Drug arrest for 'West Wing' creator

[Guest guest]

Drug arrest for 'West Wing' creator

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sorkin, creator of the Emmy-winning drama

" The West Wing, " was arrested for investigation of drug possession,

officials said Monday. Sorkin, 39, was arrested Sunday at Burbank

Airport when a search allegedly found " illicit mushrooms " in a

carry-on suitcase, airport spokesman Victor Gill said. He said

details on the type of mushrooms were unavailable; some mushrooms

are hallucinogens. Sorkin, who has admitted past problems with

substance abuse, was taken to Burbank city jail for booking and

released on $10,000 bond. " He was going through a screening

checkpoint and personnel managing the checkpoint decided something

was suspicious, " Gill said. Sorkin was en route to Las Vegas. Gill

said Sorkin, who cooperated with authorities, fainted briefly but

declined medical help. A playwright turned movie and TV writer,

Sorkin wrote " A Few Good Men, " the screenplay to " The American

President, " and the TV comedy " Sports Night. "

++++++++

and " West Wing " just won a PRISM award from the Entertainment

Industry Council for its " realistic " portrayal of alcohol and drug

abuse.

[Guest guest]

But aren't drug users supposed to be dysfunctional fiends?

[Guest guest]

While Bill W. was coming off of his last drunk in a NYC hospital alcohol ward, he was treated with the hallucinogen Belladonna. (This was common treatment for drunks in the '30s.) Many have postulated this accounts for his "white light" religious conversion experience at that time.

After he got going in AA, he frequently took LSD in an effort to repeat that experience. This is common knowledge even among many AA members, who don't like to discuss it.

I'll find you a site for this factoid, and get back to you.

--Mona--

[Guest guest]

Thanks for going to all this trouble Bob.... Very interesting I will read on....But why does everything have to involve this concept of God. The Buddhists don't do it.

-----Original Message-----From: Bob Marshall Sent: Sunday, 22 April 2001 9:21 AMTo: 12-step-free Subject: Re: Drug arrest for 'West Wing' creator----- Original Message -----> Excuse my ignorance Mona, but I would like to know more about this.. canyou> give me a pointer please?> -----Original Message-----> From: MonaHolland@... >> Yup. You know, like that LSD junkie, Bill .> You can run this search on Google:http://www.google.com/search?q=%22bill+wilson%22+AA+LSDLook no further than the books available at your local AA clubhouse. Thisexcerpt is fromhttp://www.csp.org/chrestomathy/pass_it_on.html'Pass It On': The Story of Bill and How the A.A. Message Reached theWorld.Alcoholics Anonymous. (1984).New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, IncISBN: 0-916856-12-7Description: Hardcover, 429 pages.Contents: Foreword, 25 chapters, afterword, significant dates, Twelve Stepsof Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, sources.Excerpt(s): As he [bill ] observed the work closely, he arrived atthis conclusion: It was not "the material itself [that] actually producesthese experiences. It seems to have the result of sharply reducing theforces of the ego - temporarily, of course. It is a generally acknowledgedfact in spiritual development that ego reduction makes the influx of God'sgrace possible. If, therefore, under LSD we can have a temporary reduction,so that we can better see what we are and where we are going - well, thatmight be of some help. The goal might become clearer. So I consider LSD tobe of some value to some people, and practically no damage to anyone. Itwill never take the place of any of the existing means by which we canreduce the ego, and keep it reduced." (page 370)Nell continues her story: "Anyway, Bill wanted to see what it was like. Hewas intrigued with the work that Osmond and Hoffer were doing in Saskatoonwith alcoholics. And he thought: 'Anything that helps the alcoholics is goodand shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Techniques should be explored thatwould help some guy or gal recover who could not do it through A.A. or anyother way.' He gave his full enthusiasm [to] what other people were doingalong that line. That's why he took it himself. He had an experience [that]was totally spiritual, [like] his initial spiritual experience."Bill first took LSD in California, under the guidance of Gerald Heard. Alsopresent was Sidney Cohen, psychiatrist at the Veterans AdministrationHospital. The date was August 29, 1956. Tom P. was there, and he and GeraldHeard took notes about the events of the afternoon.Bill was enthusiastic about his experience; he felt it helped him eliminatemany barriers erected by the self, or ego, that stand in the way of one'sdirect experience of the cosmos and of God. (pages 370-371).

[Guest guest]

Thanks for responding Rita. It gets even more interesting.

Mind you I think an awful lot of mystical and enlightenment experiences throughout history have been drug induced.

Didn't Jung have sonme role in the starting up of AA too?

Sorry my mail delivery seems to be being delayed.

-----Original Message-----From: rita66@... Sent: Sunday, 22 April 2001 10:07 AMTo: 12-step-free Subject: Re: Drug arrest for 'West Wing' creator> Excuse my ignorance Mona, but I would like to know more about this.. can you> give me a pointer please?>------------ Well, , the truth of the matter is that Bill W., who is revered as the man who had a "spiritual awakening" in his hospital room, realized that God would rescue alcohol abusers, and then founded AA, actually thought he saw God after being given the treatment of the day for DT's, which was a mixture of oral belladonna and mercury enemas. His "spiritual awakening" was a drug-induced hallucination and accompanying euphoria. Seeking to re-create the experience years later (late 50's - early 60's) he repeatedly tripped on LSD, and enthusiastically recommended it for other alcohol abusers. This is documented numerous places, including the "conference-approved" book "Pass it On."~Rita> -----Original Message-----> From: MonaHolland@a... [mailto:MonaHolland@a...]> > > Yup. You know, like that LSD junkie, Bill .> > --Mona--

[Guest guest]

Thanks for responding Rita. It gets even more interesting.

Mind you I think an awful lot of mystical and enlightenment experiences throughout history have been drug induced.

Didn't Jung have sonme role in the starting up of AA too?

Sorry my mail delivery seems to be being delayed.

-----Original Message-----From: rita66@... Sent: Sunday, 22 April 2001 10:07 AMTo: 12-step-free Subject: Re: Drug arrest for 'West Wing' creator> Excuse my ignorance Mona, but I would like to know more about this.. can you> give me a pointer please?>------------ Well, , the truth of the matter is that Bill W., who is revered as the man who had a "spiritual awakening" in his hospital room, realized that God would rescue alcohol abusers, and then founded AA, actually thought he saw God after being given the treatment of the day for DT's, which was a mixture of oral belladonna and mercury enemas. His "spiritual awakening" was a drug-induced hallucination and accompanying euphoria. Seeking to re-create the experience years later (late 50's - early 60's) he repeatedly tripped on LSD, and enthusiastically recommended it for other alcohol abusers. This is documented numerous places, including the "conference-approved" book "Pass it On."~Rita> -----Original Message-----> From: MonaHolland@a... [mailto:MonaHolland@a...]> > > Yup. You know, like that LSD junkie, Bill .> > --Mona--

[Guest guest]

Thanks for responding Rita. It gets even more interesting.

Mind you I think an awful lot of mystical and enlightenment experiences throughout history have been drug induced.

Didn't Jung have sonme role in the starting up of AA too?

Sorry my mail delivery seems to be being delayed.

-----Original Message-----From: rita66@... Sent: Sunday, 22 April 2001 10:07 AMTo: 12-step-free Subject: Re: Drug arrest for 'West Wing' creator> Excuse my ignorance Mona, but I would like to know more about this.. can you> give me a pointer please?>------------ Well, , the truth of the matter is that Bill W., who is revered as the man who had a "spiritual awakening" in his hospital room, realized that God would rescue alcohol abusers, and then founded AA, actually thought he saw God after being given the treatment of the day for DT's, which was a mixture of oral belladonna and mercury enemas. His "spiritual awakening" was a drug-induced hallucination and accompanying euphoria. Seeking to re-create the experience years later (late 50's - early 60's) he repeatedly tripped on LSD, and enthusiastically recommended it for other alcohol abusers. This is documented numerous places, including the "conference-approved" book "Pass it On."~Rita> -----Original Message-----> From: MonaHolland@a... [mailto:MonaHolland@a...]> > > Yup. You know, like that LSD junkie, Bill .> > --Mona--

[Guest guest]

> .... Very interesting I will read

> on....But why does everything have to involve this concept of God.

>

---------------

Why? -- well, because AA and all the 200+ other 12-step offshoots never had

anything to do with drinking or addictions per se -- they have to do with

conversion to the Lutheran/Pietist " born-again " religion conceived of by Rev.

( " Pervert " ) Buchman, the founder of the Oxford Group, which Bill and Bob

were members of.

Wake up and smell the coffee, . Take the god and shame parts out of AA

and it falls like the house of cards it really is.

~Rita