"A Beautiful Mind"

onacruse

Just watched that movie again tonight...with a different perspective.

How much John Nash's life is an analogy of our lives as JWs! The "real" things that weren't real, the almost "physical" delusionary convictions, and the post-"schizophrenic" struggles we've had?

As John Nash said in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech (according to the movie): "I've gone from the physical, to the metaphysical, to the delusional, and back to the physical...and to the ultimate realization that love is the only reason."

Sure, there's a fair bit of "Hollywood" in the portrayal; but it sure struck a chord.

Craig

seeitallclearlynow

Sure did, Craig, I was deeply moved by that movie and by John Nash. Dear man.

Celtic

aye to the cycles, bring me home to love.

Undaunted Danny

I was born Idio savant with gifted mental abilities.By the time I was 19 y.o. i was a hysterical hollow zombie with a vocabulary limited to obscenities.All because of Watchtower abuse and degradation. I was straight "A" student the limited time that I went to school. What a frigging waste! Curse the damned Watchtower. Undaunted Danny www.DannyHaszard.com "In their face in cyberspace"

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste....."

cypher50

I was born Idio savant with gifted mental abilities.By the time I was 19 y.o. i was a hysterical hollow zombie with a vocabulary limited to obscenities.All because of Watchtower abuse and degradation.

I don't go that far in my situation...to my actual shock, I am still somehow above average as far as intelligence & book smarts go for my peers. However, I can only imagine what would of been if I hadn't been stifled by doing all those meetings, field service, talks...and the added mental pressure of trying to act "separate" from the rest of my fellow peers. It is unfair and wrong when I look back...I will learn from it though and ensure that my children aren't nearly treated in the same manner.

blondie

I loved that movie but I remembered that his condition was driven from a physical foundation. There is no cure and the treatment has severe side effects. Our experience in the WTS is one where our thoughts were controlled or strongly influenced by real people. It is possible to cut off contact with them and with proper counseling rid ourselves of that destructive thinking. That's a relief!

Just my 2 cents

Blondie

LittleToe

I enjoyed the movie immensely, however I (also) don't find severe mental illness analogous with cult exposure.

I know some would like to make it analogous of all "believer", given that such ones feel that people are claiming to "see" somthing that isn't there.
Personally I find that line of reasoning demeaning (but then, I would, wouldn't I ).

Larry

That is a great movie (rare these days). It makes me wonder - who really are the sane people. Is it the world calling people insane or is it the insane being oblivious to the insanity of the world. The movie also helped me to think about the price of genius.

I couldn't help but remember when I was in the cult and I thought people with mental illness were all demonized. I remember going on a shepherding (hounding) call on a sister who claim to be hearing voices. We immediately thought something unclean was in her house - asking her about the origins of everything in her house. Finally we discovered that it was a desk from a friend (worldly) that was causing the problem. After disregarding the desk we thought we got rid of her problems, Only to be awaked later that week in the middle of the night by an elder who told me that the sister had to be admitted to a mental hospital. We were dumbfounded and couldn't understand what was causing her mental illness. In retrospect that event made me feel nothing like three wise men, but more like the 'three stooges' or 'three blind mice.'

Another movie that reminded me of the BORG was 'Pleasantville.' Living in a world of Black & White versus living in Color. Once you live in Color you could never go back to living in Black & White :)

Peace - LL.

Sassy

yeah.. I kind of thought about that with Pleasantville.. I didn't think about it with A Beautiful Mind but now that it has been broughten up, I can see it there too..

Stefanie

I loved that movie.

Finally we discovered that it was a desk from a friend (worldly) that was causing the problem. After disregarding the desk we thought we got rid of her problems, Only to be awaked later that week in the middle of the night by an elder who told me that the sister had to be admitted to a mental hospital. We were dumbfounded and couldn't understand what was causing her mental illness.

lol I heard a bunch of stories like that myself.

"A Beautiful Mind"

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