Twi Hdqts: A Closed Society

[skyrider]

At its peak years [1977-1984], twi headquarters was an in-house, closed-society commune that saturated

the minds of its followers with wierwille's wayworld utopia. This closed-society encapsulated the

elements of: 1)housing, 2)food/cafeteria, 3)work, 4)social, 5)personal needs, and 6)religion.

Those who lived clustered together on-grounds in those trailer units would walk to the brc basement

for breakfast, lunch and supper [before transitioning to the OSC in 1980]. After breakfast, many

met in "work twigs" for a 20-minute twi-devotional and then, work. All day, every day.....there was

NO need to leave twi grounds.

When some pine for those "good ole days".....this is what the nostalgic utopia was.

1) Living on-grounds in a trailer park. No bills, no hassles, no barking dogs, no problems.

2) Three meals a day, every day. An institutionalized environment closed-off from outsiders.

3) Work assignments to assist 80% in-house efforts, 20% others. A feel-good-pat-on-the-back.

4) Security patrol unit on grounds and strict moral/ethic code to not steal for others.

5) Personal needs met: banking, legal, tax prep [if any], medical nurses, hair cutting, etc.

6) Social functions.....music groups, dances, entertainment, festivals, plays, banquets

7) Magazine and printing press...all in-house propaganda to propel its promotion

8) Solitude and "open-ness".....way woods and country roads gave allure as free-ness

9) Religious service on grounds. No need for a car. No need for much of anything.

[Scientology: Going Clear has been playing on HBO for the past two months.

Same deal. Same closed-society. Only massively and masterly deceptive & wealthy.]

Let me repeat myself: This era of "nostalgic twi-utopia" was VERY SHORT LIVED.

Nevertheless, many long-standing followers.....some who are in their 60s now,

hold onto these memories as if they were truly part of something great.

Okay, sure.....if someone deems them as wonderful and special then go ahead,

and treasure those memories. But to be fair, some lives were destroyed during

those "happy days." Sexual predators had found the perfect foil.

Later in life, one can easily see the manipulation and exploitation factors that advanced

the collective commune at the expense of the individual.

Even on the field, much of this closed-off mindset took strong root. Lots of followers

lived with other twi-followers to off-set expenses. Way Homes popped up in many cities.

Two-by-two.....many field believers would listen to teaching tapes together, avoid the

neighbors, and shun society events. Had to get to twig 3X a week, you know?

So many who took a 15-20 year detour.....forsaking family, friends, goals, education,

careers.......and for many, its a grueling process to regain time or effort lost.

When you succumb to an institutionalized, closed-society slant on life.....you lose

a grip on all the benefits and steppingstones of social and educational networking.

At age 35, or 40, or more......especially with kids-in-tow, and a crippled marriage

or divorce [having neglected those marriage/family responsibilities for years] it

is very challenging to exit a closed-society and advance in the real world.

Gee, I don't recall Jesus advancing the mindset of a closed society as he walked

amongst the people thronging to see him. The message was to "go into the world

but be not of the world."

When will twi-followers realize that "The Commune" is an inside-game scam?

All take, No give. Amassing $64 Million and still pathetic on any compassion

for local community, the needy......or even struggling "believers."

[Bolshevik]

edited

Edited January 14, 2016 by Bolshevik

[skyrider]

Post LCM, (After 2000) I worked on Staff several years.

Yes....the ground has INDEED shifted drastically these past 30 years.

1) When wierwille walked the earth.....there was an intense cult of personality.

2) The twi-commune was given oxygen from Jesus movement, 1969 Woodstock, counter-culture revolution

3) Donnie Fu-git and the hippie generation were welcomed on stage to fawning followers

4) We had joy, we had fun.....we had places in the sun

5) Never underestimate the power of a movement

6) What happened to the "movement?" After about 12 years, the music died.

By 1999.....one savvy computer guy started Waydale

and the ground totally shifted underneath the splintered commune.

Yes......thanks to plenty who pulled the curtains back

many got the "blessing" of taking community college courses

without pushback and/or confrontation. You're welcome.

[Bolshevik]

edited

Edited January 14, 2016 by Bolshevik

[skyrider]

Let me repeat myself: This era of "nostalgic twi-utopia" was VERY SHORT LIVED.

1985 -- Wierwille died

1987 -- Major TWI Exodus

1989-2002(?) ........and the "true wierwille remnant" splintered some 90 ways.

Corps leaders opened shop everywhere to run classes and cash the checks.

Trying to replicate the past nostalgia......"we had joy, we had fun."

Yet....many had bills to pay and kids to raise.

No thanks. No more commune-utopia for me.

It's called life.

[waysider]

I only lived in the full-on-communal type setting for a short time, 3 years to be exact. In retrospect, the time was short but the impact was immeasurable. I think, perhaps, that had something to do with the timing. Chronologically, I had reached adulthood. Psychologically, I was at the point of reaching my stride. I'm not sure if arrested development is a real phenomenon. If it is, it seems to explain a lot. We all seemed to suspend our progression into adulthood. For those who were already transitioned or were well into the transitioning process into mental adulthood, the experiences were many times full of jolting conflict. Some of the younger members had a different sort of experience in that, instead of being a source of conflict, it became a source of definition. I suspect there are some who may be still stuck in a state of arrested development, not willing or able to venture beyond the comfort zone. "It's a jungle out there", sure, but, it's where we live so adjustments and changes are the order of the day.

Part of this suspension of development involves the failure to recognize it was our lifestyle and attitudes towards life that caused so much conflict, not the individual doctrines like when Jesus died or how many brothers and sisters he had or whether there are 212 figures of speech in the Bible or 213 or any of that sort of thing. In fact, I think it could have been centered around something completely non-Biblical and had the same effect.

Until one takes a step back and sees the experience from a more objective viewpoint, perceptions remain clouded and deceiving. This place has helped me take that step back and opened my eyes to a greater understanding of what really happened. Some will never take that step due to stubborn unwillingness. It's a choice they have to make on their own.

[skyrider]

Part of this suspension of development involves the failure to recognize it was our lifestyle and attitudes towards life...

Good points, wayside.

One of my corps buddies, years after exiting.....said that the wow program

and corps program GAVE HIM TIME TO ADJUST BEFORE ADULTHOOD. In other words,

he wanted to "wait, suspend and party" before working a job for the next

40 years.

Like some say about college....."Well, the folks were paying for it and

it was a time away from parents and a time to party on their dime."

Same thing with corps. Some took it serious and some didn't.

But one thing is for sure.....it put life on hold.

[chockfull]

One of the interesting scriptural studies in the book "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" is kind of an expose on Pharisees - how they live, work, function. One thing sticking in my mind right now is the argument over "corban" or gifts with jesus. The study highlighted that the Pharisees would set up internal business circles and practices within so that they would only have to do business with other Pharisees - to be isolated from any impureness by having to deal with the general public.

This is precisely the feel that the BOD give off and how HQ is as a closed off society.

[MRAP]

A husband and wife in our limb (personal friends) were provided an opportunity to go be part of HQ staff, they went and we never heard from them again (circa 1976). As we heard, all was well with them but they cut off all communications with us, their close friends; what's up with that?

Oh, by the way, Waysider, that's the most you have said in one breath since I have been on GSC - yes, this is quite the thread for those of us on the outside looking in, for those who were on the inside looking out, their life options were even more limited.