by Chook 25 Replies latest jw experiences
I feel that up to about 99 % of cult indoctrination can leave an individual - but it's like a person having been bitten by a shark or a mountain lion - a scar will always be there reminding the person of how he or she was either physically , mentally, or emotionally abused.....Flipper
Some 'hang-ups' from being in a cult can be very useful. Ex JWs tend to be very sharp when it comes to critical thinking. They also tend to have a very good ability to debate logically and rationally. So I would say yes, it is possible to completely move on from being a JW. - Giles Grey
I agree, ex-JWs are almost unique (some ex-JWs) in that they have actually had to examine their worldview.
You are 40 years old and your Mom and Dad sit you down and tell you, you were adopted.
We are not your mom and dad and we have no idea who your parents are. The same feeling
for me...So now I must find my identity....
My opinion and my experience.
No you can never have a full healing.
You will always be carrying baggage.
But you can rise above it and have a good life.
But the baggage will always be there.
That is the way my brain works.
Maybe you have a better brain.
Mine is not very good.
If by healing, you mean that ones fear of their claimed teaching authority will totally disipate, I would say "yes". Methodology: Have a good good ongoing laugh at all their flips-flops, their top-level buffoonery, their false prophecies, their hypocrisy. Then be ready to share your laughter with Witnesses you meet on the street.
Well time heals and full healing may be possible it really depends on the person and what they do after they leave the cult.
A study found that christian fundamentalism shrinks the brain but the brain has neuroplasticity which mean with proper stimulation and proper diet one begins making more brain cells even if older, but the younger you are the more new brain cells you make as this declines with age. So I would conclude that the younger and sooner you leave the better your chances of a full recovery and even beyond that. Big changes in your life can a have a very good effect on the brain as it forces out of ruts we have developed through boring repetition and repeated thought patterns making the brain more functional by making weaker seldom used neurons fire which makes them more healthy opening up brain processing power.
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/study-links-being-born-again-to-brain-atrophy/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10914137/What-God-does-to-your-brain.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity, is an umbrella term that describes lasting change to the brain throughout an individual's life course. The term gained prominence in the latter half of the 20th century, when new research[1] showed many aspects of the brain remain changeable (or "plastic") even into adulthood.[2] This notion contrasts with the previous scientific consensus that the brain develops during a critical period in early childhood, then remains relatively unchangeable (or "static") afterward.[3]
Neuroplastic change can occur at small scales, such as physical changes to individual neurons, or at whole-brain scales, such as cortical remapping in response to injury; however cortical remapping only occurs during a certain time period meaning that if a child were injured and it resulted in brain damage then cortical remapping would most likely occur, however if an adult was injured and it resulted in brain damage, then cortical remapping would not occur since the brain has made the majority of its connections.[4] Behavior, environmental stimuli, thought, and emotions may also cause neuroplastic change through activity-dependent plasticity, which has significant implications for healthy development, learning, memory, and recovery from brain damage.[4][5][6]
The brain is very plastic and develops by our experiences and knowledge. It's the perspective and window via which we eventually see the world. I was in for 25 yrs and I have no doubt that some JW triggers will still exist when (if) I am old and grey,
The good news is, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Bad experiences can have positive effects. Look around you when you leave, even undoctrinated people have a tough life and their own demons. Ours were unique to a belief system, that's all.
My experience with the JW's has taught me to critically appraise all information and personalities I come across. It's now my most potent protection, if not a little too defensive. If I ever have the privilege of children it will be the most important thing I teach them!....... and I learned that by being lost in indoctrination.
Opportunity often comes disguised as misfortune or temporary defeat....
The most important thing is to pursue feeling happy!
We are always a compilation of our experiences, good and bad.
The only way we can overcome the bad is by replacing them with new experiences and knowledge.
rebel 8. me too.
