Some Dangers of Ladder Climbing

Tom Powers, Jr. grew up in the shadow of Bill Wilson but that didn’t keep him from descending into the pit of his own alcoholism. To climb out of his illness he needed to find a ladder and climb it as if his life depended on it because it did. In this series, Father Bill interviews Matt D. archivist for All Addicts Anonymous, the 12-Step Fellowship Tom and his father founded to reflect the original and more spiritually grounded pioneer program. They discuss a 1973 paper Tom wrote titled “The Twelve-Step Ladder to God Consciousness.”  In this episode some cautions for spiritual ladder climbing are discussed. The paper is available in the show notes below.Show notes:·      “The Twelve-Step Ladder to God Consciousness.”  S·      All Addicts Anonymous website: https://alladdictsanonymous.org/·      The Fourth Way by Ouspensky – (Be sure to see the used book selections)·      Maurice Nichols: Best book recommended for an introduction to Ouspensky.

Om Podcasten

I’m an Episcopal (Anglican) priest in recovery from alcoholism since 1972. I've spent my career in addiction treatment focused on 12-Step spirituality and exploring the pioneer history of AA. In discovering the lost 11th Step practice of Two Way Prayer, my program underwent a life-changing transformation. As Bill Wilson said, “ something was lost from AA when we stopped emphasizing the morning meditation." My mission now is helping people in 12-Step Fellowships explore a deeper understanding of spiritual practice and how it connects us to the "Great Reality" within. -Fr. Bill W.