The momentum of our habits of doing, feeling, and thinking can take on such a strength that it feels near-impossible to change them, but the good news is that there is a simple, clear, and effective way to change this, and this is using the power of presence. 

But first, let’s unpack the dynamics that lead to compulsions and how they can be reversed.

The Hamster, the Wheel, and the Generator: How Compulsions and Addictions are Made and Unmade

Picture a hamster running on a wheel that’s attached to a power generator. Now, this generator takes power from the wheel’s movement and can use this power to propel the wheel even more. But ultimately and especially at the start, the generator needs the hamster to do this. 

At some point in the past, out of choice or reaction, the hamster jumped on the wheel and started running and powering up the generator. In turn, it powers the wheel to rotate even more. There is a quirk to this generator though; the more power it gets, the more self-motivated it is to keep itself powered! That’s not good news for the hamster.

The hamster responds to this cycle of momentum by running faster until a general equilibrium point is reached; that can look like drinking 8 cans a day, spending 3 hours on social media daily, or getting immersed in rumination when we’re alone. Once the generator is satiated with enough power, it shutters down and gives the hamster periods of respite until it wakes up to compel the hamster to run on the wheel once again. 

The cyclical force of the wheel’s momentum from the hamster and the generator leads in time to the hamster losing its presence of mind to what is going on; it gets used to these conditions in something of a Stockholm-Syndrome like manner, finding justifications for this state of affairs or perhaps, finds itself chronically lacking the energy needed to see and alter it. The hamster may be all too aware of what is going on, but feels powerless to stop it. 

The hamster often falls asleep not long after the generator is satiated, awakening on the wheel when the generator calls, more often than not. When it is waking and pacing through the motions, the velocity of the momentum blurs the hamster’s vision of the wheel and what’s around it. 

In between the blur of the constant running, the hazy sleeping periods and transitions between both states, the hamster can then forget the way things were; it might believe for example that if it tries to stop the generator before it is satisfied, something terrible will happen. 

So the wheel turns, Until…

One day, enough is enough. The hamster has had it to the gerbils with this bloody wheel. The energy from this realisation, whether from a fearful sense of urgency or a renewed sense of hope, gives the hamster the volition and presence of mind needed to address this in ways it couldn’t do before. 

The hamster could follow the daisy-chain of events that led to this situation and remember an original motivation for why it got onto the wheel and how things can truly be different. The hamster may bravely decide to give less and less of its power to the wheel, finding ways to chip at its power-making momentum, especially at the times at the start or end of a running session where the wheel’s momentum is weak and can be subtracted from a little more. The hamster may get help from other hamsters (wheel-side coaches?) who give advice and practical assistance in this process too. 

With presence, perseverance, and acceptance of the negative feelings involved in reversing the cycle, the hamster — in a decisive moment or gradual process — shifts the dynamic back into its favour; the generator is losing input, the wheel is slowing, and the hamster’s clarity of vision and vital energy is restored; it is now free to jump off the wheel. 

Some hamsters choose to never jump back on it, while others are able to jump back on occasionally with a sense of choice and temperance. Either way, it marks the end of the compulsion and a return to choice and clarity. 

So how does this analogy play out in our lived lives? 

The wheel is any potential compulsion, the hamster is us, and the generator is the psycho-physical momentum of our habits. 

Neurologically, habits are gradually grooved into our brains through repetition; at some point, we had a cue, acted on or reacted to it, and got a payoff, and went on to repeat the cycle; this is the jumping onto the wheel and the gradual charging of the power generator.

In these early stages, we may choose to stay on the wheel out of fear due to a difficult situation or forces of desire. We may not know the implications of what this is leading to. The wheel can start off as ‘a bit of fun’, ‘something to take the edge of’, or be one we unconsciously jump onto as a result of trauma.

Before the wheel, we had a state of mind that was different in its relationship to the theme that the compulsion represents, but have went on to forget this state and entered a state of dependency instead. This is symbolised by the blurring of the hamster’s vision due to the velocity of the compulsion, sense of unknowing, and fear of what would happen if it stopped running. 

Tackling a compulsion often stokes up these feelings and it can be helpful to remember or have faith that we will be better off having faced and integrated it. Compulsion leads to one-sidedness and imbalance, the resulting resistance to life, on reflection, cannot be harmonious and sustainable with the wider ways of nature. Faith and presence of mind are key for reversing the dynamic. 

The process can be sudden or gradual in nature, involve internal and external changes, help from others, and a range of methods: it could be therapy, joining a support group, introspection or meditation for example. These can all be useful tools for each person’s healing journey. 

However, there is an effective way to gradually reverse a compulsion that is simple, internal, and can be done at any time.

The Power of Presence in Ending Addictions and Compulsions

The method is exercising the power of our presence at any given moment. This takes on two forms, being present with craving after quitting an addiction, or during partaking in an addiction or a compulsion. The former helps to permanently shift the cravings, while the second helps to diminish them over time. 

One of my favorite examples of the power of this approach comes from a former colleague I knew who had cured her IBS at a meditation retreat. You may already know that IBS is correlated to depression, anxiety and fatigue. IBS is also related to the sacral charka, an energetic centre located in our stomach which is associated with creativity, expression, vital energy, as well as our primal instincts for connection and self-preservation. 

As she was sat there on the cushion on the final day of this intensive retreat, she noticed a solid, ball-like sensation emerge in her stomach. She turned her attention to it, kept it there, and then it happened; the feeling began to dissipate gradually, and then suddenly! 

From that point on, her IBS was gone. For good. I love this example because it shows the power of presence so vividly; it flys in the face of what most think is scientifically possible. A condition like IBS is tough to live with and change. It involves a great deal of trapped and dense emotional energy that has yet to be ‘digested’, processed. 

The physical symptoms are then a manifestation of that blocked emotional energy, it could be said that they exist to encourage the person to slow down and process it directly. A compulsion is multi-faceted and works at the levels of identity, thought, emotion, sensation, and action. Whether it is a condition or a compulsion, the exercise of presence is able to balm the symptoms at each of these levels. This is because awareness is a faculty that transcends and includes them all. Energetically, by placing awareness over a sensation-feeling, it is trapped from multiplying itself and moving the mind under the pin of this presence. This presence then, like water, has a dissolving effect on whatever blockages it is containing. 

The Power of Presence Technique 

The technique is simple: whenever a thought, feeling, or sensation arises in connection to a compulsion, you give your attention to it. You just watch. You’re still, present, accepting. You go into your body, not wishing for the experience to be one way or the other. Be the impartial observer. A thought may catalyse this process, but if you look attentively, you will find a corresponding sensation in your body to anchor into. If a thought happens, don’t judge it; just notice it, and return to the body. 

When you notice the pull of a compulsion, it can be helpful to get into a comfortable position and just sit with it. You can jump on the sofa and treat it a bit like a game: ‘There it goes again, let’s give it some attention and see what happens!’. The enthusiasm we bring to all this is down to us; healing doesn’t have to be seen as a grueling process, you can treat it like an adventure! It moves from being a sense of ‘having to’ to one of ‘wanting to’.

You can also work at compulsions indirectly by cultivating the power of presence in the easier times when their pull is absent. A practice like meditation can help with this and change your habitual state of being. It will also help you to control your attention and pull yourself out of identification with the thoughts and feelings that power the generator. 

It can seem so simple and if you’re new to this kind of practice, you might think it is too good to be true. 

I can only refer you to the wisdom of Super Hans, a ‘crack addled maniac’ in a comedy series called Peep Show, a show about two decadent, middle-aged losers lost in neurosis. Hans’ words stuck with me at one point, he said: ‘you’ve been thinking thoughts your whole life and look where that’s got you, eh?’. That’s exactly it. I guess wisdom comes from many sources! 

Indulging mental debates around a compulsion normally leads to it winning. The power of decision, presence, faith, and swiftly bringing our higher intentions into memory when needed are enough; with attentiveness and the occasional pull on the unruly horse’s rope, the compulsion can be healed. 

If there are feelings of doubt, you can treat the power of presence like a scientific experiment in your inner world. Give it a chance and be patient  —  my former colleague had to go on an intensive meditation retreat to heal her IBS  —  so keep the faith in the process and see what happens. Sooner or later, you may be present-ly surprised! 

Final Thoughts: All It Takes Is Presence, Spirit, and Belief

Are you ready to make that change you had been longing for? Not because you have to, but because you love yourself? 

Are you ready to acknowledge the potential gold and gifts that you and life itself has to offer? Are you willing to allow faith to bloom in your own process and what’s possible for you? 

If so, then now is the time to take back the power that you had given to the things that no longer serve you. Now is the time to see your value, and sink into what it means to really love and cherish yourself in new ways. 

It’s okay to feel sad about these changes, after all, the addictions and compulsions we have often were created to help us in some way. You can offer it up, the grief of moving on and the anxieties and doubts about the way ahead. Offer it up to a higher power if you feel so inclined. 

In this process, there is no need for force, just a gentle, steadfast, guiding spirit, presence, and a belief that change is possible. When we slip back, it’s not to be judged with negativity, but instead with compassionate understanding. This will all serve you as you slow the wheel and jump out to more choice, balance, and harmony. 

I hope this has been of help to you, and may your way forward be well and peaceful. 

Kyle