The Thursday Night Meeting

#7 - "All the Crazy": Uncertainty After Belief

What do you have to lose, when you feel as though you've lost everything? Recorded some weeks ago, these were preliminary thoughts I had on what it feels like to encounter not feeling sure, secure, or certain in terms of "what you believe now" - after being in Jehovah's Witnesses (or: insert extreme/dogmatic/high control religious group here). It took me many years to feel there's likely some healthy balance between "knowing what you believe now" and actually being able to live fully, invest in relationships, work, and the good things in life - without needing to "cling" so much to a rigid dogma. For some, this might be quite easy. For others (me), it was many years of a bizarre back-and-forth complete with very strange mental experiences and often, a total lack of experience (a flatness, bordering on apathy, but not really depression per se). Excited as we explore these types of topics in greater depth in episodes to come. Thanks for being here!

#6 - Former Jehovah's Witnesses - What are you thankful for?

In this (mildly) festive episode, we talk a little about what the holidays were like as a former member of the Jehovah's Witnesses - from not celebrating Christmas, to not celebrating birthdays, to not celebrating...Thanksgiving! Which most of us now gleefully do, perhaps ironically at first. Thanks for being here, drop me a line at wes@wesleydavidmusic.com The fellow ex-JW podcast I mention which I've enjoyed is Surviving Paradise: https://open.spotify.com/episode/71hi12J6DkAI4MZSmE0RKd?si=14b72cb307e44484 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/71hi12J6DkAI4MZSmE0RKd?si=14b72cb307e44484] https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/surviving-paradise/id1667168726 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/surviving-paradise/id1667168726]

#5 Read - Who Sides With Baby Killers? (Hamas & Israel discussion)

This week we read a phenomenal piece from a Substack called The Living Fossils, by the writer Rob Kurzban. Looking at the title - you might think this is just about the current crisis going on in the Middle East; but that's really not it: It's about a wider view of the role of 'identity' (or, as I think of it, 'side loyalty') vs something like a sincere desire to see actions (especially actions we would universally decry) judged on their own terms. The podcast will delve into some great territory as we go along: From searching for the meaning of life, to understanding propaganda, mind control, and freedom - we're on that voyage for Self - after being in a cult, or extremist group of some kind. And yes - without question, learning about what makes the world of social media tick is part of the process. (*A note on a comment I make before the piece: when I said "almost no one over 30 uses the term 'woke' " - what I meant was no one *under* 30) Always welcome your comments and debate. Join my email list by shooting a message 'subscribe' to wes@wesleydavidmusic.com. https://substack.com/profile/40594751-rob-kurzban [https://substack.com/profile/40594751-rob-kurzban] https://thelivingfossils.substack.com/p/power-part-iv-who-sides-with-baby [https://thelivingfossils.substack.com/p/power-part-iv-who-sides-with-baby]

#4 Read - Understanding Mind Control (Pt 2)

Part 2 of our series reading an important chapter from Combating Cult Mind Control by Steve Hassan (links below). There's a lot here which we'll return to at times in terms of analysis, but even as we shift towards fascinating territory in the "post religious what do I do now" mindspace (it's a thing), it's just good to have our bearings straight and understand where we've all come from. It's a lot to take in, after leaving a destructive group, that this actually did happen, and yes, people prey upon others in this way using psychological manipulation, for their own narcissistic gains. I think we'll see as we go through some Philosophy discussions and think about issues in society and politics at large, that 'dogmatic thinking' is hardly the province just of religion, although it is much more extreme in cults. But you know something? The *advantage of really digging back into this stuff is being able to have a useful antenna as you navigate life and your own (new!) beliefs and being in a community, whether it's in person or online. It helps to have language around the tendencies and also know what makes for a solid, healthy, speech & freedom-respecting community, faith or otherwise. Appreciate you being here on the journey with me, as we're only just getting started. Feedback welcome. Shoot me an email at wes@wesleydavidmusic.com Links: https://freedomofmind.com [https://freedomofmind.com] Combating Cult Mind Control - Amazon [https://a.co/d/0tMEotF] Outro song - Isn't it Grey? (wesley david) [https://open.spotify.com/track/7GNNQZWJIP1rXiPZbAZHbU?si=e8a36a8907894395] Never Late than Better (Bandcamp) [https://wesleydavid.bandcamp.com/album/never-late-than-better]

#3 Read - Understanding Mind Control (Pt 1)

Geared towards PIMO and other folks newer to the experience of having left a high-control religious group, on this episode we read the first half of chapter 4 from Combating Cult Mind Control, by Steve Hassan. It's definitely a dense & interesting read (and the next half will be also), but early on I wanted to do at least one session where we go over nitty-gritty details of what really is unique about the 'cult' experience in terms of atmosphere and tendencies, vs just a more normal church or religious (or even social-political) group. The book is indispensable, and I highly recommend it and also Steve's great website with further resources. Amazon link [https://a.co/d/dCMMUSq] freedomofmind.com [https://freedomofmind.com] Shoot me an email over at wes@wesleydavidmusic.com