An interesting question for me is what is AV? Not what is the AV saying which is probably our usual relationship to it. We're usually trying to recognise it, or feeling lost in it or there's strong emotions about it but it's always about the content. But if we simply observe AV we can really look into it's nature itself. What is it as a phenomenon?
The reason I find this is interesting is that when I was drinking I wasn't aware of AV, I wasn't familiar with the term and had no idea about the concept of it. I was just being carried along by it, by it's trains of association and it's conditioning of my mind and actions, like always having to drink at social events, to relax and so on, all the usual. But now that I don't drink I can see it's nature more clearly. And when AV is happening and I'm observing it, looking into it's nature not the content, what do I find? That the AV in and of itself is little more than nothing. It's just like a little energy blip in my mind, as a phenomenon. Just wisps of thoughts, feelings and sensations about possibilities of drinking again.
I find it amazing that AV when unnoticed ran much of my life and when it is noticed I see that there's not much there at all. This has opened up a tremendous doorway of freedom for me because knowing it's empty nature, when the different content of AV presents itself it doesn't seem so powerful an opponent and not all that difficult to extricate myself from it - not to identify or get locked in and imprisoned with it. Life is simplified
