Hungry Ghosts No More: Buddhist Addiction Recovery Movements in the United States

This paper investigates the emerging intersection of Buddhism and addiction recovery in the United States through ethnographic interviews with participants in Buddhist recovery communities. Twelve-Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous dominate the American recovery landscape. But though they aim to be compatible to those with any or no religious practice, some people find AA does not work for them. For those people, Buddhist alternatives like Recovery Dharma and Hungry Ghosts United have gained traction in recent decades. This study examines how participants navigate traditional Twelve-Step concepts, adapt Buddhist principles to recovery contexts, and approach spiritual experiences—including the complex relationship with psychedelics. I argue that Buddhist recovery communities represent creative spaces where practitioners renegotiate traditional Buddhist doctrines, Twelve-Step frameworks, and countercultural values to forge distinctive recovery pathways. This research contributes to scholarly understanding of the ongoing adaptations of Buddhism in America, particularly in regard to understudied issues of drugs, addiction, and recovery.