I was wondering if anyone here could remember their last tug of fear in their stomach after they left the Watchtower Society, concerning Armageddon coming where you may have had a moments regret or fear of not being a JW, and so you wouldn’t be "saved". You know, the stupid conditioning we as JW children received growing up as JW kids. I realize this may seem like kind of a weird question, but I remember my moment, and going through that experience it was very a freeing feeling once I came through it on the other end.
I was visiting a church in about the 1984 time frame. I had been out of the Watchtower for about five years or so. I really didn't think I had any more worries about the Watchtower's warnings of paranoia about Armageddon, and my not being a JW when it supposedly came. I stepped outside for a smoke during the service and I saw many vapor trails high in the sky, like those which might come form nuclear missiles, all coming from the eastern horizon. I thought to myself, this must be the way God will accomplish Armageddon and here I am at a church! As it turned out, it was nothing more than a military pilot training session (I wasn’t the only who noticed the trails that day and got concerned). After that realization, I just laughed at myself, and resolved never to allow the Watchtower hysteria attack me again, and it never has. I’m kinda grateful I went through that experience so I could finally shrug off that last bit of mind control.
Anyone got anything remotely like this kind of experience to relate? I’d love to hear it. Maybe I’m alone in this kinda thing. I dunno.