Wellwisher posed this question elsewhere. I think it is a good question, and a nice segue into the difference between the Beast and the Addictive Voice, which are not one and the same.
Originally Posted by wellwisher
If someone continues to drink, is their Beast in control?
The Beast of AVRT is just the physical, biological desire for the drink (or drug). The Beast, however, is impotent --
powerless -- and cannot move arms and legs, or open a mouth. It has to use the addictive voice to pump words and images into your mind's eye and ear to convince you to do so. If someone continues to drink, they merely listened to their AV,
but they are still in control, at least up until the first pint goes down the hatch. This is not a
"the Beast made me do it" kind of thing.
Remember,
AV → Beast = Bark → Dog
Furthermore, the Beast (addictive desire) is
not the cause of your addiction. This is a pernicious belief, which, if you subscribe to, will have you going around in circles for a long time, trying to neuter addictive desire. While typical of addicted people to want this, hence all the usual talk about wanting the desire to be removed, it can't be done. The Beast will get weaker on its own with prolonged abstinence, however.
The force from which the Beast arises is the force of life itself, the same force that keeps you on this planet, and the destruction of the Beast would mean your own destruction as well. For all practical purposes, you cannot control what the Beast feels or otherwise get rid of it, any more than you can get rid of your sex drive. Therefore, the proximal cause, the AV — which you
can do something about — and
not the Beast, is the cause of your addiction.