The acronym PIMO* (physically in mentally out ) is now well established in the Ex-JW community identifying those of us who are awake to the organization’s malfeasance and eisegesis method of scripture interpretation, but who currently remain in the congregation. The reason for most unfortunately , fear of loss, and we should not underestimate this powerful fear of losing all contact with family and friends, due to the organization’s extreme shunning policies for even questioning the GB. I suggest that this fear is well founded and imbedded in the mind of every baptized Jehovah’s Witness.
That is exactly what the organization has counted on to maintain control over the decades of the rank-and-file members. We can be confidant that those who are awake (PIMO) and remain in the congregation are at the very least annoying to the Governing Body, and in the leadership’s mind potentially the only real threat inside the congregation viewed as a “wild card” they cannot predict or control. Think about that!
The expression “we are out of the cell but remain in the prison” includes those awaiting “spiritual execution” by removal (disfellowshipping) from the congregation ( as many have lost their faith in Jehovah) is apropos for PIMOs. We could assume from the number of members and commentors’ on the various ex-JW sites and YouTube channels that those utilizing aliases and avatars would indicate they are probably PIMOs. (With exceptions, of course) We could also suspect that the ever increasing number of partakers at the memorial each year to be an indication of scripturally awake brothers and sisters! More on this in future articles.
The question one could ask, is how many active Jehovah’s Witnesses are PIMO? Some speculate there are thousands worldwide and due to the information age the organization is finding it impossible to keep things hidden from the rank-and-file JW as in the past! The vast online community of ex-JWs are exposing the JW organization’s doctrinal flip flops from so called “new light”, (Prov. 4:18) the shocking child sexual abuse court cases with multi-million dollar payouts of donated funds, the ten year alliance with the United Nations, the selling off of “dedicated to Jehovah” Kingdom Halls, and so much more. What must be very troubling to the organization are the many leaked videos and inside “eyes only” information from bethelites who are obviously PIMO. This being one advantage to remaining “in” the congregation, supplying transparency where there isn’t any applying Luke 8:17.
Those who have exited the organization either by fading or through disassociation / removal, have for the most part, been neutralized, having little, if any, influence on active members in the congregation not being able to expose the organization’s dirty laundry. Thus the evil genius behind the infamous extreme shunning policies where the excuse of “keeping the congregation clean” based on 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 is overextended (ignoring Matthew 18:15-17 ) to silence any member who even thinks (yes even if you never share with others) of asking doctrinal questions. In the collective mind of the Governing Body, if perceived as challenging their self-appointed Guardians Of Doctrine status.*
*Guardians of Doctrine a title Geoffrey Jackson offered during his testimony at the ARC hearings to describe the key role of the Governing Body. Although he admitted that “it would be presumptuous to claim the GB is the only channel Jehovah is using”
Therefore motivated physically in scripturally awake (PISA) witnesses become the real threat, especially those that become incognito “truth tellers” when possible, to the rank and file JW who are silently “sighing and groaning” within their local congregations, we can rest assured Jehovah will make them known.
I suggest that the emotional transition from JW zealot to PISA are probably the same for all JW’s regardless of which “trigger” began the individual PIMO journey.
The emotional journey from PIMO to PISA
“It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself, infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving, it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.” Thomas Paine
Those of us here can relate to Paine’s words (a Deist ) as we wrestle with being mentally faithful to ourselves appreciating even more than before 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 4:6, and Acts 17:10-11 when reading Watchtower literature, attending meetings, and even our personal ministries!
Can you relate to the following sequence of emotions? Can you add anything to this list in your comments?
Initially cognitive dissonance* kicks in. The idea that “this can’t be true it’s from APOSTATES!”
*Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person’s behavior and beliefs do not complement each other or when they hold two contradictory beliefs. It causes a feeling of discomfort that can motivate people to try to feel better. People may do this via defense mechanisms, such as avoidance.
Fear of being disloyal to the Governing Body first and then to Jehovah and Jesus. (That is a sad sequence of steps isn’t it? )
Shock and surprise as you dig deeper at the solid documented evidence. (UN NGO alliance, child abuse scandals, etc.)
High anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide. Especially if we were unscripturally devoted to the Governing Body as the Faithful and Discreet Slave, trusting them completely as God’s only channel.
Paranoia about being exposed for even reading what is deemed as apostate material, or even holding private thoughts of doubt, this becomes all-encompassing evidence of mind control very hard to deal with.
Despair that you are all alone with not one friend or family member to confide in, fear of being turned into the elders by any confidant. 1 Kings 19:18
Constant mental anguish rules your every waking moment. (Unless one has experienced this, it is difficult to describe and comprehend.)
Extreme anger at anything and anyone connected to the organization for deceiving us! Unfortunately this sometimes includes our fellow brothers and sisters, ironically those whom we fear losing.
Loss of faith. Some even blame God altogether with thoughts of “how could he have let me be so deceived?”
Searching the internet for answers and generally ending up on websites of angry and vengeful ex-witnesses that helps to feed your anger, and eventually realizing many ex-JW’s have been posting their hate for over 20 years. NO THANKS!
Spiritual limbo. The fear of loss is intensified; cognitive dissonance kicks back in to protect your sanity. The thought process goes like this: I can’t leave. But if I stay, then what I’ve discovered remains like a “splinter in my mind.” There’s no going back. As the saying goes, “You can’t unwring a bell.
The New reality. Silent compromises are made. The mind begins compartmentalizing everything. Your PIMO double life is now in motion, and you constantly perform mental gymnastics to justify why you should do this, it’s just another religion.
Finally, there are those of us who have accepted the PIMO condition for the present, as we refuse to pay the “pound of flesh” demanded by the organization for leaving or being removed—or could there be an additional reason?
“What then?” you say. Consider, if you will, that we could adopt a new acronym. Instead of PIMO, why not PISA. ( Physically In Scripturally Awake) Those who choose to be PISA are remaining in hopefully to reach our family and loved ones until the day you can no longer tolerate the situation or are exposed and ultimately removed by a committee of Elders. We will explore what that looks like in this PISA community.
You might feel that is a tall order. Well, one of the intensions of this community is to help each other develop a new mindset. A place for JW PIMOs offers a community to freely discuss techniques and various methods to accomplish our spiritual goals, help other like minded family and friends while remaining undercover in our local congregation. (Matt 10:16) This site can offer a venue for PISAs to offer their opinions and experiences as part of the growing great crowd of PISAs within the JW organization.
Beroean’s Creed
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