Gail Grynbaum, Ph.D.: “The 1961 Bill Wilson-Carl Jung Letters”

Gail Grunbaum, RN, Ph.D., Jungian Analyst speaking at Alta Mira Recovery Program (www.altamirarecovery.com).
Dr. Grunbaum starts off her speech with comparing Bill Wilson to Carl Jung. With a picture of a plaque that was hung over Jung's front door and inscribed in his tombstone that reads "The presence of God everywhere and in everything", Gail goes on to say that both Bill Wilson (alcoholics anonymous) and Carl Jung (analytical psychology) were incredible spiritual visionaries that birthed incredible movements that influenced and changed the lives of millions of people around the world.
Gail tells a story of correspondence that occurred back in 1921 between Carl Jung and Bill Wilson. Both men suffered from despair, alienation and disorientation. Because of this, Bill developed the 12-Steps and the 12-Traditions, to not only help himself and others with their challenges, but to start on a spiritual journey.
The essence of this message is this: "Jung and Wilson survived their ordeals by relying on a power greater than themselves. Their strength lies in their human flaws and in their imperfections. They asked for help that allowed them to accomplish great things. Both came to find a balanced and interactive relationship between human and divine."
Jung's psychology is the only analytic theory accounting for the spiritual motive in any other way than defensive.
"The thirst for wholeness is the essence of the spiritual quest." - Jung
Individuation is a person becoming themselves. But what happens when a person can't find this? What if they get stuck? Dr. Grunbaum goes on to say that the Buddhist have a Realm of Hungry Ghosts. These ghosts are said to have scrawny necks, small mouths, bloated empty bellies and insatiable hunger.
The Realm of Hungry Ghosts is the domain of addiction; that insatiable hunger, insatiable thirst, where we are constantly seeking something outside of ourselves and where we try to curb an unquenchable desire for relief or fulfillment.
Addiction itself is thirst without the wholeness.
"One has, for better or worse, to choose his own life."
Depression stayed with Bill while he was developing AA. Many people who surrounded him thought that his depression was because of spiritual exhaustion. After Bill developed AA and was ready for it to be put into real progress, he handed his reins over. When Bill left AA his depression left as well.
Gail Grunbaum, RN, Ph.D., finishes her speech with a letter written from Bill Wilson to Carl Jung, thanking him for the words that he said to one of his patients that started the Alcoholics Anonymous movement.

[@sum2automation]

Thanks for the historical context, It's truly been a life of miracles for me in the fellowship of AA and I'm forever grateful. The understanding of the Big Book and Bill W. growing up requirements in treating his own depression has touched me deeply. If your drinking yourself to death and want to stop. Please make the phone call for help, good sponsorship maybe hard to find at times, but don't Give Up. Your miracle maybe happening today. God bless the AA fellowship and them drunks that show us the way.

[@stephenkeller146]

Fß

[@krisscanlon4051]

I love when my higher power steers me! I still get goose bumps when I think of Wilson Carl Jung Roland h and E Thatcher. Spiritually I'm trying to make the connection between all of this recovery work and my budding interest in Buddhism philosophy. I am new to the speaker but as always I will research her obsessively!

[@juliewillis9539]

Hi. Im not a fan of A A But ive done my own research. The one thing i wanted to enlighten u on, is Bill Wilson took many psychodelic drugs during the writing of the Big Bok. Im so grateful we have real therapists who can help with real depressive disorders.

[@words4dyslexicon]

& lets not forget that Wilson also helped that guy who crashed on a deserted island & finally made it back to civilization, think they made a movie about that..

[@Holly-days]

I believe the Description for this YT video mischaracterizes Bill W’s “leaving” AA…. It is not at all evident that Bill W “left” AA. On the contrary, he turned over the reins of it to the fellowship which is where and how it has since thrived and grown worldwide to the benefit of so many more suffering human beings. This was no doubt Bill Wilson’s intent and dream. In my own view this was the natural and most responsible thing to do by a person who helped found this marvel-producing fellowship as he was then entering the final chapters of his own life. Bill W, along with his cofounder and early subjects as well as Jung, is owed an immeasurable debt of gratitude.

[@grantlawrence611]

I dont think she said Bill W left AA but that he allowed for his service in AA to be not as a leader or a type of poster child for AA. Instead, through the 12 traditions, he let the AA groups decide for them the best way to grow in sobriety along certain principles. Then Bill W could take a step back from being a Leader to a servant in AA.

[@bobbycecere1037]

I'm Researching the Oxford group & the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's fascinating stuff! I knew they relied heavily on Christian scripture but didn't know the group had it's own specific process which was later folded into what we call the twelve steps.....! Adding Carl Jung to the mix takes this up a notch🤯

[@bobbycecere1037]

@sparksofpassion If AA is a cult, a voluntary organization where anyone stop going anytime - where there's zero consequences for doing so, then everything's a cult.

[@thirtythreeflavors]

Carl Jung and Bill W are like the spiritual yin and yang of each other. One analytical and one very much a more freethinker and it would be difficult to say which one was which. What a compliment they were to each other. Thank goodness for them!

[@harydogers8929]

They have both worked together pretty well for me the past 27 years!

[@uknowdisman]

So thankful for meetings

[@loutcb]

AWESOME!!!!

[@nancyparr759]

Wonderful presentation 🙏

[@garyfridland3140]

This video is incredible!! Thank you for providing it, it's extremely inspiring.😊

[@denniscannon769]

Very well done- relevant, informative, soulful, and even witty as an unexpected bonus!

[@DaleGardner-tf4sr]

1:06 😊

[@billylewis1086]

Thank you. I've always loved these letters. Another thing I thought was interesting was the connection of Jung and Emanuel Swedenborg's writtings, Lois and Emanuel Swedenborg's writings, and William James's connection to Emanuel Swedenborg's writings.

[@remurraymd]

Actually William James "Varieties of Religious Experience" pre-dated Jung and was the Big Book for the AAs that wrote the Big Book. Published in 1902. James educated Jung and Freud on functional psychology and the spiritual solution at the Clark Conference in 1909 though Jung certainly expanded the importance of the spiritual solution and was much more receptive than Freud leading to their subsequent schism in psychoanalysis..

[@shipaskof8371]

Not quite correct. The Good Book as Snyder called it , ie Bible, was where, Wilson Dr Bob, Clarence Snyder, Bobs sponsee went for guidance and the Oxford Group who were promoting certain christian principle n beliefs. William James was also very influential

[@remurraymd]

@@shipaskof8371 No listen to #JiimBurwell talk who was there. #1 reference book was the James Book who predated Jung. James book is cited in the Big Book (Spirituality) not Jung.

[@obliooberon3679]

Jung writes in his letters he spent two nights with James...James did not educate Jung ,sharing his ideas ,Jung found them interesting.

[@obliooberon3679]

​@@shipaskof8371 before Clarence Schneider there is no valid citations only rationalizations that there were such thing as sponsor ever . Closest to sponsor was that someone had to voucher for admissions with sister agnasia . Before Schneider there is no mention of sponsor ,since then, sponsorship has been rationalizations and institutionalized narratives. AKA not true . Rationalized dogma became the institutionalized narratives !

[@debg70525]

❤ Ty...Dr. Gail ...Just found u on u tube!

[@extra2ab]

Thanks for this 🙏🙏🙏

[@gabrielcastro2936]

Colud I have video sound, please.

[@Createanextraordinarylife]

who's making the background noice banging dishes

[@brendafraserGalaforce]

I think Father Ed Dowling helped Bill Wilson a lot with his spiritual path - more than anyone else in my opinion- their friendship dates back to 1940

[@seanp.5420]

We learn from the ELDERS 🙏

[@brendafraserGalaforce]

Read the new biography called Father Ed by Dawn Goldstein

[@albarosolis5969]

Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is the truth and he will set you free

[@harydogers8929]

Is it really that difficult to admit that there's something in the universe bigger than you?

[@Todd-kt9ff]

See, all you gotta do is become a brain surgeon, then climb mount Everest naked and you're all set 👍🙄

[@Createanextraordinarylife]

amazing his depression stopped when he handed ove AA need sit with that

[@tim6385]

Finally someone who actually got that point. Until he gave it back to the members, he was so consumed it likely led and fueled his depression. What a fascinating concept. To me it sounds like AA got so out of hand in it's own growth that even Bill W. couldn't keep up with it. Personally, I had to give it up also as I have reason to believe it was doing the same to me. I felt a relief from it all which is ironic when considering the program was designed to help people, not necessarily trap them. Bill released himself from the bondage of AA early on. Maybe more should take a step back and look at that. And as you stated, let that sit for a while. Let THAT sink in. 😊

[@michaelserrano4412]

Realm of hungry ghosts

[@obliooberon3679]

"warped lives of innocent children " big book aa

[@bradleythebuilder8743]

That concept from Hinduism sounds scarier than any Christian hell could ever be

[@keithj6251]

AA is BS

[@dwilliams42170]

AA. Ugh.