Did anyone experience that feeling at the end of assemblies, or C/O visits? (page 3)

dido

I can identify with all the things you guys have said, but there was something more than that, maybe it was just the way i felt, but i must admit it was a spiritual type feeling, (if you get my drift!) It wasn`t because i was talked into feeling like it, as didn`t listen to half of it, as found it boring, same old, same old, but aside from all the funny things that you have mentioned, there was this `higher` (no i`m not one of the anointed, haha) overwhelming feeling, which i can`t even explain, and no, i`m not a nutcase!

sass_my_frass

Yeah I know the feeling; they do this formulaic closing set of WT summary / thirty minutes of emotional experiences from kraplakistan / tedious news from bethel to make you feel like you're a part of something / big emotional closing song with some milky violins / long prayer by man with deep voice to sound intense. It used to get me going good. It's only slightly more subtle than say, the Nuremberg rallies, the Red Book marches.... it's just cult thinking. 'We're all here together singing this same song and believing this same crazy thing, isn't this a nice feeling'.

luna2

There was a guy who worked for us once who came to work on a Monday just glowing. He related his experience at church on Sunday, where everyone was singing a hymn, and this feeling of euphoria...almost like Holy Spirit...descended upon him during the song. The sense of doing something spiritual, of praising God, the beauty of the song and the fact that the church was filled with their voices all contributed to his "high". He was sure it came from God. I was sure (cuz I was JW and knew that churches were Satan's playground) that it came from his mind.

Same thing for end of convention or end of CO visit euphoria. Like everybody has said you're doing something that you think is good and noble by being there in the first place, you've spent a lot of time being gently (or not so gently) guilted for all of your terrible failures and being beat over the head with all the junk you should be doing, then they say loving things to you and evoke the world-wide brotherhood/we are united as God's only true people crap and it triggers these emotions.

Synergy

I've wrestled with the same. God I don't believe was there because he isn't what the WT says, HOWEVER, I do think that God is with true believers individually and when you were concentrating on spiritual things God probably was in your heart. I think you were feeling Gods Holy Spirit, but it had nothing to do with the CO talk. I think He was letting us know he loved us even while we were in there. Praise him that he finally drew us out.

Second thought. I get the same feeling after a Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnagie, John Castoro, sales meeting. Any kind of pump you up talks with a group of people that are on the same side as you are feeds a frenzie. Humans like hype. We like to be motivated. Unfortunately JW talks were motivating us in the wrong way but none the less, we were motivated in those conventions. Songs, and prayers, all give people feelings. I think a lot of it is no more than that.

Renee

Crumpet

Dido - I know what you mean, but I think much of it was what a change it was to the awful drudgery and routine. It was kind of exciting to be amongst such a huge crowd of people at a stadium - but I felt the same after a Red Hot Chilli Peppers gig. I also felt the same after a holiday came to the end and still do - a mixture of sadness that its finished and you have to go back to your regular humdrum life.

TheListener

I loved being at the assemblies and being surounded by "safe" people who I just knew were looking out for my best interests. I hated it when an assembly or convention would end because on the way home I felt that I had to immerse myself back into the world until the next one.

I had the warm fuzzies as an earlier poster stated.

dido

Synergy - you have got the closest to what i think it is, that God is with true believers, wherever they are, and he knows if you are genuine or not. I don`t profess to be a religous freak, the opposite in fact, but i did genuinly? (spelling?) have love for God, and do still believe in him, but would not get involved with any religion now, just believe in him quietly in my little own world! Going by a lot of the postings, not everyone has experienced this feeling, and it isn`t only because of the talks and atmosphere, it was deeper than that. Anyways, i appreciate everyones input as its good to hear how everyone sees things, and it does help to heal my scars, as i am still struggling `coming out`, so be gentle with me everyone!!!

Mary

I admit, I used to feel "overwhelmed" when we'd end the summer assemblies singing song No. 105: We Thank You Jehovah.

TheListener

Dido,

It is true that some individuals are more emotionally driven. Perhaps, and this isn't meant to be offensive in any way, but perhaps you are an emotional individual. Have you every taken the Myers-Briggs personality test? It has a designator for thinking vs. feeling individuals. Both are desireable but most lean into one category or the other.

On the other hand I have never had any kind of real emotional experience connected with my faith and until I faded from the dubs it didn't concern me. Now, there are times when I wonder if I'm supposed to have some emotional feelings and I'm just not getting it.

Great topic by the way.

greendawn

I felt it but I finally put it down to being caused by angels of satan transformed into angels of light to give that bogus high spiritual effect. In a cult it could not possibly be the real Holy Spirit that was acting because it could then deceive people into joining this destructive cult something that can not happen.

Ultimately "you will know them from their fruits".

Did anyone experience that feeling at the end of assemblies, or C/O visits?

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