• AA Literature
    • A.A. Big Book
      • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
      • Big Book Stories Edition 1
      • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • A.A. Preamble
    • Singleness of Purpose
    • A.A. 12 Steps
    • A.A. 12 Traditions
    • A.A. 12 Concepts
    • 12 Traditions Checklist
    • 9th Step Promises (Pg 83/84)
    • The Serenity Prayer
    • Principles Of The Program
    • I Am Responsible
    • The Page Of Prayers
  • A.A. History
    • The Emmanuel Movement
    • The Washingtonians
    • Magazine & Newspaper Articles
    • Narrative Of A.A. Timeline
    • Timelines In A.A. History
    • Manuscript Of A.A. World History – Bob P.
    • Place And Things In AA History
    • Who’s Who In A.A. History
    • Big Book Story Authors
    • Writings Of A.A. Members
  • Influential Books
    • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
    • Big Book Stories Edition 1
    • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • Mel B’s Library
    • Dick B.’s Library
    • The Greatest Thing In The World
    • The Varieties Of Religious Experiences
    • In His Steps
    • As A Man Thinketh
    • When Man Listens
    • John Barleycorn
    • The Confessions Of Saint Augustine (13 Books)
    • Religion, Clergy & A.A.
  • Free Stuff
    • Free Audiobooks & Speaker Tapes
    • Videos Of Bill Wilson
    • The PDF Project (1000+ PDF’s)
    • Free AA Apps For iPhone
    • Free AA Apps For Android
    • Free 12 Step Toolkit App
  • 10-Days To Sobriety
  • AA Literature
    • A.A. Big Book
      • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
      • Big Book Stories Edition 1
      • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • A.A. Preamble
    • Singleness of Purpose
    • A.A. 12 Steps
    • A.A. 12 Traditions
    • A.A. 12 Concepts
    • 12 Traditions Checklist
    • 9th Step Promises (Pg 83/84)
    • The Serenity Prayer
    • Principles Of The Program
    • I Am Responsible
    • The Page Of Prayers
  • A.A. History
    • The Emmanuel Movement
    • The Washingtonians
    • Magazine & Newspaper Articles
    • Narrative Of A.A. Timeline
    • Timelines In A.A. History
    • Manuscript Of A.A. World History – Bob P.
    • Place And Things In AA History
    • Who’s Who In A.A. History
    • Big Book Story Authors
    • Writings Of A.A. Members
  • Influential Books
    • A.A. Big Book (164 Pages)
    • Big Book Stories Edition 1
    • Big Book Stories Edition 2
    • Mel B’s Library
    • Dick B.’s Library
    • The Greatest Thing In The World
    • The Varieties Of Religious Experiences
    • In His Steps
    • As A Man Thinketh
    • When Man Listens
    • John Barleycorn
    • The Confessions Of Saint Augustine (13 Books)
    • Religion, Clergy & A.A.
  • Free Stuff
    • Free Audiobooks & Speaker Tapes
    • Videos Of Bill Wilson
    • The PDF Project (1000+ PDF’s)
    • Free AA Apps For iPhone
    • Free AA Apps For Android
    • Free 12 Step Toolkit App
  • 10-Days To Sobriety
home/Alcoholics Anonymous/Influential Books/Mel B.'s Library

Cosmic Consciousness – Mel B.

242 views 2 aa

Cosmic Consciousness
By Mel B.

An Examination of the Profound Spiritual Experience
that Illuminates and Changes Many Lives

Volume 32 Issue 12
May 1976

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS started with a flash of lightning and a drop of Brahmanic splendor. Co-founder Bill W. writes of his 1934 spiritual experience, which led to the establishment of AA:

“These were revolutionary and drastic proposals, but the moment I fully accepted them, the effect was electric. There was a sense of victory, followed by such a peace and serenity as I had never known. There was utter confidence. I felt lifted up, as though the great clean wind of a mountaintop blew through and through. God comes to most men gradually, but His impact on me was sudden and profound.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 14)

The event Bill describes–often called his “hot flash”–is unusual in a number of ways. For one thing, it has apparently not happened to most other AA members. For another, it was so brief that it could easily be interpreted as a temporary hallucination, particularly since it happened to a man under treatment for alcoholism. It was not preceded by a period of saintly devotion or other religious exercise; actually, it came to a person who was rather agnostic. But the experience had a purpose; AA would probably not have been launched without it.

Bill’s “flash” has come to other people in various times and places and even has a technical name. It is called “cosmic consciousness.”

The term has an occult sound, but there is nothing mysterious or otherworldly about it. It has been the subject of serious study. The man who made the term rather widely known was a Canadian physician, Richard Maurice Bucke, whose theories were later discussed by William James in The Varieties of Religious Experience (a book vital to AA’s early development). Bucke’s Cosmic Consciousness was first published in 1901 and has gone through more than twenty editions. Though ridiculed by some, the book has an attraction for those interested in the mind and in the human, capacity for spiritual development.

Bucke, significantly, was a medical doctor, not a religious mystic. If anything, he may have been hostile to organized religion and was most likely regarded as an atheist or agnostic. By conventional standards, he seemed unlikely to be interested in spiritual subjects and certainly unqualified for a “spiritual experience.” He had, however, some unusual interests. For one thing, as medical superintendent of a mental institution, Bucke had seen the destructive effects of hallucination and delusion, and was therefore skeptical of the unusual, yet fascinated by it. He also had wide-ranging literary and artistic interests.

In any case, Bucke had an open mind on many subjects. And this helped make him a candidate for the startling experience that became the germ of his book. Here’s how Bucke describes it (as quoted in The Varieties of Religious Experience):

“I had spent the evening. . .with two friends, reading and discussing poetry and philosophy. We parted at midnight. I had a long drive in a hansom to my lodging. My mind, deeply under the influence of the ideas, images, and emotions called up by the reading and talk, was calm and peaceful. I was in a state of quiet, almost passive enjoyment, not actually thinking, but letting ideas, images, and emotions flow of themselves, as it were, through my mind. All at once. . .I found myself wrapped in a flame-colored cloud. For an instant I thought of fire, an immense conflagration somewhere close by in that great city; the next, I knew that the fire was within myself. Directly afterward there came upon me a sense of exultation, of immense joyousness accompanied or immediately followed by an intellectual illumination impossible to describe. . .I did not merely come to believe. . .I saw that the universe is not composed of dead matter, but is, on the contrary, a living Presence; I became conscious in myself of eternal life. It was not a conviction that I would have eternal life, but a consciousness that I possessed eternal life then; I saw that all men are immortal; that the cosmic order is such that without any peradventure all things work together for the good of each and all; that the foundation principle of the world, of all the worlds, is what we call love. . .The vision lasted a few seconds and was gone; but the memory of it and the sense of the reality of what it taught has remained.”

One could be skeptical of an experience thus described. It sounds a great deal like an hallucination, perhaps even temporary insanity. Bucke admitted that the “subjective feelings” of insanity and cosmic consciousness might appear similar. But the effects were completely different. A person suffering from insanity tends to lose self-restraint, self-control, and perhaps all morality. In cosmic consciousness, these faculties are enormously increased. Some examples he gave as proof were Gautama Buddha, Jesus, Isaiah, Paul, Plotinus, and Dante.

Bucke also believed that the cosmic sense (as he sometimes called it) is not limited to a favored few, but is a natural sequence in the evolution of the human mind. As the human race progresses, an increasing number of individuals will receive the cosmic experience, until finally it will be as natural to everyone as our present state is now. It will also bring an era of universal happiness and peace, since persons in the cosmic state would no longer harm others (or even be capable of thinking harmful thoughts), Bucke concludes.

William James tended to agree with Bucke, although many of the cases cited in The Varieties of Religious Experience lack the factor of intense “illumination.” Many are individuals who found a vast store of spiritual grace without having an abrupt spiritual experience or “hot flash.” Nonetheless, most found new hope and a new life, and James argues strongly that religious experience can be a powerful agent in resurrecting sick and defeated individuals.

Where does AA fit into this framework? For one thing, Bill W.’s experience seems to be an authentic case of cosmic consciousness. Bill always believed that it was, and his writings sometimes use the term “illumination” to describe it. The experience was very real to him, and he never felt that it was an hallucination or a delusion.

But it did frighten him at first, and seemed too good to be true. He explains his first thoughts:

“For a moment I was alarmed, and called my friend, the doctor, to ask if I were still sane. He listened in wonder as I talked.

“Finally he shook his head saying, ‘Something has happened to you I don’t understand. But you had better hang on to it. Anything is better than the way you were.’ The good doctor now sees many men who have such experiences. He knows that they are real.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 14)

Dr. William D. Silkworth, Bill’s physician, was an unusual person; it is hard to imagine many doctors responding as he did to Bill’s account. Alcoholics are often people of excess, and it’s not uncommon to hear of a. person who “used to get drunk on alcohol and is now drunk on religion.”

Bill’s new beliefs, however, were not an alternate means of escape. He used them to develop a new life for himself and thousands of others. But he was to learn that cosmic consciousness could be elusive and temporary. He explains in other writings his first belief that alcoholics needed a “hot flash” similar to his in order to recover. Later, he saw that such a subjective experience wasn’t necessary for recovery, that a gradual spiritual “awakening” often led to far more spiritual growth in the long run.

Bill also recognized that an experience of illumination would not solve all problems from that point onward. Later in his own life, he was afflicted with depression and personal troubles that often drove him to the brink of self-destruction. But he never lost his sense of the presence of God. His doubts were about himself as a going human concern, not about the reality and the love of God.

Since Bill, by his own frequent admission, lacked the saintly qualities usually deemed necessary for great spiritual elevation, we might wonder why he was “chosen” for this remarkable experience. The answer seems to be that he was the right person at the right time with the right idea. If the Higher Power intended to find and develop an individual with the necessary qualities for the founding of AA, it’s hard to think of a better choice. Bill had drive, organizing ability, creativity, and above all the capacity to learn from his mistakes. When the cosmic sense came, it was not necessarily because Bill W. was an unusually worthy person; God is no respecter of persons. It was more a case of highly intelligent personnel selection.

Bucke theorized that all people have several states of consciousness. The most basic is simple consciousness, which human beings share with the animals. At a higher level is self-consciousness, which only human beings seem to possess. At the highest level is the cosmic sense. Individuals may have such a sense with varying degrees of intensity. Bill’s experience, for example, lasted only a few seconds. Others have had similar states of mind lasting for days. The time may come, however, when all people–even children–will share the cosmic sense at all times.

It is this, Bucke believed, that will bring about a true paradise on earth. As he saw it, cosmic-conscious persons would in reality be a new race, making all things new. The isolated individuals who have touched the cosmic sense in the past have been the spiritual leaders of the present race, he believed. They are also “the first faint beginnings of another race, walking the earth and breathing the air with us, but at the same time walking another earth and breathing another air of which we know little or nothing, but which is, all the same, our spiritual life.”

It is not the business of AA to promote such a development in the world at large, and few of us could serve as living examples of great spiritual growth. Our responsibility is simply to demonstrate that spiritual principles are an effective answer to alcoholism for many individuals.

At the same time, it is good to know that we are not working in a spiritual vacuum. Our work may be on a modest scale, but it could be part of a larger movement now building a better and brighter world. The time may come when a new Bucke writes another book to show how the cosmic sense healed a sick and warring world. One chapter should be reserved for Bill W.’s hot flash. Its brief burst of dazzling light has shone in thousands of hearts and minds, and the world is a far better place because of it.

M. D. B.
Toledo, Ohio
Tags:aabill w.aa grapevinealcoholics anonymousarticles1976librarytoledo ohio

Was this helpful?

2 Yes  No
Related Articles
  • Can We Still Use The Four Absolutes – Page 16
  • Can We Still Use The Four Absolutes – Page 15
  • Can We Still Use The Four Absolutes – Page 14
  • Can We Still Use The Four Absolutes – Page 13
  • Can We Still Use The Four Absolutes – Page 12
  • Can We Still Use The Four Absolutes – Page 11
Leave A Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Popular Articles
  • Feliz, Alegre Y Sobrio (Spanish)
  • No Information
  • Alcoholics Anonymous history related articles – 1984 (2 Articles)
  • Father Kurt, From Racine Wisconsin. At 35th. Fall Conference. Wisconsin, October 1986
  • Father Yew Gardner 1973, Pioneer With DOS Before 1945
KB Categories
  • Audio Books 0
    • AA Assorted Speakers 195
    • AA Speaker Bill W. 100
    • Joe & Charlie 34
    • Videos 15
    • International Conventions – 2015 184
    • AA Speaker Chuck C. 111
    • AA Big Book Audiobook 14
    • AA Speakers Clergy 220
    • AA Speakers Doctor's 129
    • Sandy B. – Saturday Morning Live 12
    • AA Speaker Sandy B. 74
  • A.A. History – General 27
  • Literature 12
    • Big Book 18
    • A.A. Prayers 10
    • Big Book Stories Edition 1 29
    • Big Book Stories Edition 2 40
    • The Big Book Concordance 27
    • The Original Manuscript Of AA. 16
    • The First A.A. Pamphlet 8
  • Al-Anon 14
  • The PDF Project (1000+ PDF's 1
    • The Big Book (179 Articles 6
    • Bill W. (172 Articles 4
    • Dr. Bob (24 Articles 1
    • General Service Conference (157 Articles 6
    • Grapevine (51 Articles 5
    • History (437 Articles 52
  • Grapevine Articles 4
    • Grapevine Articles – Interviews 6
    • Grapevine Reproduction 8
    • Additional A.A. Grapevine Articles 20
    • Big Book Updates 13
    • Other Grapevine Articles 33
  • The History Of Alcoholics Anonymous 6
  • Other Articles 41
    • Printed Book Reviews 26
    • Religion, Clergy & A.A. 108
  • The Global Map 3
    • Europe 0
      • Hungary 1
      • Romania 1
      • Austria 1
      • Herzegovina 1
      • Russia 2
      • Andorra 1
      • Iceland 1
      • Scotland 2
      • Belgium 1
      • Ireland 1
      • Slovakia 1
      • Bulgaria 1
      • Italy 1
      • Slovenia 1
      • Croatia.html 1
      • Latvia 1
      • Spain 1
      • Cyprus 1
      • Liechtenstein 1
      • Sweden 1
      • Czech Republic 1
      • Lithuania 1
      • Switzerland 1
      • Denmark 1
      • Luxembourg 1
      • Turkey 1
      • Estonia 1
      • Malta 1
      • Ukraine 1
      • England 2
      • Macedonia 1
      • Wales 1
      • Finland 1
      • Monaco 1
      • Yugoslavia 1
      • France 1
      • Netherlands 1
      • Germany 1
      • Norway 1
      • Greece 1
      • Poland 1
      • Gibraltar 1
      • Portugal 1
    • General 3
    • Australia (Oceania 0
      • Nauru 1
      • New Caledonia 1
      • Niue 1
      • Palau 1
      • Australia 3
      • Papua New Guinea 1
      • American Samoa 1
      • Pitcairn Islands 1
      • Cook Islands 1
      • Solomon Islands 1
      • Coral Sea Islands 1
      • Tongi 1
      • Federated States Of Micronesia 1
      • Tokelau 1
      • Fiji 1
      • Tuvalu 1
      • French Polynesia 1
      • Vanuatu 1
      • Guam 1
      • Western Samoa 1
      • Kiribati 1
      • Wallis And Futuna Islands 1
      • Marshall Islands 1
      • Northern Mariana Islands 1
      • New Zealand 1
    • Asia 0
      • Malaysia 1
      • Maldives 1
      • Mongolia 1
      • North Korea 1
      • Nepal 1
      • Pakistan 1
      • Bangladesh 1
      • Philippines 1
      • Burma 1
      • Russia 2
      • Bhutan 1
      • South Korea 1
      • China 1
      • Sri Lanka 1
      • Hong Kong 1
      • Thailand 1
      • India 1
      • Taiwan 1
      • Indonesia 1
      • Vietnam 1
      • Japan 1
      • Kazakhstan 1
      • Laos 1
    • Africa 0
      • Eritrea & Djibouti 1
      • South Africa & Lesotho 1
      • Ghana, Togo & Benin 1
      • Sudan & Chad 1
      • Guinea-Bissau & The Gambia 1
      • Swaziland & Mozambique 1
      • Liberia & Sierra Leone 1
      • Tanzania & D. R. Congo 1
      • Libya & Tunisia 1
      • Uganda & Kenya 1
      • Madagascar 1
      • Malawi & Zimbabwe 1
      • Algeria & Morocco 1
      • Mauritania & Western Sahara 1
      • Angola & Zambia 1
      • Namibia & Botswana 1
      • Burkina Faso & Mali 1
      • Nigeria & Niger 1
      • Cameroon 1
      • Reunion & Mauritius 1
      • Central African Republic & Ethiopia 1
      • Rwanda & Burundi 1
      • Comoro Island & Seychelles 1
      • Saint Helena & Equatorial Guinea 1
      • Congo & Gabon 1
      • Sao Tome & Principe 1
      • Cote d'Ivoire & Guinea 1
      • Senegal & Cape Verde 1
      • Egypt 1
      • Somalia 1
    • Central America 0
      • Belize 1
      • Costa Rica 1
      • El Salvador 1
      • Guatemala 1
      • Honduras 1
      • Mexico 1
      • Nicaragua 1
      • Panama 1
    • Caribbean 0
      • Bahamas 1
      • Saint Lucia 1
      • Bermuda 1
      • Saint Vincent And The Grenadines 1
      • Cuba 1
      • Saba/Saint Eustatius 1
      • Cayman Island 1
      • Saint Kitts And Nevis 1
      • Curacao 1
      • Trinidad And Tobago 1
      • Dominican Republic 1
      • Turks And Caicos 1
      • Dominica 1
      • Virgin Islands 1
      • Grenada 1
      • Guadeloupe 1
      • Haiti 1
      • Anguilla 1
      • Jamaica 1
      • Antiqua 1
      • Margarita 1
      • Aruba 1
      • Martinique 1
      • Bonaire 1
      • Puerto Rico 1
      • Barbados 1
      • Saint Maarten/Saint Martin 1
      • Barbuda 1
      • Saint Barts 1
    • Middle East 0
      • Afghanistan 1
      • Turkey 1
      • Bahrain 1
      • United Arab Emirates 1
      • Cyprus 1
      • Yemen 1
      • Iran 1
      • Iraq 1
      • Israel 1
      • Jordan 1
      • Kuwait 1
      • Kyrgyzstan 1
      • Lebanon 1
      • Oman 1
      • Qatar 1
      • Syria 1
      • Arabia 1
      • Saudi Arabia 1
      • Azerbaijan 1
      • Tajikistan 1
      • Armenia 1
      • Turkmenistan 1
    • Canada 0
      • Manitoba 1
      • New Brunswick 1
      • Newfoundland 1
      • Northwest Territories 1
      • Nova Scotia 1
      • Ontario 18
      • Quebec 1
      • Saskatchewan 1
      • Yukon 1
      • Alberta 1
      • British Columbia 2
    • South America 0
      • Bolivia 1
      • Brazil 1
      • Chile 1
      • Ecuador 1
      • French Guiana (France 1
      • Falkland Islands (UK 1
      • Guyana 1
      • Netherland Antilles (NL 1
      • Peru 1
      • Paraguay 1
      • Suriname 1
      • South Georgia (UK 1
      • Uruguay 1
      • Venezuela 1
      • Aruba (NL 1
      • Argentina 1
    • United States 0
      • Alaska 1
      • Louisiana 1
      • North Dakota 1
      • Wyoming 1
      • Arizona 1
      • Maine 1
      • Ohio 5
      • Arkansas 1
      • Maryland 3
      • Oklahoma 1
      • California 4
      • Massachusetts 1
      • Oregon 1
      • Colorado 1
      • Michigan 4
      • Pennsylvania 6
      • Connecticut 1
      • Minnesota 2
      • Rhode Island 1
      • Delaware 1
      • Mississippi 1
      • South Carolina 5
      • Florida 28
      • Missouri 1
      • South Dakota 1
      • Georgia 1
      • Montana 1
      • Tennessee 1
      • Hawaii 1
      • Nebraska 1
      • Texas 6
      • Idaho 1
      • Nevada 1
      • Utah 1
      • Illinois 3
      • New Hampshire 1
      • Vermont 1
      • Indiana 1
      • New Jersey 3
      • Virginia/DC 3
      • Iowa 1
      • New Mexico 1
      • Washington 3
      • Kansas 1
      • New York 1
      • West Virginia 1
      • Alabama 1
      • Kentucky 1
      • North Carolina 2
      • Wisconsin 1
  • The Detroit Pamphlet 4
  • Writings Of A.A. Members 0
    • Lois W. 7
    • Doctor Bob 10
    • Henry G. (Hank P. 2
    • Clarence S. 6
    • Bill D. 2
    • Bill W. 19
      • Let's Ask Bill W. 41
      • Bill W. On The 12 Traditions 16
      • Letters – To Jim Burwell From Bill Wilson 18
      • Letters – To Bill Wilson From Jim Burwell 3
      • Talks At General Service Conferences 31
        • Alcoholic Foundation 4
      • Grapevine Articles Of Bill W. 34
        • Grapevine – 12 Traditions Of A.A. 16
        • Grapevine – 12 Steps Of AA 2
    • Ebby Thacher 2
    • Others 13
      • Letters – To Jim Burwell From Bill Wilson 18
      • Letters – To Bill Wilson From Jim Burwell 3
  • Influential Books 0
    • In His Steps 32
    • The Varieties Of Religious Experiences 17
    • As A Man Thinketh 8
    • When Man Listens 6
    • The Confessions Of Saint Augustine 5
      • Book Eleven 33
      • Book Twelve 34
      • Book Thirteen 40
      • Book One 20
      • Book Two 12
      • Book Three 14
      • Book Four 18
      • Book Five 16
      • Book Six 18
      • Book Seven 23
      • Book Eight 14
      • Book Nine 15
      • Book Ten 45
    • Other Books 9
    • John Barleycorn 39
    • Big Book Of AA 21
    • Personal Stories – Edition 1 29
    • Personal Stories – Edition 2 40
    • Mel B.'s Library 56
      • The Four Absolutes 17
    • Dick B.'s Library 128
    • The Greatest Thing In The world 5
  • Research & Study 14
    • A Narrative Of Timeline Of A.A. History 30
    • The Emmanuel Movement 12
    • Tiebout Papers 6
    • Timelines In A.A. History 14
    • Big Book Story Author's 78
    • AA Growth 135
    • Stepping Stone News 1
    • Timelines Of Historic A.A. Events 1
    • Charlie Bishop Jr. 3
    • Manuscript Of A.A. World History, 1985 – By Bob P. 23
    • Whos's Who In A.A.'s History 23
    • Big Book Changes 1
    • Magazine And Newspaper Articles 149
    • People In A.A.'s History 26
    • A.A. History – News Articles 8
      • Cleveland Plain Dealer 8
    • Place And Things In AA History 13
    • Dr. William Duncan Silkworth M.D. 12
      • Grapevine Articles Of Dr. William Silkworth 5
    • The Washingtonians 31
      • Grapevine Articles Of The Washingtonians 15
    • Gresham's Law And Alcoholics Anonymous 5
AA Anonymity Statement

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions.

Please respect this and treat in confidence who you see and what you hear.

About Silkworth.net
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
External Links
  • Free 12 Step Toolkit App
  • Free AA Apple Apps
  • Free AA Android Apps
  • Silkworth’s YouTube Channel
  • Alcoholics Anonymous (AAWS Inc.)
  • AA Grapevine, International Journal of Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Al-Anon Family (Includes Alateen)
Newsletter Subscription





  • © 2020 silkworth.net. All Rights Reserved