Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion

by Marlene Winell

I found out I’m not just full of the devil and in a dark dungeon; there’s a lot of light down there inside of me and there’s this innocent little girl in there. She was a scared little girl and I needed to learn how to take care of her so she won’t be scared anymore or guilty. I needed to find my spiritual core and ask my inner advisor to guide me. The first time that I tried that, I found myself trapped in this dark, locked dungeon, like Daniel in the lion’s den, with my parents screaming and telling me I was a bad girl. Then pretty soon, this door opened and I went through this dark tunnel where all my fears and everything are, and then I came out into this light. That never happened to me before. It was always dark for me. I had never felt that feeling that hope, that peace. So that’s one of the ways I got rid of the nightmares — getting help from my inner advisor, my wise inner self.

this somehow got rid of the nightmares