Interesting Lonely. I know that during a blackout I did things I did not remember, sometimes for hours. Then there were times when I was fully aware - not drunk yet but it was like an involuntary action. In robot voice, "Go into garage, get beer, drink from bottle of vodka, chug beer. Repeat." I don't think it was so much as the "beast" in my head telling me to do this as it was I was just programmed to do it.
Kind of like a fish in a stream - he is constantly swimming but is unaware of it.
I believe the beast mentality comes after we sober up. It wants and isn't getting. And it tries all kinds of tricks to get what it wants.