Posts by lauralisa

39

WTS Document found in UN Collection - MAJOR

by hawkaw in

i have received a package from the united nations high commissioner for human rights.

you may recall that dino found out that the uns high commissioners office in geneva, switzerland has in its collection the november 22, 1998 awake!

magazine article titled a long job finished (pages 3 and 4) and a second article titled the universal declaration of human rights (page 5).

lauralisa

Adding my respect and thanks -

Awesome and inspiring work.

Wow, times ten thousand times infinity.

lauralisa

If the world didn't suck, we would all fall off

17

Wal-Mart Shoppers..we have a pervert on #6

by Mindchild in

jw
friends

attention wal-mart shoppers, we have a pervert at check out 6.. you never want to stand behind me when im in line at a supermarket checkout line.

today was no exception.

i had finished my weekly grocery shopping and bought a few items for around the house as well as a new dvd that was on sale.

lauralisa

Hey Mindchild,

If I had been standing behind you in line, I would have done a fabulous imitation of the gorgeous female brain-insertee candidate with the unforgettable voice.....

IEEEEE DON'T MIEEEEEND!!!

welcome back, btw

lauralisa

If the world didn't suck, we would all fall off

31

Tooting my own horn

by WildHorses in

jw
friends

ok, since i have to be 39 years old.

i want to hear lots and lots of happy birthdays.. you can send money too if you want.

lol a cool million will do.

lauralisa

Lilacs,

A big happy day to you..... I've been 29 for over a decade now, and it just keeps getting better!

Lots of warm wishes to a wonderful lady,

lauralisa

21

Rain, rain, rain

by Mulan in

jw
friends

it is raining here today, big time.

i had to go out for a few errands and it was so miserable.

the puddles are freaking lakes.

lauralisa

The timing on your post Marilyn is amazing...!

Just yesterday my significant other and I discussed the possibility of his taking a job with Microsoft, which is in Seattle or nearby there..... I was going to post a thread Hey, what's it like in Seattle?

I know it rains a lot.... and I also remember reading an article way back about Seattle being one of the USA's "top ten cities"....then so many people moving there that they did a kind of negative PR campaign to discourage further influx.... lol

I know Seattle has launched many rock and roll careers. What's it like for artists? Any information would be greatly appreciated....

Warm regards,

lauralisa

2

Control Tactics

by joelbear in

jw
friends

i posted in another thread that the control tactics are probably ones of the things we look back on with a range of sadness to anger.

here are a short list of control tactics i found harmful as one of jehovah's witnesses and whose wounds i still need healing from.. 1. shunning.

clearly the most destructive control tactic.

lauralisa

Hi Joelbear,

Another one that I know is experienced by a huge number of people:

Being taught that you are an invalid life form

Although the borg has written about the fact that some souls find that they have different sexual orientations, those individuals cannot practice behaviors that FEEL NORMAL to them and still be found acceptable. They must live a life of continual denial of their needs, sacrificing most things that provide "quality of life" - i.e. a mate, self-honesty, self-acceptance, love, sexual gratification, companionship....

To remain "safe" within the congregations, one's choices are:

Live your entire life in denial of what your true nature is in order to be categorized as "salvageable" and worthy of Jehovah's approval

Believing that you are a freak of nature - a victim of inherited genetic "imperfection"

Keeping your inner world secret from everyone you are acquainted with, or risk being categorized as "bad association" or as you put it, "marked"; such a choice means one lives in constant fear and anxiety of everything they do and say

Kind of a high price to pay to remain in the confines of an organization with serious credibility issues in and of itself.

The list of mental, physical and even social "orientations" is too long to even try and define, but can be substituted for sexual orientation in the above no-win situation....

Thank you for an interesting topic.

lauralisa

If the world didn't suck, we would all fall off

16

Should JW's Visit A Hypnotist?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

no!.

i recall that the wt stated that one's mind was open to demon possession when in a hypnotic trance.. this is quite curious, during the 50's my dad dabbled in hypnotism prior to becoming a jw, one of his old pals told me that he saw him hypnotise a woman who then allowed him to stick pins in her thumb without her feeling any pain at all.. i have seen a hypnotist transfix a friend of mine to the floor, he was unable to move without the hypnotists ok.. i also have another friend who uses a light trance to help people overcome their fears, it seems to work well on peple who have to give seminars or perform on stage.. anyone here ever been hypnotised?.

englishman.. bring on the dancing girls!

lauralisa

Hi Englishman,

Once of the reasons I felt compelled to escape the jw mindtrap at any cost was the fact that no one in the borg could find a religiously-acceptable explication of DID. In Dissociative Identity Disorder, one finds within oneself an alternate conscienceness through self-induced trance - a survival mechanism - also known as a natural response to terrror. Hypnotic trance, whether it is voluntarily induced or induced by suggestion by another outside agent, is imo, an equivalent mind state.

Dissociative states seemed to me to be a god-given means of survival, and not something one has a "choice" about being able to engage in or not. It just is. Yet the "whomevers" in charge of my spiritual welfare deemed it demonic. I was in a total quandary.

When being held underwater against your will, you hold your breath! This is a natural response, and will help you survive until you find breathable air again. Trauma-induced trance enables one to survive until conditions improve such that one can "breathe" again. It should be a skill that is held in high esteem, but yet, the borg will lead one to believe that one is vulnerable to demonization when one is in this condition.

But, again, one usually does not have a choice. When life-threatening trauma becomes a routine event, then dissociative trance occurs spontaneously as a survivual mechanism, and it can become a habit. One learns to "reflex" to this survival mechanism. It works, but it has its price. I have found myself (against my "will", so to speak) deeply engaged in trance even though the "triggering event" is nothing more egregious than standing in line in the grocery store, and the person behind you is a dork, for example.

The putrid, lame "spiritual shepherds" et al who were in positions of defining my experiences of altered consciousness and determining them "valid" or not fucked up my reality for over ten years. There are no people, imo, involved in the society at ANY level who are capable of articulating themselves out of a paper bag when it comes to these types of discussions, much less being able to "help" anyone who finds themselves floundering and seeking relief or explanation.

I know you hate the "f" word. Sorry about that. What other word would you suggest? I'll gladly substitute it.

Hypnosis is NOT an antidote to anything, nor is it a truth serum.

I think the reasons why the religious hacks in the borg make hypnosis so taboo is so they can preserve their OWN "possession" of one's state of mind.....

Ick,

lauralisa

If the world didn't suck, we would all fall off

17

Terry Pratchett's "Small Gods"

by Seeker4 in

jw
friends

i have been reading terry pratchett's "small gods" and finding myself either laughing outloud or reading protions outloud to anyone within earshot.

what a great, funny, truthful indictment of religion and the messes it gets us all into.

go out and buy a copy, you won't regret it.. i keep thinking i should post some passages on this board.

lauralisa

A dear friend of mind gave me this book about a year ago. It has been on my "to read" list since then. Your post prompts me further to get to it!

I'm currently in the midst of Frank Herbert's "God Emperor of Dune", which is also a continuously thought-provoking read in terms of defining "god".

Thanks for your ideas

lauralisa

If the world didn't suck, we would all fall off

13

response to "suspicious" inference

by lauralisa in

jw
friends

okay.. this whole thing has gotten quite out of hand, imo.. on the world wide web, there are people who .

- represent themselves truthfully.

- seek companionship and friendship, advice or empathy.

lauralisa

Okay.

This whole thing has gotten quite out of hand, imo.

On the world wide web, there are people who

- represent themselves truthfully

- seek companionship and friendship, advice or empathy

- make sincere efforts to contribute to a discussion group or club

- assume false identities, false genders, sexual orientation, etc.

- are lonely sociopaths who are experimenting with their ability to affect other peoples' emotions or reactions

- people trafficking in child porn, drugs, or routine "con" opportunities

- outright criminals who pose serious threats to certain trusting individuals' security

- seriously deranged people who live in imaginary worlds and who think it is fun to "play" on the internet

This list could go on and on, but perhaps the point is established.....

When I read the few topics I had time for last night, I was tired; it was maybe 11:30 pm? and I had worked a twelve hour day. I have two boys in Jr. High school and am somewhat familiar with how a young person in that age group articulates themself. I couldn't really get a grasp of what "little red bird" was asking for. I probably too hastily posted my initial reaction to the post made by her.

(At the same time, I was impressed with the empathy and support offered to this person. I remember distinctly thinking that a lurker would not be offended by anything that had been previously posted in response to her topic.)

I do not have time to read every topic posted on this board. I work ten hour days. I had not read the threads by this person's mother.

I do not have access to the "chat" feature of this forum. I have not one time felt like it was incumbent upon Simon to accommodate each and every type of system on the face of the earth. Somehow, my life was able to go on without engaging in chat, although at many times I would have liked to have gotten to know people better through this feature. I have made jokes about it, but only in fun. So, unlike many of you, I was completely unfamiliar with concerned mom and her daughter's situation.

On the other hand, I was struck by the contrast between responses to "little red bird" and JohnB123. I was very chagrined with the treatment received by "John" as evidenced in the thread started by Randy Waters re: Human rights violations/press release. John has clearly stated that he is out of patience with people who have not extended him any benefit of any doubt and who have been difficult to interact with.

I also remember "Mario Kempes. My red-flag things went out immediately after reading his initial posting, and I was concerned over how emotionally swayed people were by his entreaties; I did not post any responses to that whole thing, as I chose to wait to see what happened as the plot thickened, so to speak. We all know, I hope, how that thing turned out.

Well. Are we all a little paranoid, now? From who's perspective?I will remain sceptical, as I see fit. When this forum becomes sanitized to the point where such normal scepticism is unacceptable, I will certainly relieve this forum from any contaminating or uncomfortable ideas. If certain individuals cannot tolerate challenge to their agendas, that is fine; but when momentum builds to the point where challenges or concerns are ridiculed, that is way out of the parameters of what I've become accustomed to at jw.com, and I don't think I'll be the only one who will concede they've lost benefit from gaining information here.

I've donated via "PayPal" to this forum even though I live paycheck to paycheck. I don't try to take more than I give in terms of postings. I feel comfortable after several months of fear and dread to post my ideas and defend them if necessary. I'll amend my thinking when new ideas or information calls for such. I try to be dignified, courteous, respectful, and abstain from gratuitous and inflammatory remarks to certain individuals with whom I have disagreements. But I will not get sucked into a requirement for "political correctness" to avoid being bomblasted by certain individuals with "seniority" on this board.

I think the issue is more about MANNERS, and BOUNDARIES, and not so much "paranoia".

Hmmmmmfffffff.

lauralisa

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