For example shortly after my ex moved out and I was officially "out" of TWI I had:
- A car crash (not my fault)
- Hurricane Charlie
- The flu so bad I really did think I was going to die
- Hurricane Frances
- Sprained both my ankles- Hurricane Jean
Shortly after I left:
Went back to Australia to visit my parents (who I hadn't seen for two years because of TWI induced paranoia). Then one week after I got there my father dropped dead from a heart attack at the dinner table in front of myself, my mum and my two young children. I of course thought that it was all my fault because I had sinned against God and "stepped out of the protective walls of zion".
Not long after that (approx 6 months) I suffered a mis-carraige after becoming pregnant within a month of re-marrying. This was followed by a dnc gone wrong which punctured my bowel in several places and left me bed ridden for weeks. Again my fault.
I have since had two further miscarraiges. Although as time goes by I have learned to put these events in perspective (thankfully).
Now I look at the timing of my father's death as an opportunity for me to have spent some time with him before he passed away, which wouldn't have happened had I still been in TWI. Also I got to be there for my mother who was devestated and would have been alone when it happened had it not been for my visit.
It has definitely taken a lot of time and counselling though to get me to this better perspective. I can't recommend counselling for people coming out of a cult more highly. It is an absolute necessity.
For me, it was more the little things that freaked me out when I left TWI...
like, the phone ringing.
Yeah, go ahead and laugh... but who (who wasn't TWI2) didn't have that little rush and that "now what?!" feeling everytime the phone rang?
Seriously.
I always figured that God was too busy to worry about letting a hurricane, blizzard, or whatever bother little ol' me. I never really took much ownership of those things. But the man... the phone... it took about a year to get past that one!
Toppers – I did a lot of the things we weren’t supposed to do, too.
CW – Those things did happen in TWI and, so of course they’re gonna happen outside of TWI. DUH! Big Duh moment for me there. :D
Chief –
Banging on a 100 doors on a Sunday afternoon is no where NEAR as fulfilling as that!!
AMEN!! Thank you!
Waterbuffalo – Thanks. I’m mostly past it and have dealt with it, but it does creep up on me sometimes – or seems to come out of the blue.
WN – I hadn’t thought about scary movies. Haven’t really watched any since leaving. Maybe I’ll try it….over a week-end, in case it DOES give me the heebee jeebies.
Shaz – We did rejoice in people “getting what they deserved” while in TWI. Didn’t see it that way, exactly, but it’s certainly what we did and what they continue to do today.
SafariVista – I’m trying to rid myself of that harshness, too. TWI definitely doesn’t know jack about the real world. Just reading those kids on myspace is proof positive of that. It’s so sad, really.
Socks – Man, you just always have the right words to say! :) D@mn that guy causing all those bad things! I forgot about him! LOL! Ya know, if they were running a class during those times, it could be the debbil trying to stop them from spreading da verd. That would get me off the hook too! ;)
Jwitt - I am sooooo sorry for your losses! Bless your heart, Darlin’. Thank God you got to see your Daddy and be there to take care of your mother. I can’t imagine the pain you must have felt and continue to feel. :( I agree with counselling wholeheartedly!! I know I’d be an absolute mess if it weren’t for my wonderful therapist and his background to really and truly be able to help me.
Chas – Ahhhh, the dreaded ringing of the phone. I remember those days all too well. We didn’t have caller ID, so it was terrifying to pick up the phone and hear a TWIt leader on the other line…..especially since I was usually causing trouble someway, somehow.
I think it depends on your thinking. I really believe that what you think about and harbor in your heart of hearts, dwell on non stop, eventually will pop out somewhere in your life. I really believe the carma thing is real but ONLY to a cerain point. The positive/negative energy that is with in you attracks energy of its own kind.
When things like that happen to me - the personal stuff, sickness, injuries, etc. I ask myself what's going on upstairs in that big mushy brain of mine. Sometimes, it could be that life just happened but most of the time I know it has something to do with my emotions and there's something I need help getting over.
:blink: Wow... I just read where you stated you were self-deprogramming on another thread... I don't want to sound mean but if you still buy this load of junk it's going to take a long, long time for you to venture out. Your post brings a very old song to mind:
"You are living a reality I left years ago
It quite nearly killed me
In the long run, it will make you cry
Make you crazy and old before your time"
* from "You Dont Have To Cry" - CSNY
"I think it depends on your thinking. I really believe that what you think about and harbor in your heart of hearts, dwell on non stop, eventually will pop out somewhere in your life."
- OK, I can see some truth in the mentally dwelling-on and 'popping out' part but, in essence, what you are saying is that your mind alters things outside your body and that's just nonsense. I'm sure you don't believe in telepathy or telekinesis, right? Why would you believe that your positive/negative attitude/thoughts/feelings would/could affect events occuring outside of yourself? Stop and think about it for a minute... That's not sound thinking, is it? No it's not.
"I really believe the carma thing is real..."
- I have news for you. What goes around does not come around. If it did a lot of us would be dead. In fact, if you stop and think about it, any belief in the idea of karma totally flies in the face of God's forgiveness, doesn't it? ...And then, on the 'positive' side, where does karma fit into you receiving eternal life? No... Karma just won't fly at all.
"The positive/negative energy that is within you attracks energy of its own kind."
- Huh? Who told you that? That's about the biggest bunch of new-age, eastern mystic hooey I've ever heard. That doesn't even make sense. Does it? No, c'mon, really, think about it. Please.
"When things like that happen to me - the personal stuff, sickness, injuries, etc. I ask myself what's going on upstairs in that big mushy brain of mine. ...most of the time I know it has something to do with my emotions and there's something I need help getting over"
Who told you your brain is mushy? (I bet I can guess) The bible says you have the mind of Christ, doesn't it? ...And you cause sickness and injury? You must be pretty powerful. I thought Satan caused those things. You must have a huge guilt comlpex too ...but the bible says there is no condemnation. As a matter of fact it says in 1 John: "...Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure (persuade) our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."
I can definitely empathize. I believed these things and taught them as well. None of the 'positive believing' thing is biblical or Christian in any way. If it's true that you want to leave, it's logical that you are trying to separate the baby from the bathwater and obvious that you think this 'Law of Believing' is part of the baby. Well, it's not and unless and until you see that you are going to be stuck.
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allan w.
It took Selina and I about 2 years to catch up on all the lost sleep; bless patrol, studies, set-ups etc..!!
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JWitt
Quote:
For example shortly after my ex moved out and I was officially "out" of TWI I had:
- A car crash (not my fault)
- Hurricane Charlie
- The flu so bad I really did think I was going to die
- Hurricane Frances
- Sprained both my ankles- Hurricane Jean
Shortly after I left:
Went back to Australia to visit my parents (who I hadn't seen for two years because of TWI induced paranoia). Then one week after I got there my father dropped dead from a heart attack at the dinner table in front of myself, my mum and my two young children. I of course thought that it was all my fault because I had sinned against God and "stepped out of the protective walls of zion".
Not long after that (approx 6 months) I suffered a mis-carraige after becoming pregnant within a month of re-marrying. This was followed by a dnc gone wrong which punctured my bowel in several places and left me bed ridden for weeks. Again my fault.
I have since had two further miscarraiges. Although as time goes by I have learned to put these events in perspective (thankfully).
Now I look at the timing of my father's death as an opportunity for me to have spent some time with him before he passed away, which wouldn't have happened had I still been in TWI. Also I got to be there for my mother who was devestated and would have been alone when it happened had it not been for my visit.
It has definitely taken a lot of time and counselling though to get me to this better perspective. I can't recommend counselling for people coming out of a cult more highly. It is an absolute necessity.
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ChasUFarley
For me, it was more the little things that freaked me out when I left TWI...
like, the phone ringing.
Yeah, go ahead and laugh... but who (who wasn't TWI2) didn't have that little rush and that "now what?!" feeling everytime the phone rang?
Seriously.
I always figured that God was too busy to worry about letting a hurricane, blizzard, or whatever bother little ol' me. I never really took much ownership of those things. But the man... the phone... it took about a year to get past that one!
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Belle
Toppers – I did a lot of the things we weren’t supposed to do, too.
CW – Those things did happen in TWI and, so of course they’re gonna happen outside of TWI. DUH! Big Duh moment for me there. :D
Chief –
AMEN!! Thank you!
Waterbuffalo – Thanks. I’m mostly past it and have dealt with it, but it does creep up on me sometimes – or seems to come out of the blue.
WN – I hadn’t thought about scary movies. Haven’t really watched any since leaving. Maybe I’ll try it….over a week-end, in case it DOES give me the heebee jeebies.
Shaz – We did rejoice in people “getting what they deserved” while in TWI. Didn’t see it that way, exactly, but it’s certainly what we did and what they continue to do today.
SafariVista – I’m trying to rid myself of that harshness, too. TWI definitely doesn’t know jack about the real world. Just reading those kids on myspace is proof positive of that. It’s so sad, really.
Socks – Man, you just always have the right words to say! :) D@mn that guy causing all those bad things! I forgot about him! LOL! Ya know, if they were running a class during those times, it could be the debbil trying to stop them from spreading da verd. That would get me off the hook too! ;)
Jwitt - I am sooooo sorry for your losses! Bless your heart, Darlin’. Thank God you got to see your Daddy and be there to take care of your mother. I can’t imagine the pain you must have felt and continue to feel. :( I agree with counselling wholeheartedly!! I know I’d be an absolute mess if it weren’t for my wonderful therapist and his background to really and truly be able to help me.
Chas – Ahhhh, the dreaded ringing of the phone. I remember those days all too well. We didn’t have caller ID, so it was terrifying to pick up the phone and hear a TWIt leader on the other line…..especially since I was usually causing trouble someway, somehow.
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free2love
:blink: Wow... I just read where you stated you were self-deprogramming on another thread... I don't want to sound mean but if you still buy this load of junk it's going to take a long, long time for you to venture out. Your post brings a very old song to mind:
"You are living a reality I left years ago
It quite nearly killed me
In the long run, it will make you cry
Make you crazy and old before your time"
* from "You Dont Have To Cry" - CSNY
"I think it depends on your thinking. I really believe that what you think about and harbor in your heart of hearts, dwell on non stop, eventually will pop out somewhere in your life."
- OK, I can see some truth in the mentally dwelling-on and 'popping out' part but, in essence, what you are saying is that your mind alters things outside your body and that's just nonsense. I'm sure you don't believe in telepathy or telekinesis, right? Why would you believe that your positive/negative attitude/thoughts/feelings would/could affect events occuring outside of yourself? Stop and think about it for a minute... That's not sound thinking, is it? No it's not.
"I really believe the carma thing is real..."
- I have news for you. What goes around does not come around. If it did a lot of us would be dead. In fact, if you stop and think about it, any belief in the idea of karma totally flies in the face of God's forgiveness, doesn't it? ...And then, on the 'positive' side, where does karma fit into you receiving eternal life? No... Karma just won't fly at all.
"The positive/negative energy that is within you attracks energy of its own kind."
- Huh? Who told you that? That's about the biggest bunch of new-age, eastern mystic hooey I've ever heard. That doesn't even make sense. Does it? No, c'mon, really, think about it. Please.
"When things like that happen to me - the personal stuff, sickness, injuries, etc. I ask myself what's going on upstairs in that big mushy brain of mine. ...most of the time I know it has something to do with my emotions and there's something I need help getting over"
Who told you your brain is mushy? (I bet I can guess) The bible says you have the mind of Christ, doesn't it? ...And you cause sickness and injury? You must be pretty powerful. I thought Satan caused those things. You must have a huge guilt comlpex too ...but the bible says there is no condemnation. As a matter of fact it says in 1 John: "...Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure (persuade) our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."
I can definitely empathize. I believed these things and taught them as well. None of the 'positive believing' thing is biblical or Christian in any way. If it's true that you want to leave, it's logical that you are trying to separate the baby from the bathwater and obvious that you think this 'Law of Believing' is part of the baby. Well, it's not and unless and until you see that you are going to be stuck.
God Bless You Sis
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