Chip In My Brain

[RubinHighlander]

Really good story on This American Life about a young kid that gets indoctrinated by his Christian basketball coach.

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/635/chip-in-my-brain

It has all the ingredients of the typical religious elements. Might be a good place to send TBMs when trying to explain to them why you hate all religions and how damaging it can be. Problem is, they will probably side with the coach!

What do you think?

[LaMachina]

Thanks for the recommendation, that was fascinating.

A couple things that come to mind:
There is no way, IMHO, that TBMs would defend this guy but only because he was not sharing the LDS message. It was the wrong flavor of religion. Had he been Mormon then it's a different story.

Once again we see the individual doing the indoctrination is a believer. I'm pretty convinced that most in these positions believe what they say they believe.

The fly in a jar was a great metaphor. I need to ponder that one.

[MerrieMiss]

I don’t really have the time, but I’ll put a few thoughts down now, sorry if they are random and disjointed. (If I don’t do it now I never will!)

After reading about the big announcement today, I had to chuckle when I heard, “charismatic leader.” Well, no worry about finding one of those in today’s in Mormonism, we took care of that problem this morning!

It’s interesting how long the process of deconversion took. Cody says he maybe believed still for the first year or two, only kind of believed for the next two years. I can relate to it being a slow process to rid myself of untrue beliefs. I know for some people it’s like a light switch, but it really took me a long time, and for me it took longer to admit it out loud – I knew inside of myself, but I just couldn’t say the words.

I’ve heard a similar analogy to the fly, but more as a fish that doesn’t know what water is. David Foster Wallace used it some time ago in an address. I thought it useful to note that Cody’s therapists did not try to convince him he was wrong, they simply asked him questions, and that his real deconversion happened from reading (leaving AJ’s world).

So far as TBMs being okay with brainwashing like this, I suppose some would be, but I think there are others who, even if the message was the right one, wouldn't like it at all. I don't know, maybe I wasn't as TBM as TBMs are supposed to be (I did believe it and make life decisions based in Mormonism), but I would not have been okay with that.

One last thought: AJ’s defense and rebuttal sound like what you might hear from TBMs. “I feel sorry for him” “He just doesn’t understand.” Of course not. AJ could never be the problem. But he is the problem, and the solution.

[LaMachina]

Good thoughts MM. I also chuckle at our "so-called" charismatic leaders...

I'm familiar with the fish-in-water analogy which is also a fascinating one. I found the fly-in-a-jar particularly fitting because, while the fish doesn't even know what water is, the fly realizes something is wrong but can not figure it out. It communicates for me what the initial stages of a faith crisis is like but also what mental illness must be like. Whether Cody was pre-disposed to some mental illness or these religious talks triggered it didn't seem to be answered but my guess is a little of both. It's very interesting how they became entwined.

Witnessing loved ones struggle with mental illness the fly-in-a-jar analogy seems to fit so well.

[MerrieMiss]

Good point about the fly realizing there is a problem. I thought it also fitting because of the fear/panic involved. The fly is so panicked it needs help to get out, a lot like Cody who mentions being so afraid he can't contemplate the stories he's been told being false.

[Emower]

I also listened and thought that was a good metaphor.

Good point about the fly realizing there is a problem. I thought it also fitting because of the fear/panic involved. The fly is so panicked it needs help to get out, a lot like Cody who mentions being so afraid he can't contemplate the stories he's been told being false.

Fear is such an integral part of religion it seems. Essentially what AJ did was what we do to our children as we raise them in a religious tradition. I was certainly the victim of fear tactics. The only difference with me is that my parents were in on the gig. If the parent had been the ones to teach him crazy stuff and the son had tried to sue the parents would he have been successful? I think not.

[RubinHighlander]

I should have clarified that I think the part TBMs would agree with is the way the coach created the fear of unseen evil things, in the WOWC game and then in the real world. As TBMs we do the same thing to our kids and fellow adults, teaching them that evil spirits are always out to get them, trying to force obedience.

I think JS used the same evil spirit fear monger method when he introduced Satan into a later version of his FV story.