> --- On Tue, 7/1/08, curtisdeltablues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > It is no joke to even get close to interacting > > with that > > level of a person's identity. > > Yes it is. You really have to be trained well and very clear in your own psyche. I've seen some deprogrammers do some serious damage to people by tearing down belief structures simply because they had a need to make others think like themselves. Not saying you did this, Curtis, but I saw some former MIU guys do this sort of thing to some vulnerable people. It was all ego on the MIU guys' part. >
I thought this was the difference between "deprogramming", which was forceful and involved replacing beliefs systems and "exit counseling" which had the purpose of restoring choice to a person whose life had become unmanageable with their current belief system. I was trained not to replace any beliefs but to help a person understand that they had choices. This is what can be damaged in a group whose motive is to instill one particular belief system. I had to be very careful not to convey my own lack of religious orientation after leaving TM so the person would not see that as the only or "best" choice. As a mental health professional yourself I'm sure you would have some legitimate criticism of this kind of work. I saw it as an educational rather than a therapeutic function. Letting people understand how group coercion can change beliefs without much conscious participation. Once they understand how that can happen and under what conditions, they can decide for themselves if it applied to their relationship with the movement. But in the end, they might need a lot of the kind of help I was not trained to provide and then it would be up to a professional like yourself to help them gain some more fundamental personality tools. I'm not sure what people from MIU you are talking about. My work was with Pat Ryan and I respected his motives and personal ethics. YMMV. > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], ruthsimplicity > > <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], > > "curtisdeltablues" > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Fair enough. I think I care what people > > think because I truly > > want to > > > > > change how certain people think. Hopeless > > endeavor, eh? > > > > > > > > > > > > Just typing out my own perspective seems like a > > lower but achievable > > > > bar for me. It often comes out of the > > juxtaposition with someone > > > > else's post. > > > > > > > > I never have enough info on people here to > > understand what their > > > > beliefs mean to their happiness and sanity to > > assume that they need to > > > > change theirs. Even when I consider some POVs as > > completely fucking > > > > nuts! People hold beliefs for so many > > psychological reasons that the > > > > epistemological solidity of a position is often > > irrelevant to the > > > > humanistic relevance. > > > > > > > > That comes off as somewhat condescending, but > > I'm sure many view my > > > > own beliefs as just as removed from reality. So > > the playing field is > > > > even, we all circle each other with our > > "better" perspective. That > > > > works for me. I can feel as "right" as > > I want as long as I take into > > > > account that this is the same perspective > > everyone else has. It > > > > connects me to people who I totally disagree > > with. We are both humans > > > > enjoying being right. While unable to understand > > how full of shit we > > > > are in our blind spots! > > > > > > > > Ain't it grand! > > > > > > > It's grand and not grand. I think for people here > > things are pretty > > > much OK and we are all enjoying being right. Except > > maybe Kirk. Or > > > even Edg. Where are they anyway? > > > > > > I think I want to change my TB friends because they > > are not happy. > > > > > > I know I don't have that kind of power. > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Or go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > > and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >
