Dr. Natalie Feinblatt appeared in the finale episode of The Aftermath.
She recently published this article: 10 Tips for Leaving the Church of Scientology. (As a note, the byline is credited to Kristie Plantinga who appears to be in charge of Natalie’s website marketing).
No matter who wrote it, the piece contains helpful advice (and couple of factual errors about celebrities who have been involved).
There are a number of parts to the article — these are the subheads.
Why people leave Scientology
Signs you might be ready to quit Scientology
Understanding the process of leaving the Church of Scientology
10 tips for leaving the Church of Scientology
1. Gather Support from Trusted Individuals
2. Seek Professional Guidance
3. Educate Yourself
4. Plan Your Exit Strategically
5. Address Financial Ties
6. Rebuild Your Social Network
7. Explore New Beliefs and Interests
8. Focus on Your Well-being
9. Establish Boundaries
10. Embrace Your New Freedom
I would only add that the Aftermath Foundation is a resource for anyone wanting assistance in leaving scientology.
I just quietly withdrew my support.
I stopped going to events, didn’t take any calls from them and did not sign up for any further courses.
I didn’t shout from the rooftops about any of this because I just wanted to get on with my life.
I was on staff for about 6 years but only really experienced what I would call abusive behavior except in the time of the Finance Police. I pulled a few all-nighters but I can count them on the fingers of one hand.
Usually I got enough sleep and had enough food. I never disconnected from family or anyone else.
Even if I went public and was highly vocal, I would not have been invited onto the Aftermath show because I do not have a compelling tale to tell.
Although I had friends in Scientology, I didn’t really hang out with them much outside of the org.
For me, exiting was relatively easy and I had no need of the 10 steps.
Excellent.
(I enjoy reading people’s views, and am glad at least it sounds like in the 1980s or 1990s, quietly withdrawing worked.)
Great article with great points.
I’d like to share a bit of my perspective here in the hopes that it may benefit those who visit this blog and are seeking to quietly distance themselves from the influence and tentacles of the cult
Currently, I’ve disengaged from active involvement with any organizational lines, though I remain on the mailing lists of various orgs. While I occasionally attend local events, my participation has decreased over time. When approached by IAS regges urging me to upgrade my status, I simply assert that I am already taken care of, indicating I have a stable IAS reg elsewhere who assists me. If pressed further, I politely but firmly state that I prefer not to share personal information with individuals I’m not familiar with. Similarly, if approached about progressing on the Bridge or making donations to idle morgues, I respond with gratitude for their concern but reiterate that I am already taken care of.
I’ve also taken steps to safeguard my privacy by creating new email addresses and phone numbers for non-Scientology contacts, ensuring that my Scn-related communications remain separate. And then worked on creating relations with NEW non-Scn people.
During my time in the cult, I considered fellow Scientologists as friends, though in hindsight, I recognize that true friendship was rare. Out of the many people I encountered, only a handful were genuine friends whom I could trust implicitly. A friend being someone who I would trust with my life. Who would be there when I needed them; and I am there when they need me.
Upon leaving, I had to rebuild my life yet I remained curious about the developments within the Scn world. I was happy to see many former acquaintances had found their way out. Reconnecting with them as interesting as it sounded was nothing I felt compelled to engage in. After all they had never been a genuine friend in the first place.
I found Marty’s blog years ago (Mike’s blog was not yet established, as far as I recall), and initially reached out to Marty for Mike’s contact information, though I hesitated to disclose my identity to Marty. It just did not feel save. And I already had hated his guts while inside the cult.
I then did contact Mike directly with my real name – after all we did happen to have common business while in the cult. Since then, I am occasionally contributing to his blog, appreciating his continued discretion regarding personal information.
In essence, I can reassure others that Mike respects privacy and can be contacted with confidence. He’s a reliable source who values discretion.
If you’d like to participate in the blog asking questions or providing your views while wanting to remain anonymous (meaning not wanting to show your IP address) you can easily do so by downloading the Tor browser, then creating an anonymous email account at mail2tor.
Or, as Mike already stated, contact the Aftermath Foundation – even if it’s only to find someone to talk to.
Stay well and safe!
Im interested why you still attend local events ? Are you still a little agnostic about your situation or do you attend because the food is awesome ?
Definitely for the food! No. Kidding aside, it gives me a bit of a chance to see changes. Who’s there, who not. More people or less. Enthusiasm or apathy? That sort of thing.
Seems like you still have a bit of affinity towards the organization and cant make a clean break. Everyone behaves differently, i prefer when i walk away from something to never go back – you going back is kind of like somebody who continues to spend time with their ex partner even though they realise theirs no future. Carry on though, it is your life afterall and you are the manager of it.
Happy Easter if you recently celebrated it 🙂
I also have to say that those who know…cannot follow the idiocy of a psychologist. rather than end up behind these characters, psychiatrists and psychologists… it is better to stay in RPF for life. I’m sorry for you Mike Rinber, I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up in some psychiatric ward… I advise you to get something done, maybe you’ll come back honest.
Sorry, but can you express at least a complete thought that has a beginning and an end?
Anyhow, if the Sea Org is the perfect place where you can be happy, then go there if you are qualified.
If nothing can stop you from leaving, nothing will stop you from entering. Go and enjoy it.
Jawohl! Herr Kommandant… ha ha ha ha ha
Sure, keep laughing, and you can even add, as Sergeant Schultz used to say in Hogan’s Heroes, “I see nothing, I know nothing.” However, remember that there is hope. No matter if you’ve been badly fitness boarded out, declared, labeled something, or whatever else happened to you, if you step away from that pit which is “hubbardism,” there is hope. Try.
This…she must be a genius, her IQ is probably higher than Tesla. I wonder how can someone who has no idea and reality of what it is to live in the staff, or I KNOW advise how to get out… but what is this list? Heck…if someone wants to go out, they go out. When you want something, really… there is no one who can… there is no obstacle. even rinder managed to escape. However it is much better to be in sea org! the wog world is a desolation.
Pietro, are you in the Sea Org? Yes? Then, what are you doing posting here? But, wait; you’re not in the Sea Org? Why not? If being in the SO is so much better than being in the desolate wog world, why aren’t you in it? Did the Sea Org kick you out? Or did you blow? Are you a Degraded Being now? Sorry for all these questions, but you’re just so interesting! Looking forward to your response!
I already made the checklists today. Maybe I’ll answer your curiosity at another time, leave me your email.
How efficient and thoughtful, Signore! Delighted to hear from you anytime. My email is [email protected]. In attesa!
Aqua wow! You’re definitely not one to back down.
Just be light with Pietro, he just got flunked by Mike on the word ‘conspiracy’ and needs to restudy the entire topic.
No worries, Loosing. Pietro’s nattering will be handled with lots of ARC and finding his MUs with Standard Word Clearing Tech. I don’t believe he’s read Mike’s book; he’s definitely exhibiting MU phenomena on this material. An O/w Write Up could give him relief so that his criticisms of Mike Rinder can cease. Now if either of these don’t work we can always haul out the heavy artillery and get him C/S’d for the False Porpoise Rundown, which of course is delivered only at Sea World, so assuming he lives in Italy might necessitate our having to start a Go Fund Me to help pay his expenses to America.
Aqua, right, I’m sure he is in good hands. 👍
@ Loosing, thanks but everything I said was sarcasm. Whether he/she is OSA, or one of Mike’s new and uninformed internet enemies due to Adam Smith Levin’s firing from Aftermath’s board, or wherever, Pietro is a troll. And as we know, trolls gotta troll 🙂
I would just quietly suggest that two factors matter, regarding getting out of scio;
High rank + Speaking out against COS.
If you are a nobody, in the SO, you get offered the steps, and so on.
Debbie Cook choose another road, silence for money.
Clearly there is difference between Linson getting out, with a lot of info, and Billy bob, getting out. I happen, to believe that Linson should be helped, nomatter what. I also happen to feel, in my gut that Mike and Leah, are two of the people, WHO kept their sanity, after scio. One could say that OSA, and the ghost of Hubbard being after you, isn’t really an easy lifestyle…thats just me…
Kind regards Kim
After just a quick read, this is an excellent site and article.
One worthy to copy and hold onto, in case the site or article is removed.
It excellently summarizes why someone might leave. It packs a lot of right reasons one might choose to leave official Scientology’s confines.
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In my long oversight hindsight, I was a first gen walk in going into Scientology in 1975, I fell into the “seeker” category, and was a philosophy dropout from University going in.
Depending on the full reasons one went into the organized full regulations official Scientology, per this article, I’d have to tailor make the advice since I was a first gen walk in.
Second or third gen Scientologists I think have even more reasons, especially family and their whole Scientology network of friends, and then the whole lifetime of Scientology association issues, which all the second and third gen ex Scientologist books and internet YouTube content lays out, to contend with.
Bottom line, getting out is the right move, to just get out of official Scientology. The ramifications losing family and friends still in official Scientology’s clutches, is the heart wrenching permanent damage that is at present inescapable.
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If official Scientology could only evolve and drop all their nasty family/friends shunning extremist damaging regulations, and evolve to be more like the splinter Scientology groups over the decades are, at least getting rid of the biggest hated feature of official Scientology.
Official Scientology’s fanatical shunning regulations are the problem. They need to cease fanatical shunning.
Splinter Scientology people seem to have solved that issue. Official Scientology needs to do the same.
Another piece of advice, which I think really works, is to visualize yourself ALREADY outside, as if the thing has already happened, and keep focusing on it continuously.
It also works on many other aspects in life.
Very good article. with every point being true and helpful. This could be useful to people who are leaving toxic relationships as well.
These are great tips not only if someone is leaving Scientology but just an abusive relationship or group in general.