I've been reading posts on this forum for almost a month now and one of the observations I've made is that the organizations's brainwashing is still deep within the minds of many of the posters here. Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, fear are all residual effects of the mind control.
When I broke free I came across A COURSE IN MIRACLES by Viking Press that helped clear my mind and lay the path for a life of happiness and meaning. The book is a basis for group discussion in many areas. The book in it's entirety is rather deep, more than I could process at times. The part of the book that helped me the most was the Workbook for Students. I will post daily the lessons in hope of helping others find a meaningful life outside JW's
"The purpose of the workbook is to train your mind in a systematic way to a different perception of everyone and everything. The only general guidelines are:
1. The exercises be practiced with great specificity, as will be indicated. This helps generalize the ideas involved to every situation in which you find yourself, and to everyone and everything in it.
2. Be sure that you do not decide for yourself that there are some people, situations or things to which the iedeas are inapplicable. This will interfere with transfer of training. The very nature of true perception is that it has no limits. It is the opposite of the way you see now.
Lesson 1
Nothing I see in the room (on this street, from this window, in the place) means anything.
1. Now look slowly around you, and practice applying this idea very specifically to whatever you see:
2.This table does not mean anythng.
3. This chari does not mean anything.
4. This hand does not mean anything.
5. This food does not mean anything.
6. This pen does not mean antying.
2. Then look farther away from you immediate area, and apply the idea to a wider range.
2. that door does not mean anything
3. that body doesn not mean anything
4. that lamp does not mean anything
5. that sign does not mean anything.
6. that shadow does not mean anything.
3. Notice that these statements are not arranged in any order, and make no allowance for differences in the kinds of of things to which they are applied. That is the purpose of the exercise. The statement should merely be applied to anything you see. As you practice the idea for the day, use it totally indiscriminately. Do not attempt to apply it to everyting you see, for these exercises should not become ritualistic. Only be sure that nothing you see is specifically excluded. One thing is like another as far as the application of the idea is concerned.
Each of the first three lessons should not be done more than twice a day each. preferably morning and evening. Nor should they be attempted for more than a minute or so, unless that entails a sense of hurry. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential.