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Break Free from Religion!

Deconversion Stories

by Paulo Bittencourt

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My Journey to Atheism

I suffered from Existential Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which is basically existential crisis + 1000 intrusive thoughts every day about literally everything. In 2018, I started having blasphemous thoughts about Islam, right before an important exam. I was shocked to my very core about the type and intensity of the thoughts.
The bad thoughts started when I slept less and prayed more (35 times a day). They often struck during kneeling and bowing and were followed by heavy tension headaches and brain zaps. I became really sad that Satan was now controlling my thoughts. I had no idea about the concept of intrusive thoughts and Pure OCD. So, I blamed it all completely on myself. To compensate, I started reading the Koran, which I did 5 times a day. Then, during college exams, I came upon an article about intrusive thoughts. I was so relieved and grateful to oh-so-dope Allah, for showing me the article and relieving me of guilt! In August 2019, I began having intrusive thoughts about life and death and my life’s purpose and all of that. I got a major depression and started looking for answers everywhere. Nothing helped. Then, I decided to read the Koran in English, to try to actually understand what I had parroted so incessantly and wholeheartedly my whole life. Reading the Koran in English, asking my family elders and watching online Muslim influencers, I couldn't wait to decipher what the purpose of life is and see how beautiful life and how magical the Koran is.
Yeah, no.
The Koran turned out to be only about magical stories, misogynistic crap, constant “Oh, Allah, my Allah, you are the best!” and the life and times of the prophet. The purpose of life that I figured out from the Koran and the Hadith was: Worship Allah for a dope eternal Heaven of 72 virgins, wine (actually juice, because it won't get you drunk) and rivers of milk and honey.
The more I read about the thoughts of Carl Sagan and George Carlin and about natural child born diseases and the more I heard about rapes and other cruel stuff, the more I lost my faith. Now, I am a complete atheist.