QUOTE=Dee74;4805721]You've bought the historian in me out now
People gave up drinking for God for millennia before 1935.
The Temperance movement was particularly vibrant in New Zealand Mike.
http://www.otago.ac.nz/library/pdf/h...3_bulletin.pdf The Movement in New Zealand – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
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We are talking about recovery from chronic alcoholism Dee, not just giving up drinking.
Jung spoke about vital spiritual experiences occuring over the ages, and William James also talks about religious experiences though not specifically for recovery from alcoholism. These were very rare occurances but an example of such a recovery is given in the Big Book with the story of Roland H, who recovered before AA and never joined AA.
Temperance was nothing to do with treating alcoholism, it was about taking a
pledge, or swearing off with a solemn oath as it is described in
the Big Book. Prohibition did nothing to reduce alcoholism either.
There was the aspect of the licensing trusts in NZ, some of which still operate today, but the idea was always to restrict the sale and consumption of alcohol, not treat alcoholism. The trusts actually fund local worthy causes with their surpluses from running trust hotels/bars.
What you seem to be saying is that pre AA the options were:
a) get religion, or
b) just don't drink, sign a pledge.