Black Sheep, I have read both Take Back Your Life and Combatting Cult Mind Control. They are very different books, you would still gain a lot from reading the latter.
Who has NOT read Combatting Cult Mind Control or Crisis of Conscience?
by Mad Sweeney 69 Replies latest jw experiences
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leavingwt
By the way, if anyone wants to get an idea of what Hassan talks about, here is an hour-long lecture he gave in 2003.
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Mickey mouse
I Steve Hassan. I love the fact that he took such a negative experience and turned it into his life's work.
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mummatron
I've yet to read either of them. Although I've been mentally out for 12 years and physically out for almost as long, I think it would be beneficial for me to read CCMC as my early life as a born-in still affects me to some extent. I'm interested in reading CoC for the historical perspective. I prefer to read a traditional book made of paper rather than a .pdf. CoC is quite expensive on Amazon.co.uk, so I'll probably get CCMC first.
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Mad Sweeney
I've read bits and pieces of other cult psychology books. Some books are heavy on the personal experience and viewpoint and light on psychology. Some books are heavy on psychology and light on personal experiences and viewpoints. Hassan, IMO, strikes the perfect balance of the two. A typical cult member with minimal education can understand it, yet it is based on fairly well-researched psychological principles of thought reform.
I see this thread has turned into a pimping of the two books, CoC and CCMC, and I'm as guilty as anyone of doing it, but I am also still interested in hearing how others have managed their exit without even understanding the coercive manipulation cults like the Borg use and how you avoid getting sucked into other psychologically manipulative belief systems when you don't know how they work. Or, if you have learned the psychology behind cult mind control, how you did so - what books you read that helped (like Black Sheep mentioned on the previous page). Just because I prefer CCMC doesn't make it the only valid one.
My successful (IMO) exit consisted of JWN (and the great people here - you know who you are), CoC, CCMC, and professional counseling/therapy. What did yours consist of?
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still thinking
I got my copy of COC from the library...they didn't have it at my local branch so had to get it in for me...so if you can't afford it I would recommend trying that...
Good book. Well worth a read
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Mad Sweeney
Libraries are GREAT.
Easy to forget about but they're a wonderful resource.
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breakfast of champions
HAVE NOT read 'Combatting' but looks interesting...
But I HAVE read Festinger's 'When Prophecies Fail', Lifton's 'Thoguht Reform', and one of my personal favorites who NO ONE has ever read, Robert Coover's 'Origin of the Brunists' (which is fiction, but eerily realistic and well written!)
I have also read 'Crisis of Conscience' which I found totally unsurprising but a great read. He totally debunks the myth of the "arrogant, self-serving apostate" with his calm, humble and quite pleasing manner. This book only really served to confirm what I already suspected, but was still instrumental in my 'mental freedom'
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cult classic
My family is deep in this religion (many overlapping generations on both sides). There isn't much that hasn't been experienced and discussed within the family about the organization. We can talk freely about what's wrong with not only the JWs but religion in general.
I will read those books one day. But I have to say, my family is not in because of faith, beliefs, or convictions. They are in it because it is what we do as a family. And they are ready to die as JWs and say it all the time. One tells me all the time, "Cult Classic, it doesn't matter that you don't believe it anymore. We're Jehovah's Witnesses and you will always be a Jehovah's Witness."
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Mad Sweeney
Festinger and Lifton helped inform Hassan's methods, BoC, so you've read some solid stuff there. I'm intrigued by the Coover book. I'm going to check it out.