This week’s episode is a continuation from last week with Chris Shelton. We take a deep dive into the the “Truth Rundown” and Rehabilitation Project Force, but of course touch upon other things in doing so. If you want to hear more of Chris’ insights, you can tune into his Sensibly Speaking Podcast. There is a wealth of material there.
The “Truth Rundown” is one of the most remarkable things Hubbard developed. It is the most direct and unvarnished brainwashing technique in scientology. It is intended for use on Sea Org members, though some others have unfortunately been subjected to it — Leah Remini being one of a handful. It is so egregiously disgusting that the actual Hubbard writings have never seen the light of day outside the highest echelons of the Sea Org. So, we have to rely on our experiences, and fortunately can look to one of the original expert practitioners of the technique, Marty Rathbun. He wrote an excellent description of the genus of the Truth Rundown and what it consists of on his blog. I have reprinted it in full below as it is worth making more broadly known:
The ‘Truth’ Rundown
The ‘Truth Rundown’ has made the news recently. It seems it was utilized by David Miscavige in an attempt to control the mind and communication of Leah Remini.
Some may recall that the St Petersburg Times (now, Tampa Times) groundbreaking series in June 2009 was entitled “The Truth Rundown.” I believe that David Miscavige was the unwitting author of that title.
After the church of Scientology was informed about the facts that I disclosed to the Times, the Times was assaulted with ‘wheelbarrows’ of material extracted from my preclear and ethics files from the church. One item piqued the curiosity of the reporters. It was an ‘apology’ I had written to David Miscavige in 1994. Someone might be able to find it on the Tampa Times website – it was once posted there, and was published in the original series, but I could not find it.
I explained that it was the ‘end phenomena’ of the Truth Rundown. The Truth Rundown is not over until such a written apology is extracted from the person being subjected to the rundown. And that is by order, and policy, of L. Ron Hubbard. That that is the end phenomena is evident from my ‘apology’ to Miscavige. If you find it, you can see that that is the end phenomena by my words in the very first paragraph. After dozens of hours of being interrogated I report that the interrogator found no ‘black PR’ (negative propaganda) had been harbored or spread by me about Miscavige. Nonetheless, I was required to write the ‘apology’ in order to terminate the seemingly unending interrogations. As you can see in the ‘apology’ itself, I used a little creativity in order to achieve the ‘end phenomena.’
ORIGIN OF THE RUNDOWN
When Hubbard was on the lam from lawsuits and grand juries in the early 80’s, he was flooding the Int Base (Scientology’s 500 acre compound near Hemet, California) with floods of orders to prepare for his return. For a complete account of that era, read Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior.
Part of the orders to the Int Base included ensuring the several hundred personnel there were completely loyal to Hubbard, for security purposes. All manner of security checking broke out in response. That is, forced interrogations on the e-meter (a single component of a lie detector) testing the single-minded trustworthiness of adherents to Hubbard.
In the course of the mass security checking it was discovered that a long-term Sea Org member at the base had made a comment that he felt the technical training films directed by Hubbard were amateur in quality. Of course, any intelligent person who has seen those original films would probably agree that this comment pretty well aligned with the truth. David Miscavige certainly fit that category. After all, he wound up spending on the order of one hundred million dollars to upgrade those films to ‘professional standards’ once Hubbard died.
But, Miscavige – and the rest of the Int Base staff – was more accomplished at keeping his true thoughts in order, and at the Int Base that means suppressed. Miscavige, led the chorus of Int Base executives who were outraged that such black propaganda – that the films were amateur – was being spread about the Int Base. When Hubbard received the reports, he responded with the terminated handling. That would be the exact procedure for what would become packaged, marketed and delivered as ‘The Truth Rundown.’
BRAINWASHING
Here is the truth rundown in my own words:
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- Security check a subject until you find a thought that is negative – by Miscavige’s definition – that is harbored by the individual toward someone of importance in Scientology.
- Ask, ‘just prior to having that thought, did you commit an overt (a harmful act)’?
- Then do the full security checking procedure – which includes forced, complete confession.
- Then interrogate for an ‘evil purpose’ that prompted the overt in the first place.
- When you’ve done this procedure for some time the individual finally comes to some level of realization and is happy for having completed that auditing procedure and that his ‘negative’ thoughts are prompted by deep, inherent evil intentions that have been implanted into him millions of years ago.
- Continue this process for as long as it takes for the recipient to originate something kind about the person he is being interrogated about. That is, after being forced to introvert on one’s own shortcomings for up to hundreds of hours, somewhere along the line the person recognizes the objective is to make him feel remorseful for having harbored less than kind thoughts about the person in question.
- The subject originates – or more than likely is prompted to – to ‘apologize’ to the person he harbored a less than kind thought about.
In my two decades of experience in administering and being subjected to the Truth Rundown, more often than not I observed it being used not to establish truth at all. Instead, it was used to enforce trustworthiness and loyalty to the liking of the higher-up the subject had an unkind thought toward. Generally, what occurs is the subject becomes contrite and forgets what he thought of or objected to in the first place and rejoins the group as an enthusiastic member of the Stepford (or Truman Show) culture.
Is ‘brainwashing’ too harsh of a label for this?
As for the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF) — this euphemistically titled program is in fact the hard core internal Sea Org concentration camp for thought reform. The Truth Rundown is an integral part of the RPF program.
The issue establishing the RPF is available on the internet, and I include it below. This is the sanitized version of what really happens. While it makes clear the RPF cannot even speak to any other scientologist unless addressed by them first, and that they are to wear black boiler suits and eat separately, it does not describe what actually happens in the RPF, or that the sentence can last 10 years or more.
Here is the Hubbard reference that says failure to make a knowledge report makes the person just as culpable as the perpetrator of the act. This guarantees a snitch culture that is certainly prevalent in scientology.
And finally, here is the first page of the Children’s Sec Check — clearly stating it can be done on children as young as 6. This is the first page — there are 3 pages of questions that go on in a similar vein.
If everyone make it why can’t Hitler, Stalin and Hubbard make it? Psychs gets it right. Hitler, Stalin and Hubbard fail because of their paranoia. Sane cooperate with psychs.
Yep. Not to mention 2 out of the 3 were using, abusing very dangerous, addictive drugs. (I’m guessing the drug usage brought on their paranoia state.)Unbelievable! None should have been in a position of authority.
“What overt did you commit just before you thought/read/looked at/watched…”
This is quite different from,
“Ask, ‘just prior to having that thought, did you commit an overt (a harmful act)’?”
I was asked WHAT overt, not “did you have”
They weren’t following a read.
You just had to sit there and come up one. Had to be a commission against scn.
prompting mid-ruds with buttons till your eyes bleed.
One of the things that annoy people on the outside is Scientology’s religious tax exemption won’t be dismissed. Two reasons Scientology’s religious tax exemption won’t be dismissed be because the organization is a vexatious litigant and the IRS is subject to the Iron Law Of Bureaucracy (no effort is made than is necessary to collect a paycheck).
With the internet spreading news nearly instantly around the world it would be interesting to see if DM would use the same tactics as in 1992 or whenever it was of filing lawsuits against hundreds of IRS agents. It might be a major footbullet this time around.
I’ve made a proposal to amend The Constitution.
https://lesbates.blogspot.com/2021/03/date-of-birth.html
We have to go the long way around.
If it ain’t inhumane, cruel and traumatizing, it is not Scientology.
What a great article. I concur with what Skylar 23 shared about how we must expose Scientology’s dangerous actions as best we can. I recall being traumatized by seeing the establishment of the RPF when I was on Flag in ’74. It freaked me out people could be treated like that. I immediately found a way to get off the ship and then leave the Sea Org. I discuss this a lot in my new book, Relentless, Rescuing my Daughter from Scientology An Illustrated Story which I just released. I briefly discuss the Truth Rundown as well.
Mark Rathbun’s detailed info was very helpful, Thanks!
I hope my book, which seeks to appeal to parents who might relate to be separated from a child can learn through the illustrations and easy to read text of my book, how cruel and manipulative Scientology is, and how they get their whales and VIPs to support them in their criminal enterprise. My hope is that the upcoming pretrial hearings about Danny Masterson’s rapes open the door to international scrutiny and can lead to a reevaluation of Scientology’s status in the US. I was sure to speak about this in the book and share this in all the press releases I have been sending out promoting it
After listening to most of this excellent podcast, it became clear to me why I am still commenting after more than thirty years out. Hubbard was an extreme nutcase. Thank god I never joined the SO. Chris Shelton was abused more than can even be imagined. Hubbard Gaslighting. Trying to destroy minds. I cannot remember who said it. The idea is that the dumber the person the more self confidence in false views. It sure fits Hubbard.
O/T. Christian Scientologist Joy Villa is at L. Ron Hubbard House On Linksfield Ridge in South Africa. (L. Ron Hubbard is the founder of Scientology.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNlEvi2gtIy/
Memorialized with screenshots on ESMBR at:
https://exscn2.net/threads/christian-scientologist-joy-villa-is-at-l-ron-hubbard-house-on-linksfield-ridge-in-south-africa-l-ron-hubbard-is-the-founder-of-scientology.2979/
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Even before I listen to part two today…. (looking forward to it)
Thanks for all of this, Mike, Leah, and Chris.
The practice of scientology includes these horrendous interrogation tactics.
You’re turning the stone and showing some of Scientology’s worst maggots.
I’m currently listening to this podcast and I want to begin by saying this post may seem to be Off-Topic. But I am really trying to make a point about abolishing this cult and you may want to skip ahead to the last 2 paragraphs to see that point I am trying to make before you decide whether to read this entire post. I won’t blame you if you decide to skip through most of it.
This podcast began with Leah discussing how people who have been inside this cult use a great deal of “shorthand” when they talk with current or former cult members. The reason is that this cult defines a great deal of shorthand words and abbreviations to describe some of their crazy concepts. Perhaps the reason they do this is because these concepts are so ridiculous, the original writer of the cult books figured that by bamboozling the public with all this jargon, they would be more likely to just accept it instead of investing much time and effort trying to look up the words he used.
However, this leads me into a topic that I would like to present to the readers of this blog. This issue concerns the general public’s impression of this cult.
In the past, I seem to recall either Mike or Leah (I don’t remember exactly who first mentioned this) have said that when members of the public are talking and the topic of this cult comes up, they tend to just laugh at how silly it is and they do not take it seriously. Someone has said that before we can see the abolishment of this cut, that has to change. The general public needs to understand just how many terrible human rights abuses and atrocities this cult continues to commit all the time. The public needs to understand the policies of “disconnection” and “fair game”.
In order for the general public to support the abolishment of this cult, they really need to understand how it works and why. They also need to understand the primary human rights abuses and atrocities they continue to commit all the time and how they work. As a brief summary, I would suggest they need to understand the following:
1) This cult is a criminal organization set up as a for-profit business masquerading as a religion.” This definition was originally voiced by Yashar Ali who is a recognized source on the Internet.
2) Its primary function is to use mind control and brainwashing to apply extreme pressure to its members to transfer their wealth to the cult – eventually assisting them to raise their credit limits to the maximum and borrow more money than they can ever repay and give that money to the cult.
3) They arrange for this wealth transfer by selling all of their so-called “services” which are all pre-paid and no money is ever refunded under any circumstances.
4) They use the two hideous policies of “disconnection” and “fair game” to threaten and bully people into compliance and despite claiming to be the most ethical group on the planet, they are actually the most litigious group on the planet and they use the threat of lawsuits to pressure people into compliance.
5) They claim to be a church in order to protect themselves from criminal liability and to acquire Tax Exempt Status. They never pay any taxes and that is the primary reason they have built up a huge treasure chest currently estimated at more than $3 Billion dollars.
6) Their policy of “disconnection” means that anyone who speaks out against the cult is then shunned by all other members of their family who are members of the cult. In this way, this cult tear apart families and causes people untold pain and suffering to anyone who tries to tell the truth about this cult.
There is much more I’d like to say. But this is a decent start to describing how this criminal organization operates and how they have built up an unbelievable treasure chest currently estimated at more than $3 Billion dollars. The reason it is so important to work towards helping the general public understand these things is because it is vital for them to understand just how evil and harmful this cult really is before they will understand why it is so important to see it abolished. This has been a very long discussion. But what is my point?
It is that current and former members seem to think this cult is well known to most all the world and it is something that is in the forefront of the public’s consciousness. But I was shocked yesterday when I Googled “hubbard” and found the list that Google returned. Can you guess where on the list the founder of this cult appears? I had expected it would be near the top of the list. If this cult is in the forefront of the public’s consciousness, then surely it would be near the top of the list. But no! It was actually 27th on the list. Please try it for yourself and see.
My point is that if we want to see the abolishment of this cult, we really need to find a way to get the general public to understand just how this cult works and why it is so important to have it abolished and to see its leaders imprisoned.
Hi Mike!
Love the podcast!!
Could you explain what the difference is in the auditing done in the Truth Rundown vs. a regular auditing session?
If I understand correctly both include “holding the cans” but I’ve felt like a lot of people have claimed that an auditing session is quite “nice” (in lack of a better word), while the auditing done in the Truth Rundown is horrible.
Can’t wait for the next episode, keep doing an amazing job, and let Leah know she’s awesome! 😀
Maja – Most of the auditing on the lower levels up to and including what scn calls “Clear” addressed things like negative and unwanted attitudes, emotions, mentally caused sensations and pains as well auditing which would supposedly increase abilities to communicate better, handle problems, relieve regrets and so on. This is not particularly mystical stuff. The space opera aspects on the upper or OT, Operating Thetan, levels was kept hidden in the days before the internet but is now public knowledge.
Unbrainwashing procedure:
1. Find a safe location – a back yard, park, beach or wilderness trail is preferable
2. Think of experiences you are grateful for while walking and admiring mother nature.
3. Read LRHs Affirmations and study his actual intentions in life.
4. Google products of his technology by study of the stories of the more then 3000 parishioners that have left and spoken out publicly.
https://whyweprotest.wikia.org/wiki/Former_Church_of_Scientology_members_who_have_spoken_out
5. Study the ways LRH used to control his followers (see attributes of high control) and eliminate those you adopted (lingo and redefinition of words –
openminded, reasonable, comm lag, 3rd party law, top 10% of the 10%, source, only tigers survive, few are chosen, ups and downs in life, reactive mind etc.)
6. Study Religious Trauma Syndrome and symptoms and find someone who will listen to you rant while you work this all out.
7. Learn basics of critical thinking. Rid yourself of biases and assumptions.
Warning:
In many cases the trauma occurs when and after leaving. Letting someone do all your thinking for you could have become very comfortable. Leaving may be uncomfortable and stressful. Balance your studies and new learning with walks, gratitude and things you love (friends, puppies, art etc.)
You can study many of the interviews with therapists done by Chris Shelton and Jon Atack on Utube. Here are Jons
https://youtube.com/channel/UCI4tcSMV2kEh3BooY_XFSYQ
This is just a sketch 😉
Well done, Cece. Thanks very much. I really enjoyed reading your post.
Thanks Skyler. I always love seeing yours too 😘
This rundown is used as part of OT VII eligibility sec procedures on those who arrived on base with the idea that they could read whatever they damned well pleased on the internet.
Veterans of the Safe Environment Fund and the Portland Crusades, ex-HES’s or HAS’s don’t really take to being told they can’t handle knowing what’s being said in the world. (We used to take out NY Times rebuttals for Christ’s sweet sake)
But the Flag MAA’s don’t challenge or say a word when you air your views on the arrival expanded A-J check.
You just spend the next 50-100 hours on this deeply scarring and dangerous mental attack.
(followed by conditions from confusion on up)
Same in 2004 when I paid 100 hours for Nots. I hadn’t been in session for about 10 years (I was on extended LOA from SO).
I confessed to Googling OTIII in the first session.
Well of course I spent the rest of the NOTs hours on effin confessionals.
The church actively chases people away. I never went back.
I bought a Ford Van summer 2005 and by 2007 I had sold my property, gave away my clients and moved onto my van never to return.
All by intuition because my brain was so scrambled I could no longer think.
I had the Truth Rundown in 86 as part of Permanent Posting. I only remember the end having to write an apology to Mr. James Byrne Ltjg.
I’ve since learned he is a wife beater.
Scientology is truly insane. I can’t say I’m sorry for the experiance but I’m extremely thankful I got out.
Glad you are too 😘
Hey you. 🙂
Thanks, glad you’re out too.
I love what you did when you got out. Scrambled brains indeed.
I wouldn’t mind volunteering for a trauma brain scan study.
Hook my head up with some wires and start running the commands of this rundown or any elig sec check question with buttons. Throw in Mid-ruds with buttons and see what bloody areas light up.
But seriously? It was being made to look over and over and over again for, “what overt did you commit just before you read…..”
you have to have an overt
it has to be against scientology in some fashion
it can’t be an overt of omission
I haven’t lived near an org in quite awhile. What overt of commission was I supposed to have had against Scn in the effin boonies?
It was torture.
sheer torture. So many hours.
……..
I’ve made great strides lately. But the sharp contrast has shown me how long and how close I rode the edge these last years.
I LOVE being free of this cult.
Happy day today!
The RPF would more properly be called a re-education project; making those subjected to it think the right thoughts, beyond forcing them to instantly, without delay or thought, obey the dictates of their “betters”: anyone even a little higher up in the pecking order.
My experience with RPF is that it’s not about rehabilitating something or someone. Absolutely.
It is, through the heavy sense of guilt, a kind of brainwashing where after you are just more suitable.
You think you’ve had who knows what improvements.
You haven’t been rehabilitated, you’ve just become more suitable and ‘forgiven’ .
By the way, most of the job done by Epf’ers couldn’t be done by others. Thus it is needed to have such a force to handle the dirty stuff silently, for free and with head down.
Luckily it didn’t last more than 2 years without any improvement or progress, I left. Back to family, friends and real life.
O/T. Will Scientology Patron Meritorious Joy Villa condemn the anti-Semitism of the Church of Scientology’s partner, the Nation of Islam?
******
Will Scientology Patron Meritorious Joy Villa condemn the anti-Semitism of the Church of Scientology’s partner, the Nation of Islam, Scientology Freedom Medal Winner Nation of Islam Minister Abdul Malik Sayyid Muhammad (aka Tony Muhammad), and Scientology Youth for Human Rights Award Winner Nation of Islam Brother Rizza Islam?
I ask because of her tweets:
https://twitter.com/Joy_Villa/status/1380361386488815616
* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *
Most media are not talking about the historic rise in anti Semitism and hate crimes to Jewish ppl globally. Nick Cannon and Deshaun Jackson are two people who just this year set out to delegitimize white Jews. Jackson had to donate money and cannon is still on the masked singer.
* * * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
https://twitter.com/Joy_Villa/status/1380363043079524352
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On this Yom HaShoah, I proudly stand with Israel and the Jewish people!
!עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי
* * * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
Nick Cannon got into major PR trouble as a result of, among other things, his Cannon’s Class video with Scientology Freedom Medal Winner Nation of Islam Minister Abdul Malik Sayyid Muhammad (aka Tony Muhammad). See:
https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/07/14/nick-cannon-fired-from-mtv-vh1-nickelodeon-for-anti-semitic-remarks-and-backing-louis-farrakhan
https://www.google.com/search?as_q=%22Nick+Cannon%22&as_epq=Abdul+Malik+Sayyid+Muhammad&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=&safe=images&as_filetype=&as_rights=not+filtered+by+license&tbs=
https://www.google.com/search?as_q=%22Nick+Cannon%22&as_epq=Tony+Muhammad&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=&safe=images&as_filetype=&as_rights=not+filtered+by+license&tbs=
Why does Villa attack Nick Cannon for being anti-Semitic, but not even mention Minister Abdul Malik Sayyid Muhammad (aka Tony Muhammad)? Is it because he: (1) won the Scientology Freedom Medal: and (2) is a Scientology Class 4 Auditor, Clear and Super Power Completion?
*****
Memorialized with screenshots on ESMBR at:
https://exscn2.net/threads/will-scientology-patron-meritorious-joy-villa-condemn-the-anti-semitism-of-the-church-of-scientologys-partner-the-nation-of-islam.2957/
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I can confirm the fact that both the RPF and the Truth RD have no value whatsoever in improving human behaviour. I had to endure being asked for things I had never done, feeling very upset about being wrongly accused of being a criminal after many years of high production and devotion to the founder. When I expressed my protest and disagreements for the Truth Rundown questions I was subjected to, my twin had to convince me to better shut up or it would just get worse and longer.
I can now freely state Fuck you to LRH and whoever after him enforced such a torture. It is 100% crap and inhumane.
TT Greco, IMO you have expressed a very worthwhile sentiment.
Bravo!