Are you still programmed by the borg?

asilentone

Unfortunately, my answer is Yes, it takes time to deprogram everything, probably never to the fullest.

keyser soze

To a certain extent I suppose. My view of other religions really hasn't changed since I left. The only difference is that I now see the WT the same way.

man in black

Oh yea,

It seems to rise up when I least expect it.

For an example last week at work someone sneezed, and I was going to say God bless you. BUt that jw influence kicked in for some reason

and I kept silent.

But as time goes by I notice the borg loosing more and more.

Man-o-man. I read and read. I watched youtube videos and documentaries. I meditated and wrote my own story out (almost finished with that). I am stuck in a situation with a JW wife and mother, but I am confident that I have purged my brain of JW thinking.

I don't remember how to explain JW doctrine easily anymore. I don't have but the tiniest fraction of JW scriptures on the tip of my tongue when discussing JW stuff.

I remember the basics and from JWN I probably understand the changes better than a typical active JW. The one thing I can still do is come up with the JW answer for challenges to their beliefs. "Satan controls the media." "We are doing that for the DF'ed person's own good." Stuff like that. But that is such obvious circular logic in most cases that it is easy to retain.

It is quite a process to get rid of the programming. I am satisfied that I did it. I would be so "on guard" if I walked into a Kingdom Hall for a funeral or wedding now.

gubberningbody

There's a difference between being "influenced" and "programmed". A "programmed" person is not self-reflective enough to practice an epistemological analysis of what he or she knows to be true and the grounding for the same.

Of course programming exists at even the existential level of being a human. Humans relate to objects and people as if these had intention. Who hasn't kicked an inanimate object with the sort of anger one might kick a jerk in the ass? (or is that just me?)

chickpea

i would have to say i am deprogrammed.....

with a vengance!

just yesterday, while walking the dogs
there were a couple of old guys doing
some maintenance on the american
legion hall, and since i am a former
service member i just conversationally
asked what the criteria for membership
happen to be... and i meet them so i am
probably going to join, just to have access
to a different group of social contacts and
opportunities for volunteerism

it wasnt til i was headed home and passed
the house of the elduh who had conducted
the BS at our home that i laughed at the
prospect of a dr0ne "discovering" i was
a member of the american legion!!!

Pwyrdan

@ gubberningbody : You're right about a programmed person not being self-reflective, but that moment of "seeing yourself from the outside" doesn't instantly deprogram a person. It's that research and reflection that slowly work out the "kinks" that have been programmed in. I suppose that even after six years I still have reflexive reactions because of how I was raised, but when I see them, I counteract them. I celebrate holidays with a passion, even though I'm not now religious. I say "bless you" every time someone sneezes, and I read all the fantasy novels I want to. The fear of "what will people think" is still there a bit, but I'm working on it.

ambersun

Me and Hubby faded about 20 years ago so we are a lot better now, but as man in black said it can rise up unexpectedly from time to time so I don't know if we will ever be truly free from it.

Jomavrick

Thankfully No. I am glad to say I am a fully adjusted, mentally healthy and happy functioning person who has reconciled the questions that was always told that only Witnesses have the answer to.

I was forced to wipe my white board clean of everything I was told was "true" and start completely over with assembling a new belief system. This one was built using my God Given brain and instincts. It has not let me to any organized religion. But I have a vantage point now I never had before in looking at Religion's.

I can only hope that other's follow the trail that I have covered.

gutted

Still am. I think it hits hardest when thinking of other peoples impressions of me that I have stopped going to meetings, service etc. It is just another guilt/fear tactic that was taught. As far as doctrine, that was very easy to deconstruct. I think it's the feelings/emotions tied in to certain phrases or ideas that is the real challenge. I have to say it is getting better day by day.