In 1930 a member of the Oxford Group and an alcoholic, Roland Hazzard, visited on more than one occasion with the noted
psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung. After Roland failed to cease drinking multiple times Dr. Jung gave to him the solution for alcoholism -- a vital
spiritual experience. Spiritual defined as "of or pertaining to God" and vital as "life giving". We have to give life to our experience with
God. This is accomplished by surrendering our nature to the will of
God.
During what became a historic visit Dr Jung said to
Roland, "You have the mind of a chronic alcoholic. I have never seen
one single case recover where the state of mind existed to the extent
that it does in you." Our friend felt as though the gates of hell had closed on him with a clang. He said to the doctor, "Is there no exception?" "Yes," replied the doctor, "there is. Exceptions to cases such as yours have been occurring since early times. Here and there, once in a while, alcoholics have had what are called vital spiritual experiences."
I recant these
passages from the chapter There Is A Solution in the "Big
Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous to make clear that we do know there is a solution to our alcoholism and that solution is indeed a vital spiritual experience. THE GENESIS of
that life-giving experience is God. May you find him now.
If you are alcoholic or suffer from the disease of addiction and you wish to recover from the seemingly hopeless state of mind and body, surrender your will to the will of God and you will live in this solution to your alcoholism.
Written by Armand
Edited by Caitlin Alexandra
The Will of God is something I'd been hearing about for almost as long as I've lived. It was an area of critical misunderstanding, and resulted is emptiness, isolation and, finally, alcoholism. I eschewed obedience as a necessary part of life and chose defiance instead. There could be no awakening because there was no genesis. My spirit was dead. Alcoholic pain brought me to AA and The Steps brought me to a personal relationship with an unsuspected inner resource, The Power Within me. That newfound Power has literally touched my life in all ways, creating a trust which is at the root of my spirit today. The seed had already been planted. Through alcoholism and then through AA, it began to grow within me, the genesis for my awakened spirit and my compliance with His Will and not mine. What has happened within me is indeed beyond my wildest dreams.
ReplyDeleteMichael Five years before Bill met Bob and nine years before the release of the Big Book the solution for our alcoholism was given to Roland Hazard but that solution,had existed forever. As we read in How It Works "that one is God may you find Him now."...Thank you...Armand
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