By Gary DeVaney
The DeVaney Version of the Alcoholic 12-Step Program.
Question: Is Alcoholics Anonymous just another denomination of the Christian sect? They believe in a higher power / God.
This is Gary DeVaney's 1-12-step counter to AAs 1-12 step program as a result of this question.
1. We admit that we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
1. I know that I am addicted to a feeling. I admit that I have the power to identify and control my genetic feeling(s) that craves alcohol.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
2. I know that my taking control of my genetic feeling(s) can control my sanity.
3. We make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understand Him.
3. I have no evidence of any supernatural God. I have decided to take charge, identify, isolate and control my damaging, genetic feelings.
4. We make a search and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
4. I will identify, isolate, control, re-program and shut-down my genetic feeling(s) that crave alcohol.
5. We will admit to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
5. I accept my responsibility to identify and command my errant genetic feeling(s) to stand down.
6. We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
6. I will consciously order my feelings to re-program my ever-evolving genes to shut-down the addicted feeling(s).
7. We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
7. I will consciously re-program and supervise my genes to shut-down and control my addicted feeling(s).
8. We will make a list of all persons we have harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
8. I will no longer allow my genetic feeling(s) to damage myself or another.
9. We will make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
9. I will take stock of my addicted genetic feelings and I will shut-down any feelings that damage myself or others.
10. We will continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admit it.
10. When the feeling is triggered, I will identify, isolate, control, re-program and shut-down the damaging, genetic feeling(s). I will control my damaging feelings. As the tail does not wag the dog, my damaging feelings will not control me.
11. We seek, through prayer and meditation, to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
11. My behavior and my feelings are my responsibility. I will take steps to process and take control over any genetic feelings that tend to damage myself or others.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
12. I am the master of my life. I am responsible for my actions. I can learn to control my damaging feelings. I am now aware of the source and of the cure to my genetic feeling(s) and I will share the "addiction" message to those who need to control their damaging, genetic feelings. If I seek assistance in this matter, it will be in the form of meditation and therapy, not prayer. Finis
Let's, again, look at the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step program:
1. We admit that we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
Gary: Let us presume that our personal "God" is no more than our own Ego. Our Ego would quit alcohol if our thoughts directed it to and our feelings truly wanted to. Repetitive directed thoughts and feelings may be necessary to command and re-program our Ego.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
G: Only our Ego can do that. Any "God" / Authority can demand anything but our Ego must obey. The Ego's choices are emotional: do wants / don't wants. We become addicted not to alcohol but to a feeling that craves alcohol. Other thoughts must organize other feelings to over-ride the feeling we are addicted to. When the feeling we are addicted to weakens, through re-thinking and re-programming, the addiction disappears.
3. We make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understand Him.
G: No. Logic and reason must order your teachable Ego to make the necessary changes. Your Ego then is your autopilot commander of your feelings. Only re-programmed thoughts can change your teachable Ego, which in turn, changes your programmed feelings. If you truly want to change, your Ego will change. Your Ego will eventually conform to what you truly decide.
4. Make a search and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
G: Just order your Ego to re-program to what you truly want. Your Ego will then change to want what you truly want.
5. Admit to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
G: No. Not necessary. Ego, like God, operates as if it cannot be wrong. Command your Ego that it was wrong and correct it. Your Ego becomes your autopilot boss of what you decide, program or order it to be.
6. We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
G: The right decision is becoming one with your Ego. Only your Ego, no assumed authority called God, will succeed in changing your character. Your Ego filter always picks and chooses what assumed God / Authority it will obey or disobey. Outside of renewed thinking, your programmed Ego always has the final say. Without your Ego, no God can exist to you.
7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
G: Treat yourself well and with respect. Your committed decision becomes the boss. Your Ego will obey you if it is sincerely ordered to.
8. Make a list of all persons we have harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
G: Better yet - command your Ego not to harm anyone - especially yourself. Acknowledge and admit your mistakes to yourself. Your Ego does what your specific thoughts decide on. Do not believe. Know what you are doing and why you are doing it.
9. Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
G: If you owe someone - make it your Ego's idea to pay them off. You can't become angry if it is your idea.
10. Continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admit it.
G: Infantile ego, like a cat, normally can not be wrong and it feels no guilt. It blames everything but itself. Acknowledge that your Ego is to become the mature exception. Then, correct it.
11. We seek, through prayer and meditation, to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
G: Understand, accept and talk directly to your Ego. It and only it operates as your God.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
G: Thought is spiritual. Your thoughts amount to the authoritative gods that direct your receptive Ego. If you think well thought out thoughts, which direct your Ego, your Ego will command your feelings to perform safe and beneficial actions.
( http://WWW.AA-Louisiana.org/steps.htm )
Those who attend the twelve-step program are expected to renounce any personal responsibility for, or control over, their problem.
G: If one should establish and maintain self-responsibility, his or her Ego will succeed. Your God and your Ego are synonymous. When you impose your God on others - you are imposing your Ego on them.
This blatant renunciation of the concept of free-will is also a characteristic of every single other cult I can think of - the individual counts for nothing.
G: Without your Ego, nothing is real, substantial or can relate to you. Every sense you experience goes through your Ego-filter. Your Ego either accepts a god, or any other assumed authority, or it rejects it. Your Ego is all you've got. Acknowledge your Ego and accept it. Correct your Ego and with kindness maintain it. Intelligence is categorical. Your Ego is your closest and best friend, or if not corrected, your ego becomes your worst enemy. And, outside your Ego, there is no God in reality.
