Howard E. Found the Fourth Dimension by Following the Big Book Sequence

About This Speaker Tape

Twenty-four years of treating a Higher Power like an errand boy, handing over a daily shopping list of demands only to find nothing ever got done. Howard E. views the Big Book not as a collection of stories, but as a textbook that must be read sequentially, or the student fails. He warns against treating the ninth step promises as magic charms bought with a couple of bucks in the basket; they are observations of a life lived in the fourth dimension—a harmonious blend of the spiritual, mental, and physical.

He maps the wreckage of the "bedevilments" against the results of the work, noting that while alcohol once provided a fake serenity and a fake freedom, it eventually turned against him. Now, he treats the steps as a prescription for a psychic change. For Howard E., the warning signs of a relapse aren't missed meetings, but a sudden urge to take everyone's inventory and the return of a critical spirit.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Howard E. explains the difference between fiction, nonfiction, and textbooks, framing the Big Book as the latter.
• 4:15 Laughter: Howard discusses the misconception that putting a few bucks in the basket guarantees the promises.
• 6:30 Howard describes his 24-year history of treating his Higher Power as an errand boy.
• 8:10 Discussion of the 'fourth dimension' and the harmonious blend of spiritual, mental, and physical health.
• 11:40 Howard references Chuck C.'s 'A New Pair of Glasses' regarding the paradox of sober reality.
• 14:20 Detailed breakdown of the 'bedevilments' on page 53 and their relation to the spiritual malady.
• 18:50 Analysis of the Ninth Step promises on page 83 and 84, emphasizing they are observations, not guarantees.
• 23:10 Howard maps the specific bedevilments to their corresponding promises to show the path of recovery.
• 26:40 Warning signs of spiritual relapse: the return of the 'criticism tendency' in personal relationships.
• 28:15 The 'What alcohol did for me' exercise, flipping the promises to describe the allure of the drink.
• 31:10 Closing thoughts on the necessity of daily 10th, 11th, and 12th step work to prevent relapse.