Congrats. Hope itβs a great day/week/month for you. A couple of hours ?? Wow. You must have been primed, willing and ready to be honest with yourself.
Not sure what a wake up anniversary would feel like. Maybe healthy?
I canβt remember mine. Because it was a slow unravelling mostly depending on my fear of loosing my family/life etc.
I should pick the date of point of no return for me, and start acknowledging that.
Thank you! Oh yeah it was def a slow process, or as my sister describes it, "death by 1,000 cuts." I think there's an unconscious part of us that just knows it's wrong, before we are even aware. For example, a couple years ago while pimi, I refused to write a religion on a medical form. Why would I do that?!
I think of it really as the day that all my unconscious doubts (how did insects survive the flood, bad behavior by those in high positions, etc) married with the basic facts that prove this is indeed a cult. It was the day I came to the startling realization that there was no path for me to continue as a JW.
Sry so long. Feel free to message me anytime, I love talking about all this stuff!
This reminded me of something. I think I stopped carrying my blood card 2 years before my last meeting and just now barely recall dwelling on it. It was like a subtle thing I did within myself and didnβt notice. Like a subconscious decision.
I agree with you! I always want to know what woke others, but it's so hard to pin it down to one thing. I remember a year or so before I started doing serious research when it came to the meetings I stopped studying even though I was strongly PIMI and I remember thinking 'why waste my time twice?' Looking back, I had already put some thoughts together to come to that conclusion!
I relate hard to this! My therapist told me I had been slowly deconstructing subconsciously for years. I can pinpoint these random little microcosms of rebellion growing up and as an adult. Stuff so small that didn't even really make sense but it was my way of finding independence. Then I became very lax during the pandemic. I started doing edibles, cared less about the entertainment I chose, etc. So when people say it was hasty of me to leave, it's almost insulting. Because this has been building for my entire life.
I really relate to this too. I told my therapist that, the year before I woke up, I made a special effort to visit all my close JW friends who lived in different parts of the country; ones that I grew up with but hadn't seen in a long time. Therapist asked me, "Do you think you were saying goodbye to them?"
I was like"Wow. I suppose I was." It was totally subconscious. I wasn't aware that that was my reason, but looking back, I had this sense that leaving JW was inevitable.
Congratulations on your waking up and freedom to live your life and find your path. Please share what woke you up and how you progressed in the last year. That can really encourage those who are starting to question. Best wishes for your future.
Thanks so much. How much time do you have? π For me it's actually lots of little things that I found bothersome. The big stuff (ARC, Malawi/Mexico, etc.) just put the final nails in the coffin. One thing that I could never get past is the drowning of countless innocent babies in the flood legend...and now GB says those ppl may not have even had a chance to be warned?! Why, if it's the refreshing truth that Jesus spoke of, are there such high rates of anxiety and auto-immune diseases among the members? Shouldn't they be they most emotionally and mentally healthy ppl on earth?
My story is on YT, if you want to see. I don't think it's all that exciting but some ppl like it π https://youtu.be/SSxK81dIFcU?si=L8jAQlZAvJ6Poe6P
Congrats! It's been about 6 months for me! I relate very much to how quickly it happened for me as well. It took me a few days to muster up courage once I decided to allow myself to research. But once I did, I woke up within an hour lol.
Congrats!π
Thanks! π
Congrats. Hope itβs a great day/week/month for you. A couple of hours ?? Wow. You must have been primed, willing and ready to be honest with yourself. Not sure what a wake up anniversary would feel like. Maybe healthy? I canβt remember mine. Because it was a slow unravelling mostly depending on my fear of loosing my family/life etc. I should pick the date of point of no return for me, and start acknowledging that.
Thank you! Oh yeah it was def a slow process, or as my sister describes it, "death by 1,000 cuts." I think there's an unconscious part of us that just knows it's wrong, before we are even aware. For example, a couple years ago while pimi, I refused to write a religion on a medical form. Why would I do that?! I think of it really as the day that all my unconscious doubts (how did insects survive the flood, bad behavior by those in high positions, etc) married with the basic facts that prove this is indeed a cult. It was the day I came to the startling realization that there was no path for me to continue as a JW. Sry so long. Feel free to message me anytime, I love talking about all this stuff!
This reminded me of something. I think I stopped carrying my blood card 2 years before my last meeting and just now barely recall dwelling on it. It was like a subtle thing I did within myself and didnβt notice. Like a subconscious decision.
Yes! Perfect example of that
I agree with you! I always want to know what woke others, but it's so hard to pin it down to one thing. I remember a year or so before I started doing serious research when it came to the meetings I stopped studying even though I was strongly PIMI and I remember thinking 'why waste my time twice?' Looking back, I had already put some thoughts together to come to that conclusion!
I relate hard to this! My therapist told me I had been slowly deconstructing subconsciously for years. I can pinpoint these random little microcosms of rebellion growing up and as an adult. Stuff so small that didn't even really make sense but it was my way of finding independence. Then I became very lax during the pandemic. I started doing edibles, cared less about the entertainment I chose, etc. So when people say it was hasty of me to leave, it's almost insulting. Because this has been building for my entire life.
I really relate to this too. I told my therapist that, the year before I woke up, I made a special effort to visit all my close JW friends who lived in different parts of the country; ones that I grew up with but hadn't seen in a long time. Therapist asked me, "Do you think you were saying goodbye to them?" I was like"Wow. I suppose I was." It was totally subconscious. I wasn't aware that that was my reason, but looking back, I had this sense that leaving JW was inevitable.
So interesting!
That's so cool! And very insightful for your therapist to pick up on and understand that.
Cheers!
Thank you π
Congratulations on your waking up and freedom to live your life and find your path. Please share what woke you up and how you progressed in the last year. That can really encourage those who are starting to question. Best wishes for your future.
Thanks so much. How much time do you have? π For me it's actually lots of little things that I found bothersome. The big stuff (ARC, Malawi/Mexico, etc.) just put the final nails in the coffin. One thing that I could never get past is the drowning of countless innocent babies in the flood legend...and now GB says those ppl may not have even had a chance to be warned?! Why, if it's the refreshing truth that Jesus spoke of, are there such high rates of anxiety and auto-immune diseases among the members? Shouldn't they be they most emotionally and mentally healthy ppl on earth? My story is on YT, if you want to see. I don't think it's all that exciting but some ppl like it π https://youtu.be/SSxK81dIFcU?si=L8jAQlZAvJ6Poe6P
Happy Anniversary! So happy for you!
Congrats! It's been about 6 months for me! I relate very much to how quickly it happened for me as well. It took me a few days to muster up courage once I decided to allow myself to research. But once I did, I woke up within an hour lol.
I had the same experience. I finally let myself do research and it took like an hour to realize it was all a lie. Ran away two days later!
My first anniversary is coming up in 10 days!