Father Bill W.

Tom will be my guest for an upcoming series focused on the work of psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. Serving both as a therapist and university instructor practicing in Reno, Nevada, Tom’s interest in Frankl’s Logotherapy extends back many years and he has a special gift for making Frankl’s work accessible to people in recovery.  This recording was an interview we did several years ago when I appeared on Tom’s long-running TV series.  In the upcoming series we’ll be exploring Frankl’s book: The Doctor and the Soul. Enjoy this and be sure to come back for more!

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey, we’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in our lives This episode concludes the series focusing on how AA brings about spiritual transformation. It concentrates on the difference between religion and spirituality and how AA tries to protect itself from becoming a cult. Show Notes: ⁠Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant⁠  ⁠HARVARD STUDY HIGHLIGHTS⁠: ⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Study

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey, we’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in our lives This episode focuses on Awe and Mystical Illumination –the goal of the 12-Step Journey. Show Notes: Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant We Agnostics: How William James, Father of American Psychology, Advanced A Spiritual Solution to Addiction: How a Venerated Harvard Doctor Inspired the 12 Step Movement Paperback – Mr Paul L Schulte Father Bill W. podcast w guest Paul Schulte AA & William James Quantum Change: When Epiphanies and Sudden Insights Transform Ordinary Lives 1st Editionby William R. Miller Father Bill W. podcast w guest William Miller

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey, we’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in our lives This episode focuses on COMPASSION and the role it plays in the spiritual life of a recovering addict. Show Notes: Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey, we’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in our lives This episode focuses on FORGIVENESS and the role it plays in the spiritual life of a recovering addict. Show Notes: Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant If this information has been helpful to you, Like, Subscribe, and consider making a donation to help spread the good news.

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey, we’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in our lives This episode focuses on the quality of JOY in the spiritual life of a recovering addict. If you want to locate and feel JOY in your soul, be sure to watch and listen to the 5-minute YouTube video “Ode to Joy” linked below. “If you can spot it, you got it!” Show Notes: Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant Video: Ode to Joy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJcQYVtZMo

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey, we’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in our lives This episode focuses on the importance of HOPE in the spiritual life of a recovering addict. Show Notes: SpiritualEvolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant Harvard Study Hightlights: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Study Anthem by Leonard Cohen: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=anthem+leonard+cohen

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey, we’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in our lives This episode focuses on the meaning and transforming power of LOVE. Show Notes: Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant Used Copy Available HARVARD STUDY HIGHLIGHTS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Study References to LOVE in Key AA Literature (Courtesy 164andMore.com):https://www.164andmore.com/words/love.htm Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians For more on this topic, check out the Father Bill W. podcast series Inner Gold https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fatherbillw/episodes/Inner-Gold-God-Is-Out-of-the-Box-e1h26f3

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION written by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a research psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality is often a hard concept to grasp and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and through the 12 Step journey. We’re evolving – “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly” towards realizing them in ourselves. This episode focuses on the important difference between faith and belief.  Show Notes: Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George Vaillant HARVARD STUDY HIGHLIGHTS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Study  References to “Faith” in Key AA Literature: https://www.164andmore.com/words/faith.htm  Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%27man%27s+search+for+meaning%27&i=stripbooks&hvadid=580696318078&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9028223&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1501299473015564863

The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION written by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a research psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality is a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it more understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues we are evolving physically, culturally, and individually. This episode is focused on the geography of the brain and how it sets the stage for the spiritual journey. Show Notes: Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith by George E, Valliant Harvard Study Highlights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Study Bill Wilson article Emotion Sobriety “The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobriety” by Bill Wilson (aainthedesert.org)