Hi freethinking,
I've never claimed to be an AVRT expert. Far from it. I used this method, or something akin to it, before I even realized it had a name. Or maybe before it did.
I was not clear in how I answered about ambivalence, and I see my wording was why. I have no idea what "the book" says about it.
What I am trying to say is that AVRT is not about ambivalence, from my understanding of it. It is quite the opposite.
I was tring to say that the Beast is not ambivalent, for as a primal drive there is no "intention" behind it and ambivalence implies thought -- it is the Addictive Voice on behalf of the Beast that is ambivalent. The doubts and questions that arise about drinking or drugging are the Addictive Voice. The ambivalence is the addictive voice. So my sentence you quoted above should have left off the "/Beast" part. I type fast, and I don't always read back over what I wrote until it is too late.
Authoritative? Hell, no. Assertive to the point of irritation, yep. No, I am no authority on AVRT, and I try to make that disclaimer often, lest someone take me for an AVRT rep, which I am not.
FT