From the books ... Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
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to display the full page from the Big Book1.
... experience.
12&12 p.104,
Step Eleven
2.
... experience.
12&12 p.131,
Tradition One
3.
... experience.
12&12 p.139,
Tradition Three
4.
... experience.
12&12 p.149,
Tradition Four
5.
... experience.
12&12 p.158,
Tradition Six
6.
... experience.
12&12 p.167,
Tradition Eight
But when we had declared that our Fellowship couldn't hire service workers nor could any A.A. member carry our knowledge into other fields, we were taking the counsel of fear, fear which today has been largely dispelled in the light of
experience.
7.
... experience.
BB p.27,
There Is A Solution
This hope, however, was destroyed by the doctor's
telling him that while his
religious convictions were very good, in his case they did not spell the necessary vital spiritual experience.
8.
... experience.
BB p.29,
There Is A Solution
9.
... experience.
BB p.39,
More About Alcoholism
This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize, to smash home upon our alcoholic readers as it
has been revealed to us out
of bitter experience.
10.
... experience.
BB p.56,
We Agnostics
One night, when confined in a hospital,
he was approached by an alcoholic who had known a
spiritual experience.
11.
... Experience."
BB p.47,
We Agnostics (Note)
12.
... experience.
BB p.70,
How It Works
13.
... experience.
BB p.75,
Into Action
14.
... experience.
BB p.85,
Into Action
That is our experience.
15.
... experience.
BB p.92,
Working With Others
16.
... experience.
BB p.119,
To Wives
Your husband will be the first to say it was your devotion and care which brought him to the point
where he could have a spiritual experience.
17.
... experience.
BB p.128,
The Family Afterward
18.
... experience.
BB p.158,
A Vision For You
19.
... experience.
BB p.568(570),
Appendix II, Spiritual Experience
Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is
the essence of spiritual experience.
20.
... experience.
BB p.180,
Doctor Bob's Nightmare
Of far more importance was the fact
that he was the first living human with whom I had
ever talked, who knew what he was talking about
in regard to alcoholism from actual
experience.
21.
... experience a
man was brought in to ...
BB xxxi(xxix),
The Doctor's Opinion
22.
... experience: A
woman's voice came faintly over ...
BB p.137,
To Employers
23.
... experience after
another clinched this determination until ...
12&12 p.141,
Tradition Three
One dramatic experience after another clinched this determination until it
became our universal tradition.
24.
... experience along
to me -- if I cared ...
BB p.9,
Bill's Story
25.
... experience an
entire psychic change there is ...
BB xxix(xxvii),
The Doctor's Opinion
This is repeated over and
over, and unless this person can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery.
26.
... experience and
a life of sane and ...
BB p.130,
The Family Afterward
We have found nothing incompatible between a
powerful spiritual
experience and a life of sane and happy usefulness.
27.
... experience and
knowledge.
BB p.19,
There Is A Solution
28.
... experience and
learn.
12&12 p.100,
Step Eleven
29.
... experience" and
"spiritual awakening" are used many ...
BB p.567(569),
Appendix II, Spiritual Experience
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.
30.
... experience and
told him about the course ...
BB p.157,
A Vision For You
The two friends spoke of their spiritual
experience and told him about
the course of action they
carried out.
31.
... experience as
Medical Director of one of ...
BB xxvii(xxv),
The Doctor's Opinion
I say this after many years' experience as Medical Director of one of the oldest hospitals in the country treating alcoholic and drug addiction.
32.
... experience before
the world.
BB xvii,
Foreword to Second Edition
It was now time, the struggling groups thought, to place their message and unique experience before the world.
33.
... experience by
the dozen.
BB p.42,
More About Alcoholism
34.
... experience can
benefit others.
BB p.84,
Into Action
35.
... experience can
recover, provided he does not ...
BB p.568(570),
Appendix II, Spiritual Experience
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.
36.
... experience closely
tallied with his own.
BB p.160,
A Vision For You
Impressed by those who
visited him at the hospital, he capitulated entirely
when, later, in an upper room of this house, he heard the story of some man whose experience closely tallied with his own.
37.
... experience does
provide certain answers that work ...
12&12 p.117,
Step Twelve
We A.A.'s cannot pretend to
offer full answers to age-old perplexities, but our
own experience does provide certain answers that work for us.
38.
... experience, following
a meeting with an alcoholic ...
BB xvi,
Foreword to Second Edition
Six months earlier, the broker had been
relieved of his drink obsession by a sudden spiritual experience, following a meeting with
an alcoholic friend who
had been in contact with the Oxford Groups of that day.
39.
... experience galore.
BB p.126,
The Family Afterward
With these we have had experience galore.
40.
... experience had
made him skeptical, he finished ...
BB p.26,
There Is A Solution
41.
Experience has
often warned us that nothing ...
12&12 p.191,
Tradition Seven (Long)
Experience has often warned us that nothing can
so surely destroy our spiritual heritage as futile disputes over property, money, and authority.
42.
Experience has
often warned us that nothing ...
BB p.564(566),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
Experience has often warned us that nothing can
so surely destroy our spiritual heritage as futile disputes over property, money, and authority.
43.
... experience, has
stepped over the threshold of ...
BB p.160,
A Vision For You
Many a man, yet dazed from his hospital experience, has stepped over the threshold of that home into
freedom.
44.
... experience has
taught us that:
BB p.563(565),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
45.
Experience has
taught us that these are ...
BB p.50,
We Agnostics
Experience has taught us
that these are matters about which, for our purpose, we need not be worried.
46.
... experience has
taught us we cannot live ...
12&12 p.55,
Step Five
A.A. experience has taught us we cannot live alone with our pressing problems and the character defects which
cause or aggravate them.
47.
... experience has
yet given to those ever-urgent ...
BB p.561(563),
Appendix I, The A.A. Tradition
The "12 Traditions" of Alcoholics Anonymous
are, we A.A.'s believe, the
best answers that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, "How can A.A. best function?" and, "How can
A.A. best stay whole and so survive?"
48.
... experience, he
conceded, was absolutely necessary, but ...
BB p.155,
A Vision For You
A spiritual experience,
he conceded, was absolutely necessary,
but the price seemed high upon the basis suggested.
49.
... experience, how
the queer mental condition surrounding ...
BB p.92,
Working With Others
Show him, from your own experience, how the queer mental condition surrounding that first drink prevents normal functioning of
the will power.
50.
... experience in
a book which finally reached ...
12&12 p.17,
Foreword
Nevertheless, the infant Society determined to set down its experience in a book which finally reached the public in April 1939.
51.
... experience in
A.A. does seem to suggest..."
12&12 p.173,
Tradition Nine
52.
... experience in
proof of it, still be ...
12&12 p.96,
Step Eleven
To certain newcomers
and to those one-time agnostics who still cling to the A.A. group as their higher power, claims for the power of prayer may, despite all the
logic and experience in proof of it, still be unconvincing or quite objectionable.
53.
... experience in
the Cathedral burst upon me.
BB p.12,
Bill's Story
54.
... experience in
this Step has meant to ...
12&12 p.82,
Step Eight
Whenever our pencil falters, we can fortify and
cheer ourselves by remembering what A.A. experience in this Step has meant to others.
55.
... Experience," indicates
a multitude of ways in ...
BB p.28,
There Is A Solution
The distinguished American psychologist, William
James, in his book "Varieties of Religious
Experience," indicates a
multitude of ways in
which men have discovered
God.
56.
... experience is
a criterion, more than half ...
BB p.163,
A Vision For You
Some of them may sink and perhaps never get up, but if our experience is a criterion, more than half of those approached will become fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous.
57.
... experience, is
sound, and who is willing ...
12&12 p.135,
Tradition Two
The elder statesman is
the one who sees the wisdom of the group's decision, who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose judgment, fortified by
considerable experience, is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the sidelines
patiently awaiting developments.
58.
... experience is
the thing of supreme value ...
BB p.124,
The Family Afterward
Henry Ford once made a wise remark to the effect that experience is the
thing of supreme value in life.
59.
... experience, it
didn't necessarily mean that we ...
12&12 p.58,
Step Five
But while this was a humiliating experience, it
didn't necessarily mean
that we had yet acquired much actual humility.
60.
... experience may
come to you.
BB p.116,
To Wives
This experience may come to
you.
61.
... experience means
anything at all, this is ...
12&12 p.56,
Step Five
Yet if A.A.'s experience means anything at all, this is not only unwise, but is actually a
perilous resolve.
62.
... experience of
a man who thought he ...
BB p.55,
We Agnostics
63.
... experience of
an occasional retreat from the ...
12&12 p.89,
Step Ten
Many of us also like the experience of an occasional retreat from
the outside world where we
can quiet down for an undisturbed day or so of self-overhaul and meditation.
64.
... experience of
any alcoholic will abundantly confirm ...
BB p.23,
There Is A Solution
65.
... experience, of
course.
12&12 p.27,
Step Two
66.
... experience of
meditation and prayer across the ...
12&12 p.98,
Step Eleven
67.
... experience of
society and government everywhere, that ...
12&12 p.141,
Tradition Three
Why did we dare to say, contrary to the experience of society and government everywhere, that we would neither punish nor deprive any A.A. of membership, that we must never compel anyone to pay anything, believe anything, or conform to anything?
68.
... experience of
this kind, and he was ...
BB p.39,
More About Alcoholism
69.
... experience, only
to enjoy, in a few ...
BB p.134,
The Family Afterward
70.
... experience out
of the past.
BB p.132,
The Family Afterward
Outsiders are sometimes shocked when we
burst into merriment over a seemingly tragic experience out of the past.
71.
... experience, plus
the knowledge he had acquired, ...
BB p.40,
More About Alcoholism
He was positive that this humiliating experience, plus the knowledge he had acquired, would keep him sober the rest of his life.
72.
... experience seems
impossible, but to continue as ...
BB p.44,
We Agnostics
To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience seems impossible, but to
continue as he is means
disaster, especially
if he is an alcoholic of the hopeless variety.
73.
... experience shows
that nothing will so much ...
BB p.89,
Working With Others
Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.
74.
Experience shows
that such an attitude is ...
BB p.103,
Working With Others
75.
... experience shows
that this is not necessarily ...
BB p.101,
Working With Others
76.
... experience shows
that you need not be ...
BB p.44,
We Agnostics
77.
... experience, some
of it painful.
BB p.121,
To Wives
78.
... experience, strength,
and hope.
BB xxii,
Foreword to Third Edition
Each day, somewhere in the world, recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing experience, strength, and hope.
79.
... experience, strength,
and hope with each other, ...
BB xxiv,
Foreword to Fourth Edition
In any meeting, anywhere, A.A.'s share experience, strength, and hope with each other, in order to stay sober and help other alcoholics.
80.
... experience, strength
and hope with each other ...
Grapevine,
Preamble
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their
common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.
81.
... experience taught
us that to take away ...
12&12 p.141,
Tradition Three
At last experience taught us that to take away any alcoholic's full chance was sometimes to pronounce his death sentence, and often to condemn him to endless misery.
82.
... experience tell
all these they may still ...
12&12 p.28,
Step Two
83.
... experience that
A.A.'s Twelve Traditions took form ...
12&12 p.18,
Foreword
It was out of this vast welter of explosive experience that A.A.'s Twelve Traditions took form and were first published in 1946 and later confirmed at A.A.'s First International Convention, held at Cleveland in 1950.
84.
... experience that
particularly in these cases we ...
12&12 p.104,
Step Eleven
It is A.A.'s experience that particularly in these cases we ought to pray that God's will, whatever it is, be done for others as well as for ourselves.
85.
... experience, that
we have found nothing which ...
BB xxviii(xxvi),
The Doctor's Opinion
We feel, after many years of experience, that we have found nothing which has contributed more to the rehabilitation of these men than the altruistic movement now growing up among them.
86.
... experience, that
we surely must try with ...
12&12 p.73,
Step Seven
But again we are driven on
by the inescapable conclusion which we draw
from A.A. experience, that we surely must try with a will, or else fall by the wayside.
87.
... experience, the
alcoholic will find he has ...
BB p.131,
The Family Afterward
Being possessed of a spiritual experience, the alcoholic will find he has much in common with these people, though he may differ with
them on many matters.
88.
... experience the
conviction grew that A.A.'s had ...
BB xix,
Foreword to Second Edition
But out of this frightening and at first
disrupting experience
the conviction grew that
A.A.'s had to hang together or die separately.
89.
... experience the
kind of giving that asks ...
12&12 p.106,
Step Twelve
90.
... experience, the
man agreed that no amount ...
BB p.155,
A Vision For You
When our friend related
his experience, the man agreed that no amount of will power he might muster could stop his drinking for long.
91.
... experience the
sense of ease and comfort ...
BB xxviii(xxvi),
The Doctor's Opinion
They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless
they can again experience the
sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks -- drinks which they see others taking with impunity.
92.
... experience, the
structure of our Society was ...
12&12 p.131,
Tradition One
93.
... experience they
forgave each other and drew ...
BB p.124,
The Family Afterward
94.
... experience, they
have turned to easier methods.
BB p.72,
Into Action
95.
... experience, this
business of resentment is infinitely ...
BB p.66,
How It Works
But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth
of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave.
96.
... experience, this
is one of the facts ...
12&12 p.21,
Step One
97.
... experience, this
prayer was his expression of ...
12&12 p.99,
Step Eleven
And as he came out the other side of that painful experience, this prayer was his expression
of what he could then see, feel, and wish to become:
98.
... experience to
their service at G.S.O.
12&12 p.169,
Tradition Eight (Note)
99.
... experience to
think that they can stop, ...
BB p.33,
More About Alcoholism
Young people may be encouraged by this man's
experience to think that they
can stop, as he did, on their own will power.
100.
... experience top
secret.
12&12 p.171,
Tradition Eight
We cannot declare A.A. such a closed corporation that we keep
our knowledge and experience top secret.
101.
... experience, we
are sure they will come.
BB p.153,
A Vision For You
Should you wish them above
all else, and be willing to
make use of our experience, we are sure they will come.
102.
... experience, we
ask that we be given ...
BB p.79,
Into Action
Reminding ourselves
that we have decided to go to
any lengths to find a spiritual experience, we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right
thing, no matter what the personal consequences may be.
103.
... experience were
being sold for money, hence ...
12&12 p.167,
Tradition Eight
In all these instances, and more, it was claimed that A.A. knowledge and experience were being sold for money, hence these people, too, were
professionals.
104.
... experience whether
we are drinking or not.
12&12 p.88,
Step Ten
105.
... experience, which
as we have already told ...
BB p.28,
There Is A Solution
Here was the terrible dilemma in which our friend
found himself when he had
the extraordinary experience, which as we have already told you, made him a free man.
106.
... experience which
finally produced the Twelve Traditions ...
12&12 p.18,
Foreword
The Tradition section
of this volume portrays
in some detail the experience which finally produced the Twelve Traditions and so gave A.A. its present form, substance, and unity.
107.
... experience which
has led us to the ...
12&12 p.135,
Tradition Two
This is the experience which has led us to the conclusion
that our group conscience, well-advised by its elders, will be in the long run wiser than any single leader.
108.
... experience will
conquer.
BB p.44,
We Agnostics
If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness
which only a spiritual experience will conquer.
109.
... experience with
A.A., said: "The alcoholics we ...
BB p.570(572),
Appendix III, The Medical View on A.A.
Dr. John F. Stouffer, Chief Psychiatrist, Philadelphia General
Hospital, citing his
experience with A.A., said: "The alcoholics we get here at Philadelphia General
are mostly those who cannot
afford private treatment, and A.A. is by far the greatest thing we have been able to offer them.
110.
... experience with
alcoholic excuses naturally arouses suspicion.
BB p.146,
To Employers
111.
... experience with
an alcoholic, this may seem ...
BB p.101,
Working With Others
To a person who has had experience with an alcoholic,
this may seem like tempting Providence,
but it isn't.
112.
... experience with
Step Four.
12&12 p.46,
Step Four
113.
... experience with
the sufferings of our members ...
BB xxv(xxiii),
The Doctor's Opinion
Convincing testimony must surely come from medical men who have had experience with the sufferings
of our members and have witnessed our return to health.
114.
... experience you
can be uniquely useful to ...
BB p.89,
Working With Others
Ministers and doctors
are competent and you can learn much from them if you wish, but it happens that because of your own drinking experience you can
be uniquely useful to other alcoholics.
115.
... experience you
must not miss.
BB p.89,
Working With Others
To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends -- this is an experience you must not miss.
116.
... experience yourself,
you can give him much ...
BB p.96,
Working With Others
Passages from the Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous
and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
are reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
The A.A. Preamble, copyright ©
The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., is reprinted with permission.
Permission to reprint does not in any way imply affiliation with or
endorsement by either Alcoholics Anonymous or The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.
Copyright © 2005-2012, Recovery Press LLC; All Rights Reserved.