Comments on: Transform Your Life with A Spiritual Experience http://www.readingaddiction.com/35/beating-addiction/beating-addiction-transform-your-life-with-a-spiritual-experience Serving your addiction to knowledge Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:05:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Patrick http://www.readingaddiction.com/35/beating-addiction/beating-addiction-transform-your-life-with-a-spiritual-experience/comment-page-1#comment-27 Patrick Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:21:30 +0000 http://www.readingaddiction.com/35/beating-addiction/beating-addiction-transform-your-life-with-a-spiritual-experience#comment-27 Good question, Adam. This gets discussed every day in twelve step meetings. It is an age old debate that will probably never completely die or go away. There are certainly atheists out there who are living a recovery program. There are probably a couple of examples: 1) The atheist who believes in "the universe" as their HP. They might not actually "pray" to the universe, but they still work the steps and they still find a meaningful recovery. 2) Those who believe in "nature" as their HP (similar to some Native Americans). 3) Those who completely dismiss the possibility of a HP. The term "spiritual experience" is vague and undefined. We define it only for ourselves. For some, spirituality is feeling connected with nature, for others, it might be a growing sense of wisdom as they learn from the connection with their peers. Still others might kneel and pray in a church and claim a spiritual experience. In the strictest, most practical terms, a spiritual experience must be a sufficient replacement strategy for overcoming addiction. It has to be something sustainable, that integrates into one's life, at approximately the same level that drugs and alcohol once did. Thank you so much for the comment, Adam. I will definitely be exploring this theme further in my writing. Good question, Adam. This gets discussed every day in twelve step meetings. It is an age old debate that will probably never completely die or go away.

There are certainly atheists out there who are living a recovery program. There are probably a couple of examples:

1) The atheist who believes in “the universe” as their HP. They might not actually “pray” to the universe, but they still work the steps and they still find a meaningful recovery.

2) Those who believe in “nature” as their HP (similar to some Native Americans).

3) Those who completely dismiss the possibility of a HP.

The term “spiritual experience” is vague and undefined. We define it only for ourselves. For some, spirituality is feeling connected with nature, for others, it might be a growing sense of wisdom as they learn from the connection with their peers. Still others might kneel and pray in a church and claim a spiritual experience.

In the strictest, most practical terms, a spiritual experience must be a sufficient replacement strategy for overcoming addiction. It has to be something sustainable, that integrates into one’s life, at approximately the same level that drugs and alcohol once did.

Thank you so much for the comment, Adam. I will definitely be exploring this theme further in my writing.

]]> By: Adam Snider http://www.readingaddiction.com/35/beating-addiction/beating-addiction-transform-your-life-with-a-spiritual-experience/comment-page-1#comment-26 Adam Snider Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:55:37 +0000 http://www.readingaddiction.com/35/beating-addiction/beating-addiction-transform-your-life-with-a-spiritual-experience#comment-26 Does a "spiritual experience" necessarily mean a religious experience? While believing in some sort of vague "higher power" is probably helpful, I find it odd to assume that one mustn't be an atheist if one is going to recover from an addiction. Does a “spiritual experience” necessarily mean a religious experience? While believing in some sort of vague “higher power” is probably helpful, I find it odd to assume that one mustn’t be an atheist if one is going to recover from an addiction.

]]>