In Reply to: Memories posted by Rocky Top on March 25, 2005 at 06:58:10:
Well written article. I don't think that people that are qualified to work with ex-cult members encourage them to look back at the good with regards to any cult doctrine or cult leaders. I think that when they encourage a person to look for good they are talking about not seeing all that time as a waste.
Some good could be: learning different languages, world travel and cultural exposures (not talking about the internal culture here) and personal times that were good in spite of living in a repressive and destructive cult.
Also, I was a very reserved person, shy, and having to sing made me get more outward and less fearful and I learned skills useful for sales.
It is separating the bad that was in control when I had these "positive" experiences from the usefulness of the past in the decades of life were not a total waste.
I guess it would be similar to being in the bloods or the crips or the Mafia. If a person got out they could channel skills used for negative cause to a truly good cause.
As far as the cult itself goes, the leadership and its control and doctrines, it all is worth flushing into the cess pool of lifes worst moments.