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tomas
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Bronx, New York
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 Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:50 pm Post subject: mental after the brahma kumaris |
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| hi every body i'm tomas a new guy in town and i just want to get your perspective and opinion of the reasons why so many xbks are diagnosed with mental illnesses once they live the yagya |
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bansy
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 84
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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Hi. Welcome to the forum.
| Quote: | | why so many xbks are diagnosed with mental illnesses once they leave the yagya |
Please explain where you have found this. Most of the XBKs I know come from this forum, and I don't think they really have an illness otherwise they wouldn't be able to talk about it. |
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Joel
Joined: 09 Nov 2004
Posts: 102
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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| bansy wrote: | Hi. Welcome to the forum.
| Quote: | | why so many xbks are diagnosed with mental illnesses once they leave the yagya |
Please explain where you have found this. Most of the XBKs I know come from this forum, and I don't think they really have an illness otherwise they wouldn't be able to talk about it. |
I think many of us (myself included) have mentioned working with a psychotherapist of some kind after leaving the BKs. Not necessarily that we are labeled or diagnosed as mentally ill. Perhaps XBK accounts of working with therapists is what Tomas is referring to. |
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bansy
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 84
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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It is not just XBKs that have these "mental" problems. Just because we focus on a specific group would appear the percentage is high. Any group going through a traumatic time or experience often needs a sense of security and belonging. (Sept 11, tsunami, etc) It can be hidden at first, but re-surface later.
I cannot remember who previously posted the following but said that it is because of not knowing what tomorrow brings makes us fearful and unable to move forward. And many times it is the past (due to memories) that pull us back. Meditation is one way of settling the mind of these thoughts but that takes a lot of practice.
If your experience with BKs was traumatic, then you will have built fears inside you.
Basically it is all down to expectations. If you think you'll be an Olympic champion, but you fail to win a medal, it can scar you for a long time. If you aim to become a professional cricket player but damage your arm midway, it's tough. So the more you had expected of yourself as a BK, and then became an XBK meant you went from very high but dropped very low. You may have been pressured by those around you when in the group, but ultimately it was down to your own expectations of yourself. So in essence, you become disappointed in yourself (for doing it in the first place).
However, you are not really any different from who you were before BK life, except with hopefully a lot more experience, spiritual and as well practical experience. Therapy is about putting you back to where you were in the first place. They can't tell you what tomorrow brings, but they can make you feel positive about your past and present (thus they ask many questions on your past and present). Sanvean (a recent XBK forum member) has done well to put pieces back into her life and now has a beautiful family. 
Heck, I think some BKs have more "mental" problems than XBKs !  |
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howiemac
Joined: 18 May 2005
Posts: 142
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:50 am Post subject: |
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| bansy wrote: | | Heck, I think some BKs have more "mental" problems than XBKs ! |
i agree  An XBK i know (not on this forum - no computer) claims that it is those with mental problems that remain - they need the protection of the institutionalisation (she was talking about those who live in centres) and the support of being told exactly what to do. She left when she realised it was them that were mad and not her. Like the rest of us she has had to struggle to adapt to life outwith the BKs - I suspect it is more difficult for those who were 'boarders' than for those of us who were just 'day-pupils'.
I believe that the mix of intense elevated spiritual energy (which you will encounter at any BK centre, in my experience), and of opening yourself up to this energy through raja yoga, and of then being indoctrinated with a powerful system of doctrine - is bound to produce many casualties - only the strong will survive unscathed - any existing mental imbalance is likely to be magnified. Many do end up in therapy, or even in sedation in mental hospitals. I have personally encountered four examples in my limited BK experience, and have heard of many more. Also BKs are encouraged (wrongly imho) to suppress things - their sexual drive, their ego, their bonds with friends and family - such suppression is bound to cause accidents - if you keep increasing the weight on the nozzle of a pressure cooker, there will be a major explosion eventually and the food will be sprayed all over the roof... What is required is not suppression, but to turn down the heat. I don't believe that this is taught properly in BK centres.  |
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howiemac
Joined: 18 May 2005
Posts: 142
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:53 am Post subject: |
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ps - Hi tomas - it is great to have the freshness of some new XBKs in town.. welcome to the forum  |
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Sanvean
Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:55 am Post subject: |
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Hi Tomas,
Welcome.
| Quote: | bansy wrote:
I think many of us (myself included) have mentioned working with a psychotherapist of some kind after leaving the BKs. Not necessarily that we are labeled or diagnosed as mentally ill. Perhaps XBK accounts of working with therapists is what Tomas is referring to. |
I understood the same than Bansy. When I left BKs I had to look for a psychotherapist to help me. And helped me a lot. I could rebuild my life quickly. Ì´m working with a psychotherapist yet
The main problem for me was the clash with the reality outside BK. Some believes, like destruction, were so strong and powerful that I hadn´t streght to study, to work, to think about future. Nowadays, I´m fighting with the "ilimitated disinterest". Sometimes I think that I was crazy when I decided to study journalism, because I don´t like this reality and I feel a lack of love for humanity. This is horrible and maybe a kind of mental desease Anyway, I have faith that I´ll recover my spirituality and my love for the human beeing...
| Quote: | | Also BKs are encouraged (wrongly imho) to suppress things - their sexual drive, their ego, their bonds with friends and family - such suppression is bound to cause accidents - if you keep increasing the weight on the nozzle of a pressure cooker, there will be a major explosion eventually and the food will be sprayed all over the roof... |
I agree with Howiemac. This is a good point |
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double_light
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
Posts: 23
Location: portuguese living in Sweden
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Tomas!
Well, I'm one of the XBKs that suffered of a big disturbance after leaving the BKs....
I left BKs because I falled in love with someone. I moved country to be with him actually. That made that besides going appart from the BKs I wasn't able to keep in contact as I wished from the beggining. The guilty feelings and the burden of feeling that I had betreyed God just grew and grew. I became depressed almost immediatelly, and I mean severely depressed, almost impaired.
2 years after leaving BK one day I woke up and felt great. I thought I had become an angel and was on my way to become a deity. I was feeling great on those thoughts, dancing, painting writing all day long. Some days after my boyfriend became very worried as my behaviour was quite strange. I went to the urgencies in the mental hospital and I had to stay there for 3 weeks diagnosed with a psicosis.
I had luck and met a wonderfull doctor that helped me in my way to recover and realize that I had been brainwashed. I had to take strong medicines for a while. I'm glad that the nightmare is over, but it took me quite long to ralize in what lengths the world view of the BK had come into my mind and brain.
And for those that say that there is barely cases of mental illness after BK... I have heard lots of stories of depression after leaving BK and some that actually lead into suicide wich is probably the worse case scenario when it comes to mental illness, to just comite suicide.
_________________
XBK, happy with the present moment |
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Sanvean
Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:04 pm Post subject: |
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Double-light quoted:
| Quote: | | I left BKs because I falled in love with someone. I moved country to be with him actually. That made that besides going appart from the BKs I wasn't able to keep in contact as I wished from the beggining. The guilty feelings and the burden of feeling that I had betreyed God just grew and grew. I became depressed almost immediatelly |
I understood you very well. I left Bks for the same reason. I had a great depression in Madhuban. This feeling can destroyed us...
I´m glad you are well and happy |
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double_light
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
Posts: 23
Location: portuguese living in Sweden
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Sanvean
| Quote: | | I´m glad you are well and happy |
Everything is a process. It takes it's time. It took me more time to recover than to get involved with BK.
I sent you a message. I'm portuguese speaker, actually I'm portuguese!  Though I live in Sweden at this point. If you want to talk in portuguese sometime, you're wellcome!
Wellcome to this forum.
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XBK, happy with the present moment |
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tomas
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Bronx, New York
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject: thanks to everybody for making me feel welcome here |
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| i want to thank bansy, howiemac, sanvean and double light for saying 'welcome' and making me part of this community. your warm gesture is greatly appreciated |
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tomas
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Bronx, New York
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zhukov
Joined: 10 Apr 2004
Posts: 86
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| Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| double_light wrote: | Hi Tomas!
Well, I'm one of the XBKs that suffered of a big disturbance after leaving the BKs....
I left BKs because I falled in love with someone. I moved country to be with him actually. That made that besides going appart from the BKs I wasn't able to keep in contact as I wished from the beggining. The guilty feelings and the burden of feeling that I had betreyed God just grew and grew. I became depressed almost immediatelly, and I mean severely depressed, almost impaired.
2 years after leaving BK one day I woke up and felt great. I thought I had become an angel and was on my way to become a deity. I was feeling great on those thoughts, dancing, painting writing all day long. Some days after my boyfriend became very worried as my behaviour was quite strange. I went to the urgencies in the mental hospital and I had to stay there for 3 weeks diagnosed with a psicosis.
I had luck and met a wonderfull doctor that helped me in my way to recover and realize that I had been brainwashed. I had to take strong medicines for a while. I'm glad that the nightmare is over, but it took me quite long to ralize in what lengths the world view of the BK had come into my mind and brain.
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That sounds like classic mania, double_light. I also know of someone who was medicated for a similar problem and now because of the BKs will not recognise his illness. I am so pleased you received adequate help
My depressive problems were greatly exacerbated by the BKs and I went thru much pain to extricate myself from their control...isn't it a revelation to discover just how much you let yourself be brainwashed by this crap!
it still amazes me to this day 
I have also been told by a now "totally-embedded BK" (hehe) that there have been psychotic breaks suffered by BKs at Australian retreats also....which IMO is more of the same "all care, no responsibilities" aspect of the Brahma Kumaris....people with no medical training are let run amok thru the minds of those people who are often some of the most vulnerable in society....
Of course, any negligence on the part of the Brahma Kumaris (Pty Ltd ) will always be considered the fault and "karma" of the unfortunate involved. The BKs never have to admit culpability if its all simply a matter of 'balancing your past karma'  Their logic about me being a rapist in a previous life and that's why I was molested as a young child really took the cake though. Now that's what I call truly twisted 
How very convenient for them. Never take responsibility!
uh welcome tomas |
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Tete
Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 169
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| Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:44 pm Post subject: psychotic breaks suffered by BKs at Australian retreats |
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zhukov,
| Quote: | | I have also been told by a now "totally-embedded BK" (hehe) that there have been psychotic breaks suffered by BKs at Australian retreats also....which IMO is more of the same "all care, no responsibilities" aspect of the Brahma Kumaris....people with no medical training are let run amok thru the minds of those people who are often some of the most vulnerable in society |
....
Can you elaborate on the above quote? I would be most appriciative. Also, nice to hear from you.
Tomas,
Welcome!
Regards,
Tete |
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bluewing
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:36 pm Post subject: mental illness/! |
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| Hi, everybody, I am also new (on this topic here). My own experience with Bks did not leave me mentally ill but it sure did "retard' (is that a word/verb? sorry, I am from Brazil ) my true spiritual development on this planet. I don't blame anyone especifically but as many of us are saying here: for whatever reasons (out of touch of reality , for sure!!). I know stories like: one sister burned her passport before leaving London because she couldn't bare the thought of going back to the service where she was from; one SS slapped 2 sisters on their faces when arguing in the center, unfortunately many also know about one sweet sister that commited suicide and one brother in another country (south america). I believe now that is not easy for anybody , especially at young age, to find such a peaceful place for meditation and answers for life and then after sometime to learn that "human beings' are in charge and they are also going through their changes and 'manmats' on how to read the murli, lead a spiritual life in the west, give lectures and not apply none on their own lives, and blah blah blah....I still believe in Baba and His powers and I believe that time will change things and people rapidly - especially SS and the whole school... |
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