Terra Cognita is back with another thought provoker…
Exchange…or Scientology: Must Be Contributed To
L. Ron Hubbard wrote that there were four types of exchange.
The lowest and most undesirable of these was criminal exchange in which people take without giving anything in return. A classic example is the thief.
The second type is partial exchange, where you order the world’s strongest widget and it breaks the first time you try to use it.
The third form is equal exchange. I give you a loaf of bread; you give me three dollars. I work at Jabberworks Computers; they pay me a monthly salary commensurate with my ability and level of production.
The final form of exchange is what LRH called exchange in abundance, in which more is given than might be expected. Instead of just giving you a loaf of bread for three dollars, I throw in a couple of cinnamon rolls. Instead of packing up and going home after eight hours at Jabberworks, I put in an extra hour on the project we’re working on.
These concepts aren’t revolutionary. LRH didn’t invent these. I don’t even know if he was the first to codify them.
My question is why. Why was the subject of exchange so important to him?
Ethics and Money
LRH wanted to drive home the notion that exchange was very important with regards to the subject of ethics. He insisted that to lead an ethical life and to become spiritually free, one must have his exchange “in.” In Scientology, the road to freedom is paved with good deeds and exchange. So far, so good.
The other reason LRH linked exchange to ethics had to do with greed and money. If he could artfully convince people that anything received in Scientology—be it auditing, training, or books—was an example of he and his church “exchanging in abundance,” people would feel good—and ethical—about handing over large sums of money.
Reversely, by emptying their bank accounts, parishioners would feel like they were “exchanging in abundance” with the church, and thus, had greased the holy wheels for their divine journey up the bridge. The more ethically people behaved—by giving large sums of money to the church—the freer they would ultimately become—and the quicker Ron’s tech would save the planet. Or so they thought.
From their first course, Scientologists are programmed to believe that the “greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics” is contributing to the church. In abundance!
Production is the Basis of Morale
LRH wrote that “production is the basis or morale,” a concept which dovetails nicely with his emphasis on exchange. For in order to “exchange in abundance,” one must also work and produce in abundance. For those in the Sea Org, this means working long hours, seven days a week, for the next billion years. For regular church goers, this meant working at unfulfilling sales jobs, donating large amounts to the IAS and “ideal” org projects, while paying for services (as advanced donations) that they have little chance of ever doing.
Hubbard reminded us often that Earth was teetering on the brink of destruction and thus, humankind didn’t have the time to dillydally. We didn’t have the luxury of playing, vacationing, or taking walks with friends on Sunday afternoons. Few tags are worse in Scientology than being labeled a dilettante. Members can lie, cheat, and steal. But to not produce and contribute to the church? Lions and tigers and bears, oh no!
Ethical people work and produce. And work more and produce more. And thus, are happy. And so they work and produce more. Which leads to greater income. Which leads to greater donations to the church. And they are happy.
Was LRH smart—or devious—to tie together exchange, production, and morale? On the surface, these concepts seem innocuous enough. Outside the context of the Church of Scientology, they are. Production, exchange, and morale aren’t evil theories dreamed up by malevolent despots. Producing valuable products is good. Exchanging with your fellow man makes the world run smoothly. High morale is wonderful.
What is wrong is when these concepts are used to milk people of all their pennies. What is criminal is when a church knowingly doesn’t deliver what they promise.
These concepts didn’t get twisted and perverted by accident. To think otherwise is naïve. LRH introduced these ideas for financial gain.
The Most Ethical Organization on the Planet
No one will dispute that exchange in abundance is admirable. LRH knew this. What he also knew was that he could use this idea to make people believe that turning over all their money was a good thing—especially after drilling into their heads that Scientology was the most ethical organization on the planet. He persuaded people that there was no greater good than contributing to him and his church. He convinced his followers that there was no greater “exchange in abundance” than exchanging with the Church of Scientology.
Don’t Look; Don’t Tell
Scientologists are trained to not question concepts such as these. Where tech and policy are concerned, they’re trained to not look closely; not to pull strings; not to follow lines of reasoning. Scientologists are coached to accept the writings of LRH verbatim—literally. Anything less is not tolerated—despite lofty words to the contrary. Students are taught there are no double meanings to LRH’s words. There is no hidden agenda in his messages. Everything he said and wrote is considered true and beyond reproach. As one devotee once told me, “His words are our scripture.”
Last Words
The primary Scientology axiom today is that no organization “exchanges in abundance” more than they do. Their secondary axiom: Scientology must be contributed to.
Or maybe I got those reversed?
Still not Declared,
Terra Cognita
In purpose to get the whole cake of potential souls organized crime must trick, sue, lie or destroy each other. If one knocks out all the others the winner harvest the gold.
watched the whole series with leah Remini, it’s nothing lesse then mindblowing, that an organisation that like has untill this day has been able to be stopped or exposed in its whole, Hope very much though this will happen, rather sooner than later. there should be daily demonstrations in front of every building they own worldwide, they should be haunted and harrassed like they haunt and harrase the socalled supreesive persons. sickening to watch. maybe there should be initiated a ne church : ASP
Association of Suppressive Persons for a really better world / planet and Universe. Big respect to Leah Remini for speaking out as a celebrity person !!! Greetings and Love from the Netherlands. HEMMO VAN DONDEREN !!!
Veel belangstelling uit Nederland vandaag.
(Lots of interest from the Netherlands today.)
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned that scientology is supposed to be blue white diamonds:
http://www.scientology-cult.com/knowledge-center/lrh-references/135-four-conditions-of-exchange.html
oh the rhetoric.
“The fourth condition of exchange is not common but could be called exchange in abundance. Here one does not give two for one or free service but gives something more valuable than money was received for. Example: The group has diamonds for sale; an average diamond is ordered; the group delivers a blue-white diamond above average. Also it delivers it promptly and with courtesy.
– L. Ron Hubbard –
HCO PL 10 Sep 82 – Exchange, Org Income and Staff Pay”
Off topic here but I was just watching a video on TMZ. It was C. Thomas Howell at an airport recently and someone asked if he was still good friends with his co-stars from the film “The Outsiders”. He said that he was still friends with Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, and Rob Lowe. He then added that “Nobody gets near Lord Cruise “.
Priceless!
Part of it might be that he’s introverted as hell and won’t let anyone near him. Scientology can do that to you. Scientologists would be his chosen associates and companions.
Especially when your man-wife is David Miscavige.
Hm, well it seems that Scientology offers criminal exchange in the form of IAS donations and criminal and partial exchange in the form of its technology. It ~requires~ exchange in not just abundance but superabundance from the Scientologists it serves and the Scientologists who work for it.
In other words, Scientology is working exactly as designed.
Exactly. Fair exchange is a good principle. which Scientology regularly and ruthlessly violates. I can’t think of a better example of partial exchange than the Holy Tech that does exactly jack.
Mike, I’ve wondered if you and Leah are doing another season of Aftermath? If so, please tell me when it will air.
I’ve been learning about that horrible cult NXIVM, and so thankful that cult leader is in prison. I’m praying Scientology is brought down soon too.
This subject automatically queues this song… Another great article, TI.
“Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” by The Clash
Darling you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here till the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
It’s always tease tease tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine, and next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I Stay or should I go?
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
This indecision’s bugging me
Esta indecision me molesta
If you don’t want me, set me free
Si no me quieres, librame
Exactly whom I’m supposed to be
Digame quien tengo ser
Don’t you know which clothes even fit me?
Sabes que ropas me queda?
Come on and let me know
Me tienes que decir
Should I cool it or should I blow?
Me debo ir o quedarme?
Split
Should I stay or should I go now?
Me entra frio por los ojos
Should I stay or should I go now?
Me entra frio por los ojos
If I go there will be trouble
Si me voy va a haber peligro
And if I stay it will be double
Si me quedo va a ser doble
So you gotta let me know
Me tienes que decir
Should I cool it or should I blow?
Writer/s: JOE STRUMMER, MICK JONES
Nicely done Terra.
And nearly all of this Scioland stuff was concocted/perfected after the fact was realized there is NO product in Scientology, except itself as a one way, flow coupled with multiple ‘breakthroughs of research’ whenever needed to keep the kettle boiling. Hubbard’s intention is the primary element. Yes indeed, criminal to the core!
One fact is inescapable in Scientology now if you care to look, and that is how Hubbard the “war hero,” treated his own crew-mates in the SO. The now documented history of his behavior tells a story of one of the worst types of people to ever have power over you – a wholly consumed, selfish, heartless, SOB! His organizational legacy is what you see today, it’s irrelevant who or what runs it now he’s gone.
Terra sez:
“Scientologists are coached to accept the writings of LRH verbatim—literally. Anything less is not tolerated—despite lofty words to the contrary. Students are taught there are no double meanings to LRH’s words. There is no hidden agenda in his messages. Everything he said and wrote is considered true and beyond reproach.”
Does this mean that within the cult there is no room for “lateral” thinking as some infamous commenters have stated on this blog? Of course it does. When I was in, there was ZERO room for independent thought or “lateral” thinking. If there was no agreement with the materials, you were sent back to “clear your words” because if you didn’t agree with the materials (ALL written by Hubbard) then you must have misunderstood something. If the “word clearing” didn’t do the trick, it was off to visit the ethics officer where the big squeeze was initiated.
Was this Miscavige’s doing? No. Most of my time in the cult was pre-Miscavige and total agreement and lock stepping was a requirement of any good KSW Kool-Aid swiller. Still is.
So after all the above huffing and puffing and protesting, what word or words in your materials was/were misunderstood?
Foolproof, you forgot to ask:
Was anything missed?
Was anything invalidated?
I think you need to go to Qual.
She’s now got conceptual understanding and lateral thinking mixed up with disagreeing and hoping others won’t spot the difference in trying to foist off her argument. Shame you can’t do your own version then of “Scientology” isn’t it? But then it wouldn’t be Scientology would it, it would be “Havenology” or “LabRatology”. Do you think your version might take off? You could sell a few copies of a daft book like George White-ski!
How about “Havenetics”?
It is a great pity that Hubbard did not apply these ideas about exchange to the Organization itself. Had he done so, Doing so could have mitigated some of the problems Scientology is now facing.
In the late 70s, Hubbard pointed out that prices for services had been static for a long time and that the world had just gone through a period of high inflation. This was the justification for the price hike that followed where prices were increased by 5% per month (10% in the UK.)
At first, I thought this was unfortunate but understandable. I changed my mind when these price rises carried on month after month, year after year.
In the UK, Hubbard instigated a 10% per month rise which meant that UK prices eventually outstripped anywhere else in the world including Flag. After a very long time, and after this had caused an incalculable amount of hardship and damage in the UK, the prices were eventually dropped to be in-line with the rest of the world, although still sky-high compared to how they had once been.
To rub salt into the wound, we had an event in London featuring Diana Hubbard who told us that LRH really cared about the UK as evidenced by the fact that he had personally stepped in to handle this problem with pricing.
I thought this was an outrageous claim to make. Hubbard very belatedly stepped in to address a problem of his own creation. No doubt he had forbidden anyone else to make this decision for him and allowing the prices to get out-of-hand showed a huge incompetence.
I was on staff at the time and shared my views about this with a couple of my colleagues. They both told me that they had also found Diana’s claim very odd and inappropriate. I did not receive any ethics reports on what I said.
Two points here:
Firstly, with Hubbard, it was often a case of “Don’t do what I do, do what I say!” If he had applied his principles of exchange to the Organization, we would not have had these drastic price hikes in the first place and everyone including the Organization itself would have been better off for it.
And secondly, we were not all unthinking robots who uncritically hung on Hubbard’s every word. Some people were like that to an extent but I am heartily sick of everyone being tarred with the same brush.
Cavalier – The monthly price increases was the reason I split. I was part of what some exes call the Grand Exodus in Los Angeles when maybe hundreds of scientologists blew all at once because of them.*
Here’s a story I heard which seemed to be legit since the person mentioned names and when and where it occurred. As you may know, the monthly price increases caused the worldwide gross income to skyrocket as people drained their bank accounts to freeze the prices at the then current rate. Someone was dispatched to inform Elron that people were blowing all over the place. So the story goes, he pointed at the gross income graph and essentially said “So what?”
* That was a long time ago and I’m not sure of the details, but I think there were two rounds of price increases. The first was blamed on inflation and then leveled off. At a later time they resumed which caused the Grand Exodus.
There was also a Mass Exodus in the UK for the same reason.
This was also the era of the Int. Finance Police, a Sea Org Unit that were a kind of cross between the Gestapo and the Mafia. This unit soon came to be hated by one and all and gave even more impetus to the ongoing Exodus.
This is a story I know to be true.
A senior executive at GO World Wide did an evaluation which correlated the price increases to the fall in delivery stats and sent this eval. directly to Hubbard.
Hubbard’s response was to personally order this executive to retread his DSEC (Data Series Evaluator’s Course.)
Whatever the exact timing was back then, I had just attested to “Dianetic Clear” and my next step was to go on to the OT levels and I needed to figure out how to pay for them. The monthly price increases started and that was the end of the figuring. haha
Some blown scientologist get together groups started up and I joined one. We listened to channelling tapes and discussed other practices. Great fun.
The Refund policy lays out hubbard’s self aggrandizement clearly.
http://www.carolineletkeman.org/c/archives/4438
“No rebate may be given any preclear for any reason on his or her processing.
To claim a pc “lost time” in auditing because of an error in choosing processes or having to reflatten one, is highly fallacious.
We are already the only agency anywhere that can increase IQ and resolve human problems.
Pcs who claim “lost time” or ask for rebates of part of their auditing time for any reason except no auditing whatever (meaning no session of any kind, no auditor or pc in the room) should be turned over to Ethics. They are rough cases and tend to be suppressive.
We are selling hours of auditing and what that is is for us to judge.
How much is a man’s life worth to him? How much is it worth not to die at all? I’m afraid it has no price tag.
We are selling actual salvage from death itself.
Rebate. How silly. The person was lucky we were around at all and took an interest. We don’t have to do anything for anybody. Remember that. We can lose interest in certain people, too, you know.
No org has to accept anyone it doesn’t want to for training or processing.
No Auditor has to accept a pc he doesn’t honestly want to help.
No Supervisor has to train any student he doesn’t want to train.
We sell pearls for pennies already.”
Pearls for pennies??? What can I get for $1,000?
No kidding, it’s more like pennies for pearls.
Good one TC.
Off Topic— a bit
On Aug 15, 2018, Mike’s blog ‘More Words from Ron’‘, our Foolproof suggested C/S Series #22. Woke up this AM remembering I was to look up C/S Series #22, PSYCHOSIS. In that bulletin Ron precisely defines insanity as:
INSANITY IS THE OVERT OR COVERT BUT ALWAYS COMPLEX AND CONTINUOUS DETERMINATION TO HARM OR DESTROY
Whoa Nellie! ( What the ****!) Here we have source itself describing scientology, the cult of no inflow, to a tee. Thanks Foolproof for that reminder of what the cult is, and does.
Oops. I meant the cult of no out-flow.
No no, you are right on topic, to a tee! So is the bulletin.
Just reading through some old posts here. Well now, you certainly never fail to entertain.
Please explain how Hubbard’s made-up definition of ‘insanity’ is even remotely correct?
The actual definition has absolutely nothing to do with what that lunatic said.
Ah! Katherine Invalidate throwing her hat into the ring again. “The actual definition” of insanity eh? What then is this gem of obfuscation and confusion that you are going to enlighten us with? Please provide this “definition” so that I can have a good laugh. Is it a part of the brain? Has it helped to cure anyone of “it”?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insanity
Tell me how the real definition has something to do with “the continuous intent to harm or destroy”?
The definition of ‘insanity’ doesn’t have anything to do with curing insanity. That’s a whole other conversation.
As a new adult, and still young emotionally, I got FSMed (a Scino spotted me and manuvered me into convos till they got me up to ‘need of change’ and got me skillfully into the cult. I was unhappy and worried about my future. No college and my friends had dead end jobs.
I joined the cult and was assigned a ‘buddy’ to love bomb me. I found out that my ‘friend’ had been assigned to me years later. Ouch. My one Scino friend from the start was basically a plant in my life.
Anyhoo I felt the group liked and admired me and saw something in me. I felt happier. Having learned about exchange in abundance early on I bought that Scino tech and auditing were priceless and tried not to ridge at the sky high prices.
I was just entering the labor market and had to go entrepreneurial to afford services. Oh yeah and borrow money from a Scino loan company which wasn’t actually legit. Who lends $5,000.00 to someone whose collateral is a ten year old car and some dining chairs? They did.
Forget purpose in my work, it was, what can I do to make the most money per hour?
Then I learned production is the basis or morale and became a justified workaholic. And I spent tons on the cherch and was in debt for over ten years, and at times teetering on the edge of bankrupcy.
Since I already didn’t question the ‘priceless’ nature of what I was paying for and dived into a life of a workaholic it was a vicious cycle.
And so I stayed in getting slowly beat down and putting up with it. Less happy, more self flagellation over my failure to ‘get it.’ Not being ‘upstat’ enough, not ‘active’ enough, not ‘on purpose’ enough. These two quotes and my adherence to them was my roach motel. I was stuck. And I was putting down the sticky stuff in the bottom of my box.
Really looking at these two ‘stable datums’ and how they were the key to my becoming a workaholic is eye opening. Wow.
Owning that these are not right, in the way I was applying them is hugely helping me get over knee jerk feelings of inadequacy when I take a day off because I want to. This is valuable. I see more time off in my future. To see my family, to say I love you, to smell willows by the creek, to pet strange dogs, to philosophize with a new friend and to look into the distance and say this is my new happiness.
??
Wow! What a great post! I’m glad you used your Super Powers by walking away. It can be tough, but, you made it through! Congrats, CNC! I’m very happy for you!
That’s just beautiful! So happy for you. ☺
He came up with the idea of exchange in abundance to control others and instill in their minds that, not donating in abundance was unethical as you were depriving human kind of the “only” technology to save the planet.
Thus, you were manipulated with fear: ‘you don’t donate = you’re out ethics, see the MAA or get a Sec Check’.
Add the made wrong: “you don’t have enough to donate? Then you are either out-ethics or you need more Bridge to become more able to ‘produce’ money”
Or invalidation: “You don’t want to give us your savings? That is first Dynamic oriented, not OK”
LRH mentioned somewhere in KSW 1 the vested interests of others, and boy, he sure had his own huge vested interest in getting others to make him ‘rich’. What a pity indeed.
There are so many negative descriptors for this pox of a person, the world owed him more than he actually deserved, in spite of that he had little issue with stealing from others and calling it ethical. He would be .01 on His own Tone Scale. Thanks T.C.
Hubbard did not care about anyone. He was the ONLY one that mattered.
All of Lron’s ‘words of wisdom’ are just a reworking of Les Danes salesmanship books. “Exchange in abundance,” is just another phrase to motivate the sales force.
Excuse me, I must dillydally for a while. Then I shall explore my ‘dilettanteness’.
TC,
this summarizes another one of Hubbard’s devious control devices.
I was made to feel that no matter what I did it was not enough exchange compared to what Ron had given us.
Ron fit perfectly the description of an “anti-social personality”.
TC you hit the nail right on the head. The head of the biggest SP of them all.
Hubbard was the biggest crook this side of Target Two.
Wow, and think of beyond Tgt 2! Do we have the beginning of who’s the biggest crook game out there? Or mine is bigger than yours?
OSD, you are not kind to old Mr. Hubbard whose cupboard was so bare.
Without his ethics officer, messengers and crew he was not much of a man.
He died alone and abandoned which is the fate of most members still in.
It’s a shame that L Ron Hubbard didn’t end up running down his mother’s leg at the time he was being conceived. Too bad for the world that his father didn’t pull out. Too bad that the one little sperm containing his DNA made it to his mother’s egg. Too bad she didn’t have a first trimester miscarriage. Too bad his mother wasn’t infertile.
I say all of these things because … it’s true. And it is truly too bad. L Ron Hubbard was nothing, if anything, but a pox on mankind. May all vestiges of his existence disappear into the dustbin of history as quickly as possible. Instead of freeing people he has done exactly the opposite, and for nefarious and self serving reasons. He was an absolutely sick and purposefully evil individual.
I am beginning to search the internet after many years “going up the Bridge” where I became very confused and living in fear. I got tired of it and decided to look.
I found your blog and am so devastated to find out the truth.
I can’t get enough of the information I am finding on the internet and I did not get sick when I read the secret levels…not even a cough or sneeze.
I am very sad to find out I was completely lied to and manipulated out of a lot of money.
I am going to watch all of the A&E shows you and Leah did Mike.
I am so OUT of Scientology.
I know what you mean when you say that you are sad to find you were lied to and manipulated out of a lot of money Kathy.
I felt the same way, and sometimes still do.
However, as another ex once said to me: “No matter how much of a bad day you’re having, always remember that it’s 10X better than being on scientology staff”.How true!!
At least you’re now out of it all and life can only go one way. That’s upwards!!
Take care.
Kathy, this may be posting twice but if so that’s ok. Very VERY well done for confronting what so many Still Innies cannot or will not confront. We’re glad you’re here and we’re with you all the way in this process. We’ve all experienced this pain, the pain of betrayal after trust. Its bad but I promise you it will get better. You will heal.
Welcome out Kathy!
You might want to take a look at the list of ex-members speaking out against the Church.
http://whyweprotest.wikia.com/wiki/Former_Church_of_Scientology_members_who_have_spoken_out
Wonderful, Kathy! Welcome to the World!
Kathy, good for you. There’s lot of support for what you are doing from all of us.
Kathy, glad you’re out. Take your time unraveling the lies.
I didn’t get sick reading upper levels either. I LOL’ed at how ridiculous it was – coming from some crazy person’s mind!!!
Kathy – welcome to our group. Enjoy the ride and be patient with yourself, it will take some time to decompress.
Never to be in again!!! Way to go, Kathy! You da woman!
I am so happy for you Kathy. I can only imagine the heartbreak from that level of betrayal. Much love?
Thank you Ann – Scientology is a PRISON of BELIEF – no science – only lies.
This is an anecdotal story told to me by the former ED of Washington DC Org:
About 1971 the Washington DC org got about $100K (a lot of money then) donation from a whale and it was NOT for either auditing or training. A true donation. The ED asked what to do with the money and LRH said put it in the DC “building fund” account. When the whale figured out Scientology, he asked for his money back and Herbie Packhouse (CFO at the time) refused to pay him back. So, the whale contacted the ED and the ED contacted LRH and LRH told Herbie to not only cut the $100K refund check but also to personally deliver the check.
Now, if LRH had tax exempt status in 1970 that they got in 1993, he might have ruthlessly gutted whales, but he died in 1986 and only gutted the mission network’s bank accounts under Miscavige’s direction.
In 1970 LRH was almost always on the verge of being captured and jailed by various governments for essentially being a con man, so he stepped very carefully with whales’ money and demanded Orgs have exchange for services and provide refunds when asked.
After the 1993 tax exempt status was successfully extorted from the IRS and of course LRH was dead and couldn’t respond himself so it was Miscavige that launched the whaling ships to slaughter these wealthy beasts to near extinction. Today, I think the only whales left are severely retarded or are narcissistic and need the status bestowed upon them to assure themselves of their magnificence. Poor bastards.
Robert – That’s some creative writing. Save The Whales (the real ones)
Whoa! Now that’s heavy!
I personally knew 3 people who emptied their bank accounts and declared bankruptcy to donate to the cult. Bankruptcy used to be a shameful thing: running up bills, stiffing your creditors. Not in the cult. I never heard anyone sound embarrassed about it and these aforementioned 3 were quite proud of it!
another doozy: all those who took out a bunch of credit cards and ran up debt by donating, then stopped paying the cards off and hired the local Scio companies that flourished – “debt negotiators” who would negotiate the debt down substantially.
Remember kids! It’s only an overt if it’s against the mores of the group one belongs to!
Exactly right, Rip. That is the mindset. No matter who you rip off and don’t pay, no matter how deliberate and irresponsible your financial irregularities, if the cult benefits from them, YOU are a hero! This lauding of the wildest kind of irresponsibility always made me cringe. I was brought up to pay my bills. The mindset then was that bankruptcy was a legal way to be a criminal. Tragedies could occur in the form of illness, death, accidents that could make bankruptcy unavoidable but it was never an action of which reputable people were proud. But that was a different time, and my family were Conservatives, as that term was defined back then, which meant that you took care of yourself and took care of your own, strictly. Far different from what a “Conservative” is today, I might add. But I digress.
yes. even when IN I would have avoided not paying my way. “I don’t do debt”.
I was trained in tech and admin, so I knew Div 3 policy, and it was illegal to take out loans or “buy on time” for an org. All policy was applicable to one’s own 1st D as well, so I knew it was not per LRH to take out loans. I did all but 2 intensive on my bridge by having the cash up front. (this only flies with the Reg if you are handing him cash)
To purposefully default on something would have been out ethics for me.
…
but *shrug, I tried to uphold the whole “ethical beings” thing. I truly believed in all the “good” of scn.
Something I would question is, “Scientologists are coached to accept the writings of LRH verbatim – literally.” On season two of The Aftermath Mike Rinder looked into the camera several times and took it a step further by saying all Scientologists believe everything Hubbard said. That’s far from the truth before Miscavige took over but might be a generality in the current Church of Miscavige.
I was a staff member at a Class V org when I was sent to Flag for training, long before Hubbard died. This training did produce the result of my absolute 100 percent certainty in all things LRH. Scientologists may be flawed, but LRH was never wrong, had all the answers, and could be trusted fully. I fully believed he had billions of years of insight that he was sharing.
Now that I’ve come to my senses I’ve easily pinpointed this training as a key to the mind control conditioning that lead to my unwavering belief and support. It took a great trauma to break that and I am forever grateful for that hell, otherwise I’d still be in.
I tell you this as it was my experience. DM is a horrid person by all accounts, but I lay full responsibility for my lost decades on Hubbard’s doorstep.
Rip Van Winkle – Good comment. I only worked at a mission for less than two years and at an org for six months. If either one of them had sent me to Flag I might have felt special or privileged and got sucked in for longer than I did.
P.S. Now I understand your handle.
Thank you.
The training did give me “status” but it was the entirety of the experience and process that made me an unshakable believer.
There was much duress in being and outer org student:
you’re told that if you’re fail, you’re the worst of the worst and will be sent home in disgrace
you put in insane hours, 8AM – midnight is what we did, and if you didn’t make your target you stayed until you did.
the sheer volume of hubbard materials you cover is akin to the force feeding of geese for pate foie gras, it’s massive.
in doing this training in the word clearing you basically learn the entire history of all of the developments of scn, so, staff, policy, etc. It makes you feel a part of it, as if YOU walked the entire way with LRH and was a part of it all with him.
You do massive M9 word clearing on basic issues, if that’s not a mind-f*ck, I don’t know what is.
All the “tools” are used, false data stripping, many word clearing techniques, clay demos, ethics, qual handlings, – every bit is designed to get you lock-step with the tech.
It’s like boot camp hell, the conditions, the crowding with other students, the regimentation, – I’ve a zillion “war stories’ from the whole training cycle. Surviving it and succeeding gave me a massive sense of accomplishment and inner pride/strength and certainty in myself for not dying or giving up. It made me tough as hell. I weathered years of bullshit staff crap, SO missions destroying the orgs, – another ton of war stories of staff, all weathered due to that certainty “gained” during the training.
To use the cult speak, the training by itself was my key “stable datum” for all of the rest of my career as a Scio. This is how I could weather Miscabb and all the BS things that happened along the way, even the GAT 1 and GAT II. I knew what was LRH and what was current management/tech bullshit.
I now no longer hold on to any of it and my main mission in life on a personal level is to identify and rid myself of every bit of the mind conditioning and false ideas. So many parts of it go so deep, it’s hard to root them out and weekly I discover new ways I’m still under the influence.
…
thanks for listening to that. 🙂
for my handle: I was Secretfornow as I lurked and was petrified to post, very UTR.
Now, I’ve come along enough to ditch that name, as I’ve reallllly made progress and do feel like RVW. Still UTR, still trying to be careful, but feeling SO Much more of myself, so much has been recovered.
Rip, sounds like you have a book inside you waiting to be written. I’d read it.
If you care to share, what was the nature of the trauma that finally snapped you out of the trance? I’m always curious what propels people out of the cult, especially when they are as thoroughly indoctrinated as you were.
the main reason I don’t detail it is fear of being recognized. I also fall apart as soon as I speak of it or start to dwell.
I’m staying UTR because of what I’m unwilling to lose at this point.
Yes Rip Van W I also would love to hear what broke you out of the trans and is propelling you out? And what is making you UTR so that you can’t post with your real name? Do you have kids in the cult or something?
I’m a never-in, and there’s no way I’d post my real name.
Rip, thanks for replying. My best to you as you heal from your experience in the cult.
I’d never post under my real name either. Having been in this cult is not something I’d want generally known.
RVW – Thanks for the write up – beautiful. It gives an explanation as to how the organization was able to retain enough personnel to keep the thing going through all the changes DM made after he took over. Very enlightening.
P.S. You might end up getting the nickname “Rip”
It seems waking up from Scientology has a number of levels to it but the source of it all remains the same, no matter how it tries to convince you that all your problems are created by NOT following the tek properly etc. It is only a matter of time, imo, when even the most ardent, “make it go right” Hubbard campaigner will come to recognize the actual Hubbard results promised are nonexistent, it’s all a piece of blue sky. It’s a painful journey to the truth. It just takes longer for some, that’s all.
Rip, me too, right on his door step.
I have to disagree with you Richard. In my experience in the cult, believing in everything Hubbard said was required. Mostly because any scientologist is only exposed to what Hubbard says through his writing and pretty much everything he wrote concerned the cult. Of course, when he was on the lam in the late 70s and 80s and trying to distance himself from the organizations he created, he claimed to be a writer at heart and indulged in “less serious” works, i.e. Battlefield Earth. When that work of science fiction came out, it was heavily pushed by staff members everywhere in order to move it up the book selling charts. I read the book, and I can tell you with certainty that if you mentioned out loud that you didn’t care for it, things did not go well for you. Not well at all. And that was for a work of science fiction, not the absolute fiction that he pulled out of his ass and had printed in red on white and green on white.
Maybe others had different experiences. I would love to hear exceptions to this from credible posters, not just some random fool that shows up to troll.
Richard, I was young, naive and not very well educated in general and especially not in the subject of philosophy or religion, so yes, I believed everything he said. I just stacked everything up, into a huge box, labeled “Truth” and never really took the time to sort out the illogics.
Definitely a disconnect between “Truth” and its application in everyday life. I just did whatever I thought was right, trying to ignore the wrongs, but not necessarily connecting it to my “Truth” box – just wrong based on who I was and my own judgment of right and wrong. I did that for 12 years, until I couldn’t justify the wrongs anymore.
It took quite a while for me to unpack that “Truth” box, because I had, in fact, changed the way I looked at things, based on ridiculously FALSE information. Today, I believe LRH’s intention, from the very beginning, was to deceive and that it stemmed from his megalomania.
Hi T-Marie – “Truth box” is an interesting metaphor. After i split scn in 1982 I never read a word about scn until I Watched “Going Clear” and took a look. Even after all those intervening years some scn thinking had carried forward and I looked into my truth box and sorted out true from false and fact from fiction.
A comment from a long time blogger which I read was, “Most of us were intellectual adults when we entered Scientology, having little or no background in science, religion or philosophy.” That was me and that comment doesn’t imply that me or anyone else was stupid.
Speaking of Truth, here’s another comment I like,
“Not everyone needs an ever-climbing level of Truth to the stellar heights of Ultimate Truthhood.”
“Most of us were intellectual adolescents . . . .”
Since once upon a time “I was a Scientologist”, Mike’s unqualified comment irked me. Now that I’ve expressed myself I’m de-irked.
A lifelong friend of mine always thought my interest and participation in scn was a bit odd. After watching the HBO movie “Going Clear” he’s now certain of it. Whenever I mention things from scn I continue to think are relevant and useful he suspects that I’m still stuck in scientology so I gave up. He’s a realist and an atheist so we discuss other things and we both enjoy trashing organized religion.
Richard – there you again explaining away. If what Rinder said about us all believing everything Hubtard said wasn’t correct, how do you think the followers got to where they are by the time Miscabbage took over?
this is a really good point, particularly for those who talk about how anyone still currently in – despite DM and the internet – are less intelligent than those who got out before. I hear comments about how anyone still in has no excuse, how they’re culpable in a way earlier EXs are not, and other slams about their intelligence, guts, or morals.
I don’t think it’s accurate or cool (or polite) to do that. I’m biased because I was in until practically yesterday, a full believer. But even ten years from now, I’ll still understand how others could remain under the spell, I can hardly believe I was able to wake up – never ever ever in a million years would I have predicted my current mind set.
Rip, the reason its different today is because of the internet and the wealth of information about the Church of Scientology that is right at someone’s fingertips. Now, it may be a lot easier to prevent the older, senior Still Ins from doing internet searches, keeping them in and ignorant until they die, but its certainly true that no new YOUNG people are coming into the cult. – why? The internet, of course. They research everything they buy, large and small. The older ones and the old ones didn’t grow up this way. Their kids and grandkids may be obedient and avoid the internet too because they’ve been trapped and brainwashed since infancy by their parents, but this is a microscopically small demographic too. Point being, the internet changed everything.
And, Rip, FORGET THE INTERNET: here’s another reason: THE EMPTY ORGS.
Are these people fucking blind? If they’ve been in the cult for decades, can’t they SEE WITH THEIR OWN EYES that they’re being lied to about the expansion of Scientology? Can’t they SEE that what they’re being told doesn’t add up to what IS?
The answer, Rip, is that they are NOT blind. If they’ve been in for many years, there is NO WAY that they don’t see. They DO see. They DO know they’re being lied to. They DO know that Scientology is not only not expanding, but shrinking. Yet they stay in anyway. For all kinds of reasons which have NOTHING to do with “not knowing”. These are the die hards who will go down with the ship. And while they’re on this sinking ship, they are aiding and abetting the criminal cult, and they KNOW that they’re doing that. So call them whatever you like, they are, among other things, knowing criminals. Internet be damned, evidence in front of their own eyes be damned, they’re going down with the ship.
So – THIS is intelligent? Moral? Brave?
I think not. Sorry, but they’re stupid, willfully blind (which is the same thing) stubborn, out ethics and cowardly. They’re also probably quite old, so there’s the “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” factor at work here too.
The rest of the still ins are the UTRs who APPEAR to be in while actually being out, or while planning and/or executing their exit strategy.
Hopefully there are a lot more of the latter than the former and, this is just me, but my sense is that there are WAY more UTRs than die hards. I personally know 2 families comprising 8 people who are UTR. 8 Scientologists, UTR and “easing on down the road”…the road OUT.
OK
I can see how one might think this way. But – oh how I’d love to be sitting with you and chatting, it’d be so much faster….
i can’t agree with you on this and I can’t damn anyone (except for DM and a those who know the real truth)…
I was OT and did not read the internet. I was online for work and pleasure for hours each day, and I did not read the internet.
Later, here and there, I read some stuff…Debbie Cook, Jenna Miscav, a few other things… even the Tampa Times on the beatings. I read it and was able to whack-a-mole it.
“yep, people are fallible, but LRH is NOT”
I was trained and experienced enough to see that people were screwing up, but not LRH. LRH was still right.
After decades and decades IN, it was everything I knew to be true. I did NOT have the the OT abilities that I had thought I would, and was still waiting for, but man! Man!!! I could get wins on anything. I had SUCH wins on my OT levels. When my mind broke free, when It all shook loose, all I knew was that it was ALL BS, but I didn’t know HOW. I knew it was false, but I could not have explained about the wins.
I spoke with someone in my family who was a never in, and I laid it all out ….a long night of talking…I told her I couldn’t explain how I had loved it all, how it had all been so true, how I got alllllll those wins, and still…knew it was ll BS and harmful.
I was in for almost 40 years, as public and staff, I’d done the bulk of the training and auditing and I LOVED scientology. LOVED LOVED LOVED IT. I loved LRH. I loved how it all felt.
I had the truth and the “gains” I’d had proved it all enough. I had some niggles and questions in the background, but mainly I just put it down to case.
Someday, I’d get the right auditing and it would work. I’d be out of my body and sure of my next move. Until then, I’d get there.
………
Maybe if I’d gotten in older…it would have been different. But when it’s pretty much all you know… it was so easy to be a believer.
Yesterday I was musing on this, and for a moment, I just assumed my old viewpoint. BAM, I was a Scio again. It felt SO GOOD. It felt SO relaxing….. for a few moments.
I had ALL THE ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING FOR DECADES AND EVERYTHING I THOUGHT OR DID BOLSTERED THAT BELIEF.
…..
Scios have the answers, it’s comforting, it’s a stable datum, they have a bunch of wins that back it up, and have a lot invested. …
……
A good Scio doesn’t read the internet… any more than they’d stand on the street and listen to some asshat talk about LRH on a boat doing LSD and screwing 12 year olds. It’s all entheta and comes from MUs and false data and evil purps. Nothing to give the time of day to.
…
as for the empty orgs, it’s the SPs. It’s out tech, it’s around the corner…. we’ll win…
we’ll go OT……
it works.
I know it does.
Let me tell you my wins……………………………….
Rip, thanks for your comment. I can see this viewpoint you’ve outlined. Perhaps I’ve been out too long and am forgetting how its possible to totally delude oneself. Perhaps I’m forgetting how willfully blind I was.
cool beans. The more that time passes and as I move further away, the more astounded I become at what I believed and what I did with my life.
It’s almost mathematical:
Time+distance + false doctrine shed : (ratio) stunned shock and disbelief in how gullible and taken in I was.
….
and…maybe you WEREN’T in as fully as I was. I refer again to my outer org training at Flag early in my career – I returned a steely-eyed KSW quoting zealot.
People do shake it off, come to their senses and leave after much shorter durations than I did. I could be the most gullible twerp in a roomful of doubters…. *shrug… anything is possible…
if this mind shattering ejection from all that I knew has shown me anything… it’s that I needn’t be surprised ……….. from here on out!
Nice chattin.
Rip – Lawrence Wright probably never had and maybe still doesn’t have any strong beliefs he follows. That’s probably true of most people and I continue to go through life believing some things and not believing other things.
Lawrence said he took an interest in how people get into a belief and end up in a prison of belief as he called it. As far as scientology is concerned, in a few short comments above, Rip, you summarized it for him. Good job.
I can relate to all of your story above but for me it was to a lesser degree of belief and involvement. Yep, it sure felt good.
Thanks, Rich!
I find “prison of belief” to be the most accurate description of Scn that I’ve ever heard. It’s just so spot on.
Also, when I heard Leah say that “what she missed was the certainty”, her statement went in like a laser and reverberated such that I wanted to just jump up and down and shout, “EXACTLY! EX-ACTLY!!!”
Now, I no longer miss that certainty, the bars of my prison were composed of that certainty.
Now…. purposefully, I soothe myself with the idea of NOT knowing. …it’s like being 5 years old, not knowing anything, but being willing and open to experience new things and ideas.
I’m enjoying knowing absolutely nothing, and filling my days and thoughts with simple pleasures and going out of my way to be kind to strangers.
It’s wonderful.
(still lots of hard bits and hard days, but I’ve a good mind-set to resume as soon as the tricky bits pass)
Thanks for listening. Being heard on this stuff has been key to my peace of mind.
Great article. This points out even more of the cognitive dissonance one experiences while in. Well done!