Purpose of this web-page.
This page discusses the possibility of the Promises of the 12-step programs as a result of changes of our Autonomic Nervous Systems
Request for Honesty, Open Mindness and Willingness
Twelve Step aficionado’s are asked to re-read the Big Book on pages ?->? before reading more of this page. Please be Willing to read it in an Open Mindednesss fashion and then look inside and be Honest with yourself as to whether it may/or may not be relevant to your recovery
| Big Book | Neurobiological Perspective as seen from the Autonomic Nervous System |
| p. 83 If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through | If we take the necessary actions (e.g., meditation, slow deep breathing, etc.) to activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System) we will start experiencing more peace, calm, connectedness our lives but it may take a while, maybe 30 days. |
| p 83: We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. | We will start experiencing more peace, calm, connectedness, and less fear. Less fear means more freedom and more happiness. |
| p83 We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. | With an activated Parasympathetic Nervous System comes more acceptance of what is/was and so we are less upset when we remember the past. |
| p 83-84: We will comprehend the word serenity, and we will know peace | That’s the result of activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System/Relaxation Response. See http://serenity.peaceeaseuse.com for some ideas on how to do it |
| p84: No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. | We get feel more connected when our Parasympathetic Nervous Systems are active and start contributing to others. |
| p84: That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. | We get to accept ourselves more and concern ourselves less with our ego’s as our Sympathetic Nervous System get lets active. |
| p84: We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. | We get to accept ourselves more and concern ourselves less with our ego’s as our Sympathetic Nervous System get lets active. |
p84: Self-seeking will slip away. | We get to accept ourselves more and concern ourselves less with our ego’s as our Sympathetic Nervous System get lets active. |
| p84: Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. | As we shift our Autonomic System from an active Sympathetic Nervous System to more active Parasympathetic Nervous System, we can shift our attitudes, get more accepting, less complaining and even get into humility and gratitude!!! |
| p84: Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us | Of course, it will as fear goes down as we move out of the Sympathetic Nervous System (which is characterized by fear, anger, and flight) into a more active Parasympathetic Nervous System where there is less anxiety. |
p84: We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us | When we were into an active Sympathetic Nervous System, we experienced a lot of fear and our blood flow went from our brains to our muscles. When we relax as the Parasympathetic Nervous System gets activated, more blood goes to our Pre-Frontal Cortex and we can think better. |
p84: We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. | Yes, our egos could not make this change as our ego’s happen when we are in the Sympathetic Nervous Systems. But if we (usually unwillingly and forced into it by circumstances) work the 12-steps, each of the steps forces me/us to become a little humbler. As humility is a characteristic of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. By acting as if me/we are humble (when me/we DO the steps) me/we gradually slide into a more active Parasympathetic Nervous System with more peace, calm, connectedness, and less anxiety. (Isn’t that nice!) Of course, our egos can’t understand this process at all and so I/we invents a Higher Power/God/Allah /Jehovah to blame it all on!!! See http://religions.peaceeaseuse.com for a discussion on this idea |
Acknowledgements.
This page was inspired by Angela of Joburg,RSA
This page may be reached at http://promises.peaceeaseuse.com