To become recovered, we must continue to enlarge our spiritual life on a daily basis, continue doing the step work, and continue to do intense work with other alcoholics.  a.k.a.:  Trust God, Clean House, Help Others.
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MEANING 2 of Osmosis: A gradual absorption of knowledge or ideas through continual exposure, rather than deliberate learning. A gradual, often unconscious process of assimilation–unconscious learning.  SYNONYMS: soft, malleable, elastic, cushioned.
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In some meetings you may hear, “You CAN get this program and stay sober by osmosis.”
That is encouraging complacency and procrastination. These same people encourage a kinder, gentler, however-many-steps-you-want (whenever you want), method of hanging on to sobriety.  They are the one’s who pat you on the back and tell you “just keep going to meetings and you’ll be fine.”)  Some of these people would also like to convince you that recovery can be sexually transmitted (which is another form of osmosis).
Trying to recover by OSMOSIS is not a program of action, and does not come from A.A. literature.  Taking the 12 Steps is the path to recovery.  Remember, “It works if you work it,” not by passively sitting around in meeting after meeting and waiting for a 60-day rehab graduate or some A.A.-Wonder to fill your head full of wisdom and do your thinking for you.

Our Basis Text has all of the directions necessary to bring about permanent recovery from alcoholism. It also tells us—

“If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle of the road solution.” (p. 25).
That means The 12-step Program is not meant to be ‘cafeteria style’ or ‘taking what we like and leaving the rest.’  Will sitting in meetings and coffee shops every day—soaking up non-AA rhetoric—be enough to be relieved of the obsessions and be restored to sanity?  For a non-alcoholic, sure… but not for a real alcoholic.
“We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help. This we did because we honestly wanted to, and were willing to make the effort.” (p. 25).
We’re given two choices: Keep drinking or accept spiritual help and make an honest effort.
Will sitting in meetings every day, sharing how your therapist or ‘substance abuse’ counselor taught you their ‘interpretations’ of the steps be enough to get spiritual help for the necessary psychic change?  If you are non-alcoholic, sure… but not if your life has become impossible.

Chapter 5 is entitled, “How It Works” …Not ‘how it happens’ or ‘how we get it through osmosis.’

Page 58: “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path” (the clear-cut directions) … “They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living [way of life] which demands rigorous honesty.”
“If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it— then you are ready to take certain steps [follow directions].”
“At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not.”    …“Remember we deal with alcohol—cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help, it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power—that One is God. May you find Him now!”
page 59: “Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked for His protection and care with complete abandon.”

Chapter 6 is entitled, “Into Action.” …Not ‘now we can rest on our laurels.’

Page 76: ” Now we need more action, without which we find that, “Faith Without works is dead.”

Other information from the AA textbook:

“But the actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge” (p. 39)
“Admit that he probably knows more about it than you do, but call to his attention the fact that however deep his faith and knowledge, he could not have applied it or he would not drink” (p. 93)
“We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action” (p. 17)
“He was positive that this humiliating experience, plus the knowledge he had acquired, would keep him sober the rest of his life. Self knowledge would fix it” “….for what I had learned about alcoholism did not occur to me at all. I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots” “…then they outlined the spiritual answer and program of action which a hundred of them had followed successfully” “…But the program of action, although entirely sensible, was pretty drastic” (pp. 40-42)

From the 12&12 book:

“First, we take a look backward and try to discover where we have been at fault; next we make a vigorous attempt to repair the damage we have done; and third, having thus cleaned away the debris of the past, we consider how, with our new-found knowledge of ourselves, we may develop the best possible relations with every human being we know” (p. 77)

Many people have relapsed several times, they come back to meetings, and proudly claim prior years of knowledge they gained in AA. (i.e., “I had 3 years before I relapsed, and 2 years before that–so I still have that knowledge & quality time”)  But according to the Basic Text, if they relapsed, they “could not have applied it or he would not drink.” Clearly, knowledge and Meeting Osmosis did not work to keep them sober.

To become recovered, we must continue the step work, continue to enlarge our spiritual life on a daily basis, and continue to do intense work with other alcoholics (free of charge).