Curriculum Overview 

More than just a rock musical that sounds a lot like The Beatles meet Pink Floyd...

To give you an idea of what makes The Journey such a powerful tool for personal growth and recovery support, the material below comes directly from the directory page of the course and provides an overview of each of the course units. The curriculum uses the songs from the musical program to introduce a broad scope of topics that are creatively interwoven to guide the listener through a process of finding his or her own path on the journey to personal transformation.

1. Beginnings

"As I stand in the East, and the first rays of sunlight dance upon the horizon, I know that my journey is about to begin..."

The opening scene from The Journey depicts the sun rising out of the East as the silhouette of a person appears in the foreground. The narration describes the magical place where Life begins:

"I feel welcome. I feel connected. I feel like I belong."

But we know we will be leaving this place as our journey is about to begin.

This initial separation might be regarded as the loss of our original wholeness, and it sets the stage for our desire to return to this special place. Our subsequent journey might be viewed as a process of attempting to satisfy our desire for connection and to reclaim our original wholeness. 

In this section:

• The Hero's Journey
• Separation
• What Is Life?
• Mitakuye Oyasin!
• Original Wholeness
• Creating A New Mythology

2. Little Girls And Boys

"Little girls and boys gonna be alright. Mommy and Daddy are here tonight"

"Little Girls And Boys" describes the magic and innocence of childhood—the warm feeling of being tucked in at night by two loving parents, being cared for and nurtured, the comfort of having all our needs met. Here we see a continuation of the theme presented in the first section where the narration described the experience of feeling welcome, connected, and like we belong. "Little Girls And Boys" takes this a step further by painting a picture of what this perhaps looks like in this human experience we call Life.

In this section:

• Childhood needs
• Role Models
• Home

3. Tale Of December

"Been so long since I've been me, I guess I'll have to go back there."

Whereas Little Girls And Boys paints a picture of childhood from a perspective we all like to look at—the bright side of  childhood—"Tale Of December" takes us to a different place. From the dark, ominous sounds of the opening instrumental portion of the song, we see that this is in stark contrast to the happy, lullaby world portrayed in Little Girls And Boys. 

"Tale Of December" is another song that looks at childhood, but this time from the perspective of how family of origin issues impact feelings, attitudes, and behavior later in life.

In this section:

• The Shadow
• Childhood Wounds
• Dysfunctional Family Values
• Father Loss
• Cultural Mythology

4. Lost And Found

"I thought I was trying to find myself. Looking back now, I see, that's where I began to lose myself."

"Lost And Found" is the narrative piece that brings us into the Initiation stage of The Journey. This is the Hero entering into the realm where an ordeal awaits. What he doesn't realize at the time is that if he's able to get through this successfully, there's a reward waiting that he couldn't imagine in his wildest dreams. 

Wouldn't it be nice if we knew this at the time? 

Unfortunately, that's not how it works. 

The material in this section takes a deep dive into looking at adolescent developmental needs and the process of moving out of childhood and into adulthood. As you will see, even when being facilitated under the careful guidance of a trusted mentor, an inherent aspect of of the initiation process is the need to be taken out of our comfort zone; the initiate can't know that everything is actually under control, even when it looks like they're coming face to face with their own Death.

What we'll see in this section is how this initiation process occurs regardless of whether it's being facilitated by a knowledgeable mentor who has our best interests at heart or not. We all want to find ourselves. However, more often than not, we're doing this on our own. Life becomes the initiation, and true to the developmental process, we need to be taken out of comfort zone to experience the reward. And Life will do that for us. 

In this section:

• Rites Of Passage: The Historical Of Becoming An Adult
• 21st Century Initiation
• Gangs
• "Rehab"
• Sibling Society

5. Windowpane Night

"Last night my brother said I flew to the moon. I said baby if that's true you know I came down much too soon."

As the first song of the Initiation Stage, "Windowpane Night" clearly suggests we are entering into a new phase of The Journey. 

As discussed in the previous section, the transition from childhood to adulthood involves inherent developmental needs, which include establishing our own identity, becoming part of our own group, proving ourself, and even spiritual exploration. "Windowpane Night" is the first in a progression of songs that illustrate this process and the inherent dangers of going through this without proper guidance. 

With its obvious reference to partying with drugs and alcohol, "Windowpane Night" is used to introduce the dynamic of looking outside of ourselves for things we can use to change how we feel. For many, the use of mood-altering substances provides a quick and easy way to do this, as well as being an effective means for satisfying some of the developmental needs referenced above. 

In this song:

• A New World
• Addiction
• Addiction and Spirituality: The Search For Transcendence
• Spiritual Loss
• Recovery

6. Woke Up This Morning

"I gave you everything I had, you were like a part of me"

Over the years of playing this song in treatment groups, "Woke Up This Morning" has affectionately come to be known as "the codependency song." "Play the codependency song! Play the codependency song!"

While "Windowpane Night" introduced us to the idea of looking outside of ourselves to change how we feel through mood-altering substances, "Woke Up This Morning" shows that this isn't the only means of changing how we feel. Getting our good feelings from someone else—whether it be through love and romance, sex, or even the high drama of codependent relationships—this still is just another example of going outside of ourselves to get something that's supposed to come from within, and cuts us off from our authentic self. 

In this section:

• Plato's Allegory
• Original Wholeness
• Teenage Codependency

7. All That I Can Do 

"Don't know why I do the things I do. Can't believe all the ways that I've hurt you."

The first line of "All That I Can Do" pretty much says it all. 

From an addiction standpoint, this song goes to heart of Step 1 of the 12-Step program: We admitted we were powerless, that our lives had become unmanageable. Another way of viewing it would be to say this is about the pain of hitting bottom. Out of all the songs from The Journey, "All That I Can Do" is the one that listeners frequently respond with an emphatic "That's my story exactly! I relate to every line in this song!"

The material in this section goes on to suggest that this concept of "powerlessness" doesn't just apply to those suffering from addiction. Rather it suggests that the word "human-ness" may be more appropriate to acknowledge that we all make mistakes. We do things we know we shouldn't do. We don't do things we know we should do. And we suffer as a result. 

The move into the West on the Medicine Wheel ushers in a time of going into the darkness for a period of introspection. In "All That I Can Do" the singer is getting to the point of having to take a good, hard look at himself. The ability for honest self-examination is a crucial first step for any process that's ultimately going to lead to a renewal experience.

In this section:

• Into The Darkness
• Powerlessness
• Suicide: Thee Ultimate Loss Of Self
• Survival Tools

8. Electric Nights

"Bars and bikes and lakes he likes, starring uptown on Electric Nights"

"Electric Nights" is about the person who has begun the process of following some path towards renewal or recovery, but gets stuck. He hasn't gone all the way. And he remains unhappy, with the gnawing feeling that there is perhaps something missing.

For the alcoholic, this might be what is referred to as "dry drunk." The implication here is that simply "putting the plug in the jug" does not necessarily lead to the renewal and fulfillment that comes with successful recovery. Rather, a concerted effort towards ongoing self-examination and maintenance of a healthy emotional or spiritual condition is a key factor in the difference between the feeling of "something missing" and personal fulfillment. 

In this section:

• Switching Addictions
• Something Missing
• Dry Drunk

9. Dark Night Of The Soul 

"As I stand in the West, and the Sun slowly disappears beyond the horizon, I know that this is the time for me to face myself. This is the time of looking within."

"Dark Night Of The Soul" is the narrative piece that brings us into the private affair of personal transformation. On the Medicine Wheel this is the place of Looks-Within, going within for a time of introspection. The spiritual journey inevitably involves some period of self-examination; unfortunately this is not always entered into "voluntarily." Rather, we find ourselves in the position where we have no choice but to face the consequences of our own thoughts, attitudes, and actions. 

In this section:

• Dark Night Of The Soul
• Ritual Space and Ceremony
• The Vision Quest
• Young People and Ceremony

10. Open Your Eyes (What's Goin' On)

"Running from yourself can only get so far. Wherever you go, there you are." 

"Open Your Eyes (What's Goin' On)" is a sharp challenge to confront denial and take responsibility for our own thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Perhaps one of the most difficult parts of the spiritual journey is mastering the art of being able to look at ourselves first, rather than focusing on what's wrong with others, making everything about ourselves, or as the song says, "Living in a world that revolves around you."

Despite lines from Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous like "Selfishness! Self-centeredness! That, we believe is the root of our problems," the battle with self is not a creation of the 12-Step recovery program. Rather, it seems that challenges related to "self" and "ego" have been part of the human experience since the beginning of recorded time. This is the type of Shadow work suggested earlier in the section on "Tale Of December." Simply put, it's the ability to look at ourselves rather than focusing on the bright shiny objects of the illusory world that our mind creates. 

"He who flies closest to the light casts the biggest shadow."

In this section:

• Denial
• Facing The Shadow

11. Butterfly

"A new life awaits, but you you've got to have faith that one day all hearts become one."

Successful completion of the Initiation stage leads to the third and final stage of the Hero's Journey, which is "Return." The Hero returns to the Kingdom, to be reunited with the King, often becoming King him/herself. 

At this point in the program, The Journey is preparing us for the Return to the East, the place where the Sun will rise again and we will once again walk in the light. This is the miracle of rebirth, of renewal. And the next song up on the playlist clearly symbolizes where we are at this point in our own personal journey. 

The butterfly is a universal symbol of transformation and new life. The earthbound caterpillar gives herself away to realize the butterfly within. It's not difficult to see how this relates to the process we've been through in the preceding sections. The move into the darkness for a period of self-examination is not unlike the caterpillar creating its own cocoon, entering into a period of darkness, and preparing for the transformation to come. 

In this section:

• Transformation
• Out Of The Darkness
• Awakening The Heart
• The Desert In Bloom
• Creative Expression

12. Chop Wood, Carry Water

"Been a long time and it's been a long way. Been a hard road to get where I am today."

As The Journey comes full circle, we celebrate our return to the East with the rousing "Chop Wood, Carry Water." In recovery circles this song could be the 12-Step anthem, with its numerous references to recovery slogans and other principles of 12-Step recovery. But the material in this section reveals it to be much more than this, as it is basically a musical presentation of timeless universal truths and spiritual principles that speak to the overall sacred order of Life.

The title of the song itself represents a profound perspective on the spiritual journey of Life:

Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.

After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water

In this section:

• Spiritual Awakening
• The Sacred Path
• Gratitude
• The Search For Transcendence: Finding It
• The Paradox Of Spirituality
• Spiritual Recovery