do you think that JW are brainwashed?

i'm d/f for about 2 years and my dad ( an elder ) hasn't spoke with me since, my mom sometimes talk to me , but i always have to call her , just to see how's she's doing, and guess what, when she answer her phone is : oh, i was preeching!!!. They're always preeching, but my brother contact me today telling me that we  can speak again due to the fact that i'm d/f , what do you guys think?? 

I think everyone is brainwashed - we just have to choose our favourite soap brand. I haven't yet found anyone who wasn't brainwashed in some way - even if you just watch TV for a few hours each day you get a certain amount of conditioning and repetative learning.



Here's an example that shocked me - I used to feel physically sick watching any kind of violence - so much so that I couldn't watch boxing on TV - after years of playing utterly violent PC games I found myself watching a boxing match without any feelings of sickness - in fact I was actually getting quite involved in the fight - I changed, I think because I exposed myself to lots of brainwashing stuff.



(and I am well brainwashed by my religion - by choice these days)



P.S. I still love playing Call Of Duty and Doom3 so I guess I never actually learnt from my decision!

At least you're owning it Qcmbr.  And I think you're spot on with the rest as well.

Welcome!

Sorry to hear about the way your family is treating you. Unfortunately, you'll find many here are in the same boat.

Q's comments are interesting, and to an extent I agree. But to say we're all brainwashed by everything we see, hear, and expose ourselves to is to dilute the word to the point where it has no meaning.

If we define brainwashed to mean presented with information in a such a way as to suggest it is unquestionably correct in an environment where questioning it is looked down upon or punished, then that narrows it a bit. Looking at a coca-cola ad is no longer brainwashing, since a Pepsi ad will soon follow. Moreoever, we're all allowed to talk about various colas.

But JW's are different. They are encouraged to only associate with one another. They are told that theirs is the only true religion, that they are aboard the "ark" of salvation. Without me, says the Watchtower, you're nothing. Anyone that questions their authority is quickly put down, or put out.

Yes, they're brainwashed.

Dave

AA - I agree that with any high control group its very easy to point out brainwashing.



I thought a lot about this idea at uni and the thought struck me that if everyone is the 'same' (very broadly speaking) then our differences on a cultural level can only be the result of collective brainwashing. Typical example - 100 years ago the majority of Victorian Middle England would have thought it reprehensible that women should vote or even go to work in banking/mining/military duties, 50 years later it was portrayed on the media and in school that a woman should work at home to keep her husband happy and the husband should be the breadwinner - nowadays you would be in a minority if you held by any of these views yet all that changed was our cultural brainwashing (you wouldn't think twice about watching a barely clothed woman dancing to pop music now but 100 years ago that would have been porn.) - its so hard to notice it being done to us.



Things that scare/annoy me regarding manipulation of my views:



The blind anger I felt regarding 9/11 and the 'righteous' justification and anticipation I felt as our armies rolled onto Iraqi soil. I feel a bit more balanced now.

The 'fear' I feel at work when I talk to the boss responsible for employing me.

The way I have to look over my shoulder and double check my words in public if I discuss anything related to homosexuals/women/minorities/ethnic peoples just in case someone might report me or misunderstand.

The way many in my religion make me feel somehow apostate for enjoying beyond the pale speculation on religious matters.

...the tendency of institutional leaders often is to build up their own authority, implementing a system of obedience, submission, and measuring performance.  While this might work out okay in a Japanese Corporation, or a military branch, to name a couple examples, it can get really tricky when it happens within a religious setting...expecially when non-compliance is said have eternal consequences!  This can and does lead to a system where people basically can't distinguish between their loyalty to God and their loyalty to the institution--it's almost like the structure itself is God.

*&&^%%/!!!!  Don't make me curse!  You know that they are.  They are trained to NOT be independent thinkers, and not to question the goober booger-bodies.

Totally brainwashed!!

Welcome notmyself. Please stick around as it will make you feel much better reading others stories and knowing there are more with you than against you.

I recommend reading http://jwfacts.com/index_files/mindcontrol.htm

It quotes some studies into mind control, and yes, JWs definitely have very common persuasive techniques applied to them daily by the WTS.

If there is a meeting tonight, ... guess what that means............

I T s     L A U N D R Y    NIGHT  !!!!

notmyself

Hello and welcome

 

Welcome to the board!

And yes they are brainwashed!

Welcome,  and yes they are, as you start to research and question you'll see just how much they are.

They have been subtly mind conditioned with many false ideas and there are many things that they are not capable of doing eg they can never be a normal part of the world.

Some are completely, most are to some extent.  If they aren't at all, then they aren't really Jehovah's Witnesses, they just say they are.  They are nourished on what seems to be a neverending supply of recycled propaganda, and are taught that to learn anything else on their own else could/will kill them, "spiritually" and/or literally (at least, eventually).  Brainwashed by fear.  The idea of being sheep is comforting.  That, however, always scared me the most.  To me, being a sheep is the equivalent of being a lemming.  I grew two horns and a beard.  Do you think that is why they look down upon facial hair?

 That is more along the lines of being de-sensitized.  Changing your views is not necessarily being brainwashed.  For instance, someone who is appalled by the idea of changing a dirty diaper has a kid and learns to get over it.  They usually do get over it too.   (not in all cases of course)  That doesn't mean they've been brainwashed.  They just deal with things differently than they used to.

I'm not very fond of the term brainwashed, as I don't think it is descriptive of what happens.  It's not like someone gets inside your brain, wipes what is there, and rewrites it.  Our brains store EVERYTHING they are exposed to.  Manipulative people and manipulative organizations are skilled at motivating us to IGNORE some information over others, using FEAR and REWARD and REINFORCE.

So your mom is conditioned to IGNORE her natural affection and shun you, in FEAR for her eternal reward.

^{2 Timothy 1:7KJV} For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Welcome notmyself!

Welcome to the board Not Myself. 

They most certainly follow a pre-programmed format and followers are forced into line by programmed guilt aided by the Society's internal police system.  I would suggest they are brainwashed due to not being able to make life threatening decisions independant of the Watchtower Society.

Ticker

A sister once answered up in the congregation and said she was glad she was brain-washed. She said her brain was so full of trash before she became a witness tha ther brain needed washing