MovieChat Forums > Bill W. (2012) Discussion > Bill W's Spiritual Experience

Bill W's Spiritual Experience

posted 12 years ago by randomstu-442-216224
3 replies | jump to latest

When Bill W had his great spiritual experience that inspired his sobriety etc, he was in the midst of having his alcoholism treated with "The Belladonna Cure," a regimen that included ingestion of seriously mind-altering drugs. Not that there's anything wrong with that... but I don't believe the movie made this clear. It seems worthwhile that a documentary should note that this pivotal moment in the life of Bill W, an event of such great cultural importance, was drug-induced.

[–] VerbalGoddess 12 years ago

I haven't seen this title, yet, but why is that important? They can't tell everything in a man's life; the movie would be too be long. It is a well known fact by anyone that is involved in AA or has read anything about Bill.

[–] sue-534 12 years ago

I thought the movie made it VERY clear that Bill W's experience came from LSD and was "instant" vs years for other non-LSF taking AA-ers.

"the only way through it is through it " -Jackson Browne

[–] acter 11 years ago

I thought the movie made it VERY clear that Bill W's experience came from LSD and was "instant" vs years for other non-LSF taking AA-ers

According to "Pass It On", Bill W. participated in a medically supervised experiment with L.S.D. in the '50s, long after he had gotten sober. He did say it helped him reexperience that initial spiritual experience. However, he was not taking it in 1935.

And in the 1950s, L.S.D. was being seen by many in the psychiatric world as something of a "wonder drug", until the bad effects started to be seen.

Acter