Pronunciation: SPIR-ih-choo-ul uh-WAY-kuh-ning
Simple meaning
A spiritual awakening is a change in a person’s inner life, outlook, conduct, and relationship with God.
In Big Book study, spiritual awakening is closely connected with the Twelve Steps, especially Step Twelve. It is not only a feeling. It is a change that comes as the result of taking spiritual action.
A person begins to wake up to truth, God, responsibility, usefulness, and a new way of living.
Older meaning
The word spiritual points to things of the spirit, God, inner life, moral life, or matters beyond only the physical.
The word awakening means waking up, becoming aware, coming to consciousness, or becoming alive to something that was not seen clearly before.
Put together, spiritual awakening suggests that a person becomes awake to spiritual reality in a new way.
That matters in recovery because the person may not simply learn new information. They may begin seeing life, self, God, and other people differently.
Why this phrase matters
Spiritual awakening matters because the Big Book connects recovery with deep change.
A person may come into recovery asleep to reality in many ways. They may be asleep to the seriousness of alcoholism, asleep to the harm they have caused, asleep to the need for God, asleep to the truth about self-will, or asleep to the possibility of useful living.
A spiritual awakening is not merely becoming religious in appearance.
It is not just learning recovery language.
It is not only feeling better.
It is a change that begins to show in action.
A person becomes more willing, honest, useful, and God-conscious. They begin to practice inventory, amends, prayer, meditation, service, and reliance upon God.
Spiritual awakening as a result
In Step Twelve, spiritual awakening is described as coming as the result of the Steps.
That is important.
A spiritual awakening is not presented as something a person manufactures by force. It is not a performance. It is not a dramatic story a person must create.
It is connected with the actual practice of the Steps.
The person admits powerlessness, comes to believe, turns toward God, takes inventory, admits wrongs, becomes willing, asks for help, makes amends, continues inventory, practices prayer and meditation, and carries the message.
The awakening is connected with that whole path.
Spiritual awakening and spiritual experience
Spiritual awakening and spiritual experience are closely related phrases.
They should not be separated too sharply, but they can be understood with a helpful distinction.
A spiritual experience may point to the change, encounter, or inner shift itself.
A spiritual awakening often points to the result of the Steps becoming active in a person’s life.
In common recovery language, people may use the phrases almost interchangeably. That is usually fine.
The more important question is whether the change is real.
Does it lead to honesty?
Does it lead to action?
Does it lead to amends?
Does it lead to prayer, guidance, and usefulness?
Does it move the person away from self-will, fear, resentment, and isolation?
Sudden and gradual awakening
A common misunderstanding is to think spiritual awakening has to be sudden.
Some people do describe sudden change. They may have a clear turning point, a strong awareness of God, or a powerful sense that life has changed.
Other people awaken gradually.
They may take the Steps, pray imperfectly, tell the truth, make amends, help others, and only later realize they are not the same person they were.
That gradual change can still be real.
A person may not be struck by lightning. They may simply begin living differently, one honest action at a time.
Common misunderstanding
A common misunderstanding is to think spiritual awakening means a person is now perfect.
That is not true.
A spiritual awakening does not mean a person never struggles, never feels fear, never has selfish thoughts, or never needs correction.
It means the person has been changed and is now living from a different basis.
Another misunderstanding is to think spiritual awakening is only emotional.
Emotions may be involved, but the Big Book connects spiritual awakening with action and usefulness. Feelings may come and go. Changed conduct matters.
A person who has had a spiritual awakening still needs continued inventory, prayer, meditation, amends when needed, and service.
Study note
This website works best with a copy of the Big Book in your hand.
As you read, notice how spiritual awakening is connected with the Twelve Steps, changed conduct, prayer, meditation, service, and carrying the message.
Also notice that awakening may be gradual. A person may become spiritually awake through repeated honest action, not only through one dramatic event.
That can encourage readers who are changing slowly but truly.
Big Book study references
Look for this phrase and related language near pages 60, 83–84, 85–89, 106, and 567–568.
Page references are to the printed Fourth Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Related words
spiritual
spiritual experience
awakening
faith
God
higher power
power
willingness
surrender
action
prayer
meditation
service
usefulness