表現としての飲酒

AA誕生時に見られる自覚の伝達を巡って

抄録

In this article, we examine an important transmission of consciousness between two alcoholics at the birth of A.A., a self-help group for alcoholics. In 1935, a hopeless alcoholic named Bill transmitted his realization of the meaning of alcoholism (powerlessness over alcohol), which he had come to understand following his dramatic conversion, to another alcoholic named Bob. At the time, Bill took, as it were, a ‘selfish’ attitude, which we consider the key to recovery and look at in detail. This transmission enabled Bob to realize the meaning of his own intoxication and stop drinking.

Through an analysis of the above process, we conclude that alcoholism is a disease, a semantic disease stemming from how people talk about ‘powerlessness over alcohol’. A.A. makes its members conscious of the fact that their intoxication is the expression of this powerlessness. Instead of intoxication, i.e. an old way of talking, A.A. helps them learn the ‘selfish’ attitude, i.e. a new way of talking. In this way A.A. actualizes recovery from alcoholism.

Moreover we note that the consciousness of Bill and Bob is understood as ‘spiritual experience’ in A.A.. Their consciousness arose in relation with ‘a Power greater than ourselves’. One of the significant features of A.A. is to use this ‘spiritual’ plane as a ‘tool’ for recovery. This could be an important point hereafter when we think about religiousness and spirituality.