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Stephen

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Stephen is Currently Reading

Stephen is currently reading

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari

bookshelves: currently-reading, social-political-practice

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Stephen said: " R E V I E W

N O T E S
[] Humans are unremarkable at first glance. Years since - universe formed: 13.5 billion, 3.8 billion: life appeared, Homo sapiens emerged: 150,000 years. If the history of the universe were compressed into a single year, human hi ...more "

9 hours, 34 min ago · see review

Stephen is currently reading

Being Aware of Being Aware (The Essence of Meditation Series)

by Rupert Spira (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, buddhism

Reading for the 2nd time

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Stephen said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" R E V I E W

N O T E S
Introduction - "The Intuition of Happiness"
[] Everyone seeks happiness; most believe it can be found in objective experience, seeking achievements and acquisition or resisting the events/objects we believe are blocking our happi ...more "

progress:

(13%)
— Sep 23, 2026 06:22PM

2 hours, 13 min ago · see review

Stephen is currently reading

Breathing Underwater

by Richard Rohr

bookshelves: recovery, currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

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Stephen said: " Interesting insight into recovery programs and the Catholic Church. Thought provoking. This is the second time that I read it and this time I did more studying and reflecting on Rohr's ideas. I read it this time with another friend, and that helped. Interesting insight into recovery programs and the Catholic Church. Thought provoking. This is the second time that I read it and this time I did more studying and reflecting on Rohr's ideas. I read it this time with another friend, and that helped. I am going to read it a third time with yet another friend. The ideas are worth thinking about more than once.
9/2026 - third time, slowly with Tony.

N O T E S - Accumulated over the three readings.
INTRODUCTION.
Purpose: link the wisdom of the Twelve Step Program with “the marrow of the Gospel.” “Breathing Under Water,” a poem by Carol Bieleck. Powerless to stop the waters from rising; we build a coral castle and learn to breathe underwater (salvation/recovery).
Addiction as a metaphor for “sin.” Salvation/enlightenment/recovery. Problem: most Christians push it off to the next world; many twelve-steppers settle for physical sobriety. We cling to our desire while we deny its existence. Suffering results. Allowing the suffering to arise brings it to the conscious level where it can be contemplated. We move beyond the problem-solving stage to the healing process.
Christianity - theory (dogma, theology) has won out over practice. Jesus never said, “worship me.” His message was “follow me.” No sides to take in the Twelve Step Program. “There is only an absolutely necessary starting point! The experience of powerlessness…”
Denial. The cause of the blockage is hidden, buried in the unconscious. Not generally bad will or conscious denial. “We can’t see what we are not forced to see.” The plank in our own eye.
Spiritual powerlessness is true of all human existence; alcoholic powerlessness is visible. We think we are our thinking. Life becomes an “achievement contest” where the one with the most willpower wins. Ego would rather die than admit defeat or change.
The “Vital Spiritual Experience.” 12-Step programs often become a program for abstinence, not moving people toward the spiritual experience that Wilson thought foundational for “full recovery.” The Christian stages of a spiritual journey: (1) purgation - solving the problem of alcohol, (2) illumination - a spiritual awakening, and (3) union - healing, the experience of oneness, of non-self.
Four assumptions about addiction: (1) We are all addicts, addicted to our habitual ways of thinking and doing. (2) “Stinking thinking” is the universal addiction. (3) All societies/cultures are addicted to their common beliefs. (4) Some form of alternative consciousness is the only freedom from these addictions and from cultural lies.
The primary spiritual path must be some form of contemplative practice. Religion is part of the problem when it does not move us to the inner, to the mystical, to the non-dual level.

CHAPTER 1 "Powerlessness" ...more "

Sep 06, 2026 09:49AM · see review

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