This article is about an element of Alcoholics Anonymous. For the seaQuest DSV episode, see "Higher Power (seaQuest DSV episode)".

Alcoholics Anonymous uses the term "A Power Greater Than Ourselves" also referred to as "The Higher Power" when used by recovered alcoholics who have experienced the magic worked by the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

For the beginner, the essential attitude is having some Power Greater Than Oneself to give courage as the suffering alcoholic is often in a personally helpless situation when it comes to being able to stop drinking alcohol by their own power. A Higher Power is anything or anyone that is in addition to, or beyond your own ego. If a person finds strength in the sky, the sun, the ocean, their sponsor, or the Alcoholics Anonymous Group to which they belong, or God, so be it. It is simply something in addition to themselves they chose to believe in and rely on to give them some confidence, something the battered alcoholic severely lacks. Though many, even if hesitant at first, eventually chose to call God their Higher Power.

Excerpts from the Big Book

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Step 2: came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (Note the emphasis on "us" which is greater than than oneself).

• Chapter 3-Once more: The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.
• Chapter 7-Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!

External links

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• Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/
• Grapevine http://www.aagrapevine.org/
• AA for the deaf and hard of hearing http://www.dhh12s.com/
• Washington area intergroup association http://www.aa-dc.org/index2.html
• Alanon http://www.al-anon.org/
• Alateen http://www.al-anon.org/alateen.html