This was sent to me by someone who wishes to remain anonymous at this time.
She is not declared, and has recently been on org lines. I find it interesting to read the observations of someone who has been inside orgs VERY recently. I come to a different conclusion about what must be done, but I agree with many of these observations. I have stated a number of times my belief that all dianetics and scientology materials should be made available online for free and the subject will live or die based purely on its workability and value to mankind).
It is somewhat reassuring to know there are still people in scientology who CAN think for themselves.
Evaluation Re: Scientology
To one degree or another, ex-Scientologists fall into two main camps: those that still believe in LRH’s tech and policy; and those who concluded the man was a crackpot and who rejected his whole body of work. Regardless of the camp in which you belong, Scientology has failed in its goals over the last three or four decades. The following Evaluation identifies the “Why.”
In HCOPL, 30 June 1970, Data Series 11, The Situation, LRH gives as an example “a town that has no one living it,” as a major departure from the ideal scene. The similarities between that empty town and Scientology Class V orgs are uncanny. Org stats have been falling for over thirty years and few new people are walking through the front doors. Meanwhile, the age of the remaining public has climbed to unprecedented heights. From what I’ve observed first hand, and from recent pictures I’ve seen of OT Committees and Ideal Org groups, the median age is over sixty.
Something is rotten in Scientology. Public have left in droves. Div 6’s are incompetent if non-existent, and what new people do walk in the front doors, rarely make it to Div 4. Per LRH, stats are always “held down,” “the public love” Scientology, and suppression comes from within the organization. If he’s to be believed, the church is clearly being led by one or more SP’s. But for some reason, staff turns a blind eye as crimes accumulate and stats continue to plunge. What’s going on? How did this happen? How was such travesty allowed to occur?
I could list outpoints and injustices all day—everything from abuses of KSW to incompetency, criminality, and suppression at the top of the organization. The question that must be asked though, is what allowed this degradation to occur. What’s the WHY? Having studied Scientology ethics technology and done the Data Series Evaluator’s Course, I was conversant with “string theory.” So I began to pull.
LRH wrote a lot about correct “why’s.” From Data Series 19, The Real Why: “Why = that basic outness found which will lead to a recovery of stats. Wrong why = the incorrectly identified outness which when applied does not lead to recovery.” Data Series 23: “And a REAL why when used and handled and acted upon is like a magic carpet. The scene at once becomes potentially better or gets maintained.” And “IT WILL BE FOUND THAT WEHRE YOU HAVE A REAL WHY PEOPLE WILL COOPERATE ALL OVER THE SCENE.”
Obviously, the real why hasn’t been found and applied by church management—and certainly not by the man in charge, David Miscavige. Every solution he’s put forward has failed miserably and not led to a recovery of stats. GAT1, GAT2, The Basics, the SRD, Super Power, and a slew of “ideal” orgs have not flooded Scientology churches with new people, much less, made new auditors—the purpose of Class V orgs per LRH.
At first, I thought getting back on track was simply a matter of cleaning up the out-ethics and getting rid of the SP’s. Once that was handled, everything would revert back to “the good old days,” and fall into place. But what then? What would prevent the same mistakes from mucking up the works all over again? Something earlier had to have caused the decline in the first place—something endemic, that had been in place for many, many years. I pulled more string.
Despite sleek events and puffed-up stats, the church has been declining for decades. Once again, GAT1, GAT2, and The Basics were presented as the solutions which would reverse Scientology’s fortunes. None has worked. Though all included the work of LRH, the checksheets and application were not his. All violated myriad policies, not the least of which was KSW and Tech Degrades. What allowed all this out-tech and off-policy to proliferate, and why had so much anti-Scientology PR sprung up in recent years? I took another look at the head of the organization.
Die-hard members think Miscavige is the glue holding Scientology together, and if not for his tireless efforts, the IRS would have gobbled up the church years ago. Others think he’s the devil incarnate. Per LRH, all we have to do is look at his stats. If we do that, there’s only one conclusion: he’s a flaming SP, pure and simple. But so what? What allowed him to usurp and retain so much power? What allowed an SP to take over and steer the ship for almost four decades? More string needed to be pulled. There was something earlier.
So I kept pulling and pulling until I finally ran out of string. And guess what? I arrived at the old man, himself. Scientology’s downfall is rooted in LRH’s very own tech and policy. Somehow, Ron was responsible for the decline and sorry state of current affairs. Allow me to explain.
For all of Ron’s genius, generosity, and playfulness, there was a well-documented dark side to the man. He didn’t always set a good example and he didn’t always take responsibility for his mistakes and shortcomings. He could be very cruel. He was a man full of contradictions. On one hand, he wrote policy on fairness, kindness, and how to address suppression. On the other, he ignored his own advice, set poor examples of behavior, and abused others. Stories abound of him locking kids in chain lockers and over-boarding staff on the Apollo. Like many geniuses, he could be manic-depressive—or overwhelmed by his bank. He was incredibly productive in his manic phases. At other times, his aberrations got the best of him.
Assigning blame to LRH runs counter to the very fiber of every true blooded Scientologist. That said, the man must share responsibility for creating the environment that’s allowed suppression to foment and strangle the church.
On one hand, LRH formulated policy and organized the church precisely to prevent the current Situation. On the other, the checks and balances, and organizational structure intended to make sure everything flourished and prospered haven’t worked. Something in that tech and policy allowed suppressives to get a foothold and take over. What happened? LRH and his Tech and Policy aren’t perfect, and he didn’t always practice what he preached.
What are these actions and policies that contributed to so many defections and left an insane man at the helm? Is there really a situation? You bet your ass there’s a SITUATION.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Control and Obedience
Perhaps the greatest piece of the puzzle that caused the Situation was patterning the church after the military. LRH served in the navy in WWII, and was drawn to the crisp, no-nonsense precision by which it operated. What frustrated him, though, was taking orders from people clearly not up to his intellectual standards.
His solution: Create his own organization and make himself the Commander-in-Chief. Ron was smarter than everyone else. He would make his own policy and issue his own orders.
LRH embraced military culture and imbued his new church in navy nomenclature: captain, commander, chief, and supercargo to name a few. He dressed his personnel in soldier-like uniforms, complete with epaulets, spit-polished black shoes, and medals pinned on front chests. Goals were established. Drills were performed. Troops were mustered every day. Secretaries and Directors issued programs and orders. Production was quantified and graphed. All with military proficiency.
Unmet goals were not tolerated. Lack of production was inexcusable. Those that didn’t meet their targets were assigned lower conditions.
Orders were obeyed, never questioned. Superiors were answered with “Yes, sir!” “No, sir!” In lieu of court-martials and brigs, insubordinate staff were demoted and routed to ethics for security checks and committees of evidence. Or worse: transferred to the Rehabilitation Projects Force—the RPF—for a year or two of scrubbing porcelain and grout-lines with toothbrushes.
As for the public, they were either with him, or against him. There was no middle ground. He wrote famously, “When somebody enrolls, consider he or she has joined up for the duration of the universe…” Those that left were declared suppressive and shunned by the group.
LRH demanded complete, unquestioned trust and submission. He wrote that his authoritarian system was the only workable method of reaching the goals of mankind. Year after year, he came up with workable solutions to what had plagued man for millennium. Everyone else’s explanations and methods contained fatal flaws, missing components, and would end in failure.
But a church is not a militia. And an org is not an army base. Religions are for spiritual enlightenment, healing, and answering the basic questions of life. Militaries are for staging war, and defending countries with guns and bombs. Marrying the church with the military, the priest with the general, was a match made in hell. Merging the science of mental health with the art of war was doomed to failure. And yet, LRH combined these two contrary concepts.
And thus, Scientology’s troubles evolved from this military mindset and paved the way for the church being seized and run into the ground by a similar military aficionado.
Keeping Scientology Working
One of the first pieces of data a new Scientologist has drummed into his head is that all worthwhile knowledge was discovered by LRH. Little else is of any value. “Contributions” by others in the fields of Dianetics and Scientology ended in disaster. Questioning the tech and policy isn’t tolerated. Discussing materials with others is an overt.
Keeping Scientology Working—KSW—is the first policy letter in all Scientology courses and lays the foundation for LRH’s philosophy regarding knowledge and running the organization. It may also be his most seminal piece of indoctrination, and the building block toward unquestioned dedication, if not devotion and obedience.
In KSW, LRH writes, “The whole agonized future of this planet, every man, woman and child on it, and your own destiny for the endless trillions of years depend on what you do here and now with and in Scientology.” Parishioners are led to believe that Scientology, as written by Ron, is their only hope for salvation and that unless they follow his dictates EXACTLY, they’re doomed forever. Instances of things that don’t make sense or seem unworkable must be challenged “with ferocity” by instructors, supervisors, or executives. If people can just “rise above the domination of the bank,” and follow Ron’s instructions to the letter, they will “achieve freedom and reason.” Scientology and his dictates are Earth’s only hope. Scientology must be kept working at any cost.
KSW leaves no room for the idea that things could be improved by others. In fact, according to LRH, such suggestions, “if accepted and acted upon, would have resulted in the complete destruction of all our work as well as the sanity of pcs.”
The fallacy of this assertion is debunked by numerous examples. Had Henry Ford acted similarly, we’d all still be driving around in Model T’s. Instead, thousands and thousands of designers, engineers, and scientists have contributed in making the modern automobile.
Many a militia has lost the war due to an inability to change and develop new strategies. In their defeat, the British in the Revolutionary War wore bright red coats and stood in long lines in the middle of open fields. Likewise, a downfall of religion is its inability to evolve. Once a “divine” text has been transcribed to paper, it cannot be changed. The words are those of God. To alter a single one would be sacrilege.
Similarly, KSW leaves no room for debate of tech or policy. What’s written is written. PL’s and HCOB’s must be followed without question. If LRH wrote it, it’s true. Anything else is the bank talking.
Just like the military general and just like God, the head of the Church of Scientology is unquestionable and without reproach—both its founder, LRH, and its present commander, David Miscavige
Enemies
Just like most nations with big armies, the church needed an enemy—someone or something that had caused all of its woes and which would distract its followers from looking too closely at what was happening internally. The AMA, psychiatry, and the IRS fit the bill perfectly.
For years the church has waged war against the medical industry and its most insidious branch, psychiatry. According to LRH, evil psychiatrists are responsible for the sorry state of mankind, not only on this planet but throughout the galaxy. For trillions of years, psychiatrists have erased memories and implanted minds with commands, making beings more docile, and easier to control and manipulate. On Earth, the IRS has waged a war to bring down the church by making them pay taxes on their vast holdings.
Just like in the military, this has helped create an “us vs. them” mentality. There are Scientologists. And there are non-Scientologists—or “wogs” as they’re referred to by parishioners. The former have the tech with which to set us free; the latter—if not actively trying to do us in—are to be pitied. Scientologists are superior beings—“upstats.” Wogs are not. When you reward upstats, you get upstats. When you reward downstats, you get downstats. There are Scientologists. And there is everyone else. Kind of like the Green Berets!
Study Tech
Right after his first time through KSW, one is taught how to study.
Don’t understand something? Find your misunderstood word—your “MU.” The tech is correct. Always. Despite claims that Scientology isn’t perfect and is only a “workable” solution, LRH tech and policy are assumed infallible, one-hundred percent effective, and not open for discussion. Trying to explain tech or policy is considered “verbal tech” and is a crime. If something doesn’t make sense, the student has an MU. Or the person hasn’t “worked it out” with his demo kit. Or he skipped a gradient. Or is disaffected and needs to be routed to Ethics for sec-checking and assignment of lower conditions.
Scientologists are taught that any “non-optimum” reaction while studying is the result of an MU, lack of mass, or a skipped gradient. LRH’s three “barriers to study” have contributed hugely to the downfall of the church by not allowing for the possibility of imperfect authorship. Discussing the merits, inconsistencies, or flaws of a bulletin or policy letter isn’t allowed. Everything Ron wrote is presumed perfect. If something doesn’t make sense, students are expected to use their demo kits until it does.
Are there other barriers besides LRH’s big three? A few come to mind:
Believing an author is infallible or faultless, whether he is or isn’t, is an obstacle to analytical thinking.
The author’s work contains outpoints and illogics—intentional or not—is another barrier. Examples include:
False data, lies, half truths.
Omitted data.
Things out of sequence.
Similarities that aren’t similar.
Identities that aren’t identical.
Example: Cats and dogs are fury, four-legged mammals, with two eyes and one nose. Therefore, they’re the same creature. Etc.
Imperfect or inadequate prose by the author can be an impediment to learning:
The author inflicts his own MU’s upon the reader.
Flawed grammar.
Awkward sentence structure.
Meandering, non-linear prose.
An outdated style of writing making study difficult and not easily accessible for contemporary readers.
Skipped gradients by the author are barriers:
Example: a math book in which division is taught before addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
More barriers include:
Discussion about that which a student is studying is discouraged or prohibited.
Intolerance of different viewpoints by teachers, staff, and other students.
Critical (analytical) thinking isn’t allowed.
Reading other sources isn’t encouraged or allowed, and is considered out-ethics.
Physical outpoints that prevent optimum studying:
Lack of sleep.
Poor nutrition.
Poor health due to sickness, disease, infirmity, and/or lack of exercise.
Genetics (?): low IQ, retardation, autism, etc.
A non-optimum environment is a hindrance to study:
Too hot; too cold.
Uncomfortable chairs.
Too crowded.
Noisy.
Smelly.
Many factors contribute to poor learning. An insistence that a particular text is perfect and without reproach is possibly the biggest barrier of all.
The End Justifies the Means
“The greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics” and “this is our last chance” are two examples of LRH tenets that management and staff use to justify unscrupulous behavior. However true these maxims are, they’ve contributed to a mentality that the end justifies the means. They’ve provided license for staff to lie, cajole, abuse, and use whatever means necessary to “get their product.” The planet doesn’t have much time left. It’s now or never. If we have to break a few eggs in lieu of an eternity of blackness and suppression, so be it. This is our first time in quadrillions of years to break the cycle of the reactive mind and return to native state.
Examples include: splitting up families and causing unimaginable heartache by forced disconnection; talking people into stripping retirement accounts for the bridge and new buildings; and discarding Sea Org members too old to produce. I could go on and on.
Nothing is more important than Scientology and “clearing the planet.” Want a new car to get to work? Pay for your son’s tuition? Set aside reserves or money for retirement? You’re simply the effect of a society absorbed in the accumulation of material wealth and PTS to the middle class. Nothing is more vital than ascending the bridge as quickly as possible. There is no justification for spending money on anything besides Scientology. The end justifies the means.
Just like in war, collateral damage is to be expected. A few innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire is little price to pay when an the future of an entire planet is on the line.
Responsibility
Scientology is big on responsibility: responsibility for oneself, his actions, and for those in his immediate vicinity. If he’s really, really responsible, he’s what’s called “pan-determined” and is responsible for the whole universe.
Thus if some piece of tech or policy doesn’t make sense, or an order from a senior seems “off,” the parishioner or junior is always to blame. He’s responsible. There’s something wrong with him, something he can’t see. Period. If finding the MU or the skipped gradient doesn’t resolve the issue, he must have violated one or more moral codes. In church parlance: overts.
The church is never at fault. And by extension, neither is its staff—for they are the most responsible people on the planet. Just like the soldier risking his life for the welfare of his country, the Scientology staff member works for the welfare of the galaxy seven days a week while getting paid next to nothing. Questioning their actions or their motives—their sacrifice—is not done.
This mindset, too, has contributed to the downfall of Scientology.
First and foremost, the Church of Scientology must be reorganized and run in a non-military fashion if it is to right itself and succeed. It must cease attacking and railing against perceived enemies. People must be allowed to freely discuss and question LRH tech and policy without fear of reprisal. The current leader of the church, David Miscavige must step down voluntarily or be removed. A general amnesty must be granted for all ex-Scientologists. The church must admit culpability for its years of abuses and take responsibility for its actions.
BT Brenda says
I really liked how you pointed out that Henry Ford’s invention was enriched by other inventors, improvers and innovators. I bought that I could wreck my chances of freedom and Scientology by introducing changes and that only Ron could free us. I wanted to discuss the philosophy, it was interesting. Again and again people shushed me. Barfs in mouth at memory.
Finding out how many of his inventions were others or stirred and altered other’s work was a huge help to me in separating out from and spotting that I was in a cult.
Another thing I enjoyed in this eval were the additional barriers to study like crappy writing. You can have a good idea but if you state it wretchedly I may not understand it. And I’m supposed to look for my MU because you can’t write a declarative sentence? I’ve supposed to find my skipped gradient because you meander and digress? And I’m supposed to demo it out because it’s my fault you can’t express an idea clearly?
Oh sorry I’ll go write up my overts on Ron because I don’t understand his gobbledy gookie sentences. Um, well maybe not. Maybe I’ll go with the writer’s additional study barriers. Yeah crappy writing.
This made me feel good to read it.
I’ve just shared it with an UTR outie. Striking a blow against wrongness. Mmmm that feels good.
sara says
This is an important article. Just found it.
The first outpoint, the marriage of the militia with a church, resonated with me. It was one of the very first things I couldn’t understand with Scientology. From the military style of operation come almost all the other outpoints and wrongdoings imo. Scientology is a religous enterprise at war. It is doomed to fail.
Mike Wynski says
Sara, the CoS has NO connection with a militia. I’m afraid you don’t know what a militia even is. Running around in fake uniform saying yes sir does NOT a militia make. Not by one thousand light years.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Mike Wynski, I had to add,or one thousand light sabers or Excaliburs in my case,would not a real world militia make.I forgot,have to add the clay demos,did I demo the heck out of that clay! Laughter,xo Ann B.
Michael Tilse says
My evaluation of Scientology:
Ron was a narcissist from the beginning. He practically invented the selfie. He was always center stage in any photo you see of him.
He invented nearly every narrative of his life. He didn’t explore china. He didn’t graduate college. He was neither a civil engineer nor a nuclear physicist. He had no P.H.D. He was not awarded special medals in World War II and never saw combat. His only injuries were eye trouble, (not blindness), ulcers, (not being machine gunned by the Japanese), and gonorrhea from a woman not his wife.
The only thing he was good at was telling tales. He could write. He could spin a yarn. He could roll the wordage with the best. The rest of his life was a horror story of skipping out on debt, being kicked out of command, getting people involved in schemes that cost them fortunes and abandoning his wives and girlfriends.
He was an accomplished hypnotist. He loved to fool people. Dianetics and it’s offspring, Scientology, combined his talents of writing, fooling people, spinning tales and taking advantage.
L. Ron Hubbard was one of the most accomplished confidence men of this or any other age.
You bought his line. So did I. We bought his tale of becoming all we could be: All powerful and all knowing. Far different than our own estimation of ourselves prior to Scientology. So powerful was the bait. So powerful that we became his unwitting confederates in the con.
But look at the facts: There are no OTs. Not by Hubbard’s own definition of knowing cause over life and MEST. Even Hubbard was not OT. He died from a stroke. Surely not the end an OT would choose. He had the psych drug Visaril in his body, administered by Dr. Denk. Would the highest OT in the universe have a PSYCH DRUG in his system?
There are no OTs. Not one Scientologist can just ‘thunk’ something into or out of existence. Just challenge them to do it. They can’t. You can’t. If you think you can or have, you are fooling yourself. There is no proof that would ever stand up to inquiry.
There are a lot of people who have given their lives, their fortune and their sacred honor to get Hubbard’s promised results. To become OT. But no one, not even Hubbard, ever got there. Or ever will get there. The most any Scientologist will ever get is a hypnotic illusion that they have those powers.
Yea, you can point to wins. So can all those people in AA, Dale Carnegie, Snake Handling and Meditation. Or Christ, Mohammed, Zoroaster or Abraham. None of them are OT either.
Scientology is just a fantasy fabrication from the mind of a malign narcissist. Out of our own goodness, desire to help ourselves and help others we swallowed his story, never imagining that the lie could be so vast.
Michael Leonard Tilse
Ann B Watson says
Hi Michael Tilse, It is good to meet you and thank you for your wise post.For myself also, Ron promised the golden rainbow,but delivered burnt dark embers instead.I do feel Ron knew what was what until perhaps at the end.Having had two late parents who for no reason whatsoever both became totally insane and passed in their 70s,I have some idea about dealing with that situation.But in Sea Org Ron was always presented as the ultimate omni- potent being,until the wind changed direction for me.Always,Ann B.
Artoo45 says
Perfect. Much more succinct than the article on which you comment. With Hubb’s “tech,” there is no there there. Never was. Follow that string just a little further and the author will find that there’s nothing worth rehabilitating.
theosismanides says
“First and foremost, the Church of Scientology must be reorganized and run in a non-military fashion if it is to right itself and succeed. It must cease attacking and railing against perceived enemies. People must be allowed to freely discuss and question LRH tech and policy without fear of reprisal. The current leader of the church, David Miscavige must step down voluntarily or be removed. A general amnesty must be granted for all ex-Scientologists. The church must admit culpability for its years of abuses and take responsibility for its actions.”
I do agree with the above. In many respects of the analysis I do not agree because there is a huge difference between religious philosophy (the Tech as left by LRH) and religious practices (be it the practices of the CofS or the Freezone or whoever).
As a final conclusion for me what is really missing is a Thetan behind the organization who can lead the people back to the religious philosophy of Scientology.
Rescue Dog says
I need no amnesty.
I need to see a funeral for a predatory, profit-oriented fake church.*
An event such as that demise would still fall short of justice, but at least the world would be rid of one social leech. Let history remember L. Ron Hubbard as history’s greatest con artist.
*Let’s just call it a cult, for the sake of honesty.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Rescue Dog,It is good to meet you.Thank you,your post was right there at the right moment.Always,Ann B.
r says
🙂
Valkov esnowl@juno.com says
Well. I guess you told me.
Oiram says
Great evaluation. Many points are just so spot on.
Heeding this kind of incisive and realistic evaluation is the only way Scientology can survive in a meaningful way and make its potential contribution to the lives of individuals and communities.
Just use the tools to really help. Forget about empire building and domination. Scrap disconnection, limitations in access to other viewpoints, philosophies and methodologies.
Make the movement genuinely humanity serving and not merely self-serving.
Thanks to the writer and thank you Mike for enabling the posting of this very good article.
rogerHornaday says
I’m curious what you think a reformed scientology would sell. What would be its product? How would it market itself?
It would have to shed its “save mankind and the planet” sloganeering. No need to state the obvious that scientology doesn’t have the means to change a person with ‘case’ into a person without ‘case’ and if it can’t do that by what right can it claim to be able to save the world?
Scientology doesn’t want to help the so-called, ‘mentally ill’ so there’s no evidence it can make itself useful in that department.
Admin tech hasn’t set the world on fire and there aren’t any impressive examples of its efficacy one can point to in order to make a good sales pitch for it.
So what is a post-reformation scientology going to be and what’s it gonna do? Have you or anybody else thought this through? When you remove the lies from scientology what is left standing? I’d love to read an essay about that from a person who believes there’s something worth salvaging. It would be fascinating to hear what their vision is for the future of the ‘tech’.
Michael Winters says
And how about giving back money to the people they’ve bilked who, despite whatever amnesty may come, still wants nothing to do with their organization.
Aquamarine says
I read this with interest. My thanks to the still in author of it and to Mike for posting it.
Being largely in the author’s former category I would be interested and open to a “Scientology” (or whatever it would be called) which was recodified with Fair Game, Disconnection and other toxic policies jettisoned.
I personally have no button on “squirreling” because Co$ itself is already a squirreled-tech organization, Miscavige apparently has never had any problem changing the tech when it suited his purposes, so there’s no reason why others shouldn’t recodify it, rework it to eliminate the obvious toxicities, etc.
I got into Scientology because it was presented to me as an applied religious philosophy – emphasis being on “applied” and “philosophy” – and it helped me.
But then, I was never staff or SO. My experience as a public cannot be compared to those who served in the SO or on staff.
As a public, Scientology was never “sold” to me as a religion but as a self help system. I had no interest in joining up with a religion and still don’t. Organized religion has long been a personal turn off for me. Fine for anyone else but I’m not interested in unquestioning obedience so that the boogeyman doesn’t get me or so that I’ll have eternal life in the bosom of Jesus Christ or achieve Native State, etc. etc.
I don’t nor have I ever subscribed to the believe that NOT using one’s mind is the key to higher states of being. In any way, shape or form, THAT has always been nonsense to me, even from the first time I read the Adam and Eve story, wherein they are punished for being curious about the forbidden fruit and eating it. Big deal, you know? I always thought, “How silly! Who WOULDN’T have been curious and eaten that apple? God aroused their curiosity and pointed out the tree to them in the first place. So they ate one of those apples, so what? And why were they forbidden to eat the silly apples in the first place?” Basic Christianity started losing me at the age of 9, but I digress.
Now, having said that, applying a philosophy is a different matter. Seeing if/how a philosophy works or doesn’t work as it applies to some aspect of one’s life is an entirely different matter, in my view, from unquestioning obedience to a set of rules which one must follow – “or else” (fill in whatever dire punishment you like ).
To sum up, off the top of my head I think Scientology or whatever it could be called could and should be overhauled and cleaned up of its toxicities and marketed as a self help system. Make it NOT a religion. Eliminate the tax break and the First Amendment protection Co$ now has. Jettison the Sea Org of course. It could be advertised; people could sign up and pay or not. They’d be satisfied with their services or not, as the case may be. Look, this is all kind of off the top of my head. I just think it should not be a religion.
Lots of people want and need help to live better but I don’t think that most people are interested in joining up with a religion. My opinion, only, and thanks for reading.
Brett says
Morpheus: The Matrix [Scientology] is everywhere. it is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel when you go to work…when you go to church…when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage [seduced into Scientology]. Into a prison that you cannot taste or or touch. A prison for your mind.
Morpheus: The Matrix [Scientology] is a system Neo. That system is our enemy. but when you’re inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen [students], teachers [supervisors], lawyers Ethics Officers], carpenters [Sea Org members]. the very minds of the people we are trying to save. but until we do, these people are still part of that system and that makes them our enemy [in their minds]. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.
Betsy reppen says
Wow, one of the write-ups I’ve read as to the source of the troubles and that is Source himself.
Orwell says
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire.
Burn baby burn.
Barb says
I got one answer for you. It is money itself. All groups goes this way because they depend on money. If you got the money you got control and power. It will always go like this in any group because of that reason. Why do you think the 1% has so much power. It is also the people allowing it. But since they need money too they often have to, or they die.
I have been saying this for years. Now maybe some of you guys will understand this is the root of it all.
Lawrence says
Barb, yes and no. Money is a key factor in ANYTHING & EVERYTHING the church does. But read this example, this true event that happened to me, before I even had a firm reality on what OT meant. LRH wrote me a letter at the Org in New York and one of the staff stole it and turned it over to the Ethics Officer for review. Obviously one can see where the implant is in that situation, but where is the money? So you are right about that for a fact, but the church in the example above never made any off this act. So what was the point? Be free if you are and enjoy life. People like members of the Church of Scientology will pretty much always be around to entertain people instead of better them. 🙂
Mike Wynski says
Barb said, “I got one answer for you. It is money itself. All groups goes this way because they depend on money. If you got the money you got control and power. ”
???I’ve worked for company’s (that were about making money as that is why they are set up) that were fine. People worked, made money. People bought their product and were fine. The owners made tons of money and they were fine. the businesses depended on money. Like ALL such endeavors. What are you talking about?
bug says
I got her point, Mr. Wynski, I don’t think she needs to repeat it, really, especially for you.
How smart you are.
There, now you don’t have to prove it anymore. Maybe you could give up this penchant for shooting holes in other people’s posts, and focus rather on the good things AND THE GOOD REASON that they are posting. Let’s encourage each other, whenever possible. Who knows who is looking in here for the first time. No need to appear unnecessarily threatening, or like strangers ready to lop off heads. Keep your standards high, you keep coming up with good stuff.
Ann B Watson says
Hi bug, It is good to meet you and your advice makes sense to me.Oh and Mike’s ignore button it goes off in my head if some troll upsets me.Now I ignore away and carry on the best I can.Always, Ann B.
Jose Chung says
Every second anyone is inScientology they are at risk.
One foot on a banana peel the other foot in the grave.
Jens TINGLEFF says
“First and foremost, the Church of Scientology must be reorganized and run in a non-military fashion if it is to right itself and succeed.”
Succeed at what, though? What if the purpose was to generate more suitcases of cash for “the old man” than he ever dreamed of? (And, yes, that would make “saving this sector of the universe” just a smoke screen.) What if the purpose was to abuse the goodwill of some members (those sacrificing themselves) and doing it by encouraging the sociopathic tendencies of others (such as, oh, Tony Strawn – just to get away from everyone’s favourite)?
Check out “A Queer and Pleasant Danger” by Kate Bornstein regarding the suitcases of cash.
Brian says
If Scientology, as an organization, is to survive in our culture, imo it needs to go through all of the doctrines that teach harm to families and critics and isolate them in a toxic waste dump bin call RON’S BANK.
Use reason and the data series to isolate toxic and paranoid doctrines.
But before that happens, Scientologists have to confront the Old Mans mental issues.
That is a difficult deconstruction for faith based fixed ideas.
There are some workable benevolent things Ron taught. And there are some dangerous harmful ones as well.
Sorting out L Ron Hubbard and differenciating between his madness and genius.
Doing this will ‘un-dissonant’ the cognitive dissonance.
One point of importance in my opinion; label the OT levels a dream therapy not a true model for a religious cosmology.
Believing in Ron’s Sci Fi model of the universe as an accurate assessment of the universe is Looney Land 101.
The Com formula is great. Clay demo is great. The grades are great. Crowning listening skills is great. Some of the condition formulas are great (some needs purging, like blows against the enemy)
Strip Ron’s writings down to those benevolent practices that makes good loving people.
Things that unify humanity, not fragment it into us and them.
Separate Ron’s true spiritual perceptions from Ron’s paranoid persecution complex.
Brian says
AND…………. The leaders should make a public apology for the toxic and violent crimes that their religion has been responsible for.
FG says
I would like to say something which might not be popular thoses days and for the majority or readers of this blog : I loved Hubbard and I still love him. No, I wasn’t a robotic hip hip. I hated all those hip hip hourrah!
I have studied Hubbard, listened to his voice on academy lectures. He gave me so many moments of cognition and joy. Yes, and I am not ashame of it. With the practice of auditing I have helped people. There is a magic moment when the TA goes down, the needle start to float and the PC says “you know what…” and start to cognite. This is a great joy for the PC and the auditor.
Since first contact when I read “evolution of a science”, I have had a great affinity for Hubbard (I read this book before I ever had a contact with an org or misson).
Facing so many attempt to darken his memory I felt I had to announce my feeling : I loved him. When I says that I can almost cry, because deep down, I feel so much affinity reality and communication with him as a spiritual being.
I am going old, and become sometime a poor suffering man and I can understand that in a degrading body at the end he was less than himself, this is the fate of most human.
The first time the name of Miscavige was even mentionned, I hated him. I suppressed that feeling but the truth is that I have always hated Miscavige, very deeply. He is the kind of person that I wish dead at first glance, he is a monster ennemy of any freedom. Not only a little bully but a suppressive of magnitude who was already acting in history.
I hope he will be remember in the books as the SP who almost destroyed scientology and scientologists.
And I hope the church will reform and will be bright and helpful again.
And I’m not an hypnotized cult member quite the opposite, I do think by myself and nobody ever forced me to love Hubbard.
Mike Wynski says
It’s okay to love a criminally insane person. Weird but whatever.
Gary says
Yes Mike. Weird but whatever
Brian says
I appreciate your position FG. I really do. Sometimes I write all of the positive things I learned from Ron. So I’m sorry if my Ron Rants are offensive to you or others.
My take is that aside from all the good, there was also some bad and definite deception. And because Ron actually outlawed criticism with threats of punishment, it is important to allow ourselves to be critical again. That’s why I post what I do. I hope to make it ok for others to be critical. And absorb any hate that I sometimes get (not so much anymore) in hopes that their hate will simply work itself out.
Ron did some good and Ron did some bad. I honor your love and loyalty for him.
But somewhere on some tape I remember him saying,”don’t let your affinity overwump your reality”
FG, there are things he did behind the scenes that where down right bad.
FG are all critics of Ron or Scientology criminals?
Should critics be “ruined utterly”
Is the family urge the musings of a GE psychotic ghost?
Are families bad groups for thetans?
Are psychiatrists the cause of suffering on the whole track?
Was Jesus a pedophile?
Should he have created the GO to destroy the lives of innocent people: critics?
It must be completely crazy making to know that you learned benevolent things to help people while at the same time knowing that the man had not just a normal dark side, but something far more deviant.
Maybe someday you will be friends with him again. Maybe someday we will all meet again: to work this shit out.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Brian, Thank you for a very profound post.Following you & FG’s I thought about my experience in this area,Here is my take on my feelings about Ron,If there had not been a very large spark of recognition when I read DMSMH & received Sea Org promo shortly thereafter,@ 22 I would not have broken off my engagement and not finished all my college stuff to fly right out to Hollyweird and join Sea Org @ Asho F.This was a forever decision as far as I was concerned at the time.
So I too understand LG’s post and if a person is helped by correctly done indie auditing more Power to both auditor & PC.And if that means they both love Ron’s Tech each one of us is unique.
However Brian,your posts have allowed me to understand and see so much more of why I blew SO and why the tech went off the rails for me.As much as I have still some fond memories of Ron,on tapes,in Bell & Howell movies the Sea Org was shown,& Mission Into Time I always liked that title,the bits of good I recall are over shadowed by Sec-Checks,Fair Game Heavy Ethics handling and a complete reversal of all I thought had been good about cos.I cannot forget Quentin and all the many who were harmed hurt and betrayed by Ron as Source and David who is another kettle of fish entirely I feel from what I have read.
I post here not only for the amazing kinship I feel but to keep the light held high so that one day we all can shine together and all broken families reunited too.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Brian,Edit XOXO Ann B.
Brian says
Hi Ann!
Hugs for all 🙂
Ann B Watson says
Hi Brian, Yeah! You always know when I need hugs! Thank you.It just so happens I found out today I have to make a decision on another operation for breast cancer,biopsy again most probably.Like going down down in the conditions bounce back up and back down again.Thank the stars I am not doing all that bouncing on the twisted bridge! I know I’ll make the right decision for me,this blog is my safe harbor when seas get rough.Love you 2 to pieces. Ann B.
FG says
Brian, Ann. I am of course aware of the negative. Actually as it is said on the eval the military policies made it possible.
I think Hubbard somehow started to see the world like a big space opera, with the story of OT3.
Oddly enough, people with the level of awarness of OT3 don’t go robotic, they can differentiate. Only stupid people dramatize the army. There was too many idiots in the Sea Org. And Miscavige could rule. All the high class auditor were declared.
Scientology for more than 30 years is no more scientology. What you don’t like is something which is not scientology.
The audtor’s code is broken all the time. It’s not safe to communicate even in session.
It’s totalitarian fascist.
Hubbard hated that… But at the end of his life he was less than himself and was manipulated by Miscavige and co.
FG says
The end phenomena of OT3 is “return of full self determinism”. I had this EP. After OT3, I could really think by myself, I would not any longer dramatize other viewpoint than my own.
When Miscavige appear, I knew it was a catastrophe for scientology. Believe me, one can a true scientologist and perceive. The Cool Aid don’t see, they are hypnotized…
Ann B Watson says
Hi FG, Thank you, I understand your viewpoint.We can agree to disagree.I do not see Ron manipulated by any one,but that is my viewpoint alone.Ann B.
Mike Wynski says
FG said, “I think Hubbard somehow started to see the world like a big space opera, with the story of OT3.
Oddly enough, people with the level of awarness (sic) of OT3 don’t go robotic, they can differentiate. Only stupid people dramatize the army. ”
Um, El Con was OT 3.
THIS is a perfect example of your mind on Scamology
Brian says
The dream therapy of the OT3 doctrine creates an ultimate evil. Like the Death Star in Star Wars, Satan in religions.
By creating an absolute evil, word clearing and clay demoing (study hypnosis) it, the mind holds in place the concept of the most overwhelming enemy to ever be experienced.
By then creating Sci Fi imagery and good guy bad guy scenarios, Ron fashioned a war in solo auditing between an ultimate overwhelming evil and the pc.
By conceptually deconstructing, by looking at, the mental mass that free associates with Ron’s OT3 dream therapy (meter reads), the pc concludes that the OT3 story is true.
What is true is that the pc has been prepped for years of yearning to do OT3, seeing others complete it, dreaming and yearning which acts like a form of self hypnosis.
Creating an ultimate evil (Xenu, psyches, BTs) puts the mind in a tussle with concepts of ultimate evil. Fighting these demons to a floating needle, gives the impression that they have been defeated. That these Sci Fi “realities” are real.
But what really happened is that Ron created a therapy which uses archetypes. We go to battle with these Ron Created archetypes, win an imaginary war that is clothed in our own mental energy, and conclude we are free.
The negative mental mass we dissipate can be real in auditing.
But the story behind it, Ron’s imagination, is not real.
Freedom from overwhelm then can simply be a basic responsible, common persons view; I am responsible for my experience. Nothing esoteric about it. I can overcome!
But in Scientology you get to spend 100s of thousands for a cert, group bonding and a standing O.
Something I have heard Toast Masters can diliver for free.
Dio says
That certainly is a good write up, especially by an insider.
Actually quite amazing.
Re: the line: “Questioning the tech and policy isn’t tolerated.”
The problem with scientology is that it is full of contradictions, and false and limiting data, lies, traps, wrong definitions, a mixture of truth and lies, which when drilled (forced into a person’s mind), will cause the majority (all but the strongest of minds) to go insane and not be able to reason and evaluate data.
I would like to know how many people carefully read all the text books?
Because for example, the line I quoted above is directly contradicted in: Scn; A new slant on life, in the chapter: How to study a science: where he, in essence, says to followers; to stop parroting him and question everything and go and think for your self.
Anyone who read all the books, (and applied the study tech) should of cognited on that, and that datum would of stuck and festered and gestated and then he would of began to think for himself and slowly questioned everything. And eventually found his way out of the trap.
Those words are the keys to the way out of the trap.
Those words were practically hidden in plain sight.
I caught a couple of more traps:
Hubbard said:
“Never be reasonable.”
A person who buys that idea, will be insane and insanely ruthless. He will not be sensible.
That is a false datum, it is a trap.
All sane and sensible people are reasonable.
It is a necessary trait for an intelligent, civil, sane and free society.
Reasonable:
ˈ
1. (of a person) having sound judgment; fair and sensible.
“no reasonable person could have objected”
“a reasonable man”
based on good sense.
“it seems a reasonable enough request”
archaic
(of a person or animal) able to think, understand, or form judgments by a logical process.
“man is by nature reasonable”
2. as much as is appropriate or fair; moderate.
Reasonable:
1. Capable of reasoning; rational: a reasonable person.
2. Governed by or being in accordance with reason or sound thinking: a reasonable solution to the problem.
3. Being within the bounds of common sense: arrive home at a reasonable hour.
4. Not excessive or extreme; fair: reasonable prices.
1. showing reason or sound judgment
2. having the ability to reason
3. having modest or moderate expectations; not making unfair demands
4. (Commerce) moderate in price; not expensive
5. fair; average: reasonable weather.
1. agreeable to or in accord with reason; logical.
2. not exceeding the limit prescribed by reason; not excessive: reasonable terms.
3. moderate, esp. in price; not expensive.
4. endowed with reason.
5. capable of rational behavior, decision, etc.
When someone is reasonable, they behave in a fair and sensible way.
Our mother was always very reasonable.
I can’t do that, Morris. Be reasonable.
If something such as a proposal or judgement is reasonable, it is acceptable because it is fair or sensible.
Rules and procedures need to be accepted as reasonable by those who operate them.
There was no reasonable explanation for her decision.
2. ‘rational’
You say that someone is rational when they are able to think clearly and make decisions and judgements based on reason rather than emotion.
Let’s talk about this like two rational people.
You can also describe people’s behaviour as rational.
This was a totally rational response to a set of complex problems.
Reasonable Person.
A phrase frequently used in tort and Criminal Law to denote a hypothetical person in society who exercises average care, skill, and judgment in conduct and who serves as a comparative standard for determining liability.
Another one:
Sympathy: Never give give sympathy. If you give someone sympathy, you will kill him.
That is worse than a false datum. Combined with the previous one, it will put an insane person on steroids.
A person who is never reasonable and never sympathizes is a very dangerous, ruthless robot.
Such a person has no common sense.
These two datums alone will make people of the worst kind. It will turn people into monsters when necessary.
And scientology is full of those kinds of false ideals, traits, and definitions and misuse or perversion of data.
Sympathy
1. the sharing of another’s emotions, esp of sorrow or anguish; pity; compassion
2. an affinity or harmony, usually of feelings or interests, between persons or things: to be in sympathy with someone.
3. mutual affection or understanding arising from such a relationship; congeniality
4. harmony of or agreement in feeling, as between persons or on the part of one person with respect to another.
5. the harmony of feeling existing between persons of like tastes or opinion or of congenial dispositions.
6. the ability to share the feelings of another, esp. in sorrow or trouble; compassion; commiseration.
7. sympathies, feelings or impulses of compassion or support.
8. favorable or approving accord; favor or approval.
9. agreement, consonance, or accord.
10. Physiol. the relation between parts or organs whereby a condition or disorder of one part induces some effect in another.
adj.
11. acting out of or expressing sympathy: a sympathy vote.
This is all very clever of Hubbard. He was an extremely clever, insane genius.
He stacked and stacked and stacked false and limiting and entrapping data into people’s minds.
To decompress from scn, a person has to go through a careful search and discovery of false and limiting data and have an unstacking process done.
Think for yourself!
Question and evaluate everything!
Use good reason and good logic!
Use common sense!
Common sense is a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge things, which is shared by (“common to”) nearly all people and can reasonably be expected of nearly all people without any need for debate.
Everyone has a duty to have and use common sense.
Breech of this duty can give cause for legal action and have the perpetrator institutionalized to protect public safety.
Dio
FG says
Reasonable by Hubbard has another defintion, it means rationalizing outpoints. Seeing something wrong and not being able to find the cause for it, or not willing to see by fear or stupidity.
For exemple in the church they are highly reasonable, they don’t see the stats are false, they are trained not to see and not to think in order to not locate Miscavige as the cause of the declin. They actually cannot see the declin, this is terrible reasonableness.
Someone who is not reasonable question things and try to find the truth. It’s because scientologists have been reasonable that the church is so fucked. One has to be terribly reasonable to tolerate somebody like Miscavige as a ruler. He lies and is a fascist and should hang!
rogerHornaday says
FG, so long as we are on the same page with the definitions of our words then we can substitute “goombah” for “reasonable”. Unfortunately Hubbard’s use of the word doesn’t jibe with Webster’s and it really should if the key to understanding his meaning is not via interpretation but through the ‘clearing’ of his words. In the tradition of Orwell’s Doublespeak, he turned ‘reasonable’ into a BAD word.
califa007 says
Yes, Hubbard had an MU on “reasonable.” He seemed to think it meant “rationalize.” Yet rationalization can be psychologically therapeutic. It helps me justify the time and money spent on Scientology.
Dio says
FG,
I see another problem here.
There is a block, in evaluating or judging the church and it’s leaders.
I see that “never be reasonable” and “don’t judge or evaluate”
applies to when handling subordinates, PCs, and enemies.
And even the general public.
Dio
Aqua Clara says
Scientology is an organization incapable of real change. If it were truly interested in changing, it would have by now. But it’s not. The major product of the organization is not the number of clears or planetary clearing, or anything else that’s put at the top of the list.
As demonstrated by their actions, the major product of Scientology is money, and as many tireless, indoctrinated workers as possible as the means to that end.
I’m sorry that it takes so long for those inculcated into the organization to recognize this, but for those who look, it’s there.
I wish this contributor, and every still-in member here, freedom, peace and tremendous hope for a terrific new life. That old stuff, quoting Hubbard, is painful.
Good luck!
threefeetback says
Dave,
Is that one of your Happy Camper Minions threatening to jump from the KTLA radio tower? According to KNX News Radio, Sunset Boulevard is closed. But no worries, they are piling up cushions to catch him.
Rafael Sánchez Núñez says
In my opinion, the first gross error was committed by LRH himself of course. The church was founded in camden, new jersey, but the actions on copy right protection are those pertinent for a business. Wrong choice as these two fields do not mix.
Jimbo says
It’s always disturbing to see folks struggling to separate their distaste for the management of the Scientology organization while continuing to cling to a positive perception of the “true intent” of the organization. Hubbard was often outspoken about his true intentions, and the bits he attempted to keep hidden he either let slip in his other writings, his own words or through first hand witnesses to his deception.
Case in point, his book/booklet authored in the early 50’s, “Brain-Washing: A Synthesis of the Russian Textbook on Psychopolitics,” in which he clearly lays out his approach to asserting dominion over thoughts and loyalties of individuals through “mental healing.” In that document he describes the white magic, (positive, endearing hooks gleaned via his time with Aleister Crowley) which was used to pull people in, align their thinking to the doctrine and remove individuality. Then he describes the transition to the black magic parts that serve to apply real control, compliance and acceptance with even the most absurd lines of thought.
I understand if people are kept under a self imposed rock for decades, but once they claim to see the horror of what they bought into, you’d think they would do some reading. Given the fairly extensive information on the man (Hubbard) from his own writings and numerous other sources, how is it that so many people reject the current (or any) leadership yet continue to accept portions of the system they believe to be positive, when that’s the con that sucked them in originally? It doesn’t seem like these people are seeing the light as much as they are fighting over the best management of their cult. It seems many of these folks that “escape” would happily continue to accept the most harmful aspects of Scientology if their leader was a little more to their liking. That’s just scary.
Kemist says
But it seems to be the nature of an abusive relationship : unless you have been out for some time, you just cannot imagine your life outside of it.
If you talk to a someone involved in a relationship with a malignant narcissist, you will get the same type of reflexion. They’ll complain about the abuser, but they never seem to be able to see that he’s such a bad person that they’d be much better off without him.
They’re like, “if he can just control his anger”, “with other people he’s not like that”, as if this was an anger management issue (no, it is not), or apparently normal behavior with certain people meant that he’s a good person (no, he is not).
They have seen the manipulative, demeaning, jealous thug who loves to spew racist and classist crap on people behind their back – that’s the real person, and it’s not a person worth a single more minute of anyone’s time. It’s as if they are incapable on seeing this until they take a step back.
T.J. says
Kemist, that’s such an insightful comment. It really made me think about how being in Scientology is very similar to being in an abusive personal relationship. When one feels a loyalty and affectionate feelings to something or someone, and did have good times with them, when it subtly changes until now the bad outweighs the good, it’s hard to give up on it, and give up on trying to make it work, they can’t see that ultimately it isn’t going to get any better and it’s dragging them down, so often a person stays way past the time they should have called it off and left.
Mike Rinder says
Jimbo, some people become so mentally damaged (or were mentally damaged before joining) that they are incapable of that level of thought and logic and thus cannot escape. We have equal rights under law. We are NOT equal in mental, physical abilities. Thus you get those who really believe that if you eat vitamin X you can REALLY fly. Even though in the real world that isn’t true and they are shown that fact repeatedly. By definition, such an adult is just not that bright.
chuckbeatty77 says
LRH admitted failure to Sarge at Creston Ranch, per the Lawrence Wright interview with Sarge, the DVD of the HBO “Going Clear…” shows parts of the Sarge and Wright interview. Also there’s the final 3 pages of Wright’s “Going Clear…”
So absolutely still shockingly NOT discussed, not even repeated yet in the media, is LRH’s admission of failure, and looking over the details of what LRH meant, after really careful understanding what Sarge tells.
LRH was having severe case trouble at the end of his life, he was still totally stuck with some “body thetans” still very much bugging him and him not being able to get those BTs out of his life at the Ranch.
I so agree and have pleaded somehow for absurd events like for Shelly to leak all of LRH’s full ALLSIR INCOMM full body of LRH’s works, on some USB drives, to Wikileaks somehow. “ALLSIR” is what INCOMM computers have on them, if you collected the ASI advices off the ASI INCOMM computer, and then took all of the LRH SIR libraries off the Int Base computer room’s computers, and then took the CST LRH advices traffic, and leaked all of it.
The INCOMM SIR data bases ought be leaked so people can piece it all together, all of LRH’s writings and all of the transcripts of all of his tapes, ALL OF IT.
It does exist, and CST most likely has it all.
And Shelly most likely of anyone alive has access to ALL of it.
Which is why I absurdly proposed for a year or two now, that Shelly be the one to leak it all.
But LRH’s failure admission to Sarge, that is still the most staggering omitted undiscussed important final L. Ron Hubbard moment to be discussed somehow among Scientologists.
Forever Lurker says
Chuck,
I know you bring up this point all the time on a bunch of blogs. I agree with you. The last chapter of Going Clear and last chapter of Scientology Warrior spell it all out, but strangely this very mind-blowing admission and series of events is mostly ignored by the press and many Scios. It shocked the hell out of me and after that I was done.
The COS has a dead agent website where it attempts to challenge about 200 points in the Going Clear book, but they don’t challenge or refute Sarges’s account of the final days. Never mention it or him. They have never challenged the story anywhere, at any time, in print, on the web, in a letter to the press, or in an onscreen interview.
Ergo, I have to believe Sarge’s story is 100% true and unchallengeable.
They just won’t comment about it or deny it. Crickets.
What does that tell ya?
chuckbeatty77 says
….it tells you that most would want to immediately do like Sarge did, and go get drunk and lament Hubbard’s sad admission and Hubbard’s sad end of life mental predicament.
And then, to grapple with what else this means, it’s a massive unplumbed kicker to Hubbard’s life, and something that is so big it overwhelms you, especially since it is such a final massive reversal by Hubbard, if taken seriously.
It takes a more knowledgable and better wordsmith understanding writer to jump into Hubbard’s final admission.
T.J. says
Chuck, those are really good points about LRH. You always write things that ring true and give pause for thought.
I admit to feeling bad for LRH when I think about how he spent the final years of his life. It would have been nice for him to finally feel at peace. The thing that I always come back to in thinking about LRH’s final days and his attempts to rid himself of body thetans, is that they are not real.
Hubbard had some issues that troubled him and created these to explain to himself what was going on in his mind. But he couldn’t get rid of his body thetans and solve his issues because that wasn’t the problem in the first place.
LRH was in some ways a brilliant man, yet in some ways quite off.
Brian says
I would suggest that Ron did not just fail, he proved his OT delusions, the practice of OT auditing actually drove him insane.
So Scientology drove Ron looney. That is the story. Failure is a benign outcome. We have all experienced it.
Insanity is a different out.
The man who was to save the universe became insane as a result of his practice.
Brian says
All that he claimed psychiatry would do with its practice, he did to himself with Scientology.
So tragically ironic!
Rescue Dog says
Lessons learned,
It is an interesting time to be a scientology watcher.
The man who created the cult of isolation died in isolation,
a stranger to himself, indeed.
singanddanceall says
Ron, the “Sophist”, that he was, the writer that he himself claimed he was only a writer, The Sophist were great teachers of philosophy and rhetoric, and they could sell ice to an Eskimo.
Marty Rathbun covers it in a few of his postings, that is the non discovery of the OT9 materials, and higher, Dead end bridge to freedom.
as you say Chuck, no soul astronauts. Nope. There isn’t even a clear with perfect recall. Nope.
Ron failed, and he admitted it.
edge says
Very interesting write-up by someone still-in. I say keep pulling on that thread, and you’ll eventually walk out the door and not look back. My opinion is that Scientology is not compatible with the modern world. Why? Because people talk. In Scientology it is said several times not to talk about your case, not to complain, not to speak up if something doesn’t make sense. You’re just supposed to take it as is without question. Now is that how the real world works? Of course not. And that’s what Scientology’s problem is. And that problem is built into its very core from what Hubbard wrote. ‘I’m a genius, I discovered it all, it’s 100% correct and don’t any of you question it.’ You might say this is true about all other religions as well that say they are the one true way to salvation, but then Scientology does not just market itself as a religion, a faith. It sells itself as an exacting science with proven results.
I’ve read in other sources that Scientology’s peak was in the early 90s, at about 100,000 worldwide membership. If true, that dovetails nicely with the proliferation of the PC and the rise of the Internet. Here is where people talk. Where people really communicate not just with people they know but with people all over the world about the abusive, nonsensical, and crazy things that happen in Scientology. This has not only helped people leave, but prevented many people from trying it in the first place. How many people walk by the orgs in New York and LA without even giving it a thought? Exactly. Imagine if someone in pre-internet days could’ve walked out of a session and said to a guy in reception “that guy just told me all my problems are because of some space alien thing that happened millions of years before I was even born and that I have to leave my wife”. Scientology wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long as it has. The Internet is where bad restaurants go to die and eventually the organized CoS will too.
Ann B Watson says
Hi edge, After reading your post,it is very good to meet you.You commented on the rise of The Internet and the power that comes fron that connection when finally it is possible to instantly communicate all over the world.Here in this space the bonds forged between all our stories of cos,become steel.
I still think sometimes why Ron never foresaw the web.Perhaps because he could not take credit for creating it so to him it never existed.Always,Ann B.
Dawn says
“My opinion is that Scientology is not compatible with the modern world. Why? Because people talk. In Scientology it is said several times not to talk about your case, not to complain, not to speak up if something doesn’t make sense. You’re just supposed to take it as is without question.” A GOOD POINT. AND SCN IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE “TECH” OF COMMUNICATION.
Scientology is screwed up, it had a screwed up founder and it’s got an equally screwed up current leader.
A great article, Mike. Well done to whomever wrote it. It is something that can be presented to a koolaider as it smacks of good sense.
Robin says
“Like the green berets!” Love that line.
Old Surfer Dude says
Fighting soldiers from the sky?
I Yawnalot says
Death from above. Those guys don’t muck around.
I’ve known some special forces guys… it seems to be a calling rather than a profession.
Leslie Bates says
For some reason after the line, “fearless men who jump and die,” I always think: “AHHHHHH!”
McCarran says
I can just see OSA running around trying to figure out who this is. It’s such a huge stat for them I’m sure.
Todd Cray says
Great and thoughtful write-up! It also illustrates the dilemma of scientologists who have made a lifetime investment in scientology and yet somehow retained that pesky ability to think for themselves. Namely, it does so in building a case that calls for a solution that is far more profound and radical (and straightforward) than the author permits herself to envision.
She realizes that there was a lot wrong with Ron himself and his narcissistic claims for his unique, universe-saving alleged “tech” based on the elusive “scientific research” of a self-proclaimed “genius” unable to even pass a basic science class. Even more so, she realizes that the authoritarian solution to mankind’s problems was Ron’s alone.
And Ron’s authoritarianism is nothing if not consistent: What happens if some members of a group realize that the emperor wears no clothes? What happens when people call the bluff? What happens when people ignore Ron’s mercenary interests, read things such as OT III and don’t as much as catch a cold–let alone perish from pneumonia? You can either admit to the errors of your ways–something omniscient Ron could have never done. Or you can blame others (such as the psych conspiracy or SMERSH) and double down on the oppression.
Many observers have pointed out that it is amazing if a personality cult survives the death of its central personality. All appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, scientology hasn’t–not really. In fact, the author makes a convincing argument for that!
All things considered, David Miscavige is not scientology’s biggest problem. He’s simply making do with what Ron has left him and the rest of the personality cult of Ron’s design with. His power-hungry and sociopathic personality is NOT the impediment to scientology that the author claims. It’s in fact an asset to Ron’s cause as a kinder, gentler more democratic scientology would have undoubtedly collapsed from its own overwhelming self-contradictions by now.
Sure, Miscavige is looking out for Miscavige. What other options does he have? Quit, get his GED and become a Walmart greeter? If only Ron had done so himself, Miscavige misery would have been a moot point!
Leslie Bates says
DM couldn’t be a Walmart greeter–they’re actually helpful.
Kemist says
He would be the most foul-mouthed, impolite Walmart greeter ever.
I don’t know why, but I would find it hilarious.
harb says
This is a very confused scene, so why dont we just go back to basics. One of the very basic, is “what is true for you, is true”. If engrams and the relieving of them are true for you then just apply that, etc etc. If the whole thing is b/s for you, then please forgive the rest of us discussing it, as you would a couple of Jews debating the bible.
Obviously, at the moment a larger proportion of it is wrong, there is much speculation as to how that came about. One thing we do know is Dave is connected with most of it and his “remedies” are not working.
I am in the camp of lets try it out before throwing it out and do it by the book first. If there is a policy which seems to be non productive, put it aside, apply service first, whether staff or public, really check out the policy later as to its authenticity and workability. And by service, I mean that the person feels better after the action, than he/she did before it, and if that does not or can not happen, I will shift camps to be with the rest of you haters, promise!
Jens TINGLEFF says
So, would I be a “hater” for wondering why it is that L Ron Hubbard’s books are the ones you trust? (Rhetorical question, I know; one of the things that L Ron Hubbard followers seem to not get around to is “confronting.”)
While it is indeed child like to just ask “why?” it is interesting that with $cientology one arrives at “L Ron Hubbard said so – try it out for yourself” in pretty short order whereas with reality one can arrive all sorts of interesting facts by keeping on digging.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Jens TINGLEFF, Good to see you again.I do not hate 100% but I must say I take everything Ron or David or whomever takes over the cult if anyone does,with huge dump trucks of salt.I had enough of it poured in my wounds when in,only made me more stubborn! Laughter,xxoo Ann B.
BKmole says
Harb. I was in Scientology foe decades. The research where Ron got his tech is well documented. He was a brilliant researcher and compiler, so for sure some Scientology works. At what cost, since he built in massive control mechanisms to cover for all that didn’t work. He was a con artist and criminal. You can find workable tech elsewhere if you look.
marie guerin says
Hey Harb, why assume that people who are not interested in scientology anymore are haters ? it is kind of offensive and simplistic , nothing is that obvious in the emotion department. Maybe you thought you were kind of making a joke , but not really funny.
A great deal of people who have ” let it go” can’t afford to be haters if they want to go on and keep growing spiritually. Most , like myself , have been there for decades , hating it would condemn us to a miserable rest of our life.
T.J. says
harb, as others have noted, I also feel offended by your use of the term “haters”. I don’t hate Scientology or anyone who practices it. I don’t believe that Scientology is actually helpful to any individual or to society as a whole, and may in fact be harmful, but I certainly don’t “hate” it or the people who practice it.
My style is very analytical. I like to read everything over and think about it before jumping right in. I don’t just start a project before reading the whole instruction sheet, because sometimes you run across something like “install bolt A firmly to B” so you do that, only to find that the next line says: “first, making sure D has been adhered to F” … by then it’s too late, A and B are stuck together. So I read over everything before jumping right in. And if the instruction sheet doesn’t seem to make sense, I’m gonna have to further analyze and come up with my own working plan. Maybe the pieces don’t fit together.
So, I don’t understand your stance of: “Let’s just do it, follow the instructions in the book, and look at the policy later to see if it makes sense” – isn’t this like not reading the whole instruction sheet to see how it all fits together before beginning your project?
As far as Scientology not working for the individual… I’ve read many stories of ex-members that attest to the harmful aspects of it. One of them was Nancy Many’s book “My billion year contract” which details how it caused her to have a mental breakdown. That’s only one of many cases of people who have experienced mental or emotional problems from practicing Scientology. So it is my belief that Scientology is actually harmful to the individual.
Another way is in their disconnection policy. A person needs the support of their caring family members. The Church replaces these family relationships with with dependence on and loyalty to the Church. I believe this is also harmful.
As far as society, the enormous monetary contributions given to the I.A.S., advertised as being used for helping people, are actually being spent in any way the church chooses to spend the money, including hiring private investigators to follow ex-members and harass them (documented $10,000 a month to follow David Miscavige’s father, and 10 years spent following Pat Broeker, for which they paid millions to private investigators) and money spent to hack into Mike Rinder and Tony Ortega’s email accounts, to try to remove websites from the internet, these are only the known cases, what else happens behind the scenes? Also the funds used to pay huge sums to their lawyers to litigate against legitimate claims made by ex-members who have been harmed by the church, instead of using those funds for the intended purpose of helping people… this is one way it is harmful to society as a whole. Because just think if those donations were actually used to help people, what a great difference they could make in society for the good of those in need… instead of paying for high priced lawyers and for private investigators to sift through people’s garbage, etc.
I am not a “hater”. I don’t like what Scientology does, but I don’t hate it or the people who practice it. I am totally for freedom – freedom of speech, of choice… but what freedom does the church give people, especially when they are not free to speak to family members who have left…?
You don’t need to take the position that anyone who does not believe in Scientology or its value is a hater. It isn’t an “us against them” situation. I don’t hate you. I don’t hate the Church. I can see the flaws and point them out, I can disagree, without hating.
Love, T.J.
Orwell says
“Walking out of a session feeling better than you walked in” , first of all,
does not mean anything is working beyond well-established principles of human interaction.
“Back to basics” means to me again discarding critical thought to absorb Hubbard’s hypnotic techniques with very questionable agendas, towards goals that do not exist and results that, when beneficial, prove to be temporary.
And, I’m confident that you have already realized your mistake, referring to your debaters as haters.
I propose that we all work towards getting the business recognized as a business, so that we may hasten the universal identification of the cult, its predatory nature, and thus sooner bring about its inevitable demise.
You deserve credit, sir, for winning several responses.
Mike Wynski says
harb, too late. LRH already “did it by the book” and scn didn’t make it. It was collapsing WELL before he left 100% control of the organization.
BUT! Great news for you. You can start your own Scamology group and “do it by the book”!
Let us know how it goes.
TOOT to OT says
I always enjoy reading Evals.
There should be a Class Action Lawsuit to compensate of all ex Staff and ex Sea Org Members for their years of slave labor.
Liquidate all of the “church” assets, gather all of the money in one big account and distribute it $1,000,000 per year “served”.
Anything left over should go to actual helping of the planet and animals: two elements without voices that scientology has bulldozed over completely.
I like Mike’s suggestion to just put the information out there to be used, as WANTED by the person. The risk is their own. Just like Pintrest. It could be “Scintrest”.
Remove the religious loop holes (I think for ALL religions actually).
I Yawnalot says
Like your think TOOT.
Ann B Watson says
Hi TOOT to OT, A remarkable post,thank you.Such a good comment that cos neglects the animals and the planet.For all their bs and bluster about saving mankind they get big Flunks in those areas too.Enjoy your posts.xo Ann B.
Bystander says
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Reminding myself that this is an active participant, I am stunned. The wild swings between the realization that ron was a con, the tech works, the tech doesn’t work, its all DM’s fault, its the fault of scientology – all of that is indicative of the terrible mind screwing this person is dealing with.
I hope she makes the final break to save her sanity. Surely the thought police (as dictated by policy) will ferret her out and make the decision for her if she doesn’t beat them to it.
I hope the world of exes, no matter where they are on the continuum of recovery, will give her a soft, safe landing pad.
She’s going to need it.
Mike, I’ll be in Clearwater Sunday night. Should I drop by the mecca and try to buy a beer at the poolside cabana, or do they not allow strangers to walk in the door?
JustLook! says
Thanks for sharing! She’s arrived at many of the same conclusions I have. To wit: the decline is all LRH, Davey is ineffective, the “tech” should be open to challenge, and draconian punishments should be stopped. A full amnesty would be wonderful as long as the above were in place. I’d enjoy being able to see my old pals.
SILVIA says
Thank you for the in-depth analysis which required some work. This is an extensive subject grown up amid many lies and to find a why is tricky, though not impossible.
Yes, LRH created his military organization but not just to be obeyed. He was already being obeyed and KSW (1965) precedes the Sea Org formation (1968). He had already demonstrated that not obedience was followed by locked kids in a dungeon or thrown bodies over board. His word was to be followed, period.
He also created the Sea Org for protection – he was being hounded for tax evasion and other crimes in several other countries; he stayed afloat the Apollo for some years running away. He did applied that philosophy to himself: “all that is wrong is due to the psychs following me or the IRS wanting me to pay them the due taxes”,
I have done NOTHING wrong, is all their fault. Talking about his scriptures on Responsibility, right?
He was definitely a man of dichotomies, a liar and a prolific author in writing whatever came to mind. He
was dishonest with the staff, the public and, of course, with himself.
A subject that is intended to help others has no business on being built up or created with lie, after lie, after lie. Eventually it will led to the collapse state we are witnessing now and the criminality Miscavige has created on a subject where truth was scant and sporadic, where its intention was to control and ‘protect’ the leader, where its real category was not that of a Church/Religion and where the purpose to do something for another depended only on the scientologists that have walked by operating with an honest wish to help….and unfortunately most of them gone by now.
If you are really truthful and honest with yourself and others there is nothing to fear, really.
And LRH and Miscavige have been in terror of many enemies – well, after the mountain of lies the have built around them is not wonder they just wish to run away and hide. Bad state to be in really.
Dawn says
I believe that if the disconnection and general draconian methods were relaxed and true freedom of speech was encouraged, the church and scientology would still collapse. There’s just too much bullshit and Hubbard-claims that are unsupported. Remember, the Internet: the exposure of Xenu and body thetans. What are the chances that the general public would buy into that. People would see that the benefits of scn are limited. They may do the Div 6 courses some of which are helpful but as for the bridge – nah! As for Scn being the only solution to mankind, its only saviour – nah!
Could scn survive on the prices paid for Div 6 courses only? Nah! It’s revenue has always come from its secretive upper bridge. Without that as a draw, scn has nothing else.
It’s going down.
Willie AKA Good Old Boy says
I agree about the military take-over of Scientology and its mind-set. I.E. never question orders. Its Yes SiR or No Sir and no in between. The enemy must be defeated no matter what the cost. If you are not with us you are against us. Or in other words a CICS who SCOHB. If your stats are down you have taken the color of the enemy and will be handled accordingly. A no compassion total authoritarian org who is trying to get new people in to show them the way to spiritual freedom? And would want them dead than incapable?
Yea that’s going to work, yea right. More like the dumb leading the dumberer.
FG says
Very interesting view. But I would go further. We are not facing a psychological problem but a sociological one.
On the begining scientology and Hubbard are incredibly anti-establishment. So new, so fresh! It culminates at the end of the sixties, start of seventies. The new customers are young people who want spiritual extasis, hippies etc… Meanwhile to organize the war against the reactive mind Hubbard create the Sea Org, (the coming back of the Loyal Officers who fought Xenu!)
And it’s kind of “yes sir” military business. Some people understand scientology first but most of them take the military ritual before to be able to audit anyone, and that’s become part of the scientology culture. And mostly at the top. And then a little fascist like Miscavige can rise.
Scientology has gone from an anti-establishment, very free subject to a completely controlled totalitarian group (of course under the leadership of Mscavige).
It’s a pattern. Actually Communism had the same. Anti-establishment very free, then very much controlled to not be beaten by ennemies. Lenin become a hard ruler.
Lenin dies… Stalin arrive, he can take over the power, run out founding bolchevist. And that’s it. A full dictatorship with an idea of freeing people on the beginning.
Scientology went down the same course. Chistianity also. In Ron’s Journal 68, Hubbard explain actually that and cancel sec check and disconnection. But He didn’t put away the military culture. While the seventies were quite free in scientology, in the begining of the eighties the military culture comes back with sec check violating the auditor code (revealing PC’s witholds) .
Then per KSW scientology is dead since 1982.
Stalin/Miscavige rules…
But what will happen when this little piece of reincarnated Goebbels will be out?
Maybe I will not know in this lifetime… (I’m older than him)
rogerHornaday says
This is an outstanding thesis and obviously the product of a lot of thought and reasoning. I think it deserves to take its place along side Debbie Cook’s letter. If the author postulates (Webster’s definition) a reformed scientology, I have no quarrel. Stripping it of its fanatical elements, particularly KSW, will render it harmless.
Scientology claims it can transform mankind and bring about its return to “native state”. It has failed to do that on an individual basis and therefore has proved it can’t do that for the collective. Relieved of that impossible task, scientology can retire its “dwindling spiral” doctrine and the resulting fear over one’s “eternity”. What you’re left with then is a therapy that can sell, not the salvation of the galaxy but something less grandiose at a more modest price: ‘wins’ and ‘cognitions’.
Who would be against a simple therapy that just produces wins and cognitions? Whoever they are they would be against the rights of a free people and should be destroyed by whatever means! Uh oh. It might be necessary to eliminate all references to Hubbard in the reformation.
herman says
“Critical (analytical) thinking is not allowed.”
That is correct.
Once one comes to terms with that fact, that scientology does not allow you to search out information for ones’ self, there is only one reasonable conclusion to make: leave.
Once the internet came into being, enforcement of policy which mandates isolation became impossible.
The barriers built to keep the cult impenetrable began to fail and spring leaks, allowing information to get in, and, more importantly, the internet allows the rest of the world to know what is going on inside before walking through the door and up to the desk of indoctrination.
The church was built on secrecy.
It managed to thrive for a time because of that secrecy.
Even inside, one is not allowed to know or share what actually goes on in auditing with other scientologists.
What is in store further up the bridge is also meant to be kept secret, and most especially to its own practicers.
Money has always been the objective. And then free labor.
That primary objective has always been pushed out of the public perspective.
Freedom comes from thinking for yourself. And from knowing yourself.
The “Bridge to Total Freedom” is a complete fairytale. It is based and structured around this idea of being able to recall “past lives”. Hubbard would have you believe that this ability is commonplace for the trained scientologist. Reality would point out that there is no difference between a past-life “recollection” and pure fabrication of imagination of the human mind. In short, scientology is the pure fabrication of ONE man’s mind.
This body, fraudulently presented as a religion, is a money-making machine.
It has always been clear that it was meant to STAY THAT WAY.
Scientology is not at all what it presents itself as.
They would never allow you to know what goes on at the top, few know amongst themselves, and there is very good reason for the “leader” to remain out of the public eye, appearing only rarely for his faithful followers and then only to make false claims of success and expansion. He does not share revelation.
It , scientology, is an experiment in promotion and public relations without substance. When scientology spends money, it is to buy buildings in order to launder their vast profits or to hire lawyers and investigators to protect their interests. Extremely top-heavy in management expenses and structure, you should know where your “donation” dollars are actually going. Say hello to your leader of manifest destiny, your indisputable dictator, call him what you like.
Of course, it has always been destined to fail. Truth is the only king in this world.
And that is the short answer as to why this cult is so thoroughly failing. The End.
StudiusJudius says
I loved reading this letter. It restored some small measure of hope that people still ‘in’ Scientology and ‘on lines’ are actually able to see through some of the illusions.
This letter, and Ron Miscavige Sr.’s book, I think make great first steps when leaving Scientology.
I would suggest that if you really think LRH had some good ideas, then try and research some of his sources. Yes, he did create some of it from his own mind, but much of it comes from others before him. There are plenty of websites that discuss LRH’s sources. People like Aleister Crowley, Franz Mesmer, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung.
It doesn’t take long at all to see the similarities, and to realize that this stuff has been around for a while.
I once read, “What is good in Scientology, isn’t original. And what is original, isn’t good.”
Susan says
Actually, besides lies and browbeating by registrars, one of the points that lead me to stop subscribing to CoS was the emphasis on MEST, primarily the fancy org buildings but also jewelry, awards, certificates. I was studying to overcome the tie to MEST then expected to donate to “putting it there”! Also the more I studied the more I realized the staff themselves didn’t study or seem to understand what was in the lectures. Too much “quoting” and not enough “application”. I think it ironic that if you listen to early LRH he explains to you that the only thing wrong with you was thinking something was wrong with you, but CoS has to ensure you believe something is wrong in order to keep you paying. I got to somewhere in 1960’s lectures realized he had nothing new to say, and was just making up new stuff as he went along to keep it going.
Walk Softly says
In my very humble opinion, most ‘religion’ has a built-in fault which is too easily exploited. It is the reason LRon choose to make his philosophy a religion (in addition to the benefits of tax exemption and getting around other legal issues). That one person sets the rules and there is a condemning response for anything that contradicts it is just ripe for manipulation. It’s circular logic ( The Book is the word of God and is infallible because the Book tells us so )
The difference being in how extreme the practice is, with Lyintology being at the extreme end. Other ‘mainstream’ religions have been there at one time too.. take a look at history; the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, etc… If you question anything in Scientology you are an ‘SP’ or an ‘SP’ made you do it.. no different than ‘the Devil/Satan made you do it’. It keeps people in line. It prevents them from questioning authority or using their reasoning.
Bob says
Thanks, that pretty much sums it up. In my opinion, the SO is an SP group and is the reason for the degradation of what was/is of any value. Getting rid of the SO – the military – is necessary, without that, nothing will change.
bob
dankoon says
A well-written and provocative analysis. My somewhat farted out 2 cents is this: LRH claimed that Scientology was the meeting ground between science and religion. Science does not follow an authoritarian approach, yet that’s what it has become. Ron’s book makes the point clearly. The subject has fossilized since his death in 1986. Yet, there is a massive amount of work that could be done with those 36 years of materials. LRH rarely went back to revisit an earlier development; his obsession was mostly “forward.” This is a mistake that should be rectified by people who are interested enough in the subject to learn and apply it and then begin experimenting with it. Of course that would be called “squirreling” by DM & Co. and not permitted under pain of RPF. But let me throw out one example of what I am talking about. Creative Processing as described around the time of the PDC reportedly produced truly amazing results. (For one thing it created a significant in DM’s own bad case of asthma at age 9.) A few years after its development LRH cancelled it because in some small percentage of pcs it beefed up their banks. So, the 99% were denied possible benefits of Creative Processing because 1% got solid under processing with it. (Or whatever the percentages were.) So, what are we to think about Creative Processing with the advent of the Clearing Course in 1965 as well as NOTs in the late 70s? If the bank and other factors were deleted from a person might Creative Processing work like a bomb with no negative repercussions? I don’t have a clue but it would be worth squirreli—er, experimenting with Creative Processing on Clears and above to find out. Someone who is taking tech developments and producing results with “unauthorized” applications is Dexter Gelfand in Sacramento. He has taken Power Processing and developed ways to apply it beyond the Power Processes of 1965. From reports he gets some amazing results. Who is to say there aren’t many, many developments over the years that wouldn’t benefit from a thorough review and dusting off in light of other advances?
FG says
Yes Dan, I absolutely agree.
Xenu's Son says
Good point Dan.
Needed to do something for my clients.
Dianetics was way to slow and dumb for me.
Creative processing got good results for about 70% of my pc’s.
Going past life was useless in every case out of 15 I tried it.They always emerged confused and disoriented.
Chasing kooties for me on 3 was useless and boring.
However ot 5 was definitively useful.
Clear does not exist.
First 2 months of ot 7 were somewhat useful. Years of chasing cooties only made me 10 kilo fatter.
Would be a good idea if we did a wiki on what works.
Forever Lurker says
I know many OT 7 & 8s real well who have been in and active 20-40 years, many attaining the top of the training side as well . . . Class 6 and 8.
What disturbs me to no end is when I see people make no or little change in eliminating serious “case or character flaws” in 20-30-40 years of this mental therapy.
Person is a homewrecker early on the bridge . . . homewrecker at the top of the bridge.
Person is a cheater/affairs early on the bridge . . . cheater/affairs at the top of the bridge.
Person is gay/promiscuous early on the bridge . . . gay/promiscuous at the top of the bridge.
Person has significant “wants handled” list . . . same significant “wants handled” list at the top of the bridge.
Person is a financial crook early on the bridge . . . financial crook at the top of the bridge.
Person is chronically depressed at the top of the bridge, hoping the (non-existent) OT 9 & 10 will handle.
The list goes on and on, but I won’t belabor the point. I cannot un-see what I’ve seen with my own eyes.
Many people are just treading water and do not make that much progress with what I consider rather significant “case or character flaws”. Wish it weren’t so, but the proof is in the visible results in life . . . or lack of. This is not what they were promised and what they signed up for.
Sorry, but the subject should live or die based on its results. Agreed.
Espiando says
What’s your problem with someone being gay and promiscuous? You’re putting being gay and/or promiscuous in the same category as financial crooks, homewreckers, and people committing infidelity. It’s a “case or character flaw”? Really? You repulsive little homophobe.
FG says
Espiando, being homophobe is an earlier moral code, it is not allowed since a quite short time. People don’t leave their habit so quickly. Up to the sixties homosexuality was an illness and a crime which could send you to jail. In the middle age you would burn for sodomy.
Moral code varies. In the early seventies, you have been delivered by the sexual revolution. I remember; it was fashion to even question oneself for homosexual tendencies. I even had sex with another guy just to see !
Human beings are following fashion !
T.J. says
Espiando I understand your outrage. I think people who have strong anti-gay feelings are usually those who have not had much interaction with a wide variety of people, they haven’t expanded their horizons to embrace people outside of their own narrow group, they don’t know anyone personally who is gay (or they don’t know the person they are talking to is gay) and therefor they are stuck in an uninformed, prejudiced mindset.
This is not a apology for people who think this way, nor an endorsement of their way of thought, it is just an attempt to understand why a person would be anti-gay, because if we understand what is causing this, we are better equipped to help people open their minds to accept all peoples and create a more fair community.
Individual rights should be given to everyone, regardless of their gender, age, orientation, etc. Society as a whole is a better place when everyone’s rights are respected, and all peoples are valued and considered worthwhile and equal to everyone else. Studies by recognized entities back up these statements.
L.Ron Hubbard had being gay in his list of things one shouldn’t do, along with having a personal relationship with someone ‘of another race’. When I read that, I asked myself, what right does LRH have to decide what is acceptable? What right does anyone have to tell someone else how to live their life, when they are not infringing on other people’s right to do the same?
I discovered that people felt they had a right to come up to me and insult me when I was dating someone who had a darker skin than mine (I’m white, blonde hair green eyes) he was a biracial Hispanic/black heritage, and dictate my actions and place their own warped values on me. I found this personally offensive and it caused me to become more outspoken about human rights issues. I said What makes anyone think that they have the right to tell me who I can love? That’s when I realized it must be the same for someone who is gay, what gives anyone the right to tell you who you can love? I became more understanding of other people’s struggles as a result of facing my own discrimination.
If someone starts making anti-gay remarks around me I shut them down quickly, ditto for racially disparaging remarks. But you and I still are going to face situations where unenlightened, biased people try to devalue us and step on our rights. They will try to back it up by quoting various sources: a book of religion, a celebrity or politician, L.Ron Hubbard. It does not matter who said something about discriminating against someone else; it does not make those words any more valid or true or right; each individual needs to search their soul and come to their own conclusions about how they want to treat other human beings in their own lifetime.
As far as LRH: We are all one race, the Human Race. People do have different skin colors, facial features, ethnic backgrounds, etc., but we are all one race. Any scientist can corroborate this. The term “different race” is incorrect. If the values that L.R.H. put forth do not match your own beliefs and values – don’t join a group that espouses those beliefs and makes those judgments about people. And, if you are a person that judges others harshly, and excludes or devalues someone based on discriminatory criteria, please try to open your mind and enrich your circle of love to include people who are not exactly the same as you.
Jim Gideon Cherkas says
No way is this a solution she didn’t pull the string far back enough there was no sea org before 1967 so her whole premise of being a military style organization doesn’t work
Roger From Switzerland Thought says
Very interesting write up. 3-4 years ago we came to the same conclusions on Marty’s blog and evolved further from there. This will also happen to the author of the essay, as he is intelligent…
It is really true that “(good) books make booms”, and as now the whole of Scientology is freely available on the Internet, per LRH there should be now a huge boom. But it doesn’t happen…
If Scientology would deliver what it promises, with the Internet the world would already have been cleared by now. It didnt happen and it will never happen as the bridge doesn’t exist..
very simple. It just was a nice dream…
Thomas Weeks says
If you could create “Scientology” without the SP declares, disconnection and allow free thought and communication then that wouldn’t be Scientology. If you made a non militaristic Sea Org, that wouldn’t be the Sea Org. Maybe you can take pieces out of the philosophy that you like, but you can’t call yourself a Scientologist without keeping in KSW. Taking out the parts you like and discarding the rest is squirreling. Let a million squirrels rise!
Friend says
A lot of words .. lot of explanations .. but the basic of KSW is the order to handle the case of Hubbard .. and you can only do thet, when you have studied all of his case descriptions and all of his words or ideas .. Hubbard tried to become OT with convoncing you, that you have his case .. so is all Bulletin and Policy written .. always situations which he could not handle himself .. read it .. it is all problems he had ..
Example: There is nobody on the world who had ever a problem with his reactive mind .. before he told you that you would have .. think simply that Hubbard had a very very bad SerFac on Minds of others .. and he tried to give every and all order about ..
Kuato Lives says
The write is on the cusp of breaking free, need to just take the plunge and go full SP. When I finally decided I didn’t want to be Muslim anymore, not just non-observant but OUT, I went out and got my formerly favorite Vietnamese dish with pork in it. Brought it home and offered my wife some and she looked at me like I had two-heads! It was hilarious. She thought I was testing her or tricking her. I nonchalantly chowed down then she did and that was that, we were done with organized religion forever.
John P. Capitalist says
The author says: “Believing an author is infallible or faultless, whether he is or isn’t, is an obstacle to analytical thinking.”
This is how medieval people thought about the world. Instead of testing an assertion about the world to see if it made sense and agreed with what was already known and considered true, they assigned a level of authority to the author of the idea. The Bible was at the top, the ancient Greeks were next, and so forth. They settled open questions by finding something from the highest level authority that appeared to relate to the subject.
Aristotle was only slightly below the bible in his level of authority. He was right about many things. But he had some truly bizarre ideas. Among them: heavier objects fall faster; the heart is the organ that does the thinking; smoke rises because it wishes to be closer to air, and many many more. Instead of testing those ideas, blindly accepting them because an authority said them set back science by at least 1,000 years.
Sir Isaac Newton is, in the mind of some historians, the greatest scientific genius of all time, since he invented calculus, on which so much of science and engineering depends. He also codified a system of physics that’s good enough to explain substantally all physical interactions in the universe (quantum physics deals only with extreme cases, typically at the sub-atomic particle; you don’t need quantum physics to predict solar eclipses or estimate the force of impact in an auto accident). But Newton was also a crackpot believer in astrology and alchemy, which are the opposite of scientific ways of thinking. Fortunately, the system of medieval authorities had substantially eroded by Newton’s time or, given the level of authority he earned from his valid work, government research labs would today be spending billions on trying to turn lead into gold, or on charting the heavens to help the military find the best time to launch an attack.
Believing that Hubbard is always right and is infallible in his wisdom on so many fronts, is positively medieval in its way of thinking. Kind of ironic for a religion that claims to be founded on scientific principles.
As it turns out, I don’t think Hubbard’s “tech” is effective. While there are some people who have definitely seen life-changing “wins” from auditing and other Scientology practices, I believe that it is no better than doing nothing for personal growth, and is perhaps actually worse.
But it doesn’t matter what I believe because even the most die-hard believer in “the tech” ought to agree with me that the inability of Scientology to evolve beyond the Holy Writ of Hubbard is a key factor that is choking the organization, and that this is at least as important as Miscavige’s mismanagement. Miscavige’s incompetence is real, but even if he were a competent manager, he’d be hamstrung in fixing the organization by the inability to evolve the product to be relevant to the current generation of potential customers.
Ann B Watson says
Hi John P. Capitalist, Thank you for your post.You explain viewpoints so well and since I am like a high energy live wire when I post,your calmness and reasoned comments,let me take a breather.Always,Ann B.
Cindy says
Sorry if this is off thread, but I have to comment on Ron Miscavige’s new book about David Miscavige, “Ruthless.” Thank you for writing this. It really means more if it is one’s own family doing the telling of events. I’m not even through the book but I see Ron’s good nature and good heart shining through in his “make it go right’ attitude. It’s so great that he could still think for himself enough to escape from the Int base.
But I have to ask WHY he did not include the incident when DM at age 12 or 14, was on his auditor internship and he got frustrated with his pc in session and slapped him/her. Although at the time, the incident was hushed up and covered up, it still happened and that fact has been verified by more than one reputable source to me. I actually met and talked to Scott Ervin, who was roommates with DM at St Hill at the time of the incident and he said it actually did happen. And I think Karen de la Carriere on one of the blog comments and in her videos also said that DM slapped his pc. She was there at St Hill when it happened and would know. And there are many others who talk of the same incident. It did happen. So why did Ronnie leave it out of his book?
I think he should have put it in there just to show DM’s real true colors and character were set even at that young age. Maybe Ronnie is scared of being sued for libel or slander by the litigious church and its leader. I can understand that fear. But he could have just said that he wasn’t there when it happened and didn’t see it first hand but that he heard from so and so that DM hit his pc. That is how he approached the Dede Reisdorf firing, by saying that he didn’t have first hand knowledge of it, but that Janet Reitman did, and he agrees that Dede was gotten rid of because she was an exec who could have and would have tried to check DM on his rise to power. So if he would word it like that with Dede, why couldn’t he word it similarly on the hitting the pc thing? That incident is key to understanding that DM at worst was an SP even then, and at best was a short kid with anger management issues. I’m disappointed he didn’t include that in the book.
Does anyone know WHY Ron didn’t include it in the book?
Aquamarine says
Cindy, I can answer that.
Slapping someone is ASSAULT and as such actionable under the law and as such, would have to be proven, proven that it was unprovoked and not self defense. I’m not sure what its called in the UK but in the US it is assault.
To include this in the book would be accusing David Miscavige of having done, at that time, an illegal act, of which he was not accused.
No charges were ever filed against him. The whole matter was hushed up. No witnesses exist to verify that this occurred, meaning, no one SAW him do it. The fact that she was weeping and upset is not legal proof. Legal proof could have been a mark on her face that she showed police, that others saw on her face that was not there when she went into session with him.
No one saw it happen. Even if the PC had pressed charges it would have been her word against Miscavige’s. This PC is either dead or paid to keep her mouth shut. all the ethics files written on this have assuredly been destroyed. Karen de la Carierre and others around did not themselves see this. Heresay is not creditable evidence in criminal actions.
Long story short, to include this in the book would give Miscavige grounds for a strong libel or slander lawsuit against the authors, and a good chance of winning it.
When a country operates on “A person is innocent until proven guilty”, lack of evidence does NOT mean someone is innocent, it means that he’s not guilty. It means there is/was not enough evidence to convict.
Cindy says
I see what you’re saying Aqua. Darn, another evil deed of DM’s going unpunished.
Bugs says
O, but no body escapes the wrath of … Karma
Megalomaniacs just have a stiffer price to pay, the toll at the pearly gates.
threefeetback says
Building a better bridge, OUT of scientology.
LDW says
Mike said:
“I have stated a number of times my belief that all dianetics and scientology materials should be made available online for free and the subject will live or die based purely on its workability and value to mankind). ”
From what I’ve seen on the internet,Mike, this is already accomplished. Everything is available and can be downloaded for free. Anyone is free to take what they need or want (if anything) and leave the rest. No restrictions.
The write up is pretty good. I have a lot of admiration for the author. It’s takes some courage to start looking and speaking truth when still somewhat inside that bubble.
One thing she really needs to look at is her comment on amnesty. She needs to really get the fact that her group is the criminal and needs to beg forgiveness from us, not the other way around. A full refund of monies paid for crappy auditing might be a good place to start.
My view on the Co$ as an organization is that as long as the money holds out it will continue to exist as a fringe cult with a few hapless members being ordered around by a handful of power hungry sociopaths.
Having audited close to 4,000 hours since leaving the cult in 2007, it is my observation that there is a lot of useful information and helpful processes which can help people in handling their lives. It’s quite a chore separating the wheat from the chaff, but it can be done for those who are interested.
Chewkacca says
“Separate the wheat from the chaff” is EXACTLY right, and exactly what you can’t do, per KSW. And there’s LOTS of chaff. Scientology is a PACKAGE DEAL, you must accept ALL of it. Once they find some thing you don’t agree with (no matter how tiny), they will shove that down your throat for remainder of your time in the cult. This, from the organization that says,”it isn’t true if it isn’t true for you”! KSW prevents new developments from being tested and adopted.
Alan C. Walters developed a way to defuse the titanic energies contained in the L-12 identities, without giving the PC wrong items. The PC chose his own items, and opposing items. Walters was Declared and dismissed as a squirrel. For a HUGE tech advance.
Creative Processing is another example. Allowing experiments in HGCs and the field could have found what what was wrong with it, and made it work on more PCs. NO process is going to work on everyone. People are different, with different track incidents, and how they reacted to them. And some PCs did not have OT3 in their banks. If they couldn’t find it, Ethics and Declare.
So much good, and sooooo muuch bad….. That’s why 90% of people who get on the Bridge, jump off. Just think of a Scientology without Ethics, without OSA and squirrel busters, without Stat Pushes, without crush regging, without KSW, without Knowledge Reports.
A Scientology that allowed, accepted, and acknowledged contributions from persons other than LRH like Alan C. Walters and Dexter Gelfand. And had an OT level called the “Mike Silverman” level 11.
And that prizes WDAH and Student Points above all. EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE IT! Well, almost everybody. DM wouldn’t like it…..
Mike Wynski says
“Just think of a Scientology without Ethics, without OSA and squirrel busters, ”
Like much of the Indie field. In other words, still a nothing subject going no where except towards extinction.
Curiosus says
In my opinion, the “Why” is the lack of upper levels (OT9 and above).
Imagine a situation where there would be a kind Miscavige and low prices.
Every scientologist would be reaching quickly OT8.
It would then become evident that the bridge is a dead end, and there would be a massive disaffection as well, the guys from above explaining to the the guys at the bottom that this road is a dead end.
Miscavige was trying desperately to find the upper levels, but he did not find them.
The high prices and heavy ethics are slowing down the scientologists?
That is on purpose! So that they do not reach too quickly the end of the bridge.
So Hubbard can be held responsible of this situation, as he did not complete his job,
and he did not deliver what he had promised.
Newcomer says
” Imagine a situation where there would be a kind Miscavige and low prices.”
Well I can get my wits around the low prices part but the rest ……….. that would be like finding some dry water!
Mike Wynski says
Curiosus, it is enough to do the grades to realize that there is no real Bridge. Much less doing any of the complete crap called the “OT levels”
Fox Renard says
“To one degree or another, ex-Scientologists fall into two main camps: those that still believe in LRH’s tech and policy; and those who concluded the man was a crackpot and who rejected his whole body of work.”
That’s true ! As a former Scientologist, I stand in the middle (between) of the two camps. I think LRH discovered many gems and I could see similar discoveries simply said in other words in other groups or philosophies. I remember once I asked fellow scientologist while I was still in, why the hell such a HEAVY organisation in the management of the church, I mean excessively complicated administrative procedure almost as heavy as the Soviet bureaucracy in the time of USSR !!! I was answered that it was to protect the purity of the tech and avoid Scientology to fall in bad hands so the control is at maximum and everybody can control everybody and that even the top of the cream was controlled. F..ck that !!!! It’s not an army that took control of Scientology, but just one simple and stupid guy !!!!! Despite alllllll the locks and tech and protection ! How is that ? In my opinion, the main problem is absence of critics ! Criticizing something is seen as a sin in Scientology. It only means that if you do it, it’s because you have overts against the thing or the one you criticize !!! What a deal ! Bravo ! And if you keep criticizing, it means you’re an SP. What a convenient way to do whatever you want and if someone criticize what you do, he’s the one with the problem !! But in my opinion, analytical thinking and critics are the healthiest way to manage things, otherwise, you swallow anything anybody wants you to swallow without even thinking. Like a robot, actually…
rogerHornaday says
The Great and Powerful Oz was undone by the single criticism that he was just a little man behind a curtain.
Fox Renard says
Hey 🙂 Indeed, if criticism was not an inquisition matter in Scientology, self appointed or self elected DM would have been removed or dismissed after a few months only…
Chris Mann says
I believe life is all about thought. All meaning in life is defined and created by thought. Two people can look at the same thing and see different things, and even create this thing to be different in their respective thought “universe”. This is a little Scientology jargon-ish, but I think a lot of people believe something similar to this. Even if you don’t believe in an afterlife or spirituality you might agree that thought and assigned meaning dictates a lot of what we call reality, particularly when dealing with subjective experiences such as religion, philosophy, politics, etc. I don’t thing anyone is entirely free from belief. You guys are creating a belief- a world of your own where you are the victim of Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard is the devil.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Chris Mann, Nice to meet you..As for me I am not creating a world where Ron is the devil and I a victim.I told my story because I can not keep silent about what happened to me and many many others.The truth must be allowed to pull the magic curtain Ron created away.I believe in spirituality but I am open to opinions from all.Always, Ann B.
Newcomer says
” All meaning in life is defined and created by thought.”
And what if your belief is false Chris?
” You guys are creating a belief- a world of your own…”
And what are you doing that is different than that? Just curious. 🙂
Mike Wynski says
Yes Chris, just as the jews created a belief- a world of their own where they are the victim of Nazism and Hitler was the devil.
In other words, you need to seek professional help.
Valerie says
I’m not sure who “you guys” are. I am not creating any world where I believe I am a victim.
rogerHornaday says
Yes, this is a thought world because all perceptions take place in our minds. Our eyes don’t see and our fingers don’t feel. They merely relay neurological impulses to the brain which projects that information into the mind where we experience it. Therefore, we experience a tree in the same place we experience our thoughts and feelings: the mind. We all see the same ‘outside world’ but we interpret it according to the filter of our subjective reality, the ‘inside world’ of our likes and dislikes. That’s two realities we are experiencing simultaneously. Freedom from beliefs is when we can discriminate between a thing and our reaction to it. That applies to all of us, so what’s this “YOU GUYS” bullshit?
Old Surfer Dude says
Chris, I always refer to myself as pure, unconditioned Conciseness. I am that which is aware of being aware. I am and I always will be. And our natural state is unbridled, unconditional LOVE.
Chris Mann says
Cool
Ann B Watson says
Hi OSD, You are pure past,present and future Consciousness and you both are absolutely made and raised on Love,❤️Ann B.
Espiando says
Scientology by its very nature is destructive, from the OCA to OTVIII. Anyone who has been involved in it is a victim.
And as for Hubbard being the devil, that’s what he himself said in the original OTVIII. So we’re not mocking that up. We’re actually following KSW.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Espiando, From your post to my ear. If Ron said he was the devil,well then he owns it.Yes at times of course I was a victim but how I see myself now is not as a victim but a survivor.We all are.You know I 100% agree cos is absolutely destructive always.xxoo Ann B.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Espiando, I forgot.One poster commented we are all graduates.I like that too.Ann B.
chrismann9 says
This is who the “you guys” is. Guys like Espiando.
Espiando says
Glad you’re using me as the archetype, Chris. Of course, the fact that you’re using a bipolar homosexual who’s on psych drugs as the archetype plays perfectly to your audience of unreconstructed Scientologists. I’m leaving out the Millstone Two types as your intended audience because you got involved with them, then realized how truly nuts they were and got out. Best thing you ever did.
Mike Wynski says
Glad to see you put Espi on a pedestal chrismann9. He is one of the most intellectually gifted that posts here.
Digsley says
Impressed with you, Mr. Wynski & Mr Espiando.
And, yes, I’d say we all are veritable doctorates.
Bo says
Wow. The emperor has no clothes!
Old Surfer Dude says
What chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis! I got plenty of clothes! I bet a got a lot more den you! In fact….wait….what? Oh, THAT emperor. My bad…..
ed kette says
Dav-bitch is the Supreme Perpetrator ,SP, and has to be recognized as such all over the universes. Long prison term for the cob!
I Yawnalot says
Bit boring to be honest. But if it’s from within it parallels well with the current scene. One could pull it to bits and easily create endless discussion but the Church’s stats speak for themselves as does the work-ability of Policy, it doesn’t work, never has to stop the SPs within the Scientology world. Scientology fucks itself on a regular basis.
It’s no accident Scientology is the way it is – simple question for COB – what’s more important, money or freed beings? Is it possible to have both? The answer to that last one from COB will always be an emphatic NO!
Complexity abounds concerning Scientology but only for people who care. To a criminal, things are always pretty much simple. It’s far easier to do something else, anything than to expect a good result from Scientology, or maybe it’s better to blame it all on it doesn’t work anyway, never has. To flog a dead horse has a far greater chance of success than to get the CofS delivering what it promises.
But if we take out the almost continuous intention of having to change someone else’s mind about it – what is left? I don’t know… but that seems to be the only game in town.
I think auditing is fun but making a business out of it fucks it completely.
My “why” is that errors always occur when you continually assume you know or expect how another will behave. Disconnection, violence or punishment either physically, mentally or financially seems to dominate as solutions when agreement wanes or varies. Such is life but love and compassion are available but not used nearly enough.
Leslie Bates says
Oh dear…I have to comment on a minor point:
There are Scientologists. And there is everyone else. Kind of like the Green Berets!
The specialty of Unconventional Warfare requires high standards on the part of the practitioners. And while there are some practices in Special Forces that the Army should adopt in general (http://weaponsman.com/?p=22922) Not every practice of Special Forces can be applied to other arms of the service.
(And I know some retired SF guys and fully expect to have LONG discussion on this subject.)
Ms.P says
Great observations and very well written. I’m feeling hopeful that some still in might have these realizations like this individual and RUN.
McCarran says
Once upon a time, I walked into a lush garden of beautiful flowers. I lived on that vision and aroma for a very long time; it added a lot of meaning to my life. Then one day, while Investigating a foul odor, I discovered I had stepped into some manure, turned around to see that I was standing in nothing but dirt and weeds and shit; the garden was no where to be seen. How long had I been doing this? I had no idea how I had gotten to this place or when I stopped walking the garden. I found the exit gate and a sign that read “Leave Your Blindfold Here.”
One is ushered into a garden with “Standard Tech” and is handed a blindfold with “Standard Tech.” Once that is on, it’s anybody’s guess what you will step into or when you’ll find the exit gate.
“Standard Tech” is another name given to the rules and regulations of whoever is running the show.
Doug Parent says
Amen.
Old Surfer Dude says
Been there done that. No really, ‘shrooms will do that to you….
Xenu's Son says
If the product :”Do everything outside a body that you can do in a body”would exist even in a remote form 99% could be forgiven.At the moment there is as much proof for this product as there is for that if you blow yourself and 27 people at a Belgium metro stop your next stop is heaven where 72 virgins are waiting for you.
I am ot 8 myself and have done pretty much everything else too.Not surprisingly I have chatted with hundreds of ots.
Nobody talks about their ot powers.
I do not have any (except occasionally being cause over drooling)
Nobody of the hundreds of ot”s claims to have any
We just hopefully kept on hoping,paying and following the signs that said: exit that way.I guess we must have had an misunderstood on: there is only beingness but man believes there is only becomingness.
The only exception of an “ot” that insisted he was an ot is poet Larry Jaffe:Him sending Hugh Hefner the leatherbound way to happiness caused Hugh to cognite and stop showing girls with no clothes on 3 years later.
Hubbard’s technology was both good and original.Unfortunately the good, freudian style counselling in dianetics was not original and the original Xenu was not good,
I will make an exception for your beloved data series which shows that even a stopped clock is right two times a day.And maybe L11 and grade 4.
I agree it is shortsighted to blame Miscavige.He was just a kid behind a camera who observed that in the SO only the thugs survive and even they have a hard time.That he is now running the place with a mix of Kim Jong-un and el Chapo is a natural development.
Valkov esnowl@juno.com says
Back in the day, I knew some folks who had done the original OT levels an some of them definitely had what I considered to be OT abilities. I don’t think it was an across the board thing, but was an individual matter. Some had developed more abilities than others. The guy who had the most ability was also a Class VIII auditor. So I speculate the original OT levels and the training he had played a part in his development. I also considered that he had some of these abilities before he was in scientology.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Valkov esnowl@juno.com, I like your post.I knew a few OTs in Sea Org who definitely possessed some abilities that intrigued me.As you commented it was an individual matter.I too rather think those few had the abilities all along,as do we all without Ron’s KSWing.xo Ann B.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Xenu’s Son, A great post too! I love the image of being at cause over drooling! A useful OT gain.It is good to see an OT8 with qualities as you so obviously have,yet you are out, free and able to be and do and talk with whoever you want.I look for your posts each week.xxoo Ann B.
Mike Wynski says
Ann, you got me beat. I lost being over drooling last year!
Ann B Watson says
Hi Mike Wynski, Love your post and you.Now that drooling is handled I must do something about laughing with a mouthful of coffee.I must research what OT pin I get if I do not hit my poor IPad.If Siri (mine is strange because I gave her a male voice,)behaves her/him self.xxoo Ann B.
rogerHornaday says
Others have also spoken of real OT abilities and judging by what they’ve said or rather, not said, I conclude these abilities, unlike the more common variety of human abilities, have no attributes or features. Therefore they can’t be described. There’s only one other thing I can think of that also has no attributes and that is ‘nothing’.
Mike Wynski says
Roger, they are also ALWAYS, “long ago and far away”. In other words, complete B.S. or delusion.
Ann B Watson says
Hi rogerHornaday, Good morning from Baton Rouge.Read your post and have a question for you.I did not thankfully have the invitation to dive into the OT levels particularly OT 3 when in SO.But with all I have combated and overcome so far on my path,I have to tell you I know there is a Force within me that cannot be described.I can’t see it,measure it or articulate it,but many times since a young child I have been in bad situations and either had a direct warning days before or just knew things were not right.I call it my spirit or soul for want of a better term.Yes The OT Levels overall including the L’s which I sold a few of definitely have holes like Swiss cheese.However I still think there are many mysteries about that part of me that operates on a higher frequency in other words I am so sensitive,I can have a hard time in this world.So with your wisdom does any of this make any sense to you?xxoo Ann B.
rogerHornaday says
Hi Ann, good day from Atlanta, Georgia. You are well enough acquainted with me to know that I think I know everything about the mysteries of existence. What you’re saying makes sense to me. I’ve had a couple very flashy ‘mystical’ experiences in the past and what I got out of them were some lovely memories and conversation topics. Nothing more. One day I’m seeing the face of God in the sky and a few hours later I’m fretting about money.
I’ve had many premonitions. I call them ‘premonitions’ when my trepidations are realized. When my trepidations are NOT realized, which is about 99% of the time, I call them “meaningless thoughts”.
People have their pleasant experiences and their unpleasant ones. Why is a pleasant experience considered more miraculous or mysterious than an unpleasant one? The miracle isn’t WHAT we experience but THAT we experience. Does that make sense?Now, I used to live a few miles south of Baton Rouge so I hope your air conditioner is fully operational! 🙂
Ann B Watson says
Hi rogerHornaday, Thank you for your insight.Much appreciated.Yes indeed after all the Hurricanes,honking air conditioner and whole house generator.During Katrina no power for three and one half days and that did it for us.Strapped down the attic as well.Those storms were crazy.I’ve gone from four seasons Boston to sunny Cali and now twenty years in a southern tropical zone being so close to the Gulf.xxoo Ann B.
Chris says
Hi Valkov, Can you give some examples? I’m truly interested. Every example I’ve seen or heard of is either some lame, random coincidence (oooh! a parking spot opened up!) or it involves a hypnosis-induced hallucination.
Old Surfer Dude says
Chris, here’s one of my sucssess stories: I willed myself to wake up when the sun comes up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know, I know. It’s probably overwhelming for you to read my sucsses story, but know these wins can be yours too. Will that be a transfer of funds, check or credit card?
Chris says
great googly-moogly, i think i’m a natural clear – i just did that today!!!!!!!! send me your paypal address so i can send some $$ to be sure!!!!
Chewkacca says
Hi Valkov, I remember back in 1970-72 some who had done the old OT levels. They did have OT abilities. When the L-12, FEBC graduates came back from Flag, and turned the Org into a suburb of hell, the OTs perceived it. Whithin one year, ALL the OTs were gone. Not some of them. All of them. They saw what was coming. Now that’s OT. L-12 is what destroyed Scientology. And anyone who has done it is insane. Stay the fuck away from me
Wognited and Out says
If one wants to heal from the devastating effects of Scientology – one has to go all the way down the rabbit hole. My humble opinion.
I have watched ex members leave Scientology and attach themselves to other cults that “approximate” and duplicate what Scientology was meant.
They are still under serious hypnosis and mind control and have no idea.
If they are practicing Scientology outside the cult – they still practice “no entheta” about Scientology and I have had several big “SP Declared” now practicing the Independent route – disconnect from our family.
It really hurts. Disconnection hurts.
Educate yourselves about the deceptive practices Scientology used to hypnotize you and trap you into “believing” Scientology has something to $ell.
Scientology needs to be thrown out forever. Scientology kills, destroys and maims the able.
To truly heal from the mind fuck of Scientology, IMHO, one has to find “basic basic” on the Chain.
It is Hubbard, by the way!
Listen to Jamie Dewolf, Jon Atack, Steve Hassan, Jessee Prince, Tory Magoo, Chris Shelton on the Toronto Canada Conference: “Getting Clear”.
This is a very informative a conference for Ex Scientologist’s to know the truth about what went on behind the scenes while L Ron Hubbard was putting together his “religion”.
You can find it on Vimeo and pay the money to help these people who put this together.
I wish you could have made it up there Mike – but totally understand traveling costs and time off. You would have been such an asset to so much truth and real history of L Con Hubbard and his evolution and de evolution of his evil cult. The real Biography of Hubbard is disturbing, to say the least.
Hubbard was evil and he created an evil entity that cannibalizes its own members with their permission and w/o them even realizing it. Much akin to boiling a frog in cold water…slowly increasing the temperature over time until the frog is cooked and he did not even know it.
Let’s get rid of Scientology – for the sake of the planet please. I know we won’t totally, because evil is indestructable and has to have somewhere to hover. It hovers in every Idle Morgue Scientology owns. Look at the results – public and staff – most are bankrupted, divorced, suffering from shattered minds and broken hearts. Scientology creates robots.
Please, Keep Suppressing Scientology and let us all keep contributing to the motion to end the cycle of Scientology.
Valkov esnowl@juno.com says
I agree with the author about the militarism. And the militarism has always emanated from the Sea Org. The most suvccessful orgs in scientology were, I believe, some of the missions. I believe scientology progressively went downhill as the Sea Org moved in and took over the subject The mission system was effectively destroyed in 1982, by, you guessed it, the Sea Org. That is not to say there were not good people in the Sea Org producing good and helpful products, but in the end it has resulted in the scene we have today.
Mike Wynski says
Well Valkov, if that’s the case, Indies should have NO problem opening a “mission” in the U.S. and getting it BOOMING, like the old days. Except, it hasn’t happened. I predict (with 100% certainty) that it won’t. You know why? Because a con only works when the mark doesn’t know about that particular con.
I’m SURE that you can extrapolate the rest…
Ann B Watson says
Hi Wognited and Out, Thank you, a beautiful post.Your comment about the frog got me. Firstly I did feel like a frog being cooked and I could not see that for a very long time.Off topic but I totally flunked biology my sophomore yr in high school, because the second I saw the frogs waiting to be dissected, I went crying to the ladies room and would not come out! Needless to say I pass on the frog legs served in these parts- Baton Rouge La.Laughter! Seriously a fantastic post. xxoo Ann B.
justmeteehee says
Wonderfully said! The Vimeo series is telling.
Helmut Knackert says
Lassen wir es dabei….
Scientology ist geistiger Terror…..und am Ende….angekommen…..
und die ehemaligen Mitglieder haben es verdient
wieder geistig gesund zu werden!
Cece says
Excellent article Mike. I’ve printed and am sending to Daughter #3 with the note to read it like a KR. Thank you for all you do.
This line seems to have an added word ‘an’.
“…. the crossfire is little price to pay when an the future of an entire planet is on the line.
[BOLD] Responsibility”
statpush says
I think we all know leaving is a process. The author of this piece just needs to continue.
It helps to have some distance when evaluating Scn, and that can only be truly realized by leaving.
For me, it is quite apparent how Scn could end up in this situation. Scn was NEVER a democracy. As a member you never REALLY had a say in anything. Oh, sure, you were encouraged to write reports and “take responsibility”, but that almost never resulted in any kind of change within the organization. Scn probably has more in common with Communism that people would like to believe.
From Hubbard’s viewpoint, he probably considered himself to be the benevolent dictator…the Commodore. That same system he adopted can also house a two-bit, banana republic, fuck-job.
In the end, all of these super-control, dictatorial movements end badly, and so will Scientology.
roger gonnet says
LRH has many qualities, but was such a dishonest person moneywise that unless one become dishonest regarding money, it’s impossible to remain in the cult. Some of his drills can by instance be used once the cultic insanities are discarded. Alas, his successor is worse and much less intelligent, so, the cult should die soon.
Between the worse insanities, the “christening” of the cult, first a pseudo-psychology, into a “religion”.
Joel says
Mike, I note that you recommend that all of the “church”‘s documents be made public and free on the internet and let them live or die on their own. I believe that has happened (in a way) already and you can see pretty clearly how well they are embraced.
Dollar Morgue says
From what I understand, Hubbard issued numerous breakthroughs to resolve a more fundamental why: lack of consistent results and a failure to consistently deliver on the promise of scientology.
This is an interesting eval. It shows me that eval results will differ depending on where one stands regarding the evaluated subject (scientology organisation and principles, in this case).
Lee says
Great essay. I agree… and if the church can change; the information in SCN is worthwhile and someone should have the choice to use it or not, in any manner they want. It should offered almost free if not completely free.
Zola says
I hold to Jason Beghe’s gold standard: “Show me a f@#king Clear!”
You do know that if tech actually worked, you couldn’t keep people away. All those thousands of ex’s would still be in and the orgs would be booming like never before.
The orgs are empty, the ‘people’ have spoken.
Science Doc says
She needs to realize that she is probably in an unsustainable position in that sec checking and the snitch culture is designed to root out and declare anyone disaffected with leadership regardless of their opinions of the workability of the tech. If it were possible for people with her current mindset to remain in the church and share views, a reformation might be possible. COB would never permit this. I agree with the other posters that her views are certain to continue their evolution.
Cindy says
Thank you to the author of this Eval. I think you really had some good insights. But I think there will be no rehabilitation or salvage of the church. Like an abscessed and rotten tooth, it has to come out before healing can begin. And let the works be free on the internet to live and die on their own merits.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Science Doc, I am pleased to meet you.Your post resonated for me I can definitely relate to your comments and as you posted and I know still deep in my heart,Sec-Checking, snitching,KRs and running around tagging Sea Org Members who never ever had a thought of traitor games,Rock Slammers particularly in 77-78,it was horrible.That is why I spent weeks planning my exit in 78. All the different scenarios I came up with so I would not be stopped by the minders in Intel.At the very end,I just walked actually stumbled out of the Hollyweird Inn,I was so exhausted hungry and yes bruised and knocked around-as if I was off to Asho,and poof! I was out! Always, Ann B.
Chris Mann says
She might be a “public” that comes to an occasional event and isn’t declared yet, but I don’t see this being an active “on-lines” person. Why would they train or go on the meter if they felt like this? Every org has a good percentage of people on the call in list and CF that are sort of invisible. You may see them a couple times a year, but they aren’t really Scientologists, or they still identify as such to another Scientologist, but in name only, and only because they don’t have the “confront” to say what they believe.
Ella R says
Maybe their ‘lack of confront; has something to do with losing connection to friends, family and their ‘bread and butter’
chrismann9 says
Maybe
Mike Wynski says
“lack of confront”? Like your lack of confront being the reason you don’t seek profession mental health treatment.
chrismann9 says
Why bother responding if you don’t have anything to say?
Alex De Valera says
This analysis or evaluation is quite relevant. It expresses the thoughts many of us have gone through. Back in the day I thought the problem with Scientology was nor the subject itself but the way the organisation was run. I thought Hubbard was to high on the tone scale and too optimistic and therefore exaggerated his claims on the miracles of Dianetics and Scientology. It took me some time to face the overwhelming evidence that Hubbard was not perfect and that Scientology carried its self destruction in its DNA because of its founder, his policies and the fact that he locked the system impeding any adaptation to the circumstances of the real world. Scientology is a dinosaur doomed to die because per policy it is incapable to adapt itself.
We are not in the happy hippy days of the sixties, the world has changed and Scientology has not progressed but rather embraced its darkest side. Miscavige will not step aside, his vanity will hinder his taking any rational solution. He’ll either commit suicide or flee when everything is lost. As for Scientology, Jesse Prince once said that it was too hard to separate the wheat from the chaff because they are so tightly intertwined. Scientology is in the image of its founder, an almighty God with feet of clay.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Alex De Valera, Thank you for a most interesting and relevant post.Your last line is terrific.Many of us did have thoughts expressed in the essay.It took me Years to really 100% see that when I believed Ron would ” take care of Scientology” and even into 85-86, I had been out 7 8 years and still thought he would leave a will that appointed a successor who would guide the church the way he wanted.When that did not happen I had to admit to myself that he did not do any of the former.Jesse is so correct.David is David and very bad for the cult,but love him or despise him Ron was the Founder the Source.Now I see how he liked to”play” the only person who could understand Sea Orgers like a parent.He knew most members who were staying in for the long haul would not have the time or energy to comm with their wog family the more they drank the Ron Aide.Love another part where you say cos” has not progressed but embraced it’s darker side.Perfectly put.xo Ann B.
thegman77 says
A very well thought out precis of the whole mess. Both thoughtful and with a lot of punch in it. For those of us who benefited from the tech, it was hardly a “charade”. However, I think that there will be no changes, nothing of any sanity offered simply because Miscavige will never permit it. Fixed ideas. They’re working in his favour so far, so why not continue?
The concept that LRH was behind all the information offered was/is flawed. He took from many (workable) places, but refused to honour the actual authors of the workable information or thoughts. And when one or two items didn’t belong (The Code of Honour as an example), they were left in to poison all the rest. As well, no one any longer pays any attention to or teaches it.
Mike’s idea of just making it all available easily online and letting people pick and choose, or form new groups which are without any kind of heavy handed ethics, would let all those in or out make the best – or worst – of it and it would succeed only on its open merits.
B-B-Butt says
Scientology and information are conflicting terms.
Any therapeutic results achieved through auditing can be just as easily had by conventional (and well-established) means.
Hubbard had such an enchanting way of presenting himself -that the listener is left to believe that he invented communication itself. That’s an A-plus for charisma but a huge question-mark for spiritual leadership.
Given the aggressively predatory nature, the enormous demands, the temporary results, the destroyed families by result of policy, the isolating intentions and the psychological/social result of such intentions –
the net value of this cult and its so-called “tech” is so deep into the red that I can barely end this sentence as a sane person.
I know, one has to decompress. Things worked for you while you were in. Keep that as you work through that naturally long process.
Meanwhile, I am terribly uncomfortable saying that Scientology was ever really meant as anything other than a PLOY to make you BELIEVE that the best thing you could do in this lifetime is give them all your money along with all the labor as you are physically able to contribute, until you die or break down, period.
And I mean to make the world know, especially for my and our children.
thegman77 says
I’m afraid that your estimate of what I might have gotten from what you consider acceptable treatment is somewhat flawed. First, you have no idea what I got from it. Secondly, you have no idea if what you consider acceptable could have, in any way, touched the areas of change which I experienced. FWIW, I never had to “decompress”. I knew when I left that I was finished, had gotten what I gone in for. But thank you for your “pat on the head”. It wasn’t necessary nor am I suffering in life from my time in scio.
I would like to see the end of the organized scio due to the huge negativity of disconnection and the pain caused thereby. I’d also like to see the end of war, murder, theft and a variety of other things. What will be, will be. I’m patient.
I approached scio as a spiritual school. What I got from it was spiritual in nature. “Acceptable” methods rarely go into such areas and the search would have been challenging, to say the least, especially back then. I find it interesting that so many want me to “see the light” and realize I could have gotten it “somewhere else”. Even if I could have (something no one on this planet has ever achieved), why bring it up now? It’s a form of arrogance that somehow you/they “know better”.
And, as I’ve mentioned before, if all I had gotten from it was my magnificent mate, it would have been well worth it.
I rest my case. 🙂
Not Quite There Yet says
This is an amusing piece and is exactly the sort of thing that one would expect from a “still-in” but wavering Scientologist. The person is trying to use Scientology to understand and fix what is wrong with Scientology.
However she has not pulled the longest string, which when she does pull, will unravel her confusion.
Scientology’s forerunner, Dianetics, is a fraudulent piece of work, based not on “research” but smarmy rhetoric and deliberate lies. There were no early “clears” as described by Hubbard, no clinical “research” underlying the assertions in the book, nor does the state of “clear” exist, except as a fabulation designed from the beginning to sell something to people – not to help them.
Dianetics is not “science”…the book is a novel…dreamed up by Hubbard using a pastiche of other people’s ideas plus his own talent as a persuader. Hubbard was a salesperson, a fabulist and a writer. He combined these skills to create a money-making operation which had the window dressing of first a “science” then a religion. The goal was personal fame and wealth.
That’s what’s wrong with Scientology.
Dissecting the color of the curtains or arguing about other aspects of the window dressing will not help one arrive at the “solution” to “fixing” Scientology. It is a pastiche hoax, not a coherent subject, and cannot be “fixed.”
wheresshelley says
This ^^^^ 1000 upvotes
herman says
+1
antonia willis says
Hear, hear.
threefeetback says
Isn’t ‘fixing scientology with scientology’ the same oxymoron as ‘what did YOU do WRONG?’ ?
Whatever happened to actual logic, good sense, ‘natural law’ and scientific methodology?
OTD-OUTTHEDOOR says
The best post of the day for this never-in.
Doug Parent says
Agreed. there is no “fixing” a car that has the engine designed backwards and does not turn all the wheels in the same direction. One can remove the engine (if it works) and use it somewhere else. Like Hubbard did. Except Hubbard didn’t like other people doing to him what he did to other people.
Markthehungarian says
This comment.
There are NO clears.
Dianetics is NOT science. It is fiction.
Sure, Hubbard managed to persuade people to give him all their money and follow him. This doesn’t make him a religious leader. It makes him a CONMAN.
David Miscavige is a cruel dictator, for sure, but he’s playing by the LRH book, perhaps with even less compassion (none) than LRH. But Miscavige is a product of Scientology, make no mistake.
The Church of Scientology is a money-making group that lies and coerces to take people’s savings. Being recognized by the IRS does not prove the philosophy works.
Scientology Orgs are empty? Why? Because the Tech doesn’t work. And it never has.
Dio says
Mark,
As in anything and everything, every datum in dianetics and scn has to be evaluated on it’s own merits.
Not doing so,…… actions such as “tarring everything with the same brush” or throwing the baby out with the bathwater, is irrational, …..it is a trait of insanity, ……that is the inability to discern differences. It is the inability to think and properly evaluate data.
The definition of insanity is the inability to discern differences, the inability to discern right from wrong and wrong from right. To make right wrong and wrong right. To see wrong where there is right and right where there is wrong. To argue wrong to be right and right to be wrong, Impaired judgement. The persistent desire to do destructive acts.
You have to evaluate each datum on it’s own merits and see it and call it for what it is.
You have to give criticism where it is due and give credit where it is due.
Like a teacher marking an exam, you have to mark a wrong wrong and a right right.
Can you image how you would feel and what you would think, if when you were in school,………. because whether you had one mistake or 20% wrong, 40 % wrong, or 70% wrong, the teacher would mark your entire exam wrong and throw it in the garbage?
I am sure you would think that teacher was totally insane.
Therefore, that being said, what ever it’s source, dianetics is a science.
It saved my life, when everything I tried to solve the problems of my mind, for 27 yrs prior, did not work.
Dio
Mike Wynski says
I think you have a “Post O’ the Day” – Not Quite There Yet
Cece says
Yes agreed. Question. Despite all that do you think it can be fully understood? It as in the creator and his creation.
FOTF2012 says
That sums it up well. If my mind reminisces toward the various Scientology points that did seem insightful — and which it turns out were largely plagiarized by Hubbard from others — I remind myself that in 60+ years, there is not a single proven Clear, no OTs, no volumes of well-documented past-life memories. There is only a sprinkling of anecdotal claims, neither proven nor even researched, that are a direct reflection of Hubbard’s own lack of scientific knowledge and complete failure to understand what actual research is.
The fact that humans are so prone to believing comforting things with no evidence — even in direct contradiction to scientific evidence — is the Achilles Heel of the human race. This is a weakness that may prove fatal to civilization for we have seen how religions (and certain other ideologies) behave when they gain absolute power.
Scientology is nothing new in a sense; it is only a current example of a totalitarian, supremacist belief system that is willing to destroy in order to “save.”
FOTF2012 says
I just looked at typical university ethics guidelines for writing a PhD dissertation:
ETHICS
Ethical research practice requires you to avoid:
Plagiarism: failure to acknowledge the work of others by using proper citations and obtaining written permission to use copyrighted material.
Fabrication: the creation of fictitious research results.
Falsification: alteration of research results by misrepresentation or selective reporting of findings.
Hubbard liberally violated all three key points, and yet managed to convince believers that it was the “wog” world that was somehow deficient and that his handle on “truth” and all his “tech” was beyond question.
There is a reason Hubbard could only get a PhD from a diploma mill — he lacked the integrity to make it through any rigorous graduate program of study. Correction: he could not even make it through an undergraduate program of study.
Pete Griffiths says
Interesting but regarding any amnesty, FUCK OFF!
clearlypissedoff says
Oh, I would tell DM where he could stick his amnesty!
Doug Parent says
There will be no amnesty and there will be no prisoners. A Scientology sponsored “amnesty” would be like the perpetrator of a crime being willing to grant forgiveness to the victim of his crimes for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And society will never forgive Scientology, L Ron Hubbard or David Miscavige even if they ever come clean and make financial restitution. It’s either disband utterly and disappear into deep deep outer space or hopefully one day face the consequences.
justmeteehee says
I can’t help but ask the author what is keeping her “in”? Is it the fear of disconnection? Black PR?
Dio says
Justme,
Good point.
Dio
clearlypissedoff says
It is great to see someone still in, that is questioning the state of the church and the tech. My only question is with this much knowledge of the evils of the church, as stated by the author “everything from abuses of KSW to incompetency, criminality, and suppression at the top of the organization.” how can they remain even caring about what happens to it? Other than it’s total demise.
After going from birth until I finally got to the point of reading the secret, “powerful” OT III materials, and finding it to be science fiction, pure and simple and after seeing all OT VII’s being about as OT as a Grade 0 completion, I knew I was being scammed and quit auditing it after about 2 weeks of trying to make sense of it.
I also always want to ask someone that is on the fence regarding SCN, how can one even consider that the same person who wrote the disconnection policy, fair game policy, RPF, lower ethics conditions etc., written to destroy people’s lives, also produced technology that is going to salvage our planet and give people OT abilities. This is far too conflicting – evil producing the technology that will save the world. Something doesn’t add up.
Jim Gideon Cherkas says
The answer is that they are in a Perpetual state ofwar all this evil stuff written was there to protect Scientology from attacks and that they are going to clear the planet and then later on up the line it’ll be so nice…
Myrklix says
From the perspective of this being written by someone on the inside, I think it’s a great set of excellent observations. To someone long on the outside, I can see how one would think this writing is flawed. I think the former is preferred by taking the long view, and that this person might just share their views with others also still on the inside.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Myrklix, Good to meet you.Thank you for an excellent post.The one thing from my experience would be I hope this lady treads carefully when sharing views with others inside.I do not wish on anyone the hell I went through for months before I blew,because I thought all Ron’s Tech should be offered freely to all, if it was as good as Ron proclaimed.That was just the tip of my iceburg which crashed into the wall of ” never ask questions as a Sea Orger about any aspect of Ron’s World.”So I needed to pay.I am glad this essay was sent and I wish the lady in question Freedom from the world she finds herself in. Always, Ann B
Jim says
Straight forward with no bs. Best way to make a point. Well done.
amovolare says
Beautiful analysis. The only questionable part is the conclusion: I did not get the reason why CO$ should be ‘recovered’; which are the benefits for individuals and society? Save the planet?
Valerie says
“Many factors contribute to poor learning. An insistence that a particular text is perfect and without reproach is possibly the biggest barrier of all.”
Pretty impressive critical thinking for someone who is still in. I could say so much about so many points she raised, but she understands she is on the edge of the bubble preparing to make the dive. No matter how hard she tries to convince herself, there is no “cure” for scientology.
Amy says
I am only half way through, but already I can imagine the impact of such an essay, especially by an “in”, if….if it could only be disseminated to those who are still in.
These ideas and evaluations of the current state of $cientology MUST be read by every $cientologist.
I am already compiling my list of friends and family who will receive this. Those who read it will have no choice but allow their own experiences and “knowingness” to acknowledge it’s truth. Some to a greater extent, and some less….but still I believe it will be incredibly impactful.
Thank you Mike for publishing this.
Amy says
One thing not brought up in the essay was the use of the so called “sacrosanct” confessionals as use against the enemies of the church. In my mind this is the biggest “overt” of them all and the fact that the church “owns” them. WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Sorry Mom. This breach of confidence alone should be immediate cause for withdrawal of their IRS exemption. Goddamn bastards. Sorry again Mom.
Amy says
Imagine a Catholic priest after hearing someone spill their guts opening the door to the confessional booth and yelling…..”Hey guys, wait’ll ya hear this one!”
OK I’m done now. Have a great day all.
Ann B Watson says
Hi Amy, I loved your post! Great stuff! Thank you.xo Ann B.
peoplegood says
Great point Amy. I totally agree.
Gimpy says
I had a feeling there would be something very interesting and important on the website today, and was right.
I have to wonder how many still in’s are arriving at the same or similar conclusions as the author?
I have to add to the opening paragraph and offer a third category – those who believe that l ron was a loony but that scientology does have something to offer despite everything. I would be a lot more upset today if I felt I’d never gotten anything out of the subject.
The analysis of L Ron as a manic depressive, is a valid point this would certainly explain his ability to write relentlessly at certain times, such full on dedication would require not just skill but a fervour impossible for most of us.
The paragraph titled – the end justifies the means – really struck a cord with me, I clearly remember being many times coerced into spending money on scientology svcs rather than ‘MEST’. The typical argument was that if you bought course X or auditing action Y then they would lead to you making much more money anyway so why buy the new car you ‘think’ you need? This argument ultimately proved scns downfall for me as I watched non-scn work colleagues doing far better than I ever had, gradually the “scientologists are better than everyone else” arguments started to sound very hollow. These days I run my own successful small business, no scientology is used at all – we don’t have an org board, no stats or conditions, yet the business has grown every year since it started.
Well done to the author of this, and thanks for posting it here Mike.
Newcomer says
Wow! If I had been asked whether there was anyone still in that could think for themselves I would have said no. I’m very glad to see that I am mistaken. Kudos to the author. I assume it is a person about my age which means old! Let’s hope he/she can influence some of the younger ‘still ins’ such as my daughter or my son.
That said, the only issue I have is with the last paragraph. Reorganizing 100 lbs of putrid flesh really means making a decision of which dumpster to place it in or whether is is best to bury it as an organized entity. It will not return to anything resembling it’s original state ………… thank goodness.
But there will be the issue of dealing with those who make up the casualty list of the cult mindset. I don’t expect that to be an easy task but perhaps there is a role for auditing if applied honestly. Perhaps a word clearing session on the above document and Debbie Cooks email could get some positive results.
Yo OSA,
START!
Yo Dave,
forgetaboutit. Put the toaster on high and lock the lever down good buddy …….. your ass is grass and we are the bitter,nasty, defrocked apostate lawnmowers of the universe. We are also here to do some trimming!
Ann B Watson says
Hi Newcomer, I’m all set to join the Brigade and do some good old fashioned mowing trimming and hauling ” the Trash” to the Abyss! xxoo Ann B.
threefeetback says
Ann,
You have been nominated to be the Mascot and Public Relations Officer for this blog. Tell your husband that you are borrowing the mower and wheelbarrow to answer the Call to Arms.
Cece says
LOL You both 🙂
Ann B Watson says
Hi Cece, What a Blast! Between Newcomer, threefeetback,oh OSD can bring his musical genius and play while we throw out the Trash.
I love you right back. 5:17 am and your post makes me happy! Off topic but my late Grandmom used to say After 60 up with the moon! xxoo Ann B.
Ann B Watson says
Hi threefeetback, OK here is the drill.Hubby Walter has already bought me my lawnmower and wheelbarrow because he is so picky about his garden tools,and I am deciding what look should I create as Mascot.Oh I’ll have the Asho Lion walk with me on a leash and if as Public Relations Officer I need A Big Cat for protection,I’m ready.
Sound the bugle we have our Trash Mission well in hand.
I have always followed your posts,may the day come when we see the demise of this cult.xxoo Ann B.
ralph kimbrough says
wow what an article … bravo to the author…. and all made perfect sense even to a non-scientologist like myself… when any organization stops investigation of truths and elevates itself falsely as THE KEEPER of the truth…..it is evil……i’m not a scientologist but it seems to me it becomes the ultimate suppressor .. ralph
Chris says
interesting & well-stated, but unless i missed it, i feel like the author makes a better case for letting the whole organization implode.
Old Surfer Dude says
Wait….you mean it’s not already?
Doug Sprinkle says
I had a cognition reading that, I am also PTS to the middle class. That is my only block to clearing out all my assets to give to the church.
Doug Parent says
My similar cognition was the new tile in the Ideal Orgs is the wrong color. Once that is corrected all the SP’s will suddenly request their A to E paperwork to be sent immediately.
Old Surfer Dude says
I can help you with that. My PTS RD will cure you of being PTS to the middle class. All I need to do is clear you of all of your assets.
Doug Sprinkle says
Do you still have that surfboard that you should have sold and donated the proceeds to the IAS? Are you PTS to the surfing crowd?
Chris says
haha! sure feels that way, doesn’t it, ‘Dude?
Old Surfer Dude says
What are you talking about? You’re next!
Scott Henderson says
Why? The “church” and its “tech” are a farce, based on lies, distortion and yet more lies. The public knows this.
Amy says
Yes, the majority of the public DO know this thanks to the efforts of Mike and others. But it’s the persistent flow of information of the truth about $cientology to those both already in and the public at large which will bring the House of David “Let Him Die” down. This is GREAT stuff that I will use to my advantage in speeding up that process.
Mike Wynski says
Interesting write up indeed. Shows a person who is about 70% on the way back to regaining their own sanity and recognizing that El Con was the “SP” he warned about and that the “tek” was a charade.
Would be interesting to see a few years from now if this person makes it all the way to seeing the truth.