Recovering from Religion

[RubinHighlander]

This post is for those who have escaped, either emotionally and or physically, but may be suffering emotionally at times from years of indoctrination that create emotional responses to various triggers. These are usually in the realm of guilt, felt because of certain actions or thoughts. It might be that unsettling feeling that you have angered or that you are being watched and judged by God.

What really helped me was that, a year before I resigned, I ran an experiment wherein I lived my life, at least emotionally, where there was no angel or devil on my shoulder. Basically I lived guilt free and tested certain things like not paying tithing, then observe the impact or lack thereof, on my life. No more blessing and testing, etc., just life. The results of my experiment where that life was still pretty much the same but I experienced feelings of increased happiness and freedom.

There are still occasional triggers that throw my mind back to my days when I was plugged into the LDS matrix, but they diminish over time. Anyway, I watched this video today and I think it might help some of you if you are trying to escape or are experiencing post traumatic religious stress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRbnws-zITg

[No Tof]

I think there will always be a mormon background program playing in my brain but life does get better without all the busy work the church encourages/forces on us.

Thanks for that video. To me it was a teeny bit dry, but good information just the same.

For those who are still connected and fearful to let go, I say "allow yourself to try the experiment Bro Highlander tested" ....... life is good, even better without all the baggage.

Many of us still live with vestigial connections to the corp. for one reason or another and that can work as we learn to make it "our journey", only allowing the church to influence our lives when and if we choose. Tough, but possible.

Cheers.

[Corsair]

It has been my experience that you have to replace your religious belief with something to fill the void. Since you were Mormon, that God-shaped hole in your mind is also clean shaven and wearing a dark blue suit.

Here is an additional level of experimentation. Think how bothered you are over the actions and religious statements of Don Alden Adams. Think about his narrow interpretation of God's word and his staunch opposition to skepticism and other evils of modernity.

What's that you say? You've never heard of Don Alden Adams? Perhaps it's because heads the governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Maybe you can summon more concern over Charles Colson? Maybe David Barton? How about Ahmad Muhammad El-Tayeb. Oh wait, you don't have any regard at all for leading religious thinkers that are not Mormon. In other words, you have complete indifference to them and their ideas and probably have never heard of them. Let me be honest and admit that I didn't know them either except as the results of a Google search 5 minutes ago. I am far more concerned about the next expisode of "Game of Thrones" than these influential thinkers. Perhaps you are also.

I propose that that indifference is also the correct way to think about Dallin Oaks, David Bednar, Jeff Holland and the other apostles. It's not useful to be angry about them. It's better to find ideas and people that are worth your time and not worry about congregations of believers that don't agree with your views. Stay religious if you want, but the model of cafeteria Mormonism is only a small version of what the reast of the religious world contends with on a daily basis.

[wtfluff]

There are still occasional triggers that throw my mind back to my days when I was plugged into the LDS matrix, but they diminish over time. Anyway, I watched this video today and I think it might help some of you if you are trying to escape or are experiencing post traumatic religious stress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRbnws-zITg

That was brutal. (As in BRUTALLY HONEST.)

[RubinHighlander]

I propose that that indifference is also the correct way to think about Dallin Oaks, David Bednar, Jeff Holland and the other apostles. It's not useful to be angry about them. It's better to find ideas and people that are worth your time and not worry about congregations of believers that don't agree with your views. Stay religious if you want, but the model of cafeteria Mormonism is only a small version of what the reast of the religious world contends with on a daily basis.

That's a great way to look at it Corsair! This was something I did on my journey out, I pretended that no LDS leader had any authority over me, except to tell me I couldn't have a pass to the VIP temple. I watched videos of people bearing their heartfelt testimonies about their faith and you could not tell who was Mormon, JW or otherwise. That helped me put my metaphysical spiritual feelings into a comfortable place and then the rest of the truth claims were finally dead.