A deity or supernatural being is a higher power for some people. Others believe it is a supreme deity who is superior to all gods. For some, it is a single, all-knowing god or a vision of godly might.
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Others do not believe in the existence of beings. They believe there is a higher power in the universe or nature. Some people believe that a greater power exists in the form of community awareness.
What are examples of higher powers?
A higher power can be anything that the member believes is adequate in today's twelve-step program. Their twelve-step group, nature, consciousness, existential freedom, God, science, and Buddha are all mentioned as examples. It is sometimes stated that as long as a higher power is “bigger” than the individual, the only requirement is that it be kind and caring.
What is a person's higher power?
A Higher Power might be anything that a person believes has more power than they do alone – and is compassionate and caring. Mother Nature, Lord, Buddha, Allah, Vishnu, the Highest Good, the Universe, the Greatest Ideal, the Creative Intelligence, consciousness, Truth, love… are some of the names given to it.
Consider a metaphysical and all-pervasive force, or energy. It's also been reported that someone found strength by imagining their Higher Power as the Force from Star Wars, their favorite baseball team's managerial setup, or the Twelve Steps program itself.
It should not, however, be someone else, such as a partner, sponsor, therapist, best friend, or parent. It must be a force stronger than any single person.
In many Twelve Steps groups, newcomers mistakenly believe that the other people in the room have more power than they have. In this case, “God” is claimed to stand for “a group of drunks/drug addicts.”
As Joseph Campbell, a professor of literature who pioneered the concept of the hero's journey, put it: “God is a concept, a name, and an idea, but it refers to something that is beyond all comprehension.
“The best things can't be described because they exist outside of the realm of thought. God is the ultimate word in our language for the transcendent.”
Start Small
When it comes to sobriety, believing in God or converting to a formal religion is not at the top of any atheist's or agnostic's bucket list. A higher power can only refer to God in the sense that you comprehend Him. Understand why you believe what you believe and what hinders you from believing in something greater than yourself. You can seek the assistance of a therapist to help you recognize a higher power. Exploring your beliefs and letting go of what you can't control might be difficult. It will, however, be important in the long run to achieve sobriety and mental health.
Be Open Minded
Listen to what other individuals have to say about what it means to have a higher power. It is not necessary to agree with everyone; you have the right to disagree, but have an open mind. The information you receive may assist you in locating people who share your interests and in better understanding the concept of a higher power.
Admit You Are Not God
Admitting you're an addict and how powerless you are over your addiction is the first step in most twelve-step programs. Accepting one's lack of power makes believing in a greater power simpler. A higher power with authority over things you can't control, such as your addiction. Admitting that you are powerless can help you recover and heal, but it takes a lot of guts.
Pray and Meditate
It's time to talk now that you've admitted your weakness and that you believe in a higher power. Even if you can't see who you're talking to, the most significant aspect of prayer and meditation is the connection you make with a higher force. It entails a lot more than just chatting. Listening, staying still, and quieting your mind are all required. Find a position that allows you to find peace without being distracted by cell phones, music, or the television. Sitting motionless, praying, and practicing being present can help you learn about yourself in ways you never imagined.
What are the characteristics of a higher power?
In addiction therapy, the majority of people will choose a Higher Power from their childhood. Addicts and alcoholics attach qualities to God depending on their upbringing and interactions with their parents and authoritative figures. God's attributes may be loving, punishing, or indifferent, depending on childhood experiences.
Choosing a Higher Power is an important aspect of the recovery process for most people who are through drug addiction treatment. God has become the ubiquitous term for a Higher Power, yet God's qualities are not fully defined. A Higher Power should have the following characteristics:
Throughout the recovery process, a spiritual connection provides support, comfort, and strength to the addict.
When a drug addict or alcoholic chooses a Higher Power, a Christian drug rehab will highlight these attributes. In the rehabilitation process, it is critical to have a solid basis in God. Spiritual awakening is founded on a spiritual connection with God, as stated in the twelve steps.
How do I pray to Higher Power?
I communicate with my Higher Power in the same manner I communicate with the people I care about: honestly, humbly, frankly, and tenderly. I prefer to assume that my HP is already attempting to provide me with whatever I require, and that by requesting it, I am only increasing my chances of recognizing it when it is placed in my path.
I've learnt time and time again that my HP's plans are considerably superior to my own. In AA, there's an aphorism that goes like this: “Prayer is the act of asking, and meditation is the act of listening for the response.” “Yes,” “No,” and, most frequently, “No” are the most prevalent responses I receive “Not quite yet.” My timing differs from that of my HP, and I occasionally say that I'm in a hurry only for laughs.
I don't have any “burning bush” experiences; instead, I have a gut sense about things. My HP manifests itself in the form of other individuals. Another incentive for me to engage in and maintain relationships with wonderful individuals is because of this. Finally, I keep track of the numerous coincidences in my life, and when they begin to build up, I discuss them with my supports and enable them to assist me in seeing what my HP is trying to reveal me.
Can you be your own Higher Power?
For many people, having a Higher Power is a vital element of their healing. It might also make people reluctant to participate in various treatment programs. It is a common fallacy that having a Higher Power entails believing in God or religious beliefs; however, this is not the case. While there are recovery programs for those who adhere to a certain faith, there are also numerous recovery programs that do not impose any particular set of beliefs on you. Instead, these recovery programs allude to a Higher Power of your choosing, which means you get to decide who your Higher Power is.
So, why is a Higher Power necessary for recovery? Admitting that you have no control over the substance and that your life has become unmanageable is the first step in any 12-Step program. The second step is to believe that you can be restored to sanity by a power higher than yourself. The co-founders of AA, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, discovered that admitting a power outside of one's own self was crucial to their recovery, and they wanted to share their message with others who were battling with addiction.
Isn't it true that a Higher Power is something you understand? Doesn't it suggest that anything can be your Higher Power? In a nutshell, yes and no. Here are five things your Higher Power is not in recovery.
1. Your Higher Power Isn't Always (Ordered Religion)
While many people believe in and practice organized religion, this is not the case for everyone, particularly those who do not believe in God. Recovery programs, with the exception of church-run 12-Step groups, do not adhere to any established religion's set of beliefs, nor would they ever tell you to do so.
What it Is: Your Higher Power is something you believe is greater or more powerful than you. This can be nature's power, the universe's power, humanity as a whole; anything that fits your definition of a Higher Power.
2. Your Higher Power Isn't a Locked Door
This means that your Higher Power isn't someone or something you can't imagine being more powerful than you. A doorknob, for example, is unlikely to be an object that one can gaze at and honestly believe is not only more powerful than oneself, but also capable of turning one's life over to it.
What it Is: Your Higher Power IS something you can communicate to or pray to on a daily basis, something you can surrender your will and life to, and something you truly feel is more powerful than you.
3. Your Higher Power ISN'T A SINGLE PERSON.
While some people chose mankind or huge groups of people as their Higher Power, a spouse, significant other, son or daughter, parent, friend, or other individual is not your Higher Power. While they exist outside of you, they are not necessarily more powerful than you or in command of the addiction condition.
What it Is: Something bigger than you that exists outside of yourself. Something you can count on to always be there, at whatever time of day or night, and to always be more powerful than you, a constant.
4. Your Higher Power Isn't Your Favorite Drug
Many people's Higher Power becomes the substance they're abusing when they're in the throes of addiction. It's something outside of themselves; something to which they frequently turn; something to which they've entrusted their power, will, and lives.
What it Is: Your Higher Power is something that frees you from your addiction, something that has no ill will toward you, and something that gives you back your life when you surrender your will to it/them. Something that, rather of forcing you to rely on it every day for support and advice, asks you to do so.
5. You Are NOT Your Higher Power
Your Higher Power is never an individual, and you are no exception. The first three steps in a 12-Step Recovery Program include acknowledging that you have no control over your substance of choice; accepting that you need help from someone outside of yourself to regain your sanity; and making the decision to surrender your will and life to that Higher Power. You can't do that while also being your own Higher Power; it doesn't work, and it never will. Acknowledging that you have tried and failed to be your own Higher Power, and that it is necessary to turn to someone outside of yourself is an important aspect of the 12-Step program.
What it Is: Your Higher Power IS something you can clearly see as being all around you, something you've come to understand as being outside of yourself, yet something that can and will assist you in breaking free from the bonds of addiction.
Your Higher Power will, in the end, be unique to you and your beliefs. You can get ideas from a variety of places, or you can come up with your own conclusions. Whatever the issue may be, remember that you are never alone, and that there are individuals who are ready to assist you. You only need to reach out and inquire.
What is being a spiritual person?
Being spiritual entails prioritizing self- and other-love as a top priority. Spiritual individuals are concerned about people, animals, and the environment. A spiritual person recognizes that we are all One and makes conscious efforts to honor that unity. A spiritual person is kind.
What is your higher self?
The word “higher self” is used in a variety of belief systems, but its core premise is that it refers to an everlasting, omnipotent, conscious, and intellectual being who is one's true self. “Atma, the inseparable light of the Universe and one self,” Blavatsky formally defined the higher self.