A very heart touching story. John want's nothing more than to share his story all over the world. He even prints out brochures and gives to people about his experience.
Hope you enjoy, if you've had any experiences like this please share!
(Edit updated because there was a better version)
-- Edited by NDEAccounts on Friday 18th of October 2013 09:25:35 PM
Thank you Jason, ... very beautiful story ... and if this guy believes with all his heart the experience he had in that amount of detail, I believe him too ... of course I had an experience shortly after getting sober that made me believe even before now, so this only reinforces my convictions ... again, thanks
God Bless, Pappy
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
This falls in the realm of spiritual experiences, and although I'm always inspired by such testaments, I have to add a caution. It isn't my caution actually - it's Bill Wilson's.
There's a very short and often-ignored appendix in the Big Book called, "Spiritual Experiences". To summarize the chapter, it begins by saying that the personality change required for sobriety can take many different forms. Then Bill adds...
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.
I had such an experience myself - a "white light" event similar to Bill Wilson's that immediately removed my obsession for alcohol and set my feet on the new path of the 12 Steps. But not everyone in AA has had such experiences. We have to be careful not to conflate such experiences with the necessities of the program. Bill continues...
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.
I think it's very important that newcomers, or any AA members for that matter, understand that dramatic mystical events are NOT required for sobriety. In fact, Bill goes on to describe the spiritual path that all of us can actually relate to - that is: slow and steady wins the race.
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 beenbrought 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.
Sorry if I sound like a killjoy, but if we put "white light" experiences on a pedestal, we run the risk of alienating potential members of the fellowship. Whenever we relate these sort of experiences, I believe it's very important to add the caveat that they are NOT necessary for sobriety.
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The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. ---William James
Good point Q, ... it is important to clarify the 'spiritual awakening' experience ... I've never heard any two the same ... I had no 'bright light' but did indeed experience a 'sudden' and profound change in 'awareness' let's say ... ... ... for some of us it took years before the meetings and the program made them 'aware' that they too had gone through a change, but it was so gradual that they themselves didn't even realize it for a long time ...
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I had such an experience myself - a "white light" event similar to Bill Wilson's that immediately removed my obsession for alcohol and set my feet on the new path of the 12 Steps. But not everyone in AA has had such experiences. We have to be careful not to conflate such experiences with the necessities of the program. Bill continues...
I didn't have this Q...As a matter of fact...I prayed like crazy just too make it through the day without picking up. I also packed as many meetings into the day as I could.....It was the one place I felt safe. For myself...The obsession was lifted somewhere between the 5th and 9th steps....I couldn't even tell you when....I just noticed I had ceased fighting it....It was gone....Miracle anyone?....For me yes.
Thanks, I'm glad you have enjoyed. I do have plenty of links to many of these experiences but I figured just to post this one because it's AA related but if you look around on the channel on youtube you'll find a lot of great experiences!
