Episode 11: Higher and Friendly Powers

I was recently approached by the publicity manager for Wildhouse Publications. She suggested that the book “Higher and Friendly Powers: Transforming Addiction and Suffering” might be a good fit for my podcast. I read it and found that it was a fitting addition to my spiritual journey, so here are my thoughts.

The book was written by Peg O’Connor, a professor of philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. It’s at once a loving homage to William James’s life work and a personal tale of recovery from alcohol addiction.

While reading this book, I learned quite a few things. I learned about the origin of the 12 Steps espoused by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). I learned about how one of the founders of AA (Bill Wilson) was influenced by the book by William James titled “The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature”. I also learned about the life and work of William James and how his extensive research on the subjects of addiction and spiritual experiences helped Peg navigate her own journey through recovery. But I think that the most important takeaway from this book is that even if you are not a believer in God as a higher power, there are spiritual paths to transforming your life.

Chapter 1 of “Higher and Friendly Powers” is quite long, giving a thorough overview of subjects that will be detailed later in the book. Peg begins with an introduction to Bill Wilson, a struggling alcoholic at his nadir in 1932. She describes the transformation Bill experienced while in a last-ditch stay at a rehab facility. She tells of how William James’s book, “The Varieties of Religious Experience”, influenced Wilson so much that he thought of James as a co-founder when he went on to found Alcoholics Anonymous.

This chapter also describes James’s core concept of “the habitual center of personal energy”, defined as the ideas around which you center your life. Peg then introduces us to James’s concept of “world sickness”. This is a feeling of melancholy that comes when one’s habitual center of personal energy shifts in such a way that one feels a loss of control and the world feels hostile.

Peg goes on to discuss the psychiatric diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder (SUD). A person is diagnosed with SUD when their addiction negatively impacts their ability to function in the world. In one paragraph, Peg describes in detail how as a person’s habitual center of personal energy changes with SUD, they find themselves behaving in ways they never thought they would. She describes it so well that by the end of the paragraph, you can understand the worthlessness and hopelessness that an addict might come to feel.

Peg also makes clear that one doesn’t need to descend to the depths of utter hopelessness to turn things around. Some may see the writing on the wall and be able to tap into the spiritual spark that has been flickering throughout their lives, while others may undergo a sudden transformation of spirit brought on by some new knowledge or event. These changes make it possible for them to shift their lives to center around a new set of ideas, steering them towards a more positive life experience.

In the last half of the chapter, Peg contemplates the difference between the terms “religious” and “spiritual”. She notes that though William James’s book is titled “The Varieties of Religious Experience”, it includes tales from people of various spiritual inclinations who all sought to better their lives. Peg describes spirituality at its most basic as an understanding that there is something more to existence than you and your life. If you center your life’s actions around your belief in something More that exists beyond your own thoughts and ideals, everyone and everything will benefit.

According to Peg, “Anyone who ponders questions about spirituality opens herself to the possibility of a spiritual transformation or regeneration.” Once awakened to this possibility, a person is more apt to make a meaningful change.

William James made a concerted effort to keep his own beliefs from influencing those reading his works. He called a person’s pre-existing belief system “over-beliefs” and noted how those can tinge a discussion of spirituality. Peg points out how the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, though basing much of their program on James’s book, allow their own Christian over-beliefs to preclude true inclusiveness in their organization, as God is mentioned throughout their doctrines. AA recommends that people hand over their troubles to God and ask Him to remove their defects of character and their shortcomings. Peg suggests that these ideals have kept atheists and those of other spiritual inclinations from feeling welcomed and worthy. Sometimes, having joined AA, non-Christians become uncomfortable with the over-beliefs of AA and leave, wondering where to go from there. Peg assures us in the words of William James that once someone becomes accepting of any power that is larger than their conscious selves and friendly to them and their ideals, they will find a path forward.

In Chapter 2 of the book, Peg goes into a lot of detail about the life of William James and his family. It’s very interesting and I won’t go into the details here, but it tells of the life and struggles of James, his parents, and his siblings, including famed author Henry James. Through this chapter you gain a lot of insight into James’s life and his inspiration for writing “Varieties”.

Chapters 3 and 4 of “Higher and Friendly Powers” explore James’s ideas of “the healthy minded” and “the sick souls”. The healthy minded act with optimism and look forward to new possibilities. They have no tolerance for distress and will make whatever changes are necessary to minimize misery. They feel whole and integrated with the world. Their material, social, and spiritual selves are balanced. The sick souls live in constant fear. They are wary of change and strive for perfection in all aspects of their interactions with others. They crave acceptance and feel like they need to live up to the perceived expectations of others, leading to burnout and the prospect of disaster if any one thing goes wrong. They may turn to drugs or alcohol to keep themselves going.

One fact in chapter 3 struck me in particular. Our brain naturally makes two neurotransmitters—serotonin, which gives one the feeling of well-being; and dopamine, which induces feelings of pleasure. These two chemicals are released at a higher rate when someone expresses gratitude and optimism. Fear induces the release of dopamine, but it also releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which make your heart race and increase your blood pressure. Fear also impairs the part of your brain responsible for reasoning and judgment, leaving you unable to make sound decisions. By letting go of fear and expressing more gratitude and positivity, a person can break a downward spiral.

The final chapters of the book discuss the process of conversion, which Peg describes as “a psychological process within a person that brings about profound change”. Peg shares details from James’s “Varieties” that describe the gradual and sudden conversions of several individuals. She talks about how someone cannot just see all the wrong things about their life and decide they must change; they must also have a specific goal to work towards, a “positive ideal or vision” to reach for. Some people may have had such a rough life that they cannot imagine such a positive vision. That’s when a group such as AA can help. When addicts share their stories of recovery, others can imagine that outcome for themselves. They can see the possibilities and work towards that ideal vision.

Peg points out that to achieve a conversion from addiction to recovery there must be a mix of willingness to make a change, renunciation of former habits and attitudes, and acceptance of the enormity of the task. One must also have faith, a belief that one’s actions will make a difference and a willingness to act even when the results are uncertain.

William James writes in his essay “Is Life Worth Living?”: “Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.” When people let go of self loathing and regret and then re-center their lives around positive goals, they find peace. They find themselves reaching outward and inward towards something More, experiencing an expansion of their being beyond their own selves. As Peg puts it, “Choosing gratitude over grievance is the greatest way to say Yes to life.”

“Higher and Friendly Powers” includes a couple of appendices that tell us more about William James’s over-beliefs and the strengths and weaknesses of Alcoholics Anonymous. They also include Peg’s ideas on how AA could rework their tenets to be more inclusive of those who do not share a God-centric view of spirituality. She proposes that by doing so, AA could reach many more people and help them along the path to recovery.

Thanks for reading. For more information on Peg O’Connor, her work, and her books, please visit the links below. I’ve also included a link to the Alcoholics Anonymous website and a link to the Project Gutenberg page for “The Varieties of Religious Experience”.

• https://gustavus.edu/profiles/poconnor (faculty bio of Dr. O'Connor on the Gustavus Adolphus College website)
• https://pegoconnorauthor.com/ (Peg's author website)
• https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/621 (link to the e-book for The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature by William James on Project Gutenberg)
• https://www.aa.org/ (Alcoholics Anonymous website)