12 STEPS

The 12 Steps: How they Actually Work and Why

The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous work by weakening the egoic, mind-made identity, therefore allowing the true self--consciousness or awareness--to be. Since the compulsion to take the first drink is a manifest part of the false self, the elimination of this compulsion is a direct result of the new conscious awareness.

After surrender, the dissolving of the false self is accomplished by systematically weakening the egoic mind by shining the light of consciousness upon it (steps 1-3) and by honestly examining its falseness and the actions that result from living according to this false mind based identity (steps 4-9).

This process must be continued through life (steps 10-12) because the egoic self – and therefore the potential compulsion to drink--is still present to some extent even in the spiritually awakened.

Sobriety is actually an incidental side effect of the twelve step program. Step 12 declares, "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps...". This I interpret as nothing less than the promise of enlightenment. The promises following step 9 describe the enlightened state of existence that is the ultimate reward of the 12-step journey.