How to wake up and reverse the trance???

by J-DUBBED 59 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  ABibleStudent

  Hi J-DUBBED, It sounds like your son's weakness is his daughter. Have you contacted your son's ex-girl friend and told her about cult-exit counselors such as Steve Hassan's methods for helping someone to critically think for themselves as well as not going off on tangents when feeling cognitive dissonance. At least send your grand-daughter's mother the following video by Steven Hassan so that she can help her daughter to critically think for herself: Strategic Interactive Approach explained 2003 (1:23:23) .

  Best of wishes helping your family members.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
• 

  J-DUBBED

  Hi J-DUBBED, It sounds like your son's weakness is his daughter. Have you contacted your son's ex-girl friend and told her about cult-exit counselors such as Steve Hassan's methods for helping someone to critically think for themselves as well as not going off on tangents when feeling cognitive dissonance. At least send your grand-daughter's mother the following video by Steven Hassan so that she can help her daughter to critically think for herself: Strategic Interactive Approach explained 2003 (1:23:23) .

  Best of wishes helping your family members.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert

  The problem is there are two Grandaughters. One four year old from the ex-gf and one two year old with his new bride. Just don't know how to approach him with these conversations. For a couple weeks talking to him was not a problem.......Because nothing was brought up about Religion or his wife.

  I also can't open that link you posted.
  
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  ABibleStudent

  Hi J-DUBBED, The links work fine for me in Goggle Chrome. You may need to check your browsers security settings. Go to www.freedomofmind.com, click on the media link in the top menu bar, and then click on Video Archive to find the video, which is 5th from the top.

  If you are financially secure, you can also talk with Steve Hassan or one of his counselors by calling Phone: 617 396-4638.

  If you are on a budget, you will need to do a lot of reading, practicing, asking for help on specific topics on JWN, and asking your son simple questions to help him critically think for himself. It will take time (years), but he may wake-up. The first step is spend as much time not taking about religion, but reconnecting with his authentic persona and asking how he feels.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
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  J-DUBBED

  The biggie is he figures we should all get together(with his wife) and have supper or a coffee. We want nothing to do with his wife, she was the start of all the problem.
  
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  ABibleStudent

  Hi J-DUBBED, If you and your wife can control your emotions and actions and change your thinking, you might be able to improve your relationship with your son. If you read Steven Hassan's books, you will learn that cult members have an authentic persona and cult persona. Your daughter-in-law was indoctrinated just like your son. The problem is the WTBTS - not JWs!

  The key to helping your son is to empower his authentic persona so that he can start to critically think for himself again. It will be easier to have a relationship with your son by empowering your son's and his wife's authentic persona. You need to socialize with them doing fun activities where they might be able to meet more non-JWs.

  Even your daughter-in-law has an authentic persona. Unfortunately, her authentic persona may be controlling, but you will not know until you ask her simple questions and get to know her.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
  
  
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  J-DUBBED

  Would it help and/or be advisable to forward our son some of these video links from Freedom Of Mind site? Or would it be ignored or make things worse?
  
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  ABibleStudent

  Hi J-DUBBED, Don't send your son any videos, books, or information about dangerous cults until he asks for your help!! I know that it sucks that there is no magic pill to awaken your son, but that is the reality of the situation. Talk with a professional, like Steven Hassan, if you want to improve your chances and reduce your frustrations. It will cost you though.

  If you cannot afford professional help, just learn and practice as much as you can about empowering his authentic persona to critically think for himself and what to say to reach his authentic persona and how to turn-off his cult persona. Focus on controlling your emotions and actions to improve your relationship with your son. Your goal is to help your son critically think for himself. The more opportunities that you have to ask him simple questions about how does he feel and listen to his answers: the better.

  I hope that you post more threads asking about what to do, and talk with someone about your frustrations so that you do not explode at your son or his wife.

  Best of wishes.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert

  P.S. - If you want to become politically active and possibly help your son, please read the thread http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/49120004/revise-tax-code-protect-children-from-sexual-abuse?size=10&page=1

  
  
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  J-DUBBED

  just learn and practice as much as you can about empowering his authentic persona to critically think for himself and what to say to reach his authentic persona and how to turn-off his cult persona

  What would some of those questions be? I don't have bible scriptures in my head to refer to. Even though I was brought up a Roman Catholic, I do not "Study" the bible. I do not even go to church anymore other than basically for weddings or funerals. In our last conversation with our son, he wanted to show us scriptures in the Bible that are the same as any ones Bible. I said I wasn't interested as I don't live my life by what some one wrote in a Bible. He thinks he's going to come back after death and live in a beautiful world. I said to him do you really believe like they print on their pamphlets, that you're coming back to bounce balls off elephants and pet tigers? He basically said yes that's the way it is. He said his father in law actually cured all his problems by sitting down with him and going through the Bibles. His father in law even apparently did some "Marriage" counciling for him and his new wife to help fix their "Love Life".

  This is so wacked out that it's hard to keep control of emotions.
  
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  ABibleStudent

  Hi J-DUBBED, Keep it simple and proceed very slowly with your son and his wife. Let your son do all the work trying to prove to you that the WTBTS has the truth. All you need to do is ask him simple questions to reach his authentic persona. The best thing is to listen to what your son says. Take your time, read information from cult-exit counselors like Steve Hassan's books (i.e., "Combatting Cult Mind Control", "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves", and (his latest book) "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults, and Beliefs"), make your plans with your wife, practice with your wife, and then little by little ask your son simple questions.

  If you ask questions, your wife should listen to what your son says (or secretly record it with your cell phone) and then you can plan what to say to your son the next time. The most important thing is to let your son do most of the talking and do not explode at him. Yes, the WTBTS is full of BS, but telling your son that will not help him.
  

  The WTBTS has taught JWs though-stopping platitudes, like "Where else shall we go?" Learn to overcome those thought-stopping platitudes within a few seconds, like "Don't you mean to whom shall you go? Simon-Peter said to Jesus Christ in John 6:68-69. What else has the WTBTS interpreted differently from the Bible?" At first occasionally overcome thought-stopping platitudes that your son uses. Overtime when your son's authentic persona uses a thought-stopping platitude, overcome it more frequently.

  Also, read the thread by Billy the Ex-Bethelite thread exJW Psychology 102--How to Ask a Question When Questions Aren't Allowed. After your relationship with your son has improved a lot, use Billy's methods when you want to ask really controversial questions of your son like "This guy I know thinks that the Watchtower are a dangerous cult, because JWs will not independently examine their own faith as they preach others do and critically think for themselves. JWs are hypocrites for telling non-JWs to keep an open mind when they won't do the same."

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
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  steve2

  The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Similarly, the way to a man's brain is through his wife. As long as you treat her as "the cause" and limit contact with her, you put a barrier around "reaching" your son's brain (that is, his ability to reason and think). Sorry, but she is his wife and if you want an "effective" outcome, you have got to also reach out to her.

  BTW, there is a Scripture in the Biblical book of Job that strongly implies his daughter)s) observed birthdays. Also, it is interesting that, whilst most JWs criticize celebrating birthdays, they have no trouble celebrating wedding anniversaries which are simply "birthdays" of the wedding day. Most of the arguments they used against celebrating birthdays can be used against celebrating wedding anniversaries. There have been sone very informative threads on this topic on this forum.