G192 E-Reading: Inner course: My Journey Out of Cultism Into Freedom

Title: Inner Course: My Journey Out of Cultism Into Freedom

Author: Rebecca Joy

First copyright date: 2013

Type of book: Sex cult, searching for love and acceptance, hypnosis, religion, 1980s-1990s, Family International, sensitivity

General subject matter: Living inside a cult and outside the cult, emotions, sensitivity, accepting and loving self, subconscious, spirituality

Special features: N/A

Price: $5.99 on Amazon

ISBN/ASIN: B00DY63C3E

Summary:

Rebecca Joy, a sensitive, emotional female was raised from birth in the sex cult called, “The Family” (aka The Children of God), leaving after 25 years. Now, hopeless and longing for love she searches for acceptance in this scary, new world––but to her “love stinks.” She never understood love, as in the cult her flesh was the only thing to offer in life, as she was a sex object to men. In her search for love outside the cult she experiences intense pain. She realizes she can no longer live life this way. The decision was made to either swallow a daily pill to subdue her roller coaster emotional ride, or open to the unknown to find who she really was and why she suffered. With desperation and a curious mind, she delves into the world of hypnosis, finding clues from hidden, ancient mysteries on how to heal her heart and mind. Her story is one of inspiration to all people who have experienced hopelessness, rejection, and failure in life only to rise again.

Authors purpose: One of the reasons she has written the book is to help those who also feel rejected and persecuted, and perhaps to give hope to the hopeless.

a. Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some other subject?

I think Rebecca was trying to introduce an alternative path to finding and loving self besides the "traditional paths." I liked that she wasn't afraid to say what worked and didn't work for her, and that she wasn't afraid of showing her mistakes.

b. From what point of view is the work written?

This is written from first person point of view, from Rebecca's point of view.

c. Was the author trying to give information, to explain something technical, to convince the reader of a belief’s validity by dramatizing it in action?

This one is a bit difficult to answer. I think she was trying to convince the reader of a belief's validity by dramatizing it in action. She never went into a lot of details of how Family International operated, and to explain something technical would be to explain how and why certain things worked. I think she explains how spirituality and hypnosis has helped her out and how she became a well-rounded person thanks to those options.

d. What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it? (Use outside sources to familiarize yourself with the field, if necessary.) Knowledge of the genre means understanding the art form. and how it functions.

The spiritual options that were used are negative and positive thoughts and their affects on a universe, along with how hypnosis will help you realize some issues that one is holding back. I was pretty surprised by the numerous hypnoses that was used!

e. Who is the intended audience?

I think the intended audience are people who don't love themselves and/or who are struggling with childhood issues and traumas.

f. What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? Evaluate the quality of the writing style by using some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, correct use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, fluidity. Does it suit the intended audience?

For me the style seemed to be informal and its easy to read and understand. At the same time the writing is pretty powerful and she really exposes her vulnerabilities within, which helped me really relate to her and to root for her.

g. Scan the Table of Contents, it can help understand how the book is organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas and how they are developed - chronologically, topically, etc.

The books is thirty four chapters long, but its pretty short. There is a mixture of the time she started to seek out help spiritually to some of the important episodes that happened while she was with Family International. In a way these two narratives do go chronologically and they make for a very compelling read.

g. How did the book affect you? Were any previous ideas you had on the subject changed, abandoned, or reinforced due to this book? How is the book related to your own course or personal agenda? What personal experiences you've had relate to the subject?

Because I could really relate to her experiences, half the time I wonder why I seemed to go on a similar path, although my story is pretty different. I was pretty shocked by the ultimate experience she has had, and in a strange way her experience validated something my mom has told me.

h. How well has the book achieved its goal?

I think the book has achieved the goal very well, and I cannot find anything to criticize. Instead the book has blown my mind and caused me to think and question my own past experiences.

i. Would you recommend this book or article to others? Why?

I would recommend the book others. I already recommended the book to my friend Jennifer over the phone who seemed to want it.

a. Theme: The theme is the subject or topic. It is not necessarily the title, and it is usually not expressed in a complete sentence. It expresses a specific phase of the general subject matter.

Its possible to get out of a bad situation and prosper through spirituality

b. Thesis: The thesis is an author’s generalization about the theme, the author’s beliefs about something important, the book’s philosophical conclusion, or the proposition the author means to prove. Express it without metaphor or other figurative language, in one declarative sentence.

Religion is not the only means to get healthy

Quick notes: I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)