to stop attending meetings, you have already broken some mental shackling... the thing is that despite their damnation of hypnosis, they practice is regularly and artfully.
stage hypnosis is not really what hypnosis is about...its really about allowing another to THINK FOR YOU... to SUGGEST how you should interpret your experiences FOR YOU.
NO INDEPENDANT THINKING
DEPENDANT THINKING = being hypnotized.
once you stop trusting the hypnotist to THINK FOR YOU, you start to THINK for yourself...
meetings help create a peer pressure and mob thought process... you model everyone around you, and when you perceive everyone around you having a common thought...that invades your thinking and causes more conformity.
What is the key that unlocks the mental grip of the WT?
by LennyinBluemont 39 Replies latest jw friends
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the dreamer dreaming
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LennyinBluemont
to stop attending meetings, you have already broken some mental shackling...
Not necessarily. Some stop attending meetings due to illness, discouragement, disfellowshipping or just being burned out. But most of these remain shackled because they still believe it's the "truth". So they wander in a fog. That's what happened to me. But because of being away from the meetings for say, several months, mentally many people begin to consider points of view unthinkable when an active JW. It could be perhaps that political activism or voting is not so bad when you want to see a war end. Or maybe homosexuality isn't a choice. Or maybe abortion should be up to the woman whose body it is. Whatever the issue is, the salient point is that the mind is now taking deeper breaths. No shallow Kingdom Hall breathing. And as it does so, the person begins to realize that it is quite possible for them to come up with their own conclusions to things that may well be just as valid as someone else's.
As an active JW, power of reason is rarely used in day-to-day life with regard to any serious matter. All things are directed by the WT. No matter what it is in your life that you have to make a decision about, somewhere (check the WT index) there is counsel written that the JW accepts as divine for all practical purposes. After all, it was written by "Christ's brothers", "the genuine prophet of Jehovah." You are trained and accept that you must not "rely upon your own understanding." You must check the WT publications. Otherwise you are thinking for yourself and risk coming up with a conclusion that is contrary to the Society's direction. This, you are taught, is a lack of submission, being (oh dear God!) presumptuous. Bad witness! Especially if you hold an "appointed" position in the congregation is this a serious matter. So, as a matter of policy JWs are trained not to think for themselves.
So now, as they begin to "discover" this power of reason it makes them feel empowered, but it's severely atrophied at this stage. Like a muscle, as you begin to stretch it, it hurts, but it hurts good. So gradually, day by day, you begin to realize you really can make your own decisions.
Hopefully, at this point, you do not return to the meetings. Because, thanks to the internet, it's just a matter of time before you run across JWD or SilentLambs or Crisis of Conscience. Now the shackles, if not broken, are severely weakened. A few chapters of COC will probably do the rest. And they are free.
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5go
For it was being punished in a underlying unconsious way by the group for something that wasn't my fault! I have a family member that decided they didn't want to be a member. So I was punished through not being treated the same as other kids no graduation party no at a boy for spiritual acomplishments no gifts ever except from close friends who where then told not to associate with me. It was like I was sick with spiritual lepercy.
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willyloman
Lenny:
the person begins to realize that it is quite possible for them to come up with their own conclusions to things that may well be just as valid as someone else's.
And once that realization sets in, it's all over! I know it was for me.
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Siamsa
It is all about fear. That is the main social controller of human behaviour. Totalitarian States and religions have successfully used it throughout history as a control mechanism for fellow humans.
The meetings in this case are used to reinforce the fear and provide the warm comfort blanket of like minded persons or sheeple. Political rallies and classes are used for the same effect.
Anything that breaks the cycle of false comfort through association combined with the reinforcement of the dogma is important for independent living and thought. Those who seek to exercise control over others watch for clues that signal independent thought. That is why those whose infrequent attendence or less than whole hearted participation in political / religious education meetings / classes are viewed with suspicion or as being weak.
The all important and controlling emotion is fear. Once you lose the fear, or the fear of the fear, everything drops into it proper place. It does not matter whether you are learning to drive or speak a new language, once the fear has gone real progress can be made.
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gymbob
It's the meetings. Not for everybody, not 100%, but I think pretty close....
I remember going to meetings and wondering through the whole meeting, "How am I going to pay my bills??" I felt guilty going to meetings when I should be working. And I passed up some good overtime too!
Then I started missing meetings and working overtime so I could make ends meet. When the elders asked me why I was missing meetings to work, I told them, "I've already got a guilty conscience I might as well have the money too". (Now can anybody tell me what movie that line is from?).
My point is...When I started missing the ocassional meeting then things began to look a lot different, and this was when I started to question things. Not on purpose, it just started at that same time. Gymbob
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Homerovah the Almighty
The key is a thorough examination of facts from numerous sources just like a study on given subject in collage
once all the information has been gathered over a period of time the realization of what the organization is about
will become apparent, it might be a little shocking and somewhat disturbing so do take baby steps as abit of advise .
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keyser soze
The key for me, personally, was questions. If you think something doesn't make sense, don't ignore it. If something is really the truth, it can stand up to scrutiny. The fact that we were programmed to avoid anything that might undermine our faith never quite made sense to me.
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tula
I wish it was that easy for me. My JW friend has not been to meetings in probably 4 years. But still reads mags brought to him, as well as DT, and the Rev. book. He still is TB after being ingrained so many years. Still spouts off same old scripture JWs use for defense.
So even without attending meetings for years, some will never get beyond it.
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startingover
I agree it's different for everyone, but in my case I believe it all started with questioning the authority that exists in the org. Seeing elders whose power made them unreasonable finally got to me. When I discovered 607 suddenly I figured out I had been a "captive of a concept".
But I also believe that it is all important that a person get away from the constant repetition of the meetings. There may be different things that initiate it, but the meetings are the major tool in the mind control.
Excellent comments everyone!