Escaping a High-Control Religion A Former Jehovah’s Witness Speaks Out - Triangle Theory #029
- Author
- Rupert & Konrad
- Published
- Wed 05 Feb 2025
- Episode Link
- https://podcasts.fame.so/e/5nzxvl3n-escaping-a-high-control-religion-a-former-jehovah-s-witness-speaks-out-triangle-theory-029
More information about Esther:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/instawellbeing/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-barnes-barnes-93321380
Website - https://instawellbeing.com/
In this episode, we discussed:
0:00 - Intro
1:09 - Early memories of religious teachings and indoctrination
2:19 - The fear of "Satan’s world" and religious consequences
3:37 - How growing up in the faith shaped her childhood mindset
4:43 - Learning about God: Was it comforting or terrifying?
6:04 - Trusting God vs. trusting yourself
7:00 - The belief that God will fix the world's problems
8:04 - School life as a Jehovah’s Witness: Feeling like an outsider
10:05 - Facing discrimination from teachers and classmates
12:00 - The social isolation of being "different"
14:30 - Questioning faith: Did she ever doubt the teachings?
17:18 - The push for young marriages in the Jehovah’s Witness community
18:56 - The strict rules around dating and relationships
20:25 - How education was deprioritised for faith
22:08 - The experience of door-to-door preaching as a child
24:50 - Judgmental mindsets and the pressure to convert others
26:23 - Leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses: The breaking point
29:05 - An arranged engagement after one day of meeting
31:38 - The warning signs and gut feelings before marriage
32:48 - Experiencing abuse and realising she had to leave
36:26 - The struggle of being trapped in a marriage she couldn’t escape
38:40 - Feeling abandoned by her faith community
41:09 - The double life: Secretly dating outside the religion
43:00 - The consequences of leaving: Losing family, job, and home
45:21 - How she started rebuilding her life from nothing
47:27 - The mental health struggles after leaving
50:05 - Discovering personal freedom and self-worth
52:08 - Using psychedelics and therapy for healing
55:06 - Finding peace in spirituality outside of religion
57:03 - Does she still believe in God?
58:00 - Final thoughts and advice for those questioning their faith
-------------------------
Hey listener - Yes YOU, the one who just listened to this video. Can I ask you a favour? See, we're completely new to the podcasting game, and any feedback would be appreciated, positive or negative, as we're looking to improve as we go. Thanks!
You can also support us at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triangle.theory_/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@triangle.theory
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50RW93YVyR3YgEIuNdKIAZ?si=d77d72433a074a34
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triangle-theory/id1769204627
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TriangleTheorypod
Player FM: https://player.fm/series/triangle-theory
Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/bdxlCwfrYN8
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/triangle-theory-5790906
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triangle-theory-podcast/
#triangletheory #religion #kill #selfdevelopment #lawofattraction
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/instawellbeing/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-barnes-barnes-93321380
Website - https://instawellbeing.com/
In this episode, we discussed:
0:00 - Intro
1:09 - Early memories of religious teachings and indoctrination
2:19 - The fear of "Satan’s world" and religious consequences
3:37 - How growing up in the faith shaped her childhood mindset
4:43 - Learning about God: Was it comforting or terrifying?
6:04 - Trusting God vs. trusting yourself
7:00 - The belief that God will fix the world's problems
8:04 - School life as a Jehovah’s Witness: Feeling like an outsider
10:05 - Facing discrimination from teachers and classmates
12:00 - The social isolation of being "different"
14:30 - Questioning faith: Did she ever doubt the teachings?
17:18 - The push for young marriages in the Jehovah’s Witness community
18:56 - The strict rules around dating and relationships
20:25 - How education was deprioritised for faith
22:08 - The experience of door-to-door preaching as a child
24:50 - Judgmental mindsets and the pressure to convert others
26:23 - Leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses: The breaking point
29:05 - An arranged engagement after one day of meeting
31:38 - The warning signs and gut feelings before marriage
32:48 - Experiencing abuse and realising she had to leave
36:26 - The struggle of being trapped in a marriage she couldn’t escape
38:40 - Feeling abandoned by her faith community
41:09 - The double life: Secretly dating outside the religion
43:00 - The consequences of leaving: Losing family, job, and home
45:21 - How she started rebuilding her life from nothing
47:27 - The mental health struggles after leaving
50:05 - Discovering personal freedom and self-worth
52:08 - Using psychedelics and therapy for healing
55:06 - Finding peace in spirituality outside of religion
57:03 - Does she still believe in God?
58:00 - Final thoughts and advice for those questioning their faith
-------------------------
Hey listener - Yes YOU, the one who just listened to this video. Can I ask you a favour? See, we're completely new to the podcasting game, and any feedback would be appreciated, positive or negative, as we're looking to improve as we go. Thanks!
You can also support us at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triangle.theory_/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@triangle.theory
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50RW93YVyR3YgEIuNdKIAZ?si=d77d72433a074a34
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triangle-theory/id1769204627
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TriangleTheorypod
Player FM: https://player.fm/series/triangle-theory
Listen Notes: https://lnns.co/bdxlCwfrYN8
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/triangle-theory-5790906
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triangle-theory-podcast/
#triangletheory #religion #kill #selfdevelopment #lawofattraction
