A significant change was made to Chapter 2 when the Second Edition was printed in 1955. The First Edition referred to a “celebrated physician” who treated the American businessman, (later known as Rowland H). The Second Edition named that doctor as the world-famous psychoanalyst Dr. Carl Jung, who prescribed for Rowland in Zurich in the early 1930’s. As recounted on page 26, Dr. Jung told Rowland that his alcoholism was incurable by psychoanalysis and that the only thing that might help was a spiritual experience. That suggestion, along with membership in the Oxford Group, lifted Rowland’s compulsion to drink and later helped him bring Ebby T. to sobriety. Ebby, in turn, helped sober-up Bill Wilson, co-founder of AA.    In a 1961 letter of gratitude to Dr. Jung, Bill acknowledged that Rowand’s conversation with Dr. Jung was “the first link in the chain of events that led to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Howard L, sober since January 1988, presents an inspired reading of this story and encourages listeners to revisit earlier podcast episodes that feature the main chapters and stories in the First Edition of the Big Book. Enjoy listening on our website, BigBookPodcast.com, or download and subscribe to the podcast for free at Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And, if you have a minute, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.