Here are a few recovering addicts, each of whom had taken a 30-day de-addiction therapy at the VVM Research Centre and had gone through our step by step 20 point programme. After their de-addiction course, each one has gone back to the society and is living a normal life with the blessings of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

In a pledge to help those who are suffering from the malady of drug or alcohol addiction, these people have agreed to come forward and share their experiences with the rest of the world.

Dipankar Guha
Mob. (+91) 93395 43448

"From my school life I started to experiment with various drugs and became an addict. I have abused drugs and alcohol for about 20 years. Due to my addiction, I lost many things such as family, friends, my job, money, talents, principles and values.

My addictive nature forced me to become an unsocial element in society and took me behind bars for five years. I was forced to live on the streets for over a year. Several times, I was treated for my problem, but I relapsed time and again.

After my last detoxification, I came to Art of Living’s VVM De-addiction Research Centre. After a month of stay at the centre, I was sent to participate in the Art of Living’s Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP). And that was the turning point in my life. In the training I learnt the Sudarshan Kriya and sadhana. This training helped me gain confidence in myself. I realized that previously, the cause of my relapse was spiritual bankruptcy. Earlier I used to think that spirituality comes into someone’s life suddenly but I later learnt that spirituality is a practice. This became an established fact in my life after meeting Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji at the Centre.

Today I am working for other individuals suffering from addiction and am generating awareness in society. Today I am lucky enough because gradually I am recovering the things that I had lost, apart from time.

Today, I have a strong support system in the Sudarshan Kriya and VVM De-addiction Research Centre, its management, staff, inmates and the Art of Living family. This support helps me lead a healthy life free from addiction."

Ranjan Samanta
Tel. (+91 33) 2669 5995

"I started taking drugs from 1991. The euphoria of the drug made me stick to it and I never knew that this thing will land me in such a helpless situation. By the end of 2004, life became miserable. By that time I got married and had two children. Instead of looking after them, they had to be anxious about me. I lost my job and was leading life at the mercy of my elder sisters. I know I had to stop and change my life but I had no way out.

Then my elder sister, after I surrendered to her, brought me to VVM Deaddiction Research Centre. I never had any idea about de-addiction treatment. Everything was new to me. Here I leartnt that addiction is a ‘Disease’, which cannot be cured by medication alone. I learnt that the ‘Disease’ is mental and it needs patience, tolerance and acceptance on my part to get rid of addiction. But I didn’t know how to be patient then.

After 10 to 12 days I was taught the ‘Sudarshan Kriya’. I had no idea and, in fact, I didn’t feel like doing it and was wondering how it can help me in my addiction problem. I had to follow the centre’s time schedule and I had to do it. Gradually, I could feel the difference. My impatience, irritation and short-tempered behaviour started to diminish. Today, when I look at myself, I find myself totally different from my past.

After two months, I took a big decision. May be this is the first correct decision I made after 15 years. I stayed here to help other addicts and started my life from the root once again. Today my family is very happy. My children love me and eagerly wait for me when I go home. Trust and faith which I lost before is coming back.

Today I am happy leading a sober life and grateful to all the people at the centre who helped me to come back to a normal life."

Samit Pal
Mob. (+91) 98306 90449

"I started taking drugs from the year 1995 when I was in college. After graduating in mechanical engineering in 1996, I got a job. But within 1999 I lost 3 jobs due to my addiction problem. Then one of my friends gave me the message of the Art of Living. I did the Basic Course that year. I was doing Kriya for one and a half months but my reluctant nature became stronger over me and I left practicing.

By 2004, I lost almost everything like jobs, relations, money and above all, my moral values due to addiction. I went through several ‘Rehabs’ but nothing seemed to work for me.

Then in December 2004, I came to the VVM Research Centre for Alcohol and Drug Deaddiction. Before coming I got the message that this is a project of the Art of Living. That was the main attraction of coming over here. At the time of admission I was in a bad mental state, with no goal in life, totally shattered and nobody in family (except parents) cared for me. After a few days in the centre I was feeling the difference. “Something is going to happen” – this belief came to me. The blessing of H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is bestowed upon me through the place and the people over here. I started practicing “Kriya” on a daily basis and gradually I started feeling better and better. Small responsibilities were given to me and gradually my self esteem started improving.

From here I reinvented myself. I found that I need a guide or mentor who would show me the way. Here I found that man. I haven’t seen or met “Guruji” but I met someone who believes in Him and follows Him. I chose him to be my mentor. I wasted so many jobs and money due to my addiction that a fear was there in me to go back to my profession. So, a miracle came when my mind told me to shift my area of work. Right now, I am in the “VVM Centre” helping other addicts to get out of this menace and acting as their peer educator.

Today I firmly believe that Guruji is showing me the way through my mentor. It will be quite ungrateful if I don’t mention his name. but my mentor does not want to reveal his name and he is an important person in the centre. I am grateful to all the people over here, all the people who are behind this project, which is turning around the lives of several addicts like me."

Abhishek Ghosh
Tel. (+91 33) 2424 4325

"I, Abhishek Ghosh, did Sudarshan Kriya first on the 15th of Nov 2005. The course was taken by Mr. Abhijeet.

I could shed the physical pain and the perfect platform was set for the same.

I was a Heroin addict and to my surprise I do sense a lot of changes as following:

Firstly I didn't get any clue as to what was happening, but could feel something was going through my mind. As the days passed, my temper was slowly cooling off and I could sense a lot of transformation within me.

I could get back my acceptance of people around me and the level of tolerance has also increased. As the days progressed my Pranayam and Kriya are coming to near about perfection. And nowadays I do not miss Kriya by any chance.

I am absolutely sincere and grateful to VVM De-addiction Centre for giving me a chance to get a treatment here in Geeta Bhavan. Last but not the least, Kriya came as a blessing from Guruji. Now I am clean for 5 months and happy with my parents and living a healthy life."