Did you have to de-program yourself?

LyinEyes

I am awaiting some material on how to free yourself from cult issues, and mind control. I was wondering if any of your have read any good books on this, and if you find it has helped in your recovery after leaving JW?

I am sure that the WT is not God's organization and all that goes with identifying myself as an ex jw. But there seems to be something still inside that is bothering me and I really can't put my finger on what my negative feelings are . I am not sure that it is just life changing and trying to fit in, or because I miss the spirituality I thought I once had. I just feel like I need more study and research on the issue of how to rid yourself of any guilt for leaving JW. Sometimes drivng in my car , the thought just hits me that I have done something I never thought I would, I disassociated myself from the God I believed and JW. I can't seem to find my way back to a relationship with God , until I get this JW baggage out of the way. Does anyone eles ever feel this way, if only for a passing second?

SYN

It really depends on what makes you exit the BORG. In my case and the cases of many others, they don't even realize how truly monstrous it is until they find out the info on the Web about it - personally, I just wanted to forget about it, and then I ran into Watchtower Observer and the rest is history. Maybe there was some sort of subconscious "deprogramming" taking place in the years before I found this place and after leaving...

Beck_Melbourne

Dede...my jw experience has left me feeling put off the idea of worshipping some heavenly entity now...but I do hold on to some of the ideals, not just from the bible, but from other religions. I piece things together until I feel comfortable with it. I don't think that I will ever return to God, a God, or the Jew's God at least...but I haven't given up entirely on myself.

I'm the same as SYN...I never went through any deprogramming sessions to get to this point, I left the troof, then realised in time that it was NEVER the troof...and only then did I manage to free myself of the guilt that I suffered for years after my exit. I sometimes think that I'm 'over it'...yet I am still here. Strange that

~Beck~

ps..I will get some deprogramming information for you from Pappusan and Refiners Fire, they are both involved in it, in a big way. They may have references to some good books or something like that.

refiners fire

Hmmm. Well i dont know about deprogramming anyone. I know some tricks in dealing with people in cults, like how to get them to talk about things theyre not supposed to, and how to make them more receptive to what you are saying if your crticizing their cult. But thats about it. In terms of deprogramming yourself, I can only recommend extensive reading and thinking upon what you read. I read a few books that REALLY opened my eyes. Jaques Ellul's "Propaganda" had a bigh effect upon me. I read his explanations of propaganda technique and presentation of information and saw a lot of the techniques in the Dub literature. Liftons "thought reform" is an important book, and Erica Heftmanns "dark side of the Moonies" has a very good explanation at the end that explains cult control techniques. All these books assisted me to understand what had happened to me personally in the dubs. Other than that nothing will deprogram you out of believing the dubs quicker than reading Watchtowers from the 1920s . Read Elluls "propaganda", then read Watchtowers from Rutherfords era, and the facts are quite apparent.

Edited by - refiners fire on 3 October 2002 4:20:21

Dia

You may enjoy a book, "Rediscovering a Felt Presence of God".

mamashel

I feel the same way beck. It is really strange, because i have this desire to serve God, but dont really know where or how to do it. I really want to go to church, but I know hubby doesnt want me to. He is inactive, but thinks the churches are a hoax. Like the jw's arent!! Anyway, i think I will get the book that Dia recomended, it sounds like it would be helpful. I read Crisis of Conscience, and it helped me to understand why the WT org was wrong, but I still need to understand who God is and how to worship.

mamashel

Lady Lee

I read everything I could get my hands on about cults and mind control.

I read everything I could about JWs and the WTS

I took an Alpha Course in the Angican Church (free and no obligation whatsoever) to find out the basics about Christ.

I started reading the Bible and doing my own research. I could only handle religious doctrinal material as "one person's opinion" and from that form my own ideas

Mostly I go with my own feeling about things based on everything I have learned.

Every now and then I come across a piece of information that challenges what I was taught as a JW. That sends me off to do a bit more research. One piece at a time to undo all the crap.

JT

Other than that nothing will deprogram you out of believing the dubs quicker than reading Watchtowers from the 1920s . Read Elluls "propaganda", then read Watchtowers from Rutherfords era, and the facts are quite apparent.

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bammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

so true as you read that goofy stuff you will see clearly how they are not a spokesman for god

in fact you almost will laugh at the info they put off on jw as FOOD FROM GOD

one is left thinking that god is pretty dumb

scootergirl

dede......and excellent book that I read, and use as reference at times, is "Captive Hearts Captive Minds" (freedom and recovery from cults and abusive relationships) written by Madeleine Landau Tobias and Janja Lalich. I highly recommend this book.

When I was doing my internship, I was priveledged to go along w/one of the SW who did "exit counseling" for someone leaving a cult. This particular SW use to be a Moonie and I found it extremely interesting what he had to do and how he had to recover leaving. He recommended the book to me.

xenawarrior

Hey there Dede!!

Here are a couple of links for you:

This is a great website. Once you get there, you can click on the links area for even more sites and information

http://www.rickross.com/

One area of the site in particular to look at, which is focused on recovery issues is:

http://www.rickross.com/recovery.html

(((((Dede)))))

XW

Did you have to de-program yourself?

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