View All Subjects

Expanding Spirituality

created by: Inubyte 1 year, 6 months ago



What are some ways you've expanded your spirituality after becoming sober? I struggled with a loving concept of a Higher Power for a couple years- I had an "I'm gonna smite you" God and the old idea was just recently smashed. I'm looking for new ideas on how I can expand that part of my life, but I'm not sure where to start. Any ideas are greatly appreciated 😊


by: Inubyte 1 year, 6 months ago
replying to Inubyte

You could follow the teachings of the mystics and prophets but even they say it's pointless because we can't get what we already have .
To end suffering we have give up all desires and to even desire not to desire is still desire , like a dog chasing it's own tail there is literally nothing we can do to bring upon a spontaneous awakening when consciousness wakes up to itself we dont have a say in it . Learning to be and not do is where I find this Power ,God spirit of the universe it's an inside job . If you stick close to your own truth and follow your heart in loving actions without wanting or desiring anything in return surely he ,she it ,will disclose itself .
These are just my own conceptions based from other people's conceptions , other people's words may wake us up ,starving ourselves, self imposed isolation or a knock to the head .
Step 11 states through prayer and meditation our conscious contact with God improves ,which means we already have whatever we are looking for .


by: AussieDrunk 1 year, 6 months ago
replying to Inubyte

I expanded my spirituality by helping others while expecting nothing in return. Well, thats not all true, I did expect that helping would keep me sober which is actually everything.

Spirituality involves action for me. When I do good things, I can feel the spirit enter me probably because I need the spirit to do good things.

Thanks for this great topic!


by: Surfer12 1 year, 6 months ago

I think Surfer is correct. Helping others, helps us find ourselves. it helps us empathise and also value what we have in life and how precious it all is.

I have found getting back to nature had helped me. Long, lone walks have brought better health and peace to my life.


by: Indiecat 1 year, 6 months ago

Not sure this anwers to any part of your question. Always been spiritual and expanding on it… what's different now, that I am learning surrendering and asking, whereas this spiritual has always been something that I walk along with or am in it.

I studied literature and art at a university. Early on, read Joseph Campbell's The power of Myth and that other one, helped me venture into and learn about different religious thought, myths, legends, eventually philosophy. All that research built into the spiritual side of my life, but maybe was always into it, inquisitive about the larger meaning and purpose, which to me entails higher consciousness…. And it keeps me open-minded, even though I'm back to where I started. One mystic I remember well is Jullian of Norwich, very loving of Christ. Then if a soul longs to be with God, it also longs to know about God, and so I read about it. Different perspectives. Never read Meister Eckhart, hear is good too and Jung refers to him quite a bit… … These days, challenging myself reading Aquinas again, another book that I keep open, and once I'm done with AA stuff, skipping to the above reads …  

Love the spirituality stuff though, was quite happy to discover there was CG Jung in the story of AA…..

Because I start my day differently, memorized some new prayers, out of Loyola's book. Some about surrendering and some that are mystic or deeply profound to me, that I cannot but stop and think about it. Then have a small conversation and a thought/idea for the day…  It doesn't always occur, but sometimes I even get to write it down.

Thank you for writing and being here. have a nice day!


by: Vita2037 1 year, 6 months ago

Thanks Vita, that's what I'm looking for. I've thought about looking into Buddhism to see what knowledge I can gain there and I'll take a look at some of the books you mentioned. I'm a big reader!


by: Inubyte 1 year, 6 months ago