddhism (or any mystic, Eastern religion), desirelessness is nothing new. It's really simple to explain: you're simply not interested. You don't hate it, you don't love it, it's nothing to you. You are without desire.

I can't make you desireless so that you just don't want to smoke, but Allen Carr's method can. Well, it did for me and millions of others. He does not patronize you by telling you things you already know: smoking is nasty, it causes cancer, it makes you smelly. So? Those reasons and others don't force the desire to smoke away. He wrote something to the effect of: knowing that food is poisoned doesn't take the hunger away from a starving man.

Allen Carr's program has been around for about 25 years with approximately 10 million success stories. A lot of those success stories can be found on the "Allen Carr's Easyway" web site. I wish I could be there when you learn about the tight shoes! You'll know what I mean when you read it.

Alert: If you are smoker, I highly suggest that you read Allen Carr's book and stop reading this article right now.

You don't even have to quit smoking while you stop smoking. While I read the book, his words took away the desire. I thought, 'what's the point?' Seriously. The nicotine craving itself, the itch, is gone in a few days. That itch is not a big deal. It's like not being able to watch my favorite show. Annoying, but I'll get over it. Actually, it's even less annoying than that - I actually gain pleasure from good entertainment. Allen Carr thoroughly convinced me that I was getting nothing from nicotine. Nothing.

It takes but does not give anything. It takes money, time, health, and freedom.

Those familiar with Buddhism, among other Eastern spiritual practices, will focus in on the word: Nothing.

If there is nothing gained from smoking, there's nothing to give up. It's freeing yourself from prison, you're not giving up prison!

It all depends on how you look at it. How you think about it.

As an avid Harry Potter fan of the books, not the movies, in "Goblet of Fire" Harry has a fight with Lord Voldermort near the end. In the beginning of the fight, Harry is finds himself hiding behind a grave stone. He thinks something like (paraphrased), "I could die like a coward behind this grave stone, or I can stand up and fight bravely like my parents." The outcome may be the same, death in Harry's case, but the "intent" or "thought" behind our actions makes all the difference in the world. The Harry Potter series is extremely spiritual, but that's another story.

Back to the freedom of not smoking. With Allen Carr's method, no will-power is required at all. Will-power is not required if you are without desire. I tell you, it's wild, amazing, and so utterly freeing. I felt like hugging everyone and kissing the clouds! Allen Carr breaks down the misconceptions of nicotine addiction, which is two fold: the nicotine itself and the way we think about smoking, or any addiction.

Key word: Think.

What we think about is a huge spiritual theme.

I feel that:

• what we think about is the basis of everything about us.
• thoughts manifest.
• how we see the world is not so much based on how the world is, but how we are.
• our perspective changes everything that we process inwardly and outwardly.

Quantum physics talks about quarks transforming based on the beholder's attention. It's very fascinating. However, I soley base my beliefs about thinking and thoughts on my experiences inwardly and outwardly over the last two decades of following Meher Baba, many trips to India, reading, contemplation, and everyday life. It would take volumes to write about it, fortunately it's already been covered by a Being far more enlightened than I am, Buddha.

Here's a few pertinent by quotes by Gautama Buddha to further bring home the point:

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."

"He is able who thinks he is able."

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world."

"We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them."

This quote by Henry Ford is equally essential to consider:

"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right."

The Allen Carr method convinced me to think I can, and I did! Prayer shored up the deal, or was it the other way around? Some would say that God found that book and placed it before me, I would agree.