I consider "emotions" as involuntary physical reactions to our core values, beliefs, opinions and worldview. In other words, the way we think about things determines how we "feel" about them.
The Watchtower teachings detach people from reality. Reality is, after all, the only source of true information. Consequently, a make-believe world is what replaces reality. The New World Society is a cartoon world.
Once we detach from the real world our values are changed and our emotions follow. Instead of feeling empathy for the suffering of others as we did when we lived among real people; JW's learn to think of human suffering as well-deserved by the ungodly who will die at Armageddon.
Instead of feeling a sense of charity and desiring to come to the aid of our fellow man when natural disasters occur; JW's channel their energy into thinking only of other JW's as humans deserving a helping hand. The rest are mocked, ignored and marginalized as part of Satan's victims because they are outside the Organization.
Instead of strong feelings of love, caring and companionship toward our brothers and sisters who have encountered personal problems, JW's turn cold and label the family member as "spiritually sick" who must be "marked" and watched closely for signs of apostacy.
You see, the natural feelings of love and empathy stem from reality only.
The Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is careful to seal off the believer's mind from all contact with the real world in every way possible. All sorts of people and activities are labeled demonic. Fear takes the place of warmth and curiousity. The mind is shut off from nourishment. Only propaganda is fit to read. No opinion or individual thought creeps into conversation. No contrary viewpoint is permitted. The individual is anathema. The group is the be-all and end-all of existence.
Once the personality of a human is so damaged by this kind of unreal programming they can neither think straight nor feel an emotion which is humane or self-benefitting.
Every activity of mind or body is subjected to scrutiny, analysis and becomes artificially detached.
JW's end up as artificial personas longing for a real life who are forced to eventually live a double life of deceit. Many become quite adept at having a secret life and secret activities which allows oxygen into the hermetically sealed world they inhabit. When caught--they can't jump out of the frying pan of the Kingdom Hall because they fear the fire of a world painted as full of devils, corruption and ignorance.
Whom shall we go away to Lord?
There is no clear understanding that the mind of a JW is a synthetic construct of mythology, misrepresentation, bogus values and superstitious gobblety-gook.
Mental illness parading as the ultimate sanity is what being a JW is all about.
Is this Mental or Emotional damage?
Certainly it is both. When you don't live in a real world with genuine vision of actual persons and events you are cut off from genuine feeling and a life of meaningful context. You are an empty drone; a husk; an automaton.
