I Need More Aha’s
I am fascinated by this approach. I wish it had been taught to me when I was young, as I always struggled to learn. I had a brother who got straight A’s in every class he took. He never seemed to do homework, he never opened books, he wrote his own algebraic equations and came up with the right answers. Me? I was the exact opposite. I couldn’t memorize, I was in math for dummies, tutors tried to help, but not too much avail. The methods that I was taught were not working for a guy like me. It wasn’t until I went to Seminary and did online learning that things changed. I was able to learn in a different way altogether. One that made sense to me, and I thrived. It was contrary to how I was taught so many years ago.
My analogy to what this book represents is the two ways to learn a language. Memorize words and phrases while adapting to different tenses, or total immersion, where you must jump in and learn. Neither method is for everyone. Some prefer one over another. Give me immersion!! Get me out of the box!!
“The transformative character of threshold concepts reflects the way in which they can change an individual’s perception of themselves as well as their perception of a subject” [1] Living in my brother’s shadow, I thought I was dumb. With the threshold concept, to make sense of a subject and view it through a different lens to where I understood it and can even ask questions and challenge my understanding of it would have changed my view of myself and probably created a very different future for me.
I loved Coven’s statement in the video of our need “to understand that questions are more important than answers”[2]. I believe I learned that when I was working with AI a couple weeks ago, looking for books on my project. I could ask one question and get plenty of books and articles to read, but then I would ask a deeper question and get better choices, then do it again. I have never done that – I always just take the easy road and what is placed in front of me. Asking questions allows me to “move towards the confusion”[3], as Covet says in his video. I stay awake at night, worried about the unknowns and confusion. Learning how to move towards it to understand it better will only help me.
In his Ted talk, Robert Coven says, “threshold concept – what is missing is more important than what is known”[4]. I want to apply that to my project. The 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous is known. When someone enters the program, they are inundated with people telling them that the only way to be sober is to work the steps. That they will “work if you work it.” But at the same time, the elephant in the room is the success rate of AA, which is only 5-10%, and no one asks why. What is the unknown reason for this? As someone wanting to go deep with this, how can I push people towards asking why? If they were to quit being force-fed what has been practiced for almost 100 years (with terrible success rates, but is the best option out there) and learn to start asking deeper questions, my hope is that they would discover, as one of the founders Bill W, so clearly states, spiritual transformation is the ONLY way to become sober. That is not discussed in meetings.
Even Celebrate Recovery, which is a scriptural-based program, does not talk about spiritual transformation. They are all about community, which is also very important. What would teaching centering prayer or meditation look like or giving them spiritual tools to deal with stress? That, to me, would be the threshold concept. To see that prayer, meditation, and seeking the Lord can and will take away the desire to drink or use. Learning that by doing and not white-knuckling the desires away. It is that “Aha!!” moment that I don’t know how many people in recovery ever feel. I always found meetings to be a lot of people feeling sorry for themselves (certainly not all). They call everyone that is not an alcoholic, a “normie”, which in my mind, makes them think they are “less than”. They are not. They are God’s creation. They need that “aha” moment to know who they are in Christ.
[1] Jan H.F. Meyer and Ray Land, Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding: Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge. New York: Routledge, 2006.
2 Breaking Through: Threshold Concepts as a Key to Understanding | Robert Coven | TEDx Cary Academy, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCPYSKSFky4..
3 Ibid
4 Ibid
About the Author
Chris Blackman
16 responses to “I Need More Aha’s”
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I find it astounding how many people go through the educational systems and come out the other side with struggles because they did not learn the same way that everyone else seemed to be learning. Sorry that was a stress on your education.
I like how you are thinking about how the concepts of this week fit into your project. And, I am glad your AI experience in this area was fruitful. I am interested if you have come up with any concrete ways to incorporate prayer and meditation into a 12 step program that is being held in a secular setting.
Thanks Diane. The secular part of recovery will be my hardest challenge. Here is a perfect example. When I say spiritual transformation is the only way to sobriety, my son-in-law had a terrible opioid addiction and has been sober now for over 10 years and is an atheist. Hoo boy, what do I know 🙂
I am not sure what this will all look like at the end, but I am so looking forward to what God does with it all. Thanks for your response!
Hi, Mr. Blackman, I too like the phrase that Coven said about the importance of question, which he said that it is more important than the answer. It is kind of weird for me to when I first heard about it. However, this is how I looked at it, when only knowing the answers, it is like memorizing fact(s). But asking of the question(s) leads to the understanding of how the answers came about. Thank you for your sharing.
Thank you Noel for replying. I think just knowing the correct answer is a terrible way to learn. It is digging deeper and knowing why he answer is correct. Anyone can memorize, but the key to true knowledge is a full understanding of the problem itself.
Chris, you provide some very thoughtful observations in this post. Thank you. My colleague and I often use the phrase, “Don’t compare, connect.” So often we compare ourselves with others and consider ourselves “less than.” I can’t help but think what transformation would come if we connected with others seeking to learn and be changed by each other’s experiences and giftings. I am so glad to hear you found your rhythm in Seminary. It’s great to read how the Lord has used the things you have learned in life to empower and bring dignity to those struggling in the liminal space.
Thank you for the nice words, Elyssse.
You write, ” can’t help but think what transformation would come if we connected with others seeking to learn and be changed by each other’s experiences and gifting.” Isn’t that what living in a community should be all about? Richard Rohr writes in his book Breathing Underwater about the church that has its midweek services upstairs, and the AA group is meeting at the same time in the basement, and it creates a divide that the people down below feel less than the people in the church. There is SO much truth to that, and it grieved me when I read it. Thank you for your reply.
Chris,
I appreciate your post. I don’t teach a lot of Substance Use Disorder information so I was not aware of the AA success rate. On a side note, a few years ago my wife had back surgery in the hospital where AA was developed. I felt a sense of history walking in those doors. As I am beginning my research on pornography usage and ways to address it, I wonder if I will find the same results, poor success rates. Is there a formula that exists to truly help people with addictive behavior? (Not expecting an answer to that question from you.)
Thanks for your reply Jeff. There is a lot of arguments about the recovery rates. No one really knows. Some facilities and care homes talk of 95% success rates, but I don’t think there is truth to that. I tend to think the 5-10% success is too low, and it is probably closer to 40% or so, but that is just my gut feeling. Either way, it is not good. Are you doing a project on pornography usage? Would love to discuss this with you sometime. An addiction is an addiction! It would be interesting to know what the success rate is with pornography addicts. Let me know if you ever stumble across it.
Yes -those hospital grounds you walked in were holy ground!! As far as your question.. it is one of the reasons I am doing my project! The 12-step model has the most success (albeit not great), but Bill W wrote that the only way to achieve sobriety is through a spiritual awakening, and it is my opinion that his concept has been lost over time. Trying to bring that back, but will see what God has in store for that.
Chris! As I read your post what resonates with me is everyone’s road to the destination may be different. If someone does not do things in the conventional way, our feelings of insecurity and doubt kick in. Kudos to you for sticking with it and seeing it through.
As you speak of recovery, I think we similarly n the church do have a lot to grapple with in an effort to become relevant and relational. Threshold concepts surely presents a portal to help us achieve that ultimate goal.
Thanks Daren for you reply. I have never done anything conventional in my life 🙂 – which is why I always seem to get in trouble. That is until I met my unconventional wife; living with her has been a daily adventure!!
I agree with your statement about the church, and as I wrote to Elysse, I honestly think it comes down to living in community and learning from each other. It doesn’t get any better than that in my book.
Chris! I am always so delighted to read your posts and this one did not disappoint 🙂 Firstly, it was both heartbreaking and inspiring to learn that only in seminary and with online learning did things begin to change to where you were able to learn in new ways.
Listening to everything you shared about AA and applying these insights to the program you will create really resonated with me — both in terms of the power of transformation I’ve seen from incorporating reflective practices in my inner healing work and in the real challenges that present themselves when working with stigmatized population
On a more personal note — I am still discerning how to thrive in an online setting, so I’m curious as to what about online learning felt so much more helpful and empowering to you than your previous learning environments? I know we’re all different, but I’m hopeful there might be some helpful insights in your response 😉
Shucks Akwése – thanks for the nice words 🙂
Obviously, I am a huge believer in transformation and inner healing. To present those concepts to people who have been stigmatized would be so amazing, and to watch the Holy Spirit work through it all would be glorious!!
I think what worked for me in online learning is exactly what we are doing here. I loved being able to see what resonated with everyone in the cohort. We all see things differently, and it allowed me to interact with posts that I agreed with or even disagreed with. It was just such a different way than sitting in a classroom having info thrown at me, and I am a daydreamer so that doesn’t work well for me. I appreciate the community feel of online learning; I don’t feel alone trying to get a good grade. We are all in this together, praying for each other and caring for each other. Not sure if that will help you in any way, but that’s my answer!
Thank you for your reply.
Chris, I appreciate your approach to this week’s material, especially in the way you apply it immediately to your NPO. Given your research thus far, what would you identify as a threshold concept in recovery?
Thank you Chad.
I think my hope as a threshold concept is if someone, for the first time, reaches out to God in a manner they have not done before, and it keeps them from drinking our using because of the power of the Holy Spirit, it will be an aha moment for them and hopefully the beginning of a new and different relationship with God. Because prayer is lightly discussed in meetings, and it never goes much deeper than that (at least in my experiences), I think it would be jumping over a threshold to a brand new experience of sobriety.
Thank you for your reply!
I appreciate how you tie in recovery as a threshold concept. Given the low success rates, it seems counterintuitive that there is still such a hard push to AA. It’s like they know they don’t know, but they don’t know any other way of knowing. It reminds me of traditional education systems, they work only so far but fall short of entering that Aha portal where transformation takes place. Instead they remain stuck, settling for the least effective option which blocks new creative possibilities. Have you learned of any of these new possibilities? Have you thought about creating another option that goes beyond AA or Celebrate recovery?
Thanks for your reply Erica, I agree with your thoughts on them not having any other way of knowing. Sadly, as low as the success rate is, the 12-step program is still the most successful out there. It does work (sometimes I worry that I slam it too much!), but it doesn’t work for everyone.
I am definitely chewing the possibility of starting something completely new. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring in a group of people, and start off with 20 minutes of quiet meditation, then maybe some Lectio Divina or centering prayer, then go into sharing? I would love to teach others to lead groups like that, but alas, I have to wait for the Holy Spirit to guide me.
I just wish the Trinity had FaceTime.
Thank you for your thoughts.