I created MetaNarratives to tell a personal story. It's a journey that began with a dramatic childhood involving a very dysfunctional family (many of whom are still alive), surviving a narcissist wife, alienation from my children, working through trauma memory, healing through journaling, and managing a nervous system that was out of control most of my life. This process has been supported by a few exceptional human beings and, ultimately, the Holy Spirit working through me to transform and rewire my brain.
The journey involved being introduced to many books by wise people like Thomas Merton, Jordan Peterson, and Michael Heiser, and, of course, reading the Bible.
The posts were written mainly for myself, but I chose to make them available to the public. If anything I share can is helpful, that's great. Otherwise, this site serves as a digital record of the issues I've been exploring and submitting to memory for various reasons. ~ Charles Hoffman

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Charles Hoffman 2/24/23 Charles Hoffman 2/24/23

Pietism

The Pietist movement is still alive and well. It's particularly evident in our Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations. Why is this important to us today? They have created religions that put their emphasis on performance. For example, they equate being saved with speaking in tongues; better yet, you must believe in the rapture.

An Unbearable Truth

The “past determines your present action and behavior” (Miller). We can continue to repress our childhood memories, ignoring that they exist, and be driven by repressed memories and feelings that determine nearly everything we do or fail to do.

Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

Trauma pain (TP) is generally experienced when you are the object of a narcissist's control or an alcoholic’s rage and abuse. It also happens at the hands of a pedophile or sexual abuse of any kind. It can be physical, emotional, and sexual.