So I see this term being thrown around all over the place, primarily directed at the Religious groups... Now I was atheist for a while, purely based on logic, but I took mushrooms a lot. A lot. And experience changed my mind, I've had my own little journey and I conform to Jewish beliefs now, even if I'm not the most devout, I do believe in it. Part of my journey took me to the Jewish equivalent of a monastery for two years. I had been living my entire life with TV and Internet and Western culture, yet here I had no internet, no TV, very little ego, people spoke about the drugs they've taken, the fantasies they have and had, their goals, their feelings, their beliefs, openly and freely, coolness wasn't a factor. After two years I had become fairly religious, and found myself amongst good friends of mine, good atheist friends, a perfect target for the term 'Brainwashed, Brainwashing'. Thing is... My attitude is - So. Fucking. What? A good brainwashing is in order for almost everyone I've ever met. People talk about movies all fucking day, browse the web for 10 hours at a time, live their lives in comfortable bubbles, subscribe and commit themselves to logic and leave little room for anything else. Dismiss anything else the moment they see it isn't subscribing to their scientific understandings of reality. It you believe something that can't be proven mathematically, BRAINWASHED. It's bullshit. Why is this even a bad term? I still watch TV and clearly I'm still browsing the web, but my two years of getting brainwashed were the most valuable in my life. It's good to have your brain washed of western culture, it's good to have discussions about life because you don't have any movies to talk about since you rarely watch them. It's good to not have a distraction always ready to go with your smartphone or whatever else. I think today more then ever, people need some brainwashing. I'm not saying religious brainwashing, you want to be religious? Cool man, do your thing, fantastic. I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about getting your brain washed of ridiculous western notions of how life is and just acquiring a fresh perspective. Idk. Just thought I'd share my two cents on brainwashing.
Brainwash is the go card now if people dont agree with you What is brainwashing? Sent from my LG-E739 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Freeing the mind of its beliefs, ideas, and knowings, so that it feels clean to see the world better, not as it's been seen with all the shit in place. Washing it sounds like a good idea.
I agree, brainwashing shouldn't have such a negative connotation. But it does. I think that says something about the culture we live in
It always feels like brainwashing is doing something to control someone else, when in reality it may be something we all need to do for ourselves from time to time, sometimes urgently.
Well, that is true, but if they'd only gone and done a bit of brainwashing on themselves first, they wouldn't feel like wanting to brainwash anyone else.
Depends on how mean the term.. You're not using it with the connotation it usually takes on. Scientology would certainly say they are showing you how things 'really are'. I think you possibly mean that people need to be free thinkers or not conform to society's ideas of what life really means. I'm good with that.
Don't you think its human nature to aquire and consume? Thats what history tells us. I see your point though. How much is enough.
The only time I use the term "brainwashing" when conversing with the religious is as a synonym for "indoctrinating." As someone who was indoctrinated as a child, I feel there is little difference between the two. Since you (the OP) became religious later in life, I wouldn't see myself using that term to apply to you.