Originally Posted by
Jack16 
Very interesting thread. I'm on my second reading of the book, and I think it might be my best shot at staying sober.
The part above, underlined in red, is your Addictive Voice (AV). Remember the definition of the addictive voice:
Addictive Voice = Any thinking, imagery, or feeling that supports, or even suggests, your future use of alcohol or drugs.
"I think it might be my best shot at staying sober" obviously suggests more drinking may be in the cards, so it qualifies as AV, by definition. That is the Beast talking in your mind. You will be surprised at how much of your own thinking is actually AV.
Originally Posted by
Jack16 I just need some clarification about the Big Plan.
Obviously, to just say: "I will never drink again" is not enough to achieve the task.
The part underlined in red is also your Addictive Voice, suggesting failure and more drinking. Are you seeing a pattern here? Any self-doubt about lifetime abstinence obviously supports more drinking, so it is therefore AV, by definition.
With AVRT, we set our confidence level for lifetime abstinence arbitrarily at 100%, and recognize all self-doubt as the AV -- as the Beast speaking in our mind's eye.
The Big Plan is a transcending personal commitment to unconditional, permanent abstinence. It is enough on its own, but AVRT makes the task much easier and/or less unpleasant.
Originally Posted by
Jack16 Is the purpose of making a BP then, a tactic to reveal the split between the real "I", and the Beast?
The purpose of the Big Plan is to definitively end the constant inner debate about future drinking, the "to drink or not to drink, should I or shouldn't I?" back and forth discussions in our mind.
We can alternatively think of the BP as choosing once to remove the option of ever choosing to drink or not to drink. We remove the choice from the table.
No more choosing not to drink.
One consequence of the Big Plan is that the Beast will not be happy at all, and it will probably go on the attack. It will be very scared of your BP, and in haste, will probably blow its cover when it does attack, though.
Before the BP, you may think 'I want a drink', but after the BP, you may hear 'you need a drink' or 'we need a drink', as if the Beast is talking to you or for both of you. This is called the I/It split in AVRT.
An alternative way to think of the Addictive Voice is as anything which contradicts your Big Plan. With a Big Plan in place, the AV will stand out clearly as the Beast talking, making it easy to recognize.
Originally Posted by
Jack16 Any thoughts much appreciated
Remember that your Beast can read the book along with you, so it will be looking over your shoulder -- for loopholes. It may also try and tell you that there is some deep stuff, some deep secret that you haven't figured out yet about AVRT, and that until you do, you won't succeed.
I would encourage you to read the book alone, in silence, so that you can hear your own AV, and to read this thread from the very beginning afterwards. Many common questions have been answered before, and there are many "tips" throughout as well.