There is a Solution (Continued)
C: A spiritual experience is nothing more than a personality change sufficient to recover from the disease of alcoholism. I can buy into those terms. That doesn't turn me off like this other stuff did. At the same time, I found two or three more things in here. One is that I will become aware of the fact when I've had one, when I become aware that I've tapped an unsuspected inner resource of strength that I presently identify with God as I understand Him.
Everybody who has had this spiritual experience most emphatically will say, we certainly become aware of the fact that there is a Power greater than ourselves working within our lives. God as we understand him, or whatever we want to call it. I think you need to notice also on page 569, different terms that he uses in the description of this spiritual experience.
In the first paragraph he talked about a personality change. In the third paragraph he talks about revolutionary changes. In the third paragraph, at the end of it, he talks about a vast change in feeling and outlook. In the middle of the fourth paragraph he talks about a profound alteration. And back over here on page twenty-five he talked
about: which have revolutionized our whole attitude. (p. 25, par. 3)
He's used a whole series of words to describe the same thing, a change. Each one of those means a change of some kind. I think this is another thing we need to realize about Bill when he wrote. He absolutely refused to use the same words over and over. He always said that this
would show the ignorance of the writer. If you're going to describe the same thing, you must find another ten to describe it. Here's a perfect example of this. He didn't say change, he didn't use the word change over and over.
He kept using different words to describe it. But all of them result in a change in mental attitude, a personality change sufficient to recover. Dr. Silkworth'" term was psychic change. (p. xxvii, par. 1-2) The Twelve Steps will bring about a change in our outlook upon life. Before when we were sober, we were restless, irritable and discontented. (p. xxvi, par. 5) We were filled with shame, fear, guilt, and remores… Those are all terms of the mind.
Now then, after the spiritual experience, we have peace of mind, happiness, and serenity. We're not filled with shame, fear, guilt, and
remorse. Our whole attitude has changed. Just coming to A. A. meetings will not bring about the change. The Twelve Steps, the simple kit of spiritual tools, (p. 25, par. 2) will bring this change about in our lives.
