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.
The gates of hell closing behind us with a clang is an ominous and forbidding image. No exit for me except the one you've extrapolated and addressed - a vital spiritual experience. My surrender came about through The Twelve Steps and their awakening me to The Power Within me. The awareness of The Power dwelling within me answered the question of where, which, for me, was much more meaningful than who or what. Once I found where The Power resided - within me and within all of us -the relationship immediately became personal. Through incorporating the Steps into my daily life, what had become personal then became vital (as you've defined it), and then spiritually essential. There is no question about The Genesis. I simply had to come to Trust.
ReplyDeleteMichael the Power necessary to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body does, as you say "reside within us." In How It Works in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says "that One is God may you find Him now."...Thank you so much...Armand
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