Spirituality as a cure for alcoholism

Jung's influence can sometimes be found in more unexpected quarters. For example, Jung once treated

an American patient (Rowland H.) suffering from chronic alcoholism. After working with the patient for

some time, and achieving no significant progress, Jung told the man that his alcoholic condition was near

to hopeless, save only the possibility of a spiritual experience. Jung noted that occasionally such

experiences had been known to reform alcoholics where all else had failed.

Rowland took Jung's advice seriously and set about seeking a personal spiritual experience. He returned

home to the United States and joined a Christian evangelical church. He also told other alcoholics what

Jung had told him about the importance of a spiritual experience. One of the alcoholics he told was Ebby

Thatcher, a long-time friend and drinking buddy of Bill Wilson, later co-founder of Alcoholics

Anonymous (AA) Thatcher told Wilson about Jung's ideas. Wilson, who was finding it impossible to

maintain sobriety, was impressed and sought out his own spiritual experience. The influence of Jung thus

indirectly found its way into the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous, the original 12-step program, and

from there into the whole 12-step recovery movement, although AA as a whole is not Jungian and Jung

had no role in the formation of that approach or the 12 steps.

The above claims are documented in the letters of Carl Jung and Bill W., excerpts of which can be

found in Pass It On, published by Alcoholics Anonymous. The detail of this story is disputed by some

historians.