Exploring the Spiritual Experience in the 12 Step Program of Alcoholics Annonymous--Spirita Contra Spiritum: Spirita Contra Spiritum

by Sandoz, Jeff

• ISBN13: 9780773464650
• ISBN10: 0773464654
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-05-01
• Publisher: EDWIN MELLEN PRESS

Author Biography

Jeff Sandoz teaches at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xiii
Dr. Thomas F. McGovern
Preface	xvii
Professor Chris Cook
Acknowledgments	xix
Introduction	xxi
Part I Book: Alcoholics Anonymous
A Brief History of Alcoholics Anonymous
Background Information	3	(1)
Stages of Alcoholism	4	(1)
The Mental Obsession and the Physical Allergy	5	(1)
A False Start	6	(2)
Back to the Hospital	8	(1)
Tenets of the Oxford Group	8	(1)
Bill Meets Bob	9	(2)
The Membership Grows	11	(1)
Chapter Summary	11	(2)
A Look at the Book
Goals of the Big Book	13	(1)
The Process of the Book	14	(1)
Paving The Road To Recovery	15	(1)
Types of AA Meetings	16	(1)
AA's Effect	17	(1)
``The Doctor's Opinion''	18	(1)
Problems Grow	19	(1)
William James's Concept of Habit Formation	20	(1)
The Power of the Human Will	21	(2)
``Bill's Story''	23	(1)
Realization of the Problem	24	(1)
Into Treatment	25	(1)
The Path of the Emotions	25	(1)
Meeting with Ebby Thatcher	26	(1)
Bill's Sudden Spiritual Experience	27	(1)
The Effect of the Spiritual Experience	28	(1)
``There is a Solution''	29	(1)
Another Set of Reminders	30	(1)
The Problem Revisited	30	(1)
AA's Spiritual Experience	31	(1)
Rowland Hazard	32	(1)
Chapter Summary	33	(2)
The Spiritual Experience in AA
Spirits vs. spirituality	35	(1)
Wanting to be God	36	(1)
The Alcoholic Personality	37	(2)
Soul as an Inner Vacuum	39	(1)
Triple Abyss of the Soul	40	(1)
Not God and Surrendering	41	(1)
Other Ideas of Surrendering	42	(1)
Jung's Contribution	43	(1)
Spiritus Contra Spiritum	44	(1)
William James: The Self and the Conversion Experience	45	(4)
Types of Conversion Experiences	49	(1)
The Spiritual Experience in Alcoholics Anonymous	50	(1)
The Experiences of Bill Wilson	50	(2)
Examining The Dual Manifestation Among Recovering Alcoholics in AA	52	(1)
Research Finding on AA's Spiritual Experience	53	(1)
Slow versus Sudden	53	(1)
Bill Wilson on the Spiritual Experience	54	(1)
Self Reports of the Experience	55	(1)
Conclusion	56	(3)
The Book Revisited
Overview	59	(1)
Review of the Two-fold Nature of the Disease	59	(2)
Memory Problems	61	(1)
Jim and Fred	61	(2)
Neurological Memory Impairment	63	(1)
``We Agnostics''	64	(1)
Options of Belief	65	(1)
From Belief To Faith	66	(1)
Review & Summary	67	(2)
A Final Look at the Big Book
Overview	69	(1)
Summary of the Book's Process	69	(1)
Reviewing The First Three Steps	70	(2)
Three Instincts of Life	72	(1)
``Self Will Run Riot''	73	(2)
Step 4 Inventory	75	(1)
Examining Resentments	75	(2)
The Seduction of Resentment	77	(1)
Captain Ahab and Hate	78	(1)
Pinning Down The Resentments	78	(1)
Epiphanies	79	(1)
Recovery Through the 12 Step Program	80	(1)
Dr. Bob's Recovery	80	(1)
Step 6 And Step 7	81	(1)
The 8th Step Prayer	81	(1)
Step 8 and Forgiveness	81	(1)
More Promises	82	(1)
Progress Not Perfection	83	(1)
Progress, Steps and Promises	83	(1)
Step 10 = Steps 4 - 9 Daily	83	(1)
Chapter 7 and Beyond...	84	(1)
The Great Responsibility	85	(1)
Why Alcoholics Are Chosen	86	(3)
Part II Booze, Bottle and Brain
Alcoholic Family Patterns, Development and Spirituality
Life Becomes Unmanageable	89	(1)
Social: Ego vs. Family	90	(1)
Where did we go wrong?	91	(1)
Enter Alcohol	92	(1)
Alcoholism and Emotional Maturity	92	(2)
Kudzu Vine Analogy	94	(1)
Erikson's Psychosocial Theory	94	(2)
Trust vs. Mistrust: Hope	96	(1)
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt: Will	96	(1)
Initiative vs. Guilt: Purpose	97	(1)
Industry vs. Inferiority: Competence	97	(1)
Identity vs. Identity Diffusion: Fidelity	98	(1)
Intimacy vs. Isolation: Love	98	(1)
Generativity vs. Stagnation: Care	99	(1)
Integrity vs. Despair and Disgust: Wisdom	100	(1)
Emotional Maturity and Spiritual Experiences	101	(1)
Changes in Levels of Ego Strength	101	(2)
The Powerless Nature of the Alcoholic	103	(1)
Pseudo-individuation	103	(1)
Individuation -- Differentiation of Self	104	(1)
Alcoholism vs. Differentiation	104	(1)
The 12 Step Program and Differentiation	105	(1)
Spiritual Aspect of the Recovery Process	106	(1)
Research on Spirituality in AA	107	(1)
Passing On the Alcoholic Legacy	107	(2)
Conclusion	109	(2)
Alcoholism Parallels in Mythic Patterns
The Mythic Pattern of Alcoholism Recovery	111	(1)
Path of the Hero	111	(1)
Prometheus Bound	112	(2)
Path of the Alcoholic	114	(1)
Two-fold Disease	115	(1)
Getting High	116	(1)
Dependence and Lack of Power	117	(1)
Selfishness and alcoholism	118	(1)
The Alcoholic Separation	118	(1)
The 12 Step Program: Prometheus Unbound	119	(1)
The Return of Prometheus	120	(1)
Enter Chiron	120	(2)
Conclusion: Prometheus Bound and Unbound	122	(1)
Luke Skywalker & the Alcoholic Path: Physical vs Emotional, Spiritual, Psychological	122	(2)
Yoda's Understanding of Emotional Patterns	124	(3)
Bottling Up the Emotions & the Effects of the 12 Step Program
Emotional Triggers	127	(1)
Kudzu Vine Analogy Revisited	127	(1)
The Resentment Process	128	(1)
The Effect of Resentments	129	(1)
Sour Lemon Imagery Revisited	129	(1)
A Solution: Hot Potatoes & Sour Lemons	130	(2)
The Art of Letting Go	132	(2)
Attaining Forgiveness	134	(2)
Mental/Emotional Cascade	136	(4)
Don't Bug Me!	140	(1)
Identifying the Thoughts/Emotions Which Bug Us	140	(1)
The Effects of Resentment	141	(1)
Specific Prayers In The Big Book	142	(2)
The Home Group Effect Checklist	144	(1)
AA Acronyms	144	(2)
Saved By The Steps	146	(1)
Understanding the Brain
Charting the Brain	147	(1)
Brain Imaging Procedures	147	(1)
The Triune Brain	148	(1)
The Reptilian Brain	149	(1)
The Mammalian Brain	150	(1)
The Neocortex	151	(1)
Brain Development Process	152	(2)
Reptilian Brain -- Hind brain	154	(1)
Mammalian Brain -- The Midbrain	154	(1)
Thalamus	155	(1)
Hypothalamus	156	(1)
Amygdala	156	(1)
Hippocampus	157	(1)
Memory Processes	157	(1)
Cerebral Cortex	158	(1)
Brain Hemispheres	159	(1)
Lobes of the cerebral cortex	159	(1)
Frontal Lobe Functioning	159	(2)
Temporal Lobe Functioning	161	(1)
Neurotransmitters	161	(1)
Summary	162	(3)
Understanding the Brain on Alcohol
Theories of Addiction	165	(1)
Levels of Use	166	(1)
Roots of Addiction	167	(1)
Developmental Arrest and Learning Deficits	168	(1)
Getting the Message of Recovery	168	(1)
Structures of the Brain	169	(1)
Language Processing	169	(1)
A Case Study	170	(3)
Suggestions For Recovery	173	(1)
Alcohol and the Addictive Brain	173	(1)
Neurotransmitters	174	(1)
Old Brain vs. New Brain	174	(1)
Dopamine Deficiency and Alcohol Dependence	175	(4)
Part III Beyond
Neuro-Spirituality: Uniting the Brain with the Spiritual Experience in Alcoholics Anonymous
Scientific Rigor versus Spirituality	179	(2)
Spiritual Recovery	181	(1)
The Eastern Spiritual Experience in Zen Research	182	(2)
Getting Rid of Fear In Alcoholics Anonymous	184	(1)
The Western View of the Spiritual Experience	185	(1)
Back to Zen	186	(1)
Samadhi -- A Slower Type of Enlightenment	187	(1)
Eastern Views of the Self	188	(2)
Soren Kierkegaard's ``Leap of Faith''	190	(2)
St. James, ``The Will to Believe'' and the Alcoholics Anonymous View of Faith	192	(4)
Recovery: The Road Less Traveled	196	(3)
Epilogue	199	(4)
Appendix	203	(2)
References	205	(10)
Index	215