Is there a power higher than YOU?

[gnomon]

While reading about Alcoholics Anonymous and the need for the addicted person to acknowledge a higher power in order to get well, I was struck by the question:

Can you imagine a power higher than you?

Imagine someone answering, "No, I can't imagine a power higher than myself."
Like that's it? YOU are the highest power in the universe?

An atheist friend told me he believed in Mother Nature and Father Time. He even thought they were benevolent, they were on his side.

So: Is there a power higher than you? If so, what is yours?

Alcoholics do not need to recognize a higher power. Astonishingly, many alcoholics and problem drinkers establish recovery based on personal willpower and responsibility. I would state that AA's who do accept higher powers are actually doing the same thing as well.

That out of the way, yes I can imagine a higher power. I can imagine a sentient higher power. I can imagine many things.

As others have pointed out, there are obviously many things more powerful in the world and the universe by most uses of the term.

Do I believe in God, Mother Nature or Gaia, Father Time or any such thing....no.

Even after attending hundreds of AA, NA, CA and EA meetings.

 

[d3vaLL]

I believe the trick is very simple in the AA meetings. It has to do with IDENTITY. If a person believes they are a failure, then they will fail at quitting. The choice is either rehabilitation or death; a seemingly easy choice. But the POWER of guilt makes death the easy choice. Bring God into the plan and they can no longer IDENTIFY the choice with themselves. So, the HIGHER POWER of God babysitting YOUR choices neutralizes the LESSER POWER of guilt and the person can make the easy and obvious choice: rehabilitation. Most people are not willing to contend that absolute liquidity of self-identity is possible- though I suspect everyone knows it's true.

 

[gnomon]

The higher power in AA is, from my experience, primarily that of community. In that sense community can be expressed as a higher power for just about anyone defined by whichever community one identifies themselves.

 

[richardlowellt]

Did you bring yourself into being?
Were you the cause of your own
existence?
No, you were not.
God created you and keeps you
existing.

Nope, mom and dad did that one fine night in Sept. just before he went off the war.

No I keep myself existing, trying to eat healthy and get enough exercise. As I said good old Mom and dad created me.

Try and get in the habit of NOT stating your beliefs as factual, Catholics do have a tendency to fall into that insulting habit.

 

[Jackytar]

Instead of a "higher power"...
I would say there is an "inner power"...
by which I am empowered.

This power however is an integral part of who I am.
Not something seperate.

I agree with UV. An appeal to a "higher power" is an appeal to your better self.
My better self would not have had that second bowl of ice cream. But I sure did.

Jackytar

 

[saltandlight]

While reading about Alcoholics Anonymous and the need for the addicted person to acknowledge a higher power in order to get well, I was struck by the question:

Can you imagine a power higher than you?

Imagine someone answering, "No, I can't imagine a power higher than myself."
Like that's it? YOU are the highest power in the universe?

An atheist friend told me he believed in Mother Nature and Father Time. He even thought they were benevolent, they were on his side.

So: Is there a power higher than you? If so, what is yours?

Time can't be on your side, you are dying every second you are living. As soon as you are born you begin dying.

 

[monta]

Significance is such an odd intellectual construct, personally I believe, the idea of a higher power is born out of ego, as a species we all suffer from the delusion we are so damn important we have to dream up a reason why we are so fragile and infinitesimal compared to the universe, suddenly our minds decide we muse be part of the universal consciousness or the favourite pet of some benevolent super being or whatever the unsound rationale is for our own limited span and scope.

When I look at the stars I acknowledge my limited perception of the vastness of the universe, but I also remember that my body is a universe to the bacteria that exist within it. I am more important to that bacteria, than I am to the universe. But I am important to myself and to my friends and family as they are to me. I don't need to be part of some cosmic plan, I don't need to be some divine creation, that I am at all is miricle enough. Do you see what I mean about ego

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Can you imagine a power higher than you?

When it comes to my own mind, behavior, life, choices, etc., there is no higher power than myself.

Considering that the success rate of 12 step programs is around 5%, which is about the same as going cold turkey on your own, it appears that this rule applies to pretty much everyone else as well - whether they realize it or not.

 

[3.14]

the 12 step program is as/less effective as hitting your toe with a hammer, and works in pretty much the same way (substitute booze for meetings/hammerhits), exept that the twelf step program beats the mind and the hammer beats the toe

 

[linwood]

When I look at the stars I acknowledge my limited perception of the vastness of the universe, but I also remember that my body is a universe to the bacteria that exist within it. I am more important to that bacteria, than I am to the universe. But I am important to myself and to my friends and family as they are to me. I don't need to be part of some cosmic plan, I don't need to be some divine creation, that I am at all is miricle enough. Do you see what I mean about ego

Yes and yours seems to be quite secure.
I find that an admirable quality.

:yes:

 

[Standup Philosopher]

The higher power in AA is, from my experience, primarily that of community. In that sense community can be expressed as a higher power for just about anyone defined by whichever community one identifies themselves.

Good point. I agree there is great power in community, more than we can grasp with our Western worldview and admiration for the lone wolf, the rugged individual, etc.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

So: Is there a power higher than you? If so, what is yours?

My wife !

 

[Standup Philosopher]

My wife !

There you go; this was an easy one for you.