Thanks for all the info on the final days of The Seed. I was a '70's member, and kind of drifted away after I decided beer was not a drug..for me...I was 'different' Well, I got real different after that.
My abuse of alcohol later was a major contributor to 2 failed marriages, the second of which cost me much access to my kids,(now 21 and 18) and lots of child support which finally ended last month (free at last, free at last!)
Anyway, I remember Art saying to the group that if The Seed managed to keep just one kid from messing up her/his life with drugs, it was all worth it.
I realize some of you posting here are not 'addict' types, but I am. When I came up for air again about 18 years later, pretty messed up, thinking suicide and all that, I found myself in a mainstream 12 step program, and there were those darned steps on the wall again! The ones I used to amuse myself with as a kid. 'Sought through beer and medication to remove a conscious contact with God, as we understood Him' was one example. Well, the joke was on me. I had worked my version of that step to the best of my ability. The point I'm making here is that the 'program' dogma/brainwashing or whatever I had been exposed to as a kid came in real handy when I did develop a problem. I was engaged in behaviors which I knew were killing me, and I needed help getting stopped. I'm grateful the recovery system was still around when that time came for me.
I do not deny the negative impact The Seed had on some of you, but along with that, I must say that my experience was positive. Although it took a while for the 'seeds' to sprout, (I needed to dump a bunch of fertilizer on them) that dog gone dogma came back to the front of my mind when I needed it.
Based on the end time Seed stories I've read here, it is clear to me now that Art and staff are human beings. As such, they are subject to making mistakes, wrestling with ego balance, etc. as much as I am. (Sure glad I didn't choose them as my Higher Power!)
I remember in raps hearing people parrot 'your higher power can be a light bulb or a door knob' over the years that routine was the source of many a chuckle with my Seed siblings, there were 4 of us, until the fog started lifting and I realized I need a door knob to open doors, and a light to see where I'm going in life.
I am above all grateful to God for placing me in an environment where I could come to understand that even I can live a life with big chunks of serenity and peace in it. I have no regrets.
Take care :wave: , Thom :tup: