Five Decades of Recovery Wisdom, Shared with Soul.
Here is another guest post from Black Magic.
So, I continue to stress the importance of cats to the understanding that humans have of their world. I must say at the outset, that I don’t begin the comprehend the physics of what I am about to relate, and I assure you, neither does Mike. Nevertheless, let’s give it a try.
The beginning of the last century saw the development of theories of quantum mechanics. This involved the existence and behavior of atomic and subatomic particles. One interesting aspect of this is the observation that at times a particle such as a photon (light particle) behaved as though it was a particle, and at other times behaved as though it was a wave. Because of the size of the particles involved there was a limit to the accuracy of observations that could be made. For example, if you wanted to look at a photon you would shine a light on it. Since the light you shine is made up of other photons of a mass equal to the photon you are trying to examine, the act of illuminating the photon would cause it to be knocked out of its original position.
In 1927, Professor Werner Heisenberg formulated what has come to be known as Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. It states that it is not possible to know both the position and the momentum of a particle at the same instant. Heisenberg believed that this was a fundamental principle in nature, and independent of the limitations placed on the observer of the particle. Einstein disagreed, stating that there must be a more fundamental principle in reality that is not yet known.
Because of the limits of observation, according to quantum theory, not only could one not know if the photon was behaving as a wave or as a particle. You could say that it existed as both a particle and a wave at the same time. Schrodinger believed this was absurd, and in 1935, devised a thought experiment to look at this phenomenon on a macro level. He imagined a closed steel box in which a cat had been placed. Also in the chamber was a source of radioactivity and a device to detect the decay of radioactive atoms. If the device detected the decay of an atom, it would trigger a hammer which would shatter a glass flask of poison, thus killing the cat (shudder.)
In theory in 1 hour there was a 50% chance of the cat remaining alive, and 50% chance of it being dead. The observer would not know unless he opened the box. Schrodinger said that according to the theory of a photon being both a wave and a particle at the same time (in the absence of a measurement) then one must say that the cat must be both alive and dead at the same time. This is clearly absurd. If you are interested there is a great deal of scholarly work available on the subject, but you had better bring your math chops with you.
What really interests Mike about this is the convergence of physics and spirituality. On the surface one would think they would be so different, physics being an exact measurable science, and spirituality being unmeasurable and mysterious. It seems that the deeper one gets into physics the more mysterious it becomes. So maybe they are two different ways of looking at the same thing.
Mike says there are 2 kinds of seekers that turn to religion. One kind is those who need definite answers. They tend to place complete trust and faith in their sacred texts, follow the precepts found therein, and are thus comforted in the knowledge of their salvation. The other kind is those that prefer the mystery. They believe that whatever force or energy rules in the universe, it is ultimately unknowable at our current level of existence. One can appreciate the world and its Creator from a state of awe, hope, and wonder. The mystery works better for me, and Mike is with me on that. In counseling his patients Mike often tells them that learning to deal with uncertainty is one of the great challenges we all face in life.
With this short, simple book, Sam Torode presents the spiritual philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He uses as his primary source the journaling that Emerson did in 1833, upon returning from his pilgrimage to Europe where he had met with some of the leading intellectuals, scientists, and authors active there at that time. Such people included Coleridge, Carlyle, and Wordsworth.
His visit to Europe followed the tragic death of his wife of 18 months, an event which caused him to question everything that he had been taught in his training as a minister and had believed up to that point. His meditation, reading, and life experience led him to understand the soul as the place where man meets God, the Universal Soul. He saw life as a unity of souls, all connected as One.
This movement laid a foundation for important new ways of thinking, which ultimately influenced Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Emerson was the Godfather of the famous psychologist William James. James authored The Varieties of Religious Experience, a book which Wilson read early in his recovery, and which helped him understand that not everyone needs to have the dramatic “mountaintop” experience that he had which opened him up to a new life. Transcendentalism was an important source in the development of Religious Science, the movement which inspired Emmet Fox, who had a significant influence on Wilson’s thinking and on that of the early A.A. members.
There is much in Emerson’s seven principles which can be found in the Twelve Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. These include the need to seek a Higher Power, to live one day at a time, the importance of character building, the importance of meditation, of finding a purpose in life, and the need to achieve serenity for finding acceptance, courage, and wisdom. It is a useful book, and for those who are unsure of what to believe about a Higher Power or God, it provides something to think about. The material is presented in an easy-to-understand style which will be accessible to the average reader.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who have in common the desire to stop drinking, or to stay stopped. As active alcoholics their stories often include episodes in which they behaved disgracefully, incurring substantial guilt, shame, and embarrassment along the way. At the same time, most alcoholics successfully maintained the delusion that they were fully in control of their lives, and not only that, but generally knew better than anyone else on most any subject. Underneath all this lay a deep-seated belief in their personal inadequacy along with a facade of coolness to keep their inadequacy hidden from the view of others. Thus the expression of being an egomaniac with an inferiority complex. It is a crazy and painful way to live.
Once in A.A. and sober, the alcoholic embarks on a journey of self-discovery and self-forgiveness such that he or she can arrive at a place of self-acceptance, usefulness, and wholeness. A perspective is gained on one’s past life in which the narrative changes from “The Great Tragedy of Mike G. (or whomever)” to what one had to go through in order to get to where one is now. One of the tools picked up on this journey is the gift of laughter, especially, the ability to laugh at oneself. People in the fellowship learn to not take themselves so seriously. An expression often heard at A.A. is “I’m just another bozo on the bus.” This is a statement of being not special, no more or less than anyone else. It is the opposite of where the alcoholic came from, the egomaniac with the inferiority complex.
I like the expression because it is both amusing and instructive. I have a special feeling for it because both Bozo the Clown and I are from Chicago. My family moved to the Chicago area in 1947, and to the city in 1951. Bozo the Clown was featured in a television show that first aired on WGN-TV in 1959. It was highly successful, and ran for over forty years. At one point there were numerous locally produced Bozo shows all over the country. The original Bozo was played by Bob Bell who held the role down for 25 years.
The word bozo means a person who is foolish and incompetent. We tend to mock such people when we are not being nice, but it’s okay to make a little fun of ourselves. I think the “bus” reference also has significance, in two ways. First of all, it is a means of conveyance—it takes people from one place to another. Thus, it represents the fact that recovery, indeed life, is a journey. Moreover, a bus is a relatively humble means of transport. Generally speaking, people take the bus when they can’t afford anything better. It is the proper means of transport for a person whose overblown ego has been deflated. And secondly, the bus signifies that we are all taking this journey together. It is a much better way to live than trying to fight all the demons alone, angry and terrified.
I learned to not take myself quite so seriously once I found myself amongst others who had acquired the gift of being able to laugh at themselves. And when I fall back into the trap of taking myself too seriously, I just imagine myself with a big red nose, goofy red hair, oversized clothes, and a grotesque smile—just a clown among clowns—and I can settle back down as a member of the human race—another Bozo on the bus.
In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous the message is delivered that a person needs a power greater than himself or herself in order to recover from alcoholism. The second step reads “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” (p. 59). While finding such a higher power is the ideal, for many this is an elusive goal. People may well come into the program bitter and disillusioned about any ideas about God, and are unclear about what to do to get past what seems to be a major obstacle. Sponsors tell newcomers to “not worry about the God stuff.”
While this is good advice, I have come to believe that more help may be needed by a great many people. For me, the key is in the search itself. In the Big Book the reader is presented with what are referred to as “three pertinent ideas”:
That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.
That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.
That God could and would if he were sought.” (p. 60).
The emphasis here is in the seeking. So, how does one go about seeking a higher power? I decided to write a book in which I cover many ideas that could be helpful, understanding that what helps one person may be of no use to another. Some of the diverse topics include love, spirituality, religion, Buddhism, and Native American spirituality. I have a section on Great Minds and Great Ideas including Joseph Campbell and the Heroic Journey, Carl Jung, Albert Einstein, and even a section on quantum physics and Eastern mysticism.
In addition to my own writing, I have included quotations after each section from some of the finest thinkers the world has known. I lead off my book with a quotation from the Persian poet, Rumi: “That which you seek is seeking you.” This is a book that I doubt that people will read from cover to cover. It is more to be browsed through, highlighting topics that may seem to be of more immediate interest. What I hope is that it can serve to help people in their search for a higher power. If it does, I will be immensely grateful to have played a role in the recovery of people whom I will never encounter. Bill Wilson always emphasized the importance of being useful. In the Jewish religion we talk about the repair of the world. I will post when the book is available.
My interview with Dr. Vera Tarman is now live on YouTube.
Host Tom Dutta asked Michael Gordon to write why he should be on The Quiet Warrior Show. Micha poured onto his paper a page and a half of writing, and the latter was this:
My story illustrates the heroic journey. Joseph Campbell wrote that the purpose of the heroic journey is to redeem the world. While that is overstating my accomplishments, I have indeed helped thousands of patients through my direct involvement in their care. I have helped hundreds of people through mutual involvement in twelve-step recovery. And with this book, I can help thousands more. My story will interest your listeners. I hope many will be encouraged to see how their lives represent a heroic journey as they respond to their challenges.
I may have written too much, as my instructions were to write a paragraph. If so, I’m sorry. I hope to be a guest on your podcast, where I can tell the story of recovery as a heroic journey. Thank you.
Michael Cowl Gordon, MD
Join Tom and Michael as he tells the rest of the story and takes your questions or comments via live chat.
ABOUT: Michael Cowl Gordon, MD, opened the first detox program in Madison, WI, under the decriminalization of alcoholism statute in 1972. He became Medical Director of the Anderson Alcoholic Rehabilitation Hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1974 and later joined the Center for Psychiatry and the staff of the Brawner Psychiatric Institute in Atlanta. Gordon is now semi-retired but remains in practice as the Medical Director of the Berman Center, an Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospital Program. From 2 06-2018, he was a speaker for Reckitt-Benckiser, a company that manufactures drugs for treating opioid use disorder. He is a member of International Doctors in Alcoholics Anonymous and is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Gordon has been interviewed by many media outlets, including CNN, and quoted in numerous articles on addiction-related topics. He lives in Marietta, Georgia.
As noted above, I will be interviewed by Tom Dutta for the second time this Friday. This interview will feature my first book, Autobiography of a Georgia Cat, which can be ordered HERE. The story emphasizes the theme of the heroic journey, and as such serves as my original effort in presenting this theme.
Unlike my most recent book, The Twelve Step Pathway: A Heroic Journey of Recovery, the cat book is a work of fiction and as such, it gave me a lot of freedom in my storytelling. Please join us on Friday for what I hope will be an interesting discussion.
On Tuesday, February 20, at 12:30 I will again be a guest on Tom Dutta’s Quiet Warrior podcast. Both episodes can be found HERE.
Tom Dutta has written a book which is a component of a method of achieving success in business, but more than that, a way of achieving success in life. He draws on concepts from psychology, motivation driven goal setting, and his own life experience.
Storytelling is an important aspect of the teaching method of this book. For me the most interesting source material is the heroic journey idea of Joseph Campbell. Campbell was a scholar, philosopher, and educator who taught that all cultures have mythology that informs them of who they are, why they occupy a special place in the universe, and who are represented by a mythic hero. This hero has accomplished impossible things, having been guided by spiritual forces, that have provided the society with knowledge or materials (land, food, hunting or planting techniques, magical devices or rituals) which they need in order to survive and prosper.
In my own work I have applied the concept of the heroic journey to addiction recovery, but again, applied more broadly, this approach can be seen as a way of overcoming any seemingly insurmountable difficulty in life. For those who are seeking a method of succeeding in business, I see how the full program of ‘the way of the Quiet Warrior’ can be exactly what many people have been looking for. Applied more generally, the book is a useful contribution to the heroic journey literature which can guide people to overcome whatever difficulties they may face in life.
Dutta makes three points that I believe are critical to success in this regard:
That you can’t do it alone
That the hero can’t be on this quest for himself alone—he needs to return to the kingdom with the treasure that will benefit the entire community
That the heroic journey is a life-long enterprise.
The hero is transformed both psychologically and spiritually and must live the rest of his life sharing his gifts with others. As they say in the Alcoholics Anonymous program, “You can’t keep it unless you give it away.” I highly recommend “the way of the Quiet Warrior” for anyone looking for an interesting and enjoyable way to spend a quiet afternoon. And it could potentially furnish what they have been looking for in order to change their lives.
