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!

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://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/surviving-paradise/id1667168726

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://thelivingfossils.substack.com/p/power-part-iv-who-sides-with-baby