by Celtic 24 Replies latest jw friends
Did any of you have disproportionate fears of demons, and if you are able to, what was your experience in your emotions with these strong fears? How did knowledge at such a young age affect you with the detailed graphic descriptions given my the published litureture? Were there any publications which freaked you in any way? Can you relate the experiences?
If you'd rather not go there, I completely understand.
peace
celtic
Hi Celtic...I found some of the elders faces scary.
ISP
Celtic,
I think it is all up to the elders in the congregation to instill the necessary fear of demons. Those with horrow stories will have scared underlings. Those who aren't afraid of demons won't preach it.
I was terrified of them at one time because some pioneer once told me that they could 'blow up my house' if they wanted to...they were 'that powerful'.
No wonder I'm screwed up.
ashi
Thank you for raising this topic, Celtic, however difficult it may be for others to approach.
F****d up by tales of demons and evil forces? Too right!
One of my most vivid fears was instilled by tales I had heard of sisters being pinned down and raped by spirits. It scared the life out of me! I am sure that there must have been other sisters (and brothers!) who had heard the same tales and who were plagued by the same fears.
I remember one night, I related these fears to my husband (we were only just married). I went to sleep, safe in the knowledge that he was beside me but he stayed awake all night.
I am still afraid of being alone in the house at night...
I have a son. I will be careful not to instill such unecessary fears in him.
Hello Elf
You have not pointed ears? Maybe read my post below, this may assist you too. Do you enjoy Winnie The Pooh and you don't live in a caravan by chance?
From magical Cornwall, its good to see you here.
Ai, I used to have it bigtime, absolutely petrified, was pinned down once too, the society, I really dont like them for instilling these fears into my early childhood.
Maybe we get to write some more, from whence which county are you in?
peace
celtic
land of pagans and where things go bump in the night - what a balmpot I am!
Bad memories.
Nothing troubled me more as a child in the JWs than the horrific tales I heard of demons abusing, molesting, beating up, and even killing people, sometimes JWs. Never feeling like I measured up to what Jehovah wanted, I lived in constant dread of night because "that's when the demons come." My mother kept this fear constantly before us. We were not even allowed to watch "The Twilight Zone" for fear of opening the "gate" that would let the demons in to attack us. Possessing even a paperback book that had a mere hint of the paranormal was tantamount to owning the Satanic Bible. As a young teenager, this fear was constantly kept before me by the Watchtower, the brothers and sisters, and my own mother. It began to snowball until I began having such vivid, extreme, out of control nightmares of demons attacking me that were so intense that I began having mini-seizures that would wake me up. These seizures, as brief as they were, are extremely unpleasant to experience.
I can't tell how awful I felt living in constant fear of death from Jehovah at Armageddon and attacks by demons because I wasn't good enough to merit his protection. Many times as a little boy, 4th grader, I remember getting out of my bed in the middle of the night and laying down on the hallway floor because that's where the light was on.
After leaving the Borg, I began reading quite a bit of material on demons and demon possession. A couple of books were interesting on the subject whether you believe in demons or not: Malachi Martin's "Hostage to the Devil" (very deep) and M. Scott Peck's (Road Less Traveled) People of the Lie.
There is no precedent in the Bible for fostering this overblown, ridiculous fear. Nowhere in the Bible were God's followers consumed by fear of demons like the JW's are. The psychological emotional trauma inflicted on me from these unfounded, idiotic JW teachings was quite significant. It created a world for me as a child and teenager where I basically felt invisible murderers and molesters waiting to hurt me and I could do nothing to protect myself. It created a tremendous sense of paranoia for years, and a deep suspicion of people in general because I stupidly thought their worldly influence could lead me to be demonized. Yes, my mother was a true-blue fanatical JW who believed every suggestion, rule and article the Watchtower ever printed.
Celtic, thanks for this thread. Another reason I'm so glad to be out of the Borg is I don't worry about demons anymore. I sure can see why the Watchtower exploits it: To keep the flock in control with fear.
"The God that comes before skepticism may bear little resemblence to the God that comes after."
(M. Scott Peck: The Road Less Traveled)
Ummmm its so sad and disgusting that these very things are now being taught to a younger audience still and on top of September 11 stresses. Will the kids in the congregations have had chance to have their feelings openly talked out? I doubt it very much indeed and I feel sorry for them all.
JW childhood was for me too, so, so terrifying, as you say megadude, well, I find it difficult to put into words, you said it all really I guess.
My mind is kind of staggered though that hidden away in modern society, in supposed respectable circles, this is still going on rampantly. Terrorists in Afghanistan? What about mind control terrorists here, right within our neighbourhoods, unseen by communities everywhere? Must they be tolerated to the extent and freedom that they enjoy?
I say, this should be public knowledge and campaigned about more and more, for without the Watchtower experience, I truly wonder what person I would naturally be?!!
Take care you old sod!!
celtic
www.earthship.org
PS Unseen spirits, do they help us or do they harm us? (bklt32p) 1978? Ughhhhhhhhh!!! I was 12
I used to run around the house saying "Jehovah" so the demons wouldn't follow me.
And even when I felt as though I was under attack, I would say the name Jehovah, Jehovah over and over again, but it didn't disappear immediately, it would still take a while. I believed that they must especially have it in for me and that I was being marked out for attention by those demons, afterall, maybe I didn't know all their machinations and crafty ways?
I never understood that to safeguard yourself from unseen evil invisible movements of forces that it would be wise to be taught so much about all of their ways. Afterall, who was I really supposed to be following? God or satan? If it was God, then why not more unconditional loving aspects rather than constant fear control and extreme punishment?
It brings back cruel memories, boy, I'm just so not happy with this bunch of crooks.
peace
celtic
o.. oo .. can i say something? ... please brother Celtic?
unc, sitting at the back of the class
