The terms "spiritual experience" and "spiritual awakening" are used many

times in this book which, upon careful reading, shows that the personality

change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested

itself among us in many different forms.

Yet it is true that our first printing gave many readers the impression that

these personality changes, or religious experiences, must be in the nature

of sudden and spectacular upheavals. Happily for everyone, this conclusion

is erroneous.

In the first few chapters a number of sudden revolutionary changes are

described. Though it was not our intention to create such an impression,

many alcoholics have nevertheless concluded that in order to recover they

must acquire an immediate and overwhelming "God-consciousness" followed at

once by a vast change in feeling and outlook.

Among our rapidly growing membership of thousands of alcoholics such

transformations, though frequent, are by no means the rule. Most of our

experiences are what the psychologist William James calls the "educational

variety" because they develop slowly over a period of time. Quite often

friends of the newcomer are aware of the difference long before he is

himself. He finally realizes that he has undergone a profound alteration in

his reaction to life; that such a change could hardly have been brought

about by himself alone. What often takes place in a few months could seldom

have been accomplished by years of self-discipline. With few exceptions our

members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they

presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than

themselves.

Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the

essence of spiritual experience. Our more religious members call it

"God-consciousness."

Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly

facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he

does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated

by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.

We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the

program. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of

recovery. But these are indispensable.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof

against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting

ignorance---that principle is contempt prior to investigation."