New Year’s Resolutions
As a Jehovah's Witness dad didn't really 'do' New Year, but upon leaving he observed the common tradition of the New Year's Resolution. What does the research suggest about how effective they are and what makes them more likely to be successful? We also discuss a 'tweet of the week' addressing the question of whether all religions are cults. Become a patron for just £1 per month ($1:50) Links https://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/ Norcross, J. C., Ratzin, A. C., & Payne, D. (1989). Ringing in the New Year: The change processes and reported outcomes of resolutions. Addictive Behaviors, 14(2), 205-212. http://www.changeologybook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ringing-in-the-new-year.pdf
29 Joulu 20211h 8min
My Story: Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, leaving and making sense of life
Early in 2021 Stephen talked to his daughter, Celine about his life as a Jehovah's Witness, being raised in the group, getting married to a fellow JW, struggling with doubts and finally leaving around the time she was born. The story originally spanned three separate episodes so this Christmas we've put all three together into a single episode.
25 Joulu 20212h 27min
Christmas Special
Sarah, joins Stephen for our Christmas Special as we think about the joys and 'tricky bits' of celebrating Christmas after leaving a cult, especially one that banned it. We think back to our own experience and how we came to feel about it. We finish with a song Celine and I recorded back in 2019. Video for the song can be accessed here. Get the benefits of early access and exclusive content by becoming a patron for just £1 ($1:50) https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout/posts
22 Joulu 202143min
MindShift Time! Interview with Clint Heacock on Religious Deconstruction and Dominion Theology
Clint Heacock was raised in a Fundamentalist Christian group. As a young man he studied theology and Bible studies in various academic settings and completed his PHD in 2011 with his dissertation being a rhetorical-critical study of the book of Ezekiel. He is a former pastor of an Evangelical church and served in full time ministry. He moved to the UK and started a podcast called 'The Preacher's Forum'. Already deconstructing his fundamentalist beliefs he found during the podcast that he was questioning everything. He changed the name of the podcast to MindShift and now explores christian deconstruction, religious trauma and dominion theology. We talked to him about his story and about his research into Dominion Theology and what it means for politics in the US and beyond. Become a patron to 'What should I think about...?' for just £1 ($1:50) https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout/posts Check out Clint's MindShift Podcast https://pod.link/1199559501 MindShift Website https://mindshiftpodcast.co.uk/
18 Joulu 20211h 5min
Believe In Yourself! Self Efficacy, Inside And Outside a Cult
The term 'Self Efficacy' describes the amount of belief an individual has that they can achieve something. In study after study the degree of self efficacy is a great predictor of whether the individual will achieve the goal. But it's in the interests of a coercive individual or group to reduce the belief that you can achieve goals that are not of use to them. How do cults increase self efficacy in some areas but reduce it in others? What can we do to increase levels of self efficacy? To receive exclusive monthly content become a patron for just £1 per month. https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout/posts References Heslin, P. A., & Klehe, U. C. (2006). Self-efficacy. Encyclopedia Of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, SG Rogelberg, ed, 2, 705-708. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Heslin/publication/228210952_Self-efficacy/links/09e4150e7a1b51924e000000/Self-efficacy.pdf
15 Joulu 202132min
Bonus: Cults as Organizations - Motivating Members
This week in the series of Cults as Organizations Stephen explores Herzberg's Two Factors, and Expectancy Theory, often used in Organizational Psychology, to understand what motivates teams and individuals in the workplace, and applies these to high controls groups and cults. References Grant, A. M., & Shin, J. (2012). Work motivation: Directing, energizing, and maintaining effort (and research). Van Eerde, W., & Thierry, H. (1996). Vroom's expectancy models and work-related criteria: A meta-analysis. Journal of applied psychology, 81(5), 575. Anderson, N., Ones, D. S., Sinangil, H. K., & Viswesvaran, C. (Eds.). (2001). Handbook of industrial, work & organizational psychology: Volume 1: Personnel psychology. Sage.
13 Joulu 202114min
Transcendental Meditation, Cults and Exiting: Interview with Patrick Ryan from Cult 101
Patrick Ryan found himself deeply involved in Transcendental Meditation during the 1970s until he started to believe he was part of a harmful group. He is now a cult mediation specialist, otherwise known as exit counselling. He is also the head of TM-EX, an organization of ex-members of Transcendental Meditation and has worked extensively with The International Cultic Studies Association. He is also co-author of “Ethical Standards for Thought Reform Consultants". We talk to Patrick about his life inside and outside and the perspective he has gained in his many years working in this space. Why not become a patron for just £1 (or $1:50) to get early and exclusive access to content about cults and the life after? https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout Links for Patrick Ryan Patrick's profile on the ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) website https://docs.google.com/document/d/14MrthY0JHGYI4IfyeNFk0azw4lY7tupf6bsIlNJ8ZDE/view ISCA Home icsahome.com CultNews 101 https://www.cultnews101.com/ Cult Mediation http://cultmediation.com/about/
12 Joulu 20211h 8min
Dreams
Today Celine and Stephen explore dreams. Religion, psychoanalysis, neuroscience and psychology all attempt to explain what happens when we dream and whether they mean anything. Stephen also talks about how one dream by a ancient King had a profound impact on millions of people including himself. Why not become a patron of just £1 (or equivalent in your currency) https://www.patreon.com/whatshouldithinkabout 2nd Annual International eConference on Atheism https://www.gcrr.org/god-and-suffering Discount Code: #Atheism References The Mind After Midnight: Where Do You Go When You Go to Sleep? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stXhGMVJuqA&t=3947s Website Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/dream-catcher/201703/dream-interpretation Magazines The Psychologist March 2017. A brave new world of sleep pg. 22 The Psychologist April 2020. Dreams and their relationship with waking emotion pg. 48 Book Psychology The Study of Human Experience, Third Edition Robert Ornstein pg 478 - 479 ISBN0-15-572685-4
8 Joulu 202157min
