I`m new on here so don`t know if this subject has been covered, but i was wondering if anyone else experienced that overwhelming feeling at the end of assemblies, or when the C/O visited and gave his talk, there was a different feeling in the air, and i always thought it was `Jehovah`s spirit`. Now i`m out and have learnt a lot about the borg, and know all their dastardly deeds, i can`t understand what that feeling was. It can`t have been his spirit, as i don`t believe now that the borg is the `truth`. Can anyone explain what it is? I have got a couple of theories what it could be, but would like to hear other input about it!
Did anyone experience that feeling at the end of assemblies, or C/O visits?
by dido 44 Replies latest jw friends
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candidlynuts
collective relief that it was over? lol just kidding..
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DanTheMan
The feeling I experienced was waking up.
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dido
Come on guys, be serious!
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candidlynuts
ok ok..sorry!
i think it was natural human response to the end talks..you have 3 days of telling you to do more and the final talks usually have the message that the end is near..that your hard work is going to pay off soon. usually messages from headquarters expressing love and appreciation for the work that the congregation/circuit/district is doing. what a fine witness it is for the host city to see the brothers in such unity!
pep talk.. gives everyone the warm fuzzies.
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silentWatcher
Can anyone explain what it is?
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candidlynuts pretty much hit the nail on the head. It's part of the indoctrination process. Think about it. The last talk at an Assembly / Convention / CO visit is full of ancedotes, and is usually not structured at all. There is lots of laughter / breaks for applause and the like. It hits the emotional triggers for most people, and people tend to remember things that set off emotional triggers. Also, it is the last talk, and the "experience" you most likely remember. It makes you feel like coming again next time, maybe dropping a $20 in the contribution box on the way out, etc.
At least these talks always made me feel warm and fuzzy, and were actually semi-enjoyable. As for "anything in the air", blame it on the jeh-hoggie from lunch :-)
-silent (who can't resist jeh-hoggie jokes -- about those hideous sandwiches they used to have at assemblies) -
dido
Warm fuzzies?? Never heard that before, but good description! Their def was a feeling tho`, like a crescendo (not spelt that right have i?) That was one of the things that made me think it was all true, the force was with us, etc.
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serendipity
They tear you down and then build you up.
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under_believer
I can honestly say that the only feeling I got when assemblies were over was relief that they were over. I resented that last talk most extremely because I could sense its manipulativeness, and I also highly resented the social pressure to clap every time the speaker blatantly cued the audience to clap ("brothers and sisters, do we not appreciate the food from the faithful slave?!?!?!",) which happens about 20 times in that last talk. I mean they aren't honestly a big group of people bursting into applause, it is EXACTLY equivalent to someone holding up an "applause" sign in front of a live studio audience at a sitcom filming.
As far as the CO goes, his last talk is always encouraging and complimentary. Like the others said, ending on a high note. -
merfi
I suppose it was sort of like a "spiritual afterglow" and going back "out into the world" on the way home was like having that afterglow interrupted. That's kind of how it was for me, I guess.
Now that I know what this cult is all about, I see it all as part of the indoctrination... the 'feel good' talks, the feeling afterwards, feeds the 'addiction' of sorts and the 'world', when you have to leave the assembly or CO visit is very intrusive, adding to and confirming that the 'teachings" that the world sucks is so true.
Oh yeah -- the CO visit is this week, and I may take in one meeting (with the kids... blech, still working on that). It will be interesting to see just how high my hackles are raised. Not really looking forward to it. However, if he and the BOE ask if I want to chat, I'll decline saying "oh, my digital recorder has been tucked away at home since February, so I don't have it on me this time. Can we reschedule?" which will make the BOE wonder if maaaaybe I recorded my last JC (I didn't, but I kinda like mind games with these morons).
~merfi, of the Queen of the Run-on Sentence Class