T-Bone

Have a good one, Mark!

Good to hear from you, Temple Lady - exciting news on your son's wedding! ...Don't worry about your time off from Grease Spot - I'm sure you've filed for all the necessary permits and my oh my, there's lots of paperwork in all that isn't there - but hey, the sooner you return it's that much more money you'll save on filing fees for extensions on those permits . Love & peace Tonto & T-Bone

Wow, Waysider – your post struck a nerve with me! I was very creative in my pre-TWI days – drawing, writing poetry & songs, teaching myself to play bass. I was honest enough to realize I didn't have talent in any particular field – but prided myself on the ability to figure out how to do something. Sort of a jack of some trades but master of none . I used to think of myself as a kind of creative technician – where I admired something produced by an artist – then through some awkward-baby step-reverse-engineering process in my head I'd deconstruct the thing, analyze why the parts work so well together…from there I would mimic…and eventually get to messing around with some of my own ideas like a kid in a new playground…Some great stuff in your post # 57, Shaz – about being in the creative zone [matter of fact – it's crazy kewl as Socks would say] – more on that below. IMHO, creativity and freedom [sort of go hand-in-hand dontcha think] were frowned upon in TWI. And similar to what you were saying, I got the distinct impression from mature grads that so much of my creative tendencies were nothing more than the "old man" sinful nature still hanging around. One day I threw all my sketchbooks, songs, and poetry in a 67 Chevy Malibu and hauled them to the dumpster behind a restaurant. I definitely had mixed emotions while doing this – felt like I was freeing myself from some bad addiction, I guess – thinking I got such pleasure out of this stuff, but folks a lot smarter than me have showed me it's a dead-end road. And judging by the reaction of a few of the believers in the Twig when I told them what I had done – I felt reassured that I did the right thing. And perhaps the deathblow to my muse was deciding to go WOW. To lighten up for this "journey of faith" I gave my customized Fender Jazz Bass with a third Gibson Humbucker Pickup and Fender Bassman Amp to a believer in a TWI coffee house band. Okay, this is the part where I should insert the cliché "now I'm working on reinventing myself" . Maybe what Shaz was saying comes into play as we shed the layers of artificiality we absorbed while in TWI: I'm thinking I never lost my muse – it's a matter of reconnecting with it…Excavating to the real self. Grease Spot is a great place for a number of reasons. One of them is the perception & awareness it inspires. I talked about sorting through my TWI experience in another post – an ambitious task even with the help of fellow Grease Spotters. And I'm sure we each have other means as well for dealing with the mental baggage. But I must say, I'm having a "Grease Spot moment" right now – I am conscious of something that has been awakened. Like digging through the rubble and catching a glimpse of something beneath the mess…a glimmer of hope…Don't do much writing or bass playing…but every once and awhile I still get into it…drives my wife nuts Honey, now I'm gonna try this…But chaknow in Grease Spot I've found a new type of canvas [borrowing from Waysider's post].

I agree ~~ Don't Worry, thanks for a great thread idea – as usual, your posts are a concentrated dose of compassion, honesty and wisdom…lots of good input from everyone else too!…IMHO, at its best, a TWI "counselor" using Jay Adams' methods were okay on little issues [helping someone deal with a bad attitude, improve relationships, etc.]…I'm all for professional help nowadays and have sought their services for our marriage, issues with depression and leaving TWI. I qualify "at its best" when the "counselor" was truly intent on helping the person AND not using Adams' methods as a means to push TWI's agenda. I remember during our Christian Counseling Seminar [which revolved around Adams' stuff] we were taught to check out the person's status with TWI. Are they attending twig? Are they abundantly sharing? And so on…From what I remember/experienced the times of TWI counseling being "at its best" were few and far between….Mostly it was about maintaining control as mentioned in Mstar's post:

Don't be silly - I still use mine - ya just can't be too careful nowadays. I dunno...but I think it's some kind of a lamb-stand with an on/off switch.

Geez, Dooj - you need to review the Advanced Class material...the Illuminati are in everything - you know that! That's why years ago I got rid of every single light bulb in my home. Sure, I can't see what I'm doing - but neither can the Illuminati.

Belle, I've done some research on this and understand their concern over his name…After running the name "Rudy" through my PFAL Decoder Ring [and yes, I used the standard thoroughly & throughly procedure adopted by the Spiritual Perception & Awareness board] the following has been ascertained: Rudy has an etymological root in Middle English, from a declarative statement typically used by self-appointed clergy when referring to a man who is woefully negligent in paying them due respect, "Rude, he!"… As a matter of truth behind the fact, The Athletes of the Spirit Encyclopedia Appendix 666 ½ lists Rude & Cantankerous Spirits as the exact opposites of the Browbeaten & Obsequious Spirits. [this post has been edited and formatted with a mathematical exactness & scientific precision...and a smattering of spiritualistic mumbo jumbo]

Have a good one, Top!

Journal of freedom 1986 entry: Under the cover of confusion provided by the Klueless Klucks Klan [upper leadership running around like chickens with their heads cut off] we were able to slip silently into the daylight of normalcy.

Oh yeah, TWI's minimization of sin definitely makes matters worse. Think of the following passage in the context of one believer counseling another: Matthew 7:3-5 NKJV 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. If I do not address a BIG fault in my own life [represented by the plank], it's impossible for me to help another person with a small issue [the speck]. I do think some sins are worse than others when it comes to the harm it brings – but this verse could apply to any sin that attains "plank status" – seriously impairing one's perception of everything. And speaking of "plank status" - it is when a sin DOMINATES a person's life that they earn the distinction in the Bible of being called an adulterer, thief, liar, idolater, drunkard, etc. Dealing with sin issues in TWI was a convoluted mess for a few reasons. There was more of a concern for "sinning" against the organization than committing sins against God and neighbor – a lockbox to protect the reputation of a leader, for example…Instead of facing sin issues head-on, folks often applied band aids to the symptoms. Feeling bad about sinful behavior? You need to review the collateral You Are Righteous Now…IMHO, the controversy and issues around the time of The Passing of the Patriarch – revealed how inept top leadership was in addressing sin – by spiritualizing & blames-shifting [devil spirits are attacking our ministry], avoidance of addressing certain issues, and resorting to minimizing, rationalizing, or justifying actions. The topic of sin was one of the first things I addressed after leaving TWI – got into a lot of Jay Adams' stuff, and there's an old thread where some of his stuff was discussed: http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=232963

Happy birthday, Biker Babe - I've always enjoyed talking with you in chat.

This is a very interesting thread – great input! Since I've joined Grease Spot there's been a definite shift in the way I look at anything related to TWI [my years of involvement, doctrine, issues, etc.]. I'm switching from black-and-white-thinking to discerning shades of gray…from a roughshod hurried approach to a much more refined process. Instead of sort by battleaxe it's now sift by a fine-toothed comb. Still working on it – got a long way to go. IMHO, the TWI mindset is an all-or-nothing process, detrimental to critical thinking. I understand the attraction of this mindset. It offers a false sense of confidence; it's comfortable and easy to follow – regardless of the context or scale. I had the typical TWI mindset to write off the churches because they didn't have PFAL, didn't speak in tongues, taught Jesus is God, or the myriad of other qualifiers TWI used to "separate truth from error." And even on a smaller scale I recall the all-or-nothing thought process being in play when leaders criticized someone for not wanting to take off work for the Rock of Ages – as if the leader's finger was on the pulse of everyone's relationship with God. So one's decision to not go to the Rock is really about how God is no longer first in their life. When I first joined Grease Spot – I tended to lump everything together. I didn't want to take the time and energy to sort through stuff. But that was a big chunk of my life – and in many ways evolved into a part of my life now – in that those experiences and more importantly my responses shaped me…and continue to shape me as I sort through the mental baggage. Hey, it wasn't all bad for me! And I now enjoy the freedom to look at each detail and see it for what it is. I don't feel the need to pronounce judgment on whether or not someone was born again, or play Advanced Class grad to explain life – God knows what's going on – and for some reason He's not saying a whole lot – and I'm at the place in my walk where I'm okay with that . Doctrinally, I'm not intent on throwing out the baby with the bath water. Heck, I'm not sure where I stand on a lot of stuff anyway – or whether it matters – but I do enjoy re-evaluating everything with other Grease Spotters and I'm learning to appreciate people as people rather than seeing them as a viewpoint.

Hmmm...and they should play Willie Dixon's tune Spoonful. <_<

It would be fitting if Dylan sings "Nothing was Delivered" at their session. It sounds like Dylan is talking about "the scam artist formerly known as vic." "Nothing was Delivered" by Bob Dylan Nothing was delivered And I tell this truth to you Not out of spite or anger But simply because it's true Now, I hope you won't object to this Giving back all what you owe The fewer words you have to waste on this The sooner you can go. Nothing is better, nothing is best Take heed of this and get plenty of rest. Nothing was delivered But I can't say I sympathize With what your fate is going to be Yes, for telling all those lies Now you must provide some answers For what you sold has not been received And the sooner you come up with them The sooner you can leave. Nothing is better, nothing is best Take heed of this and get plenty of rest. Now you know Nothing was delivered And it's up to you to say Just what you had in mind When you made ev'rybody pay No, nothing was delivered Yes, 'n' someone must explain That as long as it takes to do this Then that's how long that you'll remain Nothing is better, nothing is best Take heed of this and get plenty of rest. Open The Door, Homer Now, there's a certain thing That I learned from Jim That he's always make sure I'd understand And that is that there's a certain way That a man must swim If he expects to live off Of the fat of the land Open the door, Homer I've heard it said before Open the door, Homer I've heard it said before But I ain't gonna hear it said no more. Now, there's a certain thing That I learned from my friend, Mouse A fella who never blushes in And that is that ev'ryone Must always flush out his house If he don't expect to be Goin' 'round housing flushes Open the door, Homer I've heard it said before Open the door, Homer I've heard it said before But I ain't gonna hear it said no more. "Take care of all your memories" Said my friend, Mick "For you can not relive them And remember when you're out there Tryin' to heal the sick That you must always First forgive them" Open the door, Homer I've heard it said before Open the door, Homer I've heard it said before But I ain't gonna hear it said no more.

Ron, great pictures - thanks for sharing!.....That looks like a Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum Pistol...I had the same model...matter of fact, killed a goat with it [he sort of looked like the one in your other picture]. Ugh - it was a canned hunt - don't do those any more...Love the shot of you with the award - how funny they gave you that.

Cake, I cringe with horror and guilt – hearing your story and the input from others too. All I can say is “God and my son forgive me for being soooooo dumb as to buy into the entire thought process promoted by TWI.” We were in Family Corps 11 and at the time, thought we were in the greatest program on the face of the earth for learning how to raise train kids. We were just a bunch of parental tyrants following another one of vp’s whacked out toxic tangents. Someone made the point of how this type of discipline does nothing for developing the reasoning skills in a child. To me, this child-flogging-mentality mimics the heavy-handed/coercive approach vp often used to bend folks around to his way of thinking. It doesn’t appeal to reason – it whips a soul into submission through fear of wrath. The times we’ve apologized to our son for our TWI days of parenting techniques are innumerable. I do believe he’s forgiven us. Now he has one helluva rebellious streak in him since we left TWI / abdicated the tyrant’s throne. Say ex-TWI moms & dads out there – isn’t payback a b1tch! But I LOVE our son – he is the man I should have been in TWI. :)

Groucho, thanks for starting this thread. It’s kind of sad to watch an apologist finally put all his cards on the table and then deny he’s been bluffing all along. As always, a sobering experience to follow closely a thread like this – reminding me of the blind allegiance I once held.

My MTV video – a Weird Alesque combination of Athletes of the Spirit video and Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" video Now look at this yo-yo - that's the way you do it Frankenstein is dancing on the TV That ain't workin' that's the way you do it Money for nothin' and chicks for free Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it Lemme tell ya this guy ain't dumb Maybe get a blister on his little finger From pinching one too many a bum Gotta install more Little Hitlers Corps assignments on a petrified tree Gotta move a bunch of collaterals Gotta move more classes on the TV See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup Heard he's now going to your twig That little faggot - give him the boot now Keep it simple just kick him big Don't take any chances with the creampuff My every word you must surely heed You never know unless I tell ya The clown could be born again of wrong seed Gotta install more Little Hitlers Corps assignments on a petrified tree Gotta move a bunch of collaterals Gotta move more classes on Closed Circuit TV I shoulda learned how to be a salesman I shoulda learned how to plagiarize Watch Staying Alive a few more times wait for dancing spirits to materialize Just follow dance steps from mythic snowstorm Man-o-god slippers, rainbow tutu, a rockin' R.V. That ain't workin' that's the way you do it Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free Gotta install more Little Hitlers Corps assignments on a petrified tree Gotta move a bunch of collaterals Gotta move more classes - and this stuff ain't free Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it Ought to start an offshoot and buy a PhD That ain't workin' that's the way you do it Money for nothin' and your chicks for free Money for nothin' and chicks for free [Sting sings in the background] I want my...I want my...I want my ministry

Cool stuff, Abigail. I read the conversation with Rabbi Telushkin http://www.acodeofjewishethics.com/conversation.html I like discussing heady doctrinal topics sometimes– but this kind of stuff is the really deep things of God, IMHO. Yeah – the practical side of doctrine – that's where it's at…where our faith meets the road. Also, noticed the Rabbi has a volume 2 & 3 planned – and will continue to address moral themes that touch interpersonal issues - family, friends & community…sounds like some very useful stuff! I look forward to your sharing from his book. I was reading Deuteronomy 10 about the tablets being rewritten - in The Jewish Study Bible – and found a comment that I thought goes with this thread: Deuteronomy 10:17, 18 TANAKH Translation For the Lord your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. The Jewish Study Bible said here is where integrity in the administration of court justice and protection of the marginalized are given a theological foundation, making the remarkable argument that our social ethics amounts to imitating God.

Some great stuff you brought up, Dooj! I love the movie Apollo 13 for the reasons you've mentioned. Our family watched it recently – I first thought it wouldn't be our daughter's cup of tea, but she thoroughly enjoyed it – now it might just be cuz she likes Tom Hanks . IMHO, it says a lot for a movie – when, even though it's re-telling a familiar story and we all know how it ends – it can still hold an audience in rapt attention. A great movie with good actors, screenplay & direction – but as a technician, I'm fascinated by the problem-solving process that is showcased throughout the film – I'm thinking about the tragic fire on-board Apollo 1, early into the movie and the changes they made afterward. Dooj, your creative thinking comments got me thinking about another book. I'd considered listing it in my post 13 – but thought against it as I know I do tend to ramble and go all over the map. But anyway, it's Pathfinders by Gail Sheehy. Gets into why some folks were able to overcome a crisis – often through uncommon solutions. From the book: Theories of creative imagination generally hold that images are stored in the unconscious mind; that over time they form streams of images; and that these can be juxtaposed to a picture in the mind's eye – something a person has never seen or experienced. But if we have to access these unconscious images, we must be in a state of relaxed receptivity. And for that reason it's always a good idea to "sleep on it." Once the intellect becomes involved, or the emotions, our ego rushes in to censor or inhibit the formation of new images, or makes certain that they combine in known, stereotypical ways. Letting go of certainties, re-framing the central question, spotting wrong questions, using errors and failures – all these steps are fundamental in seeking the creative solution. Recalling the book Pathfinders reminded me of another book on problem solving. Thinking Better by David Lewis & James Greene mentions two problem-solving strategies. The pathfinder strategy: covers the ground thoroughly, time-consuming but works if looking in the right places. The helicopter strategy: covers a lot of ground very rapidly – but one needs to be observant and sometimes lucky. The pathfinder tends to look for a single, correct solution; the helicopter prefers to search for multiple options. Choosing between the two strategies – it may be wise to categorize the problem. Convergent problem – bring related facts together in order to achieve the required goal/answer. A pathfinder is usually successful on convergent problems. A divergent problem needs the helicopter approach. There is never a single correct answer to a divergent problem… ...Dismantle problems effectively by "creative carving" – it's easier to chop it up into two or more smaller problems and then draft "solution trees" showing possible routes to a solution for each problem…Logic is sometimes an ineffective means for solving problems. Insight to achieve a goal may only come by going beyond the info given. We must learn to think without using words. American linguist Noam Chomsky has shown language is essentially a logical structure which must inevitably impose its patterns of logic on human thought. When Einstein was asked how he came up with the theory of relativity he said he allowed his brain to play idly with all kinds of ideas & images. The experiments noted in this book seem to suggest that the key to success often lies in the mental playground of undirected images. As a technician, I love what I do and over the years have sought ways to hone my skills – especially in the category of troubleshooting [technical jargon for "problem solving" ]. The sheer enjoyment of learning how things work [or ought to work] has been the driving force behind my insatiable desire to read anything on problem solving. It may be a funny way of putting it - but sometimes I phrase it as learning how a problem "works." That gets me into an investigative mode of identifying/articulating all the factors that must be in place in order for this problem to occur. I ought to include that tip in a book entitled Be the Problem . All humility aside, I am good at what I do - and have been tasked to train technicians on occasion. When covering the troubleshooting aspects of our trade I have a three-word title for it: investigate, isolate, eliminate [i like it for the southern preacher cadence - and actually it's from an old Christian Counseling seminar I sat through in my TWI days – don't know where the seminar instructor got it – just let it be known right here and now – I'm fessin' up to some plagiarism ]. But it's great for summarizing the problem-solving process. Investigate – using an effective approach [pathfinder, helicopter], the portion of the show where you play detective. Isolate – identify the hitch in the giddy up, articulate the problem. Eliminate – draft options to resolve the issue.

Great thread Water Buffalo and great posts everyone! Abigail, I like those Nizkor links you posted and have added them to my Browser favorites. Here's a couple of my favorites: http://www.austhink.org/critical/ http://www.criticalthinking.org/ I see critical thinking skills as a muscle. If it's not used, it will atrophy. I find one of the best ways to sharpen these skills is by reading/discussing stuff on Grease Spot. Some of that's simply due to the eye-opening power of another viewpoint. A good discussion on Grease Spot is like having a crack team conduct a survey of a mountain. They're all over the place, checking it out from different angles. Some of my favorite posters to read are George Aar, Oakspear, and GarthP2000 – who exemplify good critical thinking skills and have a quite different viewpoint than mine on Bible stuff. Another viewpoint may not make me change my opinion – but it can certainly get me to re-think my position…perhaps uncover some areas where I've had faulty thinking or bring to the forefront an assumption I've never addressed before…or maybe just challenge me to finely articulate a belief I hold. Yes, the skills can be learned – initially by reading up on it or taking a class – but just like anything else in life – book learning is a far cry from the actual skill, confidence, wisdom, etc. you acquire through application. I've always been technical minded – very curious on how things work, proficient at troubleshooting a wide variety of systems, and keen on finding options to resolve technical issues [which makes me think the companion to critical thinking is creative thinking – or maybe the sum of the two is simply problem-solving]. I think everyone is good at problem solving in their area of expertise [a mother, musician, investor, carpenter, surgeon, secretary, writer, truck driver, manager, etc.] – but where we may falter is in seeing how to apply those skills in a different context. This makes me think of my TWI experience. For some reason [probably thinking I was being spiritual minded] I didn't really use much of my critical thinking muscles when I got into TWI. After all, the "teacher" said you can't analyze spiritual knowledge. Real thinking was frowned upon anyway. After awhile anything to do with the Bible and life I just relegated to a growing pile of obscurity in the middle of my TWI-mindset – didn't wanna be ruled by the senses dontcha know. Oh, I memorized the Sunday Night Tape Carnal vs Spiritual! It's funny, how some folks can be so sharp in one area but don't apply the same skills in another situation. I think of the research, questions and foot work my wife and I did in buying our first home [after we left TWI, mind you ]. If we would have been that discerning when it came to TWI – perhaps we wouldn't have bought into their bu11$hi+ in the first place. Some books that have helped me: The Art of Clear Thinking by Rudolph Flesch. It's an old book [1951] but still a very interesting read. It's not really a book on critical thinking techniques – more of a study on the way the mind functions. For instance on perception – what you see depends almost as much on you as on the object in view – your perception is linked to your personality…We usually think in concepts – as soon as we realize that two experiences have something in common. Concept is the sense of sameness. Broaden your experiences to broaden your concepts…Each person's experience is built upon their language. In learning another language, you form new concepts, discover similarities and differences…thinking is the manipulation of memory…Many rules in logic can be boiled down to two basic questions: So what and specify…Our opinions are as comfortable as old shoes – they have acquired exactly the right shape and form through continued use in all sorts of conditions. Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life by Richard Paul & Linda Elder and Changing Minds: Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other people's Minds by Howard Gardner. Two very comprehensive books on understanding the process of thought, I talked about on other threads: http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=238498 http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=239770 http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=228633 A book that I think is helpful to the Christian frame of thought is Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View by Garry Friesen & J. Robin Maxson. Discussed on this thread: http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=310314 One of my favorite books on logic is a textbook – Introduction to Logic, Eleventh Edition by Irving Copi & Carl Cohen. It explains concepts and techniques of logic and gives great examples in a wide variety of contexts. Has things like the seven stages of scientific investigation, reasoning exercises, the three basic functions of language, and identifying fallacies. Mindfulness by Ellen Langer. The nature of mindlessness is entrapment by category, automatic behavior, and having a single perspective. The key elements of a mindful state: creation of new categories, openness to new information, and awareness of more than one perspective...We become mindful during experiences as we create categories and note similarities/distinctions. Sometimes we feel trapped by absolute categories [created by ourselves or given] rather than accept the world as dynamic & continuous...Outcome orientation asks Can I do it? ...What if I fail? Process orientation asks How do I do it?....Mindlessness limits our control by preventing us from making intelligent choices...we may limit our options by attributing all our troubles to a single cause...Awareness of the process of making real choices along the way makes it less likely that we will feel guilty in retrospect...True process orientation is an awareness that every outcome is preceded by a process...The ability to transcend context is the essence of mindfulness and central to creativity in any field...Fatigue, conflict & burnout can all be a result from being mired in old categories, trapped by old mindsets. Two others I like are Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by M. Neil Browne & Stuart Keeley and The Thinker's Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solving by Morgan Jones [a former CIA analyst]. I also think two important elements of critical thinking are honesty and humility. The two things I lacked in my TWI days. The older I get, the more I realize what little I know but I sure do get a kick out of exploring. It's a little scary at times – but a heck of a lot of fun!

I thought Ham made an excellent point about the subtle power of spiritual abuse [which is also the title of a great book by David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen….anyone who was ever involved in TWI ought to read it!]. As far as a statement like "There are plenty of places I see where God uses some really big "srew-ups" to reach the other really big "screw-ups" that are out there" , I was wondering if that is a reference to biblical passages or personal viewpoint. I'm thinking it has to be personal viewpoint, because there's plenty of places in the Bible that warn us of the "really big screw-ups." Jesus' bold expose of the hypocrisy of certain religious leaders and telling us to beware of their leaven [toxic influential doctrine] come to mind. IMHO a major theme of the Bible is about change…repentance…Yeah, we're all sinners – but isn't a part of the Christian life an ongoing process of change…trying to become more Christ-like? If the Bible promoted hypocrisy – that would be counterproductive to this goal – would it not?

Have a good one, George!

I could not put the book down! I started reading it last night and finished it today. Her description of the treacherous mind-games that plague TWI followers so resonated with me...I’m a guy – so I’m not saying I can relate to the sexual abuse nor am I saying what I experienced comes anywhere close to that…but I believe TWI was parasitic and sucked the life out of anything with a pulse! As I read her story, I thought about a movie I watched not too long ago, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In this classic Sci-Fi movie, pods from outer space take over the lives of people – but they are only able to do this when the person falls asleep. The person looks like you on the outside – but it’s no longer you on the inside. I think of how much of the TWI mindset is geared toward lulling to sleep our critical and creative thinking processes…we suppress our real personalities, forget our dreams, ignore feelings, and squelch personal preferences. Also, as I read the book I thought of three categories of people: predators, facilitators, and victims. I think there were a lot of facilitators in TWI. A facilitator is one who helps bring about an outcome by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance. I was neither a predator nor a victim. But in lending my support [time, energy, finances, etc.] to this cult, I unknowingly perpetuated the predatory system. I’m guilty of being a facilitator. There’s some kind of sick twist in Kris hearing about the Illuminati/one-world-government-conspiracy stuff [Advanced Class material] and the conspiracy that unfolds with vp’s lock box…a conspiracy of silence to cloak his sexual predations. Thanks Kris, for having the courage, strength, love, humility, honesty, and wisdom to write this book – and think your recommendation of exit counselors is a big deal! (((((((Kris)))))))