It's now again. Welcome back to It's Now Again, your daily mindfulness training session with Jeremy West. Today we're talking about a sensitive but important topic, healing from religious trauma. For those like me who have left a strict or fundamentalist faith, lingering feelings of shame, guilt, or fear can be challenging, and finding freedom and peace may seem out of reach. If this resonates with you, know that you are not alone. Healing religious trauma takes time, but with mindful compassion, grounding, and rediscovery, you can build a life of peace, purpose, and self-acceptance.

First, let's talk about what religious trauma looks like. It can stem from rigid beliefs, shame-based teachings, or pressure to conform. Many people carry messages from their former faith that make them feel they're never good enough or are always unworthy. This trauma can impact how you feel about yourself and interact with the world, creating an inner conflict even years after leaving a religious environment.

I know in my own experience, I entered fundamentalist Christianity as a teenager on my own. I followed a girl at 13 years old. And what I learned there was that I was a sinner deserving of eternal punishment in hell, eternal punishment in hell. And I didn't deserve to be loved, but God in His grace sent His Son whom He killed in my place, and now He can love me because I've been forgiven for the terrible person that I am by the fact that Jesus was crucified.

So I felt the weight of the crucifixion of Jesus. I felt like a terrible human being, that all human beings are terrible. None of us were deserving of the love of God, but we were lucky because He gave it to us, a select few of us anyway. And that stuff lingers. I left Christianity 23, 24 years ago, 25 years ago, and that stuff lingers, particularly when you learn it while your brain is still developing. So I have felt for many years that I wasn't good enough, that I, even though I didn't believe in God anymore, even though I didn't believe in Christianity anymore, that stuff stuck with me.

Mindfulness offers a unique path to healing. It helps us reframe those beliefs with compassion and slowly rebuild a foundation of self-worth. Self-compassion is at the heart of healing. Trauma from restrictive religious teachings often leaves a feeling of unworthiness. So the first step is relearning to love and accept yourself just as you are. Stop judging yourself. Start with simple phrases like, "I am worthy of love and peace," or "It's okay to be exactly as I am." Let these affirmations sink in as you breathe deeply, connecting with the feeling of compassion for yourself. If you catch yourself judging or doubting, remember that the healing journey is gradual and it's okay to go at it at your own pace.

Religious trauma can create a cycle of fear about the past or future. By grounding yourself in the present, you can find stability and ease even when those old fears pop up. A grounding exercise I recommend is to focus on sensory details around you right now. Look at something near you, a cup, a plant, even your hand or your phone, and notice its colors, shapes, and textures. Feel your breath as it moves in and out. This simple exercise brings you back to this moment, reminding you that you're safe right now and you have control over your choices.

When you've been raised or you put yourself in a specific religious environment, values and beliefs are often handed to you rather than chosen freely. A significant part of healing is reclaiming and redefining what matters to you personally and also forgiving yourself for holding values that you now believe are wrong. Like, for example, I held the belief that homosexuality was a sin and that there was something wrong with homosexual people. That, and in queer people in general, that to me is a reprehensible view. But I had to forgive myself for the fact that I had soaked it in from the Bible and the interpretations of the Bible that I was handed at my church. I also sought forgiveness from specific queer people who I felt I had harmed. I sat there and said nothing and indeed went along with the excommunication of one particular person I can think of in our church because he came out as gay. That can carry guilt, so you need to learn to forgive yourself.

There’s a meditation in my It's Now Again guided meditations, which you can find as a podcast and soon as an app, that helps you forgive yourself and others. Take the time to journal about what you truly value. Is it kindness, integrity, freedom of thought? Don’t take it from me; ask yourself, what do you value? This is the hardest part. When you’re used to being told what to value, you now need to learn what you truly value—not from your parents, your church, or even me. What do you value?

Write down whatever comes to mind without judgment or pressure. One way that I've learned to help, if you have trouble identifying your values, is through a technique I got from my mentor, Benjamin Harvey. It’s called TRACK: Talk, Research, Act, Contemplate, Know. Write down three things you like to talk about, three things you like to research, three things you like to act on, three things you like to contemplate, and three things you know a lot about. Circle the one in each column that excites you the most, and you may find patterns in what you truly value.

Knowing your values and having values that are your own can serve as a new compass in your life, guiding you toward a life that feels true to you. Something else I can help you with, if you were to do any coaching with me, is finding your shadow values, those values you might not openly admit, like control or attention. If you suppress your shadow values, they’ll surface in negative ways. Embrace them positively instead.

Allow yourself to question beliefs. Many who leave restrictive faiths feel afraid to question beliefs at first. Fear, shame, and guilt are often built into the teachings. Mindfulness encourages curiosity over fear. Ask yourself, "What beliefs do I want to keep? Which do I want to let go of?" Breathe deeply with each question, allowing answers to come naturally. This gentle process can help you release beliefs that no longer serve you and open space for personal growth.

For many, religious trauma includes pressure from family or community to return to faith. Setting boundaries is crucial. Politely let family know if certain topics are off-limits, or limit time with those who make you uncomfortable. Boundaries are acts of self-respect and help you protect the peace you’re building.

Healing from religious trauma is a journey of self-discovery. As you release restrictive beliefs, you create room to explore new interests, ideas, and identities. Think of this journey as a chance to learn who you truly are. Mindfulness can be your ally. Start each day checking in with yourself, asking, "How do I feel today? What do I need?"

For those from restrictive, high-control groups, a body scan meditation can be very healing. Often, such environments teach us to see our body as sinful or suppress feelings. You need to learn to listen to your body. A body scan is a fantastic way to do that, and it’s available in my guided meditations and the upcoming app.

If you're comfortable, let’s do a quick visualization to release old beliefs. Close your eyes and imagine holding a small box. Place any negative messages or beliefs inside. When you feel ready, imagine closing the box, setting it down, and leaving it behind. Take a deep breath and step forward, lighter and more at peace.

Healing from religious trauma requires patience and kindness with yourself. Each step you take, no matter how small, is progress. Progress is not linear; you may move forward and back, but that’s okay. By practicing mindfulness, compassion, and boundary setting, you can rebuild a life of peace, freedom, and joy.

That's all I have today. If this episode resonated with you or if you have questions, please reach out at itsnowagain@gmail.com. I’m here to support you on your path, specializing in helping people use mindfulness to create a new life apart from their old religion. For more support or to dive deeper, book a free consultation at jeremywest.net, where you'll also find guided meditations and resources. Go out there today, stay present, keep practicing, and remember, it's now again.