Posts by BabaYaga

4

Zen Living Part Fifteen (summarized): Zen and the Family

by JimmyPage in

jw
friends

a zen approach to family means remembering you can't control what your family members do or say- no matter how much you want to try!.

a zen approach to parenting means being present for your children rather than letting worries and anxieties consume your energy.. the daily practice of zazen will help you maintain a clear head so you can best keep your family running smoothly.. kids who practice a zen attitude can learn to be present with their families and even communicate more effectively with their parents.. adult children of aging parents can learn to recognize and experience mixed emotions of love, compassion, resentment, and fear as their own parents age and require more care..

BabaYaga

18

Paranoia is killing me

by FifthOfNovember in

jw
friends

when i have "worldly" friends over i am constantly checking the window every time i hear something that even remotely sounds like a car door.. when i play violent video games i constantly pause the game and look out of the window every time i think i hear a car door.. when i go to the movies to see something rated r i always look around for witnesses.. if i suspect witnesses will show up i "witness-proof" the house.

i hide 10 out of the 12 x-box games i own.

erase the history on my desktop, laptop, ipad, and cell phone.

BabaYaga

You have to believe us when we tell you IT GETS BETTER. LOTS BETTER. And much, much easier.

Congratulations on college! That will help your mindset immensely.

You do NOT have to disassociate, that is completely up to you... but weigh the effects carefully if you have family in.

Love & strength to you during this period of adjustment.

18

Cognitive dissonance... help!

by ele_lux in

something strange (maybe not) is happening to me.

when i come here, or get online and find proof that jehovah's witnesses are not "the truth", or when i talk to my brother and really think stuff through, i'm absolutely convinced that i'm doing the right thing by leaving before i get older and waste more of my life.. but when i'm tired or scared or in some other way not fully active in thought, i still feel guilty and fearful that armageddon will come and i'll regret this.. i had expected that the moment i consciously and in use of reason convinced my self that this wasn't the truth, i'd be mentally free from it.

but i still feel its grip on the back of my mind.. what can i do to get rid of that dissonance (or whatever it's called)?.

BabaYaga

Ele Lux said:

So I can be confident that my problem has everything to do with mind control and nothing to do with the Witnesses being right?

No. You can't be confident... yet. But give it time. You will indeed be confident someday soon. It does take time to work out the tightly yanked psychological knots that have been there for so many years.

Peace to you as you find your way!

Love,
Baba.

18

Cognitive dissonance... help!

by ele_lux in

something strange (maybe not) is happening to me.

when i come here, or get online and find proof that jehovah's witnesses are not "the truth", or when i talk to my brother and really think stuff through, i'm absolutely convinced that i'm doing the right thing by leaving before i get older and waste more of my life.. but when i'm tired or scared or in some other way not fully active in thought, i still feel guilty and fearful that armageddon will come and i'll regret this.. i had expected that the moment i consciously and in use of reason convinced my self that this wasn't the truth, i'd be mentally free from it.

but i still feel its grip on the back of my mind.. what can i do to get rid of that dissonance (or whatever it's called)?.

BabaYaga

Fear is a powerful manipulative force, and it is what you have been immersed in for many years now.

It takes time. Be good to yourself. Breath deep. Take long walks. Try not to think about it too much... but keep reading.

I very highly recommend the book "Combatting Cult Mind Control" by Steven Hassan.
http://www.freeminds-store.com/books/combatting-cult-mind-control.html

Take it easy. Don't beat yourself up. Believe me... it gets much, much better... and so much easier.

Love,
Baba.

4

Zen Living Part Fifteen (summarized): Zen and the Family

by JimmyPage in

jw
friends

a zen approach to family means remembering you can't control what your family members do or say- no matter how much you want to try!.

a zen approach to parenting means being present for your children rather than letting worries and anxieties consume your energy.. the daily practice of zazen will help you maintain a clear head so you can best keep your family running smoothly.. kids who practice a zen attitude can learn to be present with their families and even communicate more effectively with their parents.. adult children of aging parents can learn to recognize and experience mixed emotions of love, compassion, resentment, and fear as their own parents age and require more care..

BabaYaga

Bravo! And... uhm... (dare I say it?) ..."timely".

22

Why can pioneers count time working on WT construction but not looking after orphans, widows, the hungry, the thirsty or the homeless?

by yesidid in

jw
friends

apart from the scripture about love being the identifying mark of a christian, it seems to me that james 1,27 and matthew 25:34-40 quoted below are the biblical priorities of a christian.. .

although preaching was not included in the three quotes i guess it would be included as christian thing to do.

it has been the thing most stressed by the watchtower hierarchy and certain hours are required to be an elder etc.. does it show something about their priorities that pioneers can count time hour for hour when working on watchtower buildings?

BabaYaga

Great question! Why indeed?

I think we all know why. And when those who are still "in" realize why... they are the better for awakening.

It is a numbers game. It is about control. Compassion has absolutely nothing to do with it (nor Christ, for that matter.)

59

help.. urgently a friend has spirits in her house priest removed then can they come to me if she s in my home.

by suzanne.dickenson in

jw
friends

please advise i was brought up as a witness and know the faith of jehovah very well i choose not to follow my dad as a witness as i didnt like the way he taught me the truth hence i know its true.. we are having a party at our house for chikdren ans a mum at the school has been invited she told me shes devestated as she has a ghost and its touching the kids on the landing................. i t freaked me out oviously its saturn the devil or his spirits, i came home said a prayer to jehovah as i do quite often to protect us etc.

if she arrives at my hpome can the spirts come here, please advise as i dont want to put my family inthis situation , she has told me a priest has taken it away... i dont believe it............ my dad is a elder of the congregation hence we dont speak, he always taught me stay well away and youll be ok, so even though its gone from herehouae id love your thoughst so i can maybe cancell her calling, i certainly wouldnt keep any gift from her in my home... many thanks suzanne dickenson.. .

BabaYaga

Hello and welcome Suzanne.

The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Your worry is far more detrimental to your health and to your family than anything a ghost can do. Love, strength, and wisdom to you.

Love,
Baba.

56