The true story of Scientology is simple, concise and direct. It is quickly told:
1. A philosopher develops a philosophy about life and death;
2. People find it interesting;
3. People find it works;
4. People pass it along to others;
5. It grows.
And now the story without the PR:
1. A science fiction writer pens a fabulous tale;
2. Some people are gullible and believe it;
3. Some find it works after being told it does;
4. Most don’t pass it on as the Internet has exposed the scam;
5. It contracts.
Richard says that they can have at it, and sec-check him all they want but that is not the way to go. The sec checking will come at his expense, and god knows how long they will make it go on for him ‘tailor-made’. No, very expensive, exhausting and degrading. Not a good plan.
Sec checking is not for the individules spirtual freedom. Its only for the benefit of the organization. It should be done by HCO and at the orgs expense. Just say No!
Hi Cece, wow did Asho screw that CI up! Not done by HCO and certainly not paid for by the cult.Great points.For me it was Guinea pig time with all hands on deck!XO❤
When does a con job face its ultimate downfall? When the con is exposed before it happens. Getting “Battlefield Earth” on the New York Times bestseller list worked in 1983 because the con of buying every book was kept quiet within the ranks of church members. Today, as Regraded Being so brilliantly attests, the church is so porous and shrinking so quickly, the con has been exposed at every stage of the reissuance of this dreadful novel.
For those who want to fight back, there are MANY more ways they could fight back, without breaking any laws.
It all depends on how many enemies Scientology is currently making, and how often scenes like in the comic above really occur (once a year or once a month).
It’s hard to say, since Scientology still has many secrets.
We haven’t even seen photos from the forbidden floors of the Flag building, or the inside of a Mark 8 e-meter.
RB, this post was not funny to me. Boy, does it tick me off. Your work either hits a nerve or the funny bone. Thanks for what you do, RB. Its important.
PS: Forget that conservative tone level. (Grrrrr with fingers curled). ” The nerve, the f**king NERVE of this f**king cult!” Oh, how I wish, wish wish I had one of them in front of me right now, saying this kind of shit to me.
Scientology removes ‘stuck flows” which is a term referring to thoughts in your head that prevent you from making progress toward achieving a specific outcome. The thought, “I don’t want to do this” when the church wants you to do it is a ‘stuck flow’. RB has shown us today how scientology uses its tech to unblock those flows. At first, poor Richard had a stuck flow, he didn’t want to buy a bunch of books but then after the tech was applied, he DID want to buy the books. You see, that’s how scientology sets you free. And scientology wants to do that for all mankind!
I never participated in this kind of extortion as I was gone before it began happening on such a scale.
However, reading these comments leads me to ask if Regraded Being would consider creating a coffee table book of his/her excellent opinion cartoons for the upcoming Christmas/Holiday Season.
Now, THAT is a book of which I would purchase several copies.
You must be a fan of science fiction before you read this book .. if you read it to the end, it is a good book .. but most people I know have never done ..
Burping Excessively gives 1930’s pulp SF a bad name. I’ve already seen copies of the “new and expanded” edition in a couple of book exchanges here and expect more will wind up as shelf fillers in charity shops. I’ve also decided that I’m not going to try and finish (don’t think I could stomach rereading the first half again) this piece of crap. Anyway, I can’t throw it out the window again because there’s a fly screen in the way.
RB Spot on Mate.
I had boxes of books stacked in my office and living room including
two quantum meters to do the SHSBC.
The BC has gone the way of the Dinosaurs and all those boxes of books ?
They went to the City dump, the meters are in my attic with military uniforms
and other dated stuff.
I had cases of CCHR books that also went to become expensive landfill.
Didn’t know you dropped so much money with the cult, Jose. May the BEST day of your past…..be the worst day of your future! Celebrating you getting your old life back! Congrats!
Yes I spent a lot of money and learned the truth at Flag ( bait and switch)
I was hit up for $300,000 which fizzled forcing Flag cartel to hump someone else
for the money already promised to David Miscavige, they found another public on OT 7
who was a solid cool aid drinker ( I was considered somewhat theetie wheatee)
and regged him over the OT alligator mind pit till they got the cash for the COB.
His name is Rex Fowler now an inmate in Florence Co. the Alcatraz of the Rockies.
I’d love to run a few tests on one of your Quantum’s…
There was one meter which was ‘promoted’ as being less sensetive to body motion..
This translates into electronics speak as “Has a better Signal to Boise ratio”
The ONLY way to achieve this claim, *IF* it was true, would be to increase the shunt current run through your body to measure the resistance.. If you would be willing to lend it, contact me via email.
Regards, Arnie Lerma https://arnielerma.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/secrets-of-the-lie-detector-and-the-scientology-e-meter/
Ahhhh yes… good one RB! The true currency of Scientology! It isn’t money, yet money is the motivation of it. You can spend a lot of time, effort and all the money in the world on it, but it can never be thought of as a possession. You can’t sell it but they force you to trade for it anyway, & if you ever realize what you’ve done, your conscience rebels and unspeakable guilt floods your mind. It’s the blackmail of the love of family and life itself. It’s used like an assassin’s weapon. It hides in every breath and in every hallway of Scientology yet has no form, shape or size. Some things are worse than death and it’s practiced everyday within the fabric of the Scientologist’s culture – it degrades as it ferments within Scientology but they sit it on a pedestal and silently worship it like a God, yet no one is allowed to name, discuss or mention it for the punishment is eternity long.
Nothing is worse than the Scientologist’s mindset and it’s all based on an unobtainable and false presented freedom. The last place in the world freedom will ever be found is within a Scientology Organisation, yet it is their only (lie) product. I was wrong, it does have a size, shape and form but as soon as you shine a light on it, it runs and hides behind a lawyer.
Was it 2008 when you had to buy the entire science fiction series of Hubbie on an I-Pod? I was just new in the sect and thought it was very strange. Very strange … …
Hi OSD, Thank you from my heart.I thought I left myself on The front porch of Infinity and I could not get off to join y’all.Whew only a bad dream,Love you 2 Always,XOXO
When I was in Sea Org I was forced to read scientology books especially when basics programs came out. I got written up for reading Harry Potter because that wasn’t LRH. I was forced to call people even at 3am so Flag had its quota… Stat push… Until 10 pm call USA public to sell books then UK and later Australian public. 2 hours of sleep… F…k selling those books , pardon my French.
Hi attila, Very good to meet you.Way back in the day in Sea Org Asho 74 we were Not Allowed to have any books but Ron,Big League Sales and no Conan allowed.I was not into that but other members were and terminals got pissed so Conan books disappeared,although for some obscure reason Edgar Rice Burroughs was OK.My old brain seems to recall Ron liked his kind of adventure.Always
I remember when I read BE. I liked it. I also liked Mad Magazine, Have You Lived Before This Life, Are You There God Its Me Margaret…Typewriter In The Sky. I just like to read I guess.
I also remember helping my mother purchase tons of books. They were stashed under our beds (it eliminated our hiding spaces for hide-n-seek).
I clearly remember being sent into the bookstores to purchase 3 or 4 copies of the book and told to ASK for Dianetics.
Let’s see. It was the early 80’s. So that would make me 13 and my sister was 11. She was sent in to purchase as well. Between the three of us our job was to BUY EVERY COPY the store had.
I have no idea where we got the money to do this.
My mom would often find our dinner in the garbage dumpsters behind grocery stores after she got off course at 10pm…
As a Course Sup at Flag in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the outer org students suffered learning the untold number of “Books Make Booms” variety pack policies.
So much policy just delusional to me now, and the layers of staffs trained to enforce LRH’s hyped delusion on themselves and their public, just has had such a devastating waste of time and money on everyone.
All it did was give people common delusional thinking that everything was coming out okay and “OTs” were being made at the end of the whole myriad assembly lines that the movement has going in all directions.
Scientology is rigged to sell Hubbard’s books, make LRH royalties (which today get socked into whatever the old LRH Library/Trust accounts are today).
LRH set up a machine making a whole lot of people at various levels all contributing to the “LRH Products/Properties” getting sold to the public, via the “church” and via the Pubs Orgs (Bridge, Galaxy, ASI, NEPI).
Hubbard’s set up a huge ongoing vanity publishing operation mainly sicking off of the Scientologists who have the Hubbard ethics system breathing down their necks forcing them to keep paying and paying over and over, because the Hubbard policies say the “booms” and changed civilization can ONLY be accomplished with Hubbard’s ladder to delusion.
Also, no one has the balls to confront me on my lack of participation, lack of contributions, etc…… I still get invites M V3 , and of course trying to get me to buy 25 B E books or more! Bitches
Now the OT’s and clears in bad shape, do they really believe that the THETAN is doing great? I was also told that you’d have to do the bridge twice because of how bad off the THETAN really is! ???????
Devastating. Here is a guy about to take control of his life away from the grasping claws of the cult, and they lower the hammer by threatening his captive child. There is no Hell fire hot enough for Miscavige and his willing minions.
“I live in the Managerial Age, in a world of “Admin.” The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid “dens of crime” that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the office of a thoroughly nasty business concern.”
[From the Preface]”
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
That’s terrible… unfortunately he’s not alone with ending up on street because of Scientology. Scientology’s operating motto – destroy the able while incarcerating the unable. You have our attention just as long as your money lasts.
Except for one variable, for life does get in way sometimes and can upset any plan – the other catchphrase for anyone every connected to Scientology would probably be like the old Candid Camera TV show, “smile you’re on one of Scientology’s cameras.”
This sounds so familiar. When I was in this mind numbing cult (in the 90’s) I was constantly being regged for this, that and the other. And I even swallowed it hook, line and sinker when I was told a bullshit story about what my “voluntary donations” were buying.
I really put the brakes on when the LRH “special properties” were released. By this time I knew what the cult was really all about. My actual words to the reg at the time were, “You seriously want me to pay £1,000 for this crap? Do you think I was born yesterday?” Then I got up and walked out.
Of course, the ED of the mission tried to make me totally wrong by sending me to ethics…… WTF??? This backfired and I told the ethics officer to fuck off when he was ordering me to buy the shit.
I left and got my freedom back shortly afterwards, Plus I gave scamology in the UK a major headache by presenting one of the biggest legal refund requests that they’d ever seen.
Hi Clearlypissedoff. Yes, I did get my money back. One thing you never get back though is the time and dedication that you put into the cult. Time wasted can never be bought. Take care.
And oh I do know what you mean about time wasted. I spent from 17 years old until I was around 30 in the SO. The time of ones life where one should be experiencing college, girls, drinking and having fun and becoming an adult with a start on a career – not slaving away for LRH and his evil ethics laws. It is hard to get back those times. Starting over at 30 with no real life skills can kind of suck.
Old Surfer Dude: Yes, I got my money back some years ago. The one thing that I have never got back is my old life. All my friends that I’ve known since school are now all pre scientology. My life now is post scientology.
Some people are lucky and they can be in the cult for years and revert to their old lives when they finally break free.
I was never able to do that. Probably because I was too ashamed to admit that I’d been duped by a religious cult.
Money returned can buy a lot of things. It cannot buy a life.
XBIL, you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, people LIKE you! Change your thinking, change your life. You can still get your old life back, my friend!
And, BTW we were ALL duped! We were all in the same boat at some point. But, now, we’re all out….including you! Celebrate!
Hey, don’t feel so bad. I was in the army before Scientology and even though it was infinitely more sane and honest – I still can’t get some of their crap out of my head. Scientology left a couple of battle scars as well but freedom away from it was sure worth it. Being a veteran of the Scientology scam comes with the territory reserved for only the more adventurous in life.
With Scientology, you wised up and that’s cool. Plus age/time doesn’t like anyone really imo. Between age and gravity there is no real contest, they both win eventually anyway. Do more of whatever puts a smile of your face, you can’t ask too much more than that.
Bitch slap? Naw… why don’t you come on over and reg me for something worthless instead? You know, like the good old days and we can all excited over nothing. Do it for the greatest good etc. Let’s relive all that fun stuff that had us raptured for years and gave us the church we know so well today. Invite another and gang up on me – I’m a sucker for a high pressure pitch. Don’t let up on me until I cave in and you’ve got all my money, taken out a 3rd mortgage, got all my CC details and sign me up for another dozen, ya hear me Dude?
I do, I Yawn. But, once again, you’re out! You’re actually FREE! And, like I always say, you got your old life back! Don’t you think it’s time to celebrate? And I’ll celebrate with you!
Cindysays
I’m glad you got your licks in before you left and hopefully planted a seed of dissonance and truth in the MAA’s eyes. So did you get your money back, Xenu’s Bro in Law?
You mentioned my brains and brawn – Believe me, if I had the brains and brawn that you refer to then I wouldn’t have got into the cult to begin with!
My “brains and brawn” only came into play when I’d had 4 1/2 years of the crap dished out to me, and I realised that it was just one big money making racket!
Yup. Know what you mean. The church should come with a black box warning.
“The church of scientology may be dangerous for children and other living things.”
I love your post, Xenu’s Brother In Law! Now THAT’s a good achievement – all of it! That’s my one regret and that is that I haven’t yet told anyone to get lost, to get off my back, to stop being a prick and “do you think I’m a f*&$%#ing moron? Pardon the language. I’m still hoping I’ll get that chance. It’ll be the cherry on the top.
Glad you got your money back! Delicious, delightful and delirious!
I had a version of it employed on me when I was trying to just be done with the church and drift away quietly. Told my husband when October (Flag IAS event) rolled around that when he was routed to the IAS office to give them whatever he wanted; I wanted nothing to do with it – didn’t even want to know about – that he didn’t need to call me from their office to ask my permission and that I was NOT going in for their “briefing.” Sure enough October rolled around and IAS regges were calling ME and coming over to talk to ME over and over and over again – even though I told them what I told my husband and that he could give what he wanted. (I must have a “Patsey” sign on my back. I just tried to quietly say I did not want to go to the briefing.
Finally one day my husband at their behest called me from the IAS office asking me to come in. No, I said. Michelle (IAS reg) got on the phone and pushed me to finally say “I do not want to come in because I know what it is – you do a briefing and then you ask for donations and I don’t want to come in and do it.” Michelle said, “WELL, I am going to write a report on you.” I said, “FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK YOOOOUUUUU!” and hung up. Of course, a report was written and out of fear I went and saw my (favorite) MAA who looked at the report, acknowledged that it was bogus and then the IAS body routed me right on down into the IAS office where they cordoned it off and for the next five hours pummeled me for mega bucks. (You see, the report is their final solution to lure the unwilling in.) It was only out of fear of losing my family that I went through this shit.
The moral to this story is: “You have nothing to fear but fear itself.” When the shit finally did hit the fan for me I went through months and months of hell and did lose my son. The result was the same but longer and more painful than if I would have told the church to fuck off years earlier.
Well done McCarran. I bet that “FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK YOOOOUUUUU!” felt really good when you said it!
I suggest using the tech thusly a la TR-8 on an object (an IAS Reg, or any Scientology reg being the closest thing to an ashtray). The command is FUCK OFF (Tone 40). The EP is they give up or die, whichever comes first.
Well, now you know their strategy and can deal with their bullshit. As their dear founder says, if you know the tech of something and apply it, you cannot be the adverse effect of it – or something like that. ?
Back in the mid 80’s I was escorted from the Brisbane office and told never to come back after I was asked where I’d heard of the tiny tome about how Hubbard had buried treasure on Sardinia in a past life (they wanted to charge me $18.00 for the book). As soon as I said I was reading Bare-Faced Messiah two blokes appeared from out the back, took me downstairs and politely told me to get lost. The rest of that day went by in a pleasant blur. A couple of months later I put the wind up a sheepbot that was standing, along with four others, on the pavement outside the same building and was asking people (anyone dressed neatly, I was having a scruffy day, was left alone) was accosted and asked if they’d like to help with a “survey”. I said go for it. First question was name, I refused and said next question. The next few questions I also refused to answer and when he asked did I know what sort of person I was (I was rubbing my little mental hands with glee at this). I loomed over him (he was about 5’6″, I’m 6′) and said I have delusions of grandeur with episodes of psycopathy. He couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.
Everything I’ve read over the years leads me to think that $camology doesn’t think twice about applying emotional, and familial, blackmail to anyone who dares to question to their authority. So I found RB’s strip this week more of an indictment of this cult than funny. Well done.
By the time they publish an ebook, it will be an antiquated format and normal people will probably be uploading the things straight into their brain prostheses.
I think because you can only buy one copy for yourself on Kindle. You can buy as many copies as you want for other people as gifts, but I believe the publisher doesn’t get paid until the recipient accepts it in their Amazon account.
But this might be giving the cult too much credit, and they may be behind the (real) technological curve again.
It’s actually not that uncommon anymore in the (“wog”) world for (living) authors to do some kind of promotion to encourage people to buy multiple copies of their new book. Reasons they might do this are to get a better deal/bigger advance on their next publishing contact, or to promote their business if they do seminars and/or consulting. In exchange for proof that the reader bought a certain number of copies, there will be some kind of benefit, like a free seminar or event that usually has a value higher than the cost of the pile of books they bought. Yes, it might make their Amazon or New York Times ranking somewhat questionable, and I’m sure the practice was pioneered by Scientology, but it’s done. I used to find it shocking, but it’s now common enough that it seems like a smart thing to do. I’ve even bought a few (usually good) books during promotion periods to get some “free” stuff.
However, I’ve never actually seen a “wog” author (living or dead) threaten to hold a reader’s kids hostage unless the reader buys 20 books so it can get on a bestseller list.
“I think because you can only buy one copy for yourself on Kindle. You can buy as many copies as you want for other people as gifts, but I believe the publisher doesn’t get paid until the recipient accepts it in their Amazon account.”
I probably also should have pointed out here that any Kindle gift copies that aren’t claimed by the recipients right away wouldn’t count toward getting BE on the bestseller lists during the period they wanted anyway, since Amazon wouldn’t see them as “sold” books yet. I’m also not sure this issue was even on their radar.
Also not on their radar: The question of whether receiving a 1,000+ page,not-well-written and poorly-reviewed novel as a “gift” feels more like receiving a gift or getting work, just because you can now read it on an iPad.
I believe that they want people to buy print copies of the book because it’s purely a money-making scam. Miscavige was head of A.S.I. (Author Services) and well knows how that entity makes money from printing, selling, returning, and reselling books, and the funds do not go into the Scientology coffers, it’s a separate entity, with money funneled through this avenue without any accountability whatsoever.
Hi Mike Wynski, thank you for your reply. I understand that on the surface it appears this way. Yes, if it were straight-up and honest, you are right. (Or I assume you are right, I haven’t run the numbers myself on digital vs. paper books, will give you the benefit of knowledge on this). But I believe that there are financial irregularities surrounding the sale, production, promotions, distribution, returns and redistribution etc., of the L.Ron Hubbard books. My view is that it isn’t strictly above-board, i.e. buy a book, makes xx profit, but that D.M. is profiting personally from the whole process, not just from “book sales” but the entire process from start to end, in ways that are not known to the general public.
Ok, how to illustrate this… recently we had a seismic retrofit done to the S.F. Bay bridge. They were supposed to use best grade materials, strong enough to withstand an earthquake, so the bridge would not fall apart, as it did during our last earthquake. The project was in well into construction, bids made, materials bought, companies vetted and hired, oversight in place, testing had been done all along the process, everything was progressing on schedule, until right before completion, when suddenly the bridge retrofit sections “buckled” and an outside company was hired for a spot-check, who found that the materials used were sub-standard, basically crap, that were not even supposed to be used for ordinary construction, let alone for the bridge earthquake-safe repairs. An investigation was launched outside ordinary channels, as those who had been charged with oversight had reported all was well, and it was discovered that there was fraud riddled throughout the entire process by many persons and agencies on multi levels, who had personally pocketed monies, by various avenues, procurement, distribution, hiring, construction, oversight, private contractors, inspectors, officials of government agencies. Monies were made in illegitimate ways by alternate means. So the way that A.S.I. is set up, it is outside the normal Scientology reporting and income, and funds from LRH books goes directly into separate accounts and along the way disappears into who knows where. There have always been reports of suitcases of cash being carried around. So this is what I meant by that. If it were as simple as sell a book = xx dollars, and sell digital book = xx plus 1 dollars, yes, digital makes more, right? But it isn’t straight-forward.
OK, that said, I am not an insider in Scientology, just a curious outsider whose primary field is in financial/accounting and it sparks my interest enough to be skeptical, but without access to the inner workings can’t say with certainty how this all works. I can only speculate. Based on experience. And hereby a disclaimer: I am making no claim or accusation or specific charges, this is just idle speculation on my part. So, why the huge push for ‘Battlefield Earth’ right now? How does it benefit the Church of Scientology, and David Miscavige? Is it public relations? Generating interest in the CofS? Or monetary? In many things, I’ve found the answer to be “follow the money” and you will find the reason. But of course, I could be wrong. Maybe money isn’t all that important to the CofS or Miscavige.
T.J. Unless you can even come up with a way of making more money by handling the same book multiple times (over digital where you NEVER handle the book; including printing, shipping, storing, et al), what you are saying makes NO sense. Math is math, even if DM is involved.
Hi again Mike Wynski. So, yes there are many ways to make money by handling things that should be straightforward and on the level, but in fact, are not handled that way. The average person would not normally think of these things; it wouldn’t cross their minds to do such things, however, as someone who has been extensively involved in auditing (the financial kind, not the Scientology kind) and has seen many different types of fraud perpetuated in more ways than one can imagine, I can say that it does happen more often than one would think.
I am sorry that the example I gave did not help to make this more clear, or understandable, and instead was apparently confusing, that was not my intent, but I can certainly see how that could happen. I’ll try to be more clear in future posts.
Right now, I do not have the time, energy, or even the desire to track down instances and proof of what may be going on with the LRH books, it would take more effort than I want to put into discovering something that I would ordinarily be paid for doing, just to show how it is possible, or that I am “right” about this, it isn’t that important to me, and you can feel free to believe or disbelieve whatever you want with regard to Hubbard’s books, and come to any conclusion that you feel comfortable with. If this means you feel I am full of hot air on this, so be it, I have no stake in this, financial or otherwise. I still think it is an worthwhile topic though, and that if you researched it a bit more, you might find something interesting. Then again, maybe not.
I’m pretty much done with this topic now, so I won’t be discussing it any further here… sorry if this discussion annoyed you, or perhaps my posts in general do, and apologies in advance if I fail to respond to any further posts on this matter.
I did get just a few links after a quick 2-minute search in case anyone has interest, (see below). I’m sure there is much more information out there, and more specific to this, but as I mentioned, I just don’t have the time or inclination to gather up more about this at the moment. It might make a fun project if I ever have an afternoon free (sheesh, the things that are considered “fun” in accounting, lol)
There have for many years been stories about selling and re-selling Hubbard books to pad stats and make money. Here are a few links to some older discussions:
In this discussion thread there are quotes from the Los Angeles Times in 1990 regarding B Dalton booksellers receiving previously sold Hubbard books coming into their store as new with their store stickers already on them:
Marty Rathbun said LRH always got his royalty checks on the resold books… Michael Fairman said books were shipped from Bridge publications that had already been purchased and then returned and shipped out again as new…
Here’s a 1990 article titled “Financial Scam” that quotes Vicki Aznaran formerly of RTC talking about the relationship between them and Bridge Publications, saying “Author Services used to always think of schemes to make more money”: http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/cosbookf.htm
And I’m sure more info can be found if one cares to look…
Is changing though. With John Q Capitalist estimating the current amount of still-ins dropping to about 20.000 scientologists (15000 public and 5000 staff) this means less and less hostages to take.
Business considerations are not the same as 20 years ago. Business owners are either (semi)retired or their clients are.
The few 2nd generation cannot be lost as clients since they have had no formal education therefore no money to buy anything..
Even if John is right and we have only 10% decline per year (feels closer to 15%)
Then: Juli 2017 say 18.000 left.
Juli 2018:16200 left.
Juli 2019 14.400 left etc.
RB is certainly doing his unique part to make this happen. For sure many of us who have hostages are grateful for his work.
O.S.D. yes, but that’s what makes it such a fascinating phenomena. Because of the “mind control” that they have conditioned on themselves… even though you are 100 percent correct, they could actually physically get up and go (in most cases), it’s so much more complex. So why do they remain in?
In some people it’s their “salvation” or eternity at stake. For others, they don’t see another option at the moment, as the group is their life, they have no outside resources, their family and friends are all in, they feel that they have no other options. For others, there is a child involved who would disconnect from them. For others, they have done so well at mentally blocking out thoughts – other than the official “church think” – that they actually have censored what they allow themselves to think and do not clearly see that they can leave.
Humans are creatures of habit. If a routine has become ingrained into their life, they may not understand they have the ability to leave. To illustrate this, here’s a little true story about humans being creatures of habit, who follow routine without thinking… my son had a birthday party, (I think it was his 10th) that had ended, and we were driving one of his friends home. The boy was sitting in the back seat, and when we pulled up to his house to drop him off, he just remained sitting there. After a few moments of no movement on his part, I turned around and looked at him quizzically and asked “you don’t want to get out?” He said “I can’t”. When I asked him why not, he said “I’m in the backseat.” Well, it turns out that in his family’s car, they only have 2 doors, so anyone in the backseat has to wait for the person in the front to get out, then push the front seat forward, to let the person in back get out. The thing is, we were in my car, which has 4 doors, and he was sitting right beside a back door, which he could easily open by himself to exit. He had a clear path to unlock and open the door and get out. But he was so “conditioned” to doing it a certain way, (a routine) that he failed to realize that he had the ability to get himself out.
So perhaps that’s what it’s like, and what is so clearly able to be seen by us, is not seen by someone who is inside.
Or hostige to theirs and others salvation. The church staff deal in invalidation, evaluation, threats and blackmail. That’s all the power they have left. They deal in exactly what l con supposedly was offering a solution to. Why so many don’t up and leave in the face of it is no mystery. They are very confused individuals. I was threatend with several things after I began reading blogs in 2010. OSA via my X even flew my daughter to LA from Austin with the threats. I’m so glad I didn’t backtrack. You under the radar guys I hope are feeding the truth to those that will listen and doing well on your plans and excape with your families. I can hardly wait for those glorious stories 🙂
The Co$ (for hundreds of thousands of dollars) gives you the freedom (which only they own) to refuse to see your family for no other reason than that the Co$ orders you to (against your will).
Now let’s see …
Religious Car Dealer sells you a car
Religious Car Dealer warrants that you can drive it anywhere you want
Religious Car Dealer restricts you from driving to visit your family.
In the commercial free market world of honoring contractual agreements, that would be so absurd that no one could contain their scorn and laughter when the Religious Car Dealer asked a court to enforce their restrictions.
But the world of philosophy and religion is so very, very poorly grasped and so thoroughly misunderstood, that courts will not touch the case when Co$ members are restricted.
This has nothing to do with “members of the Co$ agree to abide by church restrictions.” It has to do with the very fundamental misunderstanding of self-determinism. The U.S. Supreme Court, following a Constitution based on philosophy which dates back to before Ancient Greece, got it right that if civil and criminal laws “generally applicable” laws, are not enforced upon religions, then every man becomes a law unto himself. What the Justices said implicitly, already stated elsewhere, and did not say explicitly in that ruling, is that every man has the right to be a religion unto himself.
Under LRH the church was pan-denominational. And every member retained that right to be a religion unto himself. This is the way things are, and there cannot be any other way. There are many individual interpretations of every great religion, and no two are exactly alike. They never will be. Each man sets his own principles, develops his own philosophy, sees what he wants to see, and hopes he sees clearly.
The original Church of Scientology was there with the sole purpose of helping a man see more clearly, and understand. It was NEVER there to impose a religious belief which impaired self-determinism.
The only “belief” I find in Scientology writing is the belief that man is basically good. That is something similar to the phrase “In God we trust.” And it should be, as Scientology incorporates the same long history of philosophy which the U.S. Constitution is founded on. Scientology has as its purpose to enable the individual to himself resolve that long history of philosophy, while the Constitution has as one of its purposes to guarantee the freedom of the individual to do so. The common element is self-determinism.
It is funny that in all the debates about good and evil, and “what is good, and is good definable, and are there things such as universal ethics, and is God good, and is man good” … some simple practical distinctions between love and hate as a basis of operation, do not resolve these issues. Ultimately it is responsibility. The choice of the individual to be responsible to himself and to truth and if you will, to God.
It strikes me that good seeks to promote and encourage individual freedom, in faith, if not in certainty. Evil seeks to restrict. Co$ members or adherents should take another look at their own self-determinism, their own lives and goals and purposes, and what they wish to achieve – and stop kneeling.
All in my perhaps not-so-humble opinion. Although we have little of Socrates’ thought in writing, written by him, it is related that someone once asked Socrates, “What is good?” Socrates, it is said, replied: “I do not know what good is, but I dearly hope I am.”
“The choice of the individual to be responsible to himself and to truth and if you will, to God”
Noble in thought but Scientology is built on a lack of choice …source is always right, the tech works 100% of the time, any “wins” come from Scientology but anything negative “you drew it in”. The only CHOICE is a Sophie’s Choice, leave with your autonomy OR have your loved ones disconnect… Despicable as far as choices go.
Good to know. Thx. Far worse then AOLA mid 1996 but similar to dealings with AOs Swartz guy and CLO Feb 2007. And auditing I last got – well Purif in 2002 I nearly died and NOTS 2003/4 was not auditing as I once knew it. It won’t be long. Keep telling us how it is 🙂
Cece, thanks for sharing your experiences. What happened on the Purif that you nearly died, if you can say? It’s always seemed to me like a somewhat risky thing to do. Thanks, T.J.
That was sad, Regraded Being. Not your fault. It is the way it is – and that’s the sad part.
(From A New Slant on Life)
The true story of Scientology is simple, concise and direct. It is quickly told:
1. A philosopher develops a philosophy about life and death;
2. People find it interesting;
3. People find it works;
4. People pass it along to others;
5. It grows.
And now the story without the PR:
1. A science fiction writer pens a fabulous tale;
2. Some people are gullible and believe it;
3. Some find it works after being told it does;
4. Most don’t pass it on as the Internet has exposed the scam;
5. It contracts.
Seriously funny Mephisto.I enjoy your posts.
Thank you.
Old L. Ron Hubbard
Came to discover
An SP had tapped his phone
He hid in his Bluebird
Shouting some bad words
And spent his last years all alone
Richard says that they can have at it, and sec-check him all they want but that is not the way to go. The sec checking will come at his expense, and god knows how long they will make it go on for him ‘tailor-made’. No, very expensive, exhausting and degrading. Not a good plan.
Sec checking is not for the individules spirtual freedom. Its only for the benefit of the organization. It should be done by HCO and at the orgs expense. Just say No!
Hi Cece, wow did Asho screw that CI up! Not done by HCO and certainly not paid for by the cult.Great points.For me it was Guinea pig time with all hands on deck!XO❤
When does a con job face its ultimate downfall? When the con is exposed before it happens. Getting “Battlefield Earth” on the New York Times bestseller list worked in 1983 because the con of buying every book was kept quiet within the ranks of church members. Today, as Regraded Being so brilliantly attests, the church is so porous and shrinking so quickly, the con has been exposed at every stage of the reissuance of this dreadful novel.
Is Miscavige so desperate that this is the best he can do, reissue Battlefield Earth and commit fraud trying to get it on a bestseller list?
For those who want to fight back, there are MANY more ways they could fight back, without breaking any laws.
It all depends on how many enemies Scientology is currently making, and how often scenes like in the comic above really occur (once a year or once a month).
It’s hard to say, since Scientology still has many secrets.
We haven’t even seen photos from the forbidden floors of the Flag building, or the inside of a Mark 8 e-meter.
RB, this post was not funny to me. Boy, does it tick me off. Your work either hits a nerve or the funny bone. Thanks for what you do, RB. Its important.
PS: Forget that conservative tone level. (Grrrrr with fingers curled). ” The nerve, the f**king NERVE of this f**king cult!” Oh, how I wish, wish wish I had one of them in front of me right now, saying this kind of shit to me.
Scientology removes ‘stuck flows” which is a term referring to thoughts in your head that prevent you from making progress toward achieving a specific outcome. The thought, “I don’t want to do this” when the church wants you to do it is a ‘stuck flow’. RB has shown us today how scientology uses its tech to unblock those flows. At first, poor Richard had a stuck flow, he didn’t want to buy a bunch of books but then after the tech was applied, he DID want to buy the books. You see, that’s how scientology sets you free. And scientology wants to do that for all mankind!
I never participated in this kind of extortion as I was gone before it began happening on such a scale.
However, reading these comments leads me to ask if Regraded Being would consider creating a coffee table book of his/her excellent opinion cartoons for the upcoming Christmas/Holiday Season.
Now, THAT is a book of which I would purchase several copies.
Fingers crossed….
Another reason to come visit.
Great idea,me too.
Next Thanksgiving:
Dear COB,
F**k you and all your regges.!
Signed
Ex-clam.
You must be a fan of science fiction before you read this book .. if you read it to the end, it is a good book .. but most people I know have never done ..
I’m a huge SciFi fan. Sorry, BE sucks.
Burping Excessively gives 1930’s pulp SF a bad name. I’ve already seen copies of the “new and expanded” edition in a couple of book exchanges here and expect more will wind up as shelf fillers in charity shops. I’ve also decided that I’m not going to try and finish (don’t think I could stomach rereading the first half again) this piece of crap. Anyway, I can’t throw it out the window again because there’s a fly screen in the way.
I wonder if this need SO model is based on Tiffany Woods, a cold E U.S. fundraiser I used to know.
RB Spot on Mate.
I had boxes of books stacked in my office and living room including
two quantum meters to do the SHSBC.
The BC has gone the way of the Dinosaurs and all those boxes of books ?
They went to the City dump, the meters are in my attic with military uniforms
and other dated stuff.
I had cases of CCHR books that also went to become expensive landfill.
Didn’t know you dropped so much money with the cult, Jose. May the BEST day of your past…..be the worst day of your future! Celebrating you getting your old life back! Congrats!
OSD,
Yes I spent a lot of money and learned the truth at Flag ( bait and switch)
I was hit up for $300,000 which fizzled forcing Flag cartel to hump someone else
for the money already promised to David Miscavige, they found another public on OT 7
who was a solid cool aid drinker ( I was considered somewhat theetie wheatee)
and regged him over the OT alligator mind pit till they got the cash for the COB.
His name is Rex Fowler now an inmate in Florence Co. the Alcatraz of the Rockies.
I call Fowler, shooter.
I’d love to run a few tests on one of your Quantum’s…
There was one meter which was ‘promoted’ as being less sensetive to body motion..
This translates into electronics speak as “Has a better Signal to Boise ratio”
The ONLY way to achieve this claim, *IF* it was true, would be to increase the shunt current run through your body to measure the resistance.. If you would be willing to lend it, contact me via email.
Regards, Arnie Lerma https://arnielerma.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/secrets-of-the-lie-detector-and-the-scientology-e-meter/
Boise = Noise (No glasses while typing)
Ahhhh yes… good one RB! The true currency of Scientology! It isn’t money, yet money is the motivation of it. You can spend a lot of time, effort and all the money in the world on it, but it can never be thought of as a possession. You can’t sell it but they force you to trade for it anyway, & if you ever realize what you’ve done, your conscience rebels and unspeakable guilt floods your mind. It’s the blackmail of the love of family and life itself. It’s used like an assassin’s weapon. It hides in every breath and in every hallway of Scientology yet has no form, shape or size. Some things are worse than death and it’s practiced everyday within the fabric of the Scientologist’s culture – it degrades as it ferments within Scientology but they sit it on a pedestal and silently worship it like a God, yet no one is allowed to name, discuss or mention it for the punishment is eternity long.
Nothing is worse than the Scientologist’s mindset and it’s all based on an unobtainable and false presented freedom. The last place in the world freedom will ever be found is within a Scientology Organisation, yet it is their only (lie) product. I was wrong, it does have a size, shape and form but as soon as you shine a light on it, it runs and hides behind a lawyer.
RB, the greatest, the sorriest…
Was it 2008 when you had to buy the entire science fiction series of Hubbie on an I-Pod? I was just new in the sect and thought it was very strange. Very strange … …
Regraded Being you did it again – made me laugh and cry at the same time.
Me too, so poignant.
Yeah…”Don’t ask.” Whew! Once again, I’m just so grateful that I got out 34 years ago!
ok, group hug. :p lol. 🙂
After the last here days I think a group hug is a great idea.
Three, not here… Autocorrect is not my friend.
Group Hug: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMM!!!!!!
Now that was a great Group Hug! Thanks everyone!
Hi justmeteehee, Can Miss Ann get in on the Group Hug? I love you all always.XO
Hugging you right now, Ann B! Love you!
Hi OSD, Thank you from my heart.I thought I left myself on The front porch of Infinity and I could not get off to join y’all.Whew only a bad dream,Love you 2 Always,XOXO
OSD,
Yep, 34 years good, and never looked back.
When I was in Sea Org I was forced to read scientology books especially when basics programs came out. I got written up for reading Harry Potter because that wasn’t LRH. I was forced to call people even at 3am so Flag had its quota… Stat push… Until 10 pm call USA public to sell books then UK and later Australian public. 2 hours of sleep… F…k selling those books , pardon my French.
Hypocrites! They were probably sneak-reading Harry Potter themselves.
Harry Potter ? your kidding me, try reading the SECRET” in the NOTS HGC waiting area.
( the D of P gets out her Rubber Hose to beat you)
Well…up her nose with a rubber hose!
Twice as far with a chocolate bar!
I love the maturity of this audience. 😉
I know,huh! I’d say we’re about 10 years old! Woo Hoo
I’m sitting here with a baseball cap with a plastic multicolored propeller on top. I feel very mature when I’m out of the wind.
You’re awesome! You’ve always been awesome, I Yawn….
One of my favourites was, show them a fist and say, “Sit on this and rotisserate.” Crude but the look on the receivers face was worth it.
Hi attila, Very good to meet you.Way back in the day in Sea Org Asho 74 we were Not Allowed to have any books but Ron,Big League Sales and no Conan allowed.I was not into that but other members were and terminals got pissed so Conan books disappeared,although for some obscure reason Edgar Rice Burroughs was OK.My old brain seems to recall Ron liked his kind of adventure.Always
The Church of the Subgenius would never do this.
Despicable!
I remember when I read BE. I liked it. I also liked Mad Magazine, Have You Lived Before This Life, Are You There God Its Me Margaret…Typewriter In The Sky. I just like to read I guess.
I also remember helping my mother purchase tons of books. They were stashed under our beds (it eliminated our hiding spaces for hide-n-seek).
I clearly remember being sent into the bookstores to purchase 3 or 4 copies of the book and told to ASK for Dianetics.
Let’s see. It was the early 80’s. So that would make me 13 and my sister was 11. She was sent in to purchase as well. Between the three of us our job was to BUY EVERY COPY the store had.
I have no idea where we got the money to do this.
My mom would often find our dinner in the garbage dumpsters behind grocery stores after she got off course at 10pm…
Your life sounds like TV serial material.
As a Course Sup at Flag in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the outer org students suffered learning the untold number of “Books Make Booms” variety pack policies.
So much policy just delusional to me now, and the layers of staffs trained to enforce LRH’s hyped delusion on themselves and their public, just has had such a devastating waste of time and money on everyone.
All it did was give people common delusional thinking that everything was coming out okay and “OTs” were being made at the end of the whole myriad assembly lines that the movement has going in all directions.
Scientology is rigged to sell Hubbard’s books, make LRH royalties (which today get socked into whatever the old LRH Library/Trust accounts are today).
LRH set up a machine making a whole lot of people at various levels all contributing to the “LRH Products/Properties” getting sold to the public, via the “church” and via the Pubs Orgs (Bridge, Galaxy, ASI, NEPI).
Hubbard’s set up a huge ongoing vanity publishing operation mainly sicking off of the Scientologists who have the Hubbard ethics system breathing down their necks forcing them to keep paying and paying over and over, because the Hubbard policies say the “booms” and changed civilization can ONLY be accomplished with Hubbard’s ladder to delusion.
Chuck, I take it you won’t be on course tonight. ?
Now THATS a funny 🙂
Also, no one has the balls to confront me on my lack of participation, lack of contributions, etc…… I still get invites M V3 , and of course trying to get me to buy 25 B E books or more! Bitches
(grabbing some part of my anatomy) I got your 25 BE right here!
Now the OT’s and clears in bad shape, do they really believe that the THETAN is doing great? I was also told that you’d have to do the bridge twice because of how bad off the THETAN really is! ???????
Devastating. Here is a guy about to take control of his life away from the grasping claws of the cult, and they lower the hammer by threatening his captive child. There is no Hell fire hot enough for Miscavige and his willing minions.
Scientology is, in fact, Hell.
“I live in the Managerial Age, in a world of “Admin.” The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid “dens of crime” that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the office of a thoroughly nasty business concern.”
[From the Preface]”
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
+1! Great post, Arnie!
Great quote from CS Lewis. I feel that is what has happened with Europe, what is happening with America, and perhaps the world.
When I first got in – I went to a long time Scientology’s members home to help him with something. He had a good paying job and seemed to be ok.
When I got to his house, I was shocked!
He had NO FURNITURE and the place was a dump; dirty, disheveled and disorderly.
All that was in the home was L Ron Hubbard books, congresses and lectures EVERYWHERE.
He used boxes of the shit for a coffee table.
He had no couch and no bed.
He was a “clear”. He had been in for 20 plus years!! (he lost the home to foreclosure and filed bankruptcy a few years later…
And I did not leave then….?????
Cringe…..
Amazing, and was this person still glad to be in despite having no furniture?
He did not say a word Doug – he just sort of “waxed” enthusiasm, I guess.
I thought perhaps his “ethics” had been out or something.
When I think about him now…he actually spiraled down to “being nothing” and last I heard – was homeless, living in the streets of LA and jobless.
Scientology destroys the able.
Scientology has no real power to do anything.
That’s terrible… unfortunately he’s not alone with ending up on street because of Scientology. Scientology’s operating motto – destroy the able while incarcerating the unable. You have our attention just as long as your money lasts.
Except for one variable, for life does get in way sometimes and can upset any plan – the other catchphrase for anyone every connected to Scientology would probably be like the old Candid Camera TV show, “smile you’re on one of Scientology’s cameras.”
How sad!
Wow! I’m pretty sure, Wognited, that he has an IV drip going into some vein. Either that…or he’s completely lost his mind. Either way, he’s fucked….
I think I know that guy.
This sounds so familiar. When I was in this mind numbing cult (in the 90’s) I was constantly being regged for this, that and the other. And I even swallowed it hook, line and sinker when I was told a bullshit story about what my “voluntary donations” were buying.
I really put the brakes on when the LRH “special properties” were released. By this time I knew what the cult was really all about. My actual words to the reg at the time were, “You seriously want me to pay £1,000 for this crap? Do you think I was born yesterday?” Then I got up and walked out.
Of course, the ED of the mission tried to make me totally wrong by sending me to ethics…… WTF??? This backfired and I told the ethics officer to fuck off when he was ordering me to buy the shit.
I left and got my freedom back shortly afterwards, Plus I gave scamology in the UK a major headache by presenting one of the biggest legal refund requests that they’d ever seen.
Nice going and an heart warming story! Did you get the $ back from the cult?
correction to my post: …and a heart warming…. – wear are my cofee this mronging.
CPO, how many times have I told you this: You must have 3 large cups of coffee before posting?
Hi Clearlypissedoff. Yes, I did get my money back. One thing you never get back though is the time and dedication that you put into the cult. Time wasted can never be bought. Take care.
That is so good you got your money back.
And oh I do know what you mean about time wasted. I spent from 17 years old until I was around 30 in the SO. The time of ones life where one should be experiencing college, girls, drinking and having fun and becoming an adult with a start on a career – not slaving away for LRH and his evil ethics laws. It is hard to get back those times. Starting over at 30 with no real life skills can kind of suck.
Xenus Brother In Law,
You did not exactly duplicate the situation when you said “mind numbing cult”,
it would be more complete, to say; “brain fucking, mind numbing cult”.
I feel better now.
Dio
Dio, Thank you. I stand corrected!
Good for you, XBIL! You got your old life back…in spades, no less! I hope you get your money back, my friend.
Old Surfer Dude: Yes, I got my money back some years ago. The one thing that I have never got back is my old life. All my friends that I’ve known since school are now all pre scientology. My life now is post scientology.
Some people are lucky and they can be in the cult for years and revert to their old lives when they finally break free.
I was never able to do that. Probably because I was too ashamed to admit that I’d been duped by a religious cult.
Money returned can buy a lot of things. It cannot buy a life.
Take care.
XBIL, you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, people LIKE you! Change your thinking, change your life. You can still get your old life back, my friend!
And, BTW we were ALL duped! We were all in the same boat at some point. But, now, we’re all out….including you! Celebrate!
Hey, don’t feel so bad. I was in the army before Scientology and even though it was infinitely more sane and honest – I still can’t get some of their crap out of my head. Scientology left a couple of battle scars as well but freedom away from it was sure worth it. Being a veteran of the Scientology scam comes with the territory reserved for only the more adventurous in life.
With Scientology, you wised up and that’s cool. Plus age/time doesn’t like anyone really imo. Between age and gravity there is no real contest, they both win eventually anyway. Do more of whatever puts a smile of your face, you can’t ask too much more than that.
Ok…ok…I’ll come over and bitch slap you for your own good. It’s the least i can do…
Bitch slap? Naw… why don’t you come on over and reg me for something worthless instead? You know, like the good old days and we can all excited over nothing. Do it for the greatest good etc. Let’s relive all that fun stuff that had us raptured for years and gave us the church we know so well today. Invite another and gang up on me – I’m a sucker for a high pressure pitch. Don’t let up on me until I cave in and you’ve got all my money, taken out a 3rd mortgage, got all my CC details and sign me up for another dozen, ya hear me Dude?
I do, I Yawn. But, once again, you’re out! You’re actually FREE! And, like I always say, you got your old life back! Don’t you think it’s time to celebrate? And I’ll celebrate with you!
I’m glad you got your licks in before you left and hopefully planted a seed of dissonance and truth in the MAA’s eyes. So did you get your money back, Xenu’s Bro in Law?
Hi Cindy, Yes, I got my money back in 2001 thanks.
This was cathartic just reading it. Wish I would have had your brains and your brawn.
Hi McCarran,
You mentioned my brains and brawn – Believe me, if I had the brains and brawn that you refer to then I wouldn’t have got into the cult to begin with!
My “brains and brawn” only came into play when I’d had 4 1/2 years of the crap dished out to me, and I realised that it was just one big money making racket!
Take care.
Yup. Know what you mean. The church should come with a black box warning.
“The church of scientology may be dangerous for children and other living things.”
Mary, Scientology is like a can of poison that sprays it’s content all over everyone…
VERY WELL DONE Xenu’s Brother In Law! VWD indeed!
I love your post, Xenu’s Brother In Law! Now THAT’s a good achievement – all of it! That’s my one regret and that is that I haven’t yet told anyone to get lost, to get off my back, to stop being a prick and “do you think I’m a f*&$%#ing moron? Pardon the language. I’m still hoping I’ll get that chance. It’ll be the cherry on the top.
Glad you got your money back! Delicious, delightful and delirious!
Now that’s just evil! The ‘church’ blackmailing someone to get their way? Surely not.
Blackmailing has become an art in the cult. It’s one of the sick things they do really, really well…
OSD,
Re: Blackmailing has become an art in the cult. It’s one of the sick things they do really, really well…
Very, very well said!
They go well beyond the conventional definition of blackmail.
They take every crime to a new level.
And call it religion.
The height of insanity!
The most professional, most slippery criminals on earth.
Dio
When it come to blackmail, the Mafia fears them…
I had a version of it employed on me when I was trying to just be done with the church and drift away quietly. Told my husband when October (Flag IAS event) rolled around that when he was routed to the IAS office to give them whatever he wanted; I wanted nothing to do with it – didn’t even want to know about – that he didn’t need to call me from their office to ask my permission and that I was NOT going in for their “briefing.” Sure enough October rolled around and IAS regges were calling ME and coming over to talk to ME over and over and over again – even though I told them what I told my husband and that he could give what he wanted. (I must have a “Patsey” sign on my back. I just tried to quietly say I did not want to go to the briefing.
Finally one day my husband at their behest called me from the IAS office asking me to come in. No, I said. Michelle (IAS reg) got on the phone and pushed me to finally say “I do not want to come in because I know what it is – you do a briefing and then you ask for donations and I don’t want to come in and do it.” Michelle said, “WELL, I am going to write a report on you.” I said, “FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK YOOOOUUUUU!” and hung up. Of course, a report was written and out of fear I went and saw my (favorite) MAA who looked at the report, acknowledged that it was bogus and then the IAS body routed me right on down into the IAS office where they cordoned it off and for the next five hours pummeled me for mega bucks. (You see, the report is their final solution to lure the unwilling in.) It was only out of fear of losing my family that I went through this shit.
The moral to this story is: “You have nothing to fear but fear itself.” When the shit finally did hit the fan for me I went through months and months of hell and did lose my son. The result was the same but longer and more painful than if I would have told the church to fuck off years earlier.
Well done McCarran. I bet that “FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK YOOOOUUUUU!” felt really good when you said it!
I suggest using the tech thusly a la TR-8 on an object (an IAS Reg, or any Scientology reg being the closest thing to an ashtray). The command is FUCK OFF (Tone 40). The EP is they give up or die, whichever comes first.
Yes. It felt great.
Unfortunately, the church has a way of unleashing a hell that I did not predict or prepare for.
Well, now you know their strategy and can deal with their bullshit. As their dear founder says, if you know the tech of something and apply it, you cannot be the adverse effect of it – or something like that. ?
Back in the mid 80’s I was escorted from the Brisbane office and told never to come back after I was asked where I’d heard of the tiny tome about how Hubbard had buried treasure on Sardinia in a past life (they wanted to charge me $18.00 for the book). As soon as I said I was reading Bare-Faced Messiah two blokes appeared from out the back, took me downstairs and politely told me to get lost. The rest of that day went by in a pleasant blur. A couple of months later I put the wind up a sheepbot that was standing, along with four others, on the pavement outside the same building and was asking people (anyone dressed neatly, I was having a scruffy day, was left alone) was accosted and asked if they’d like to help with a “survey”. I said go for it. First question was name, I refused and said next question. The next few questions I also refused to answer and when he asked did I know what sort of person I was (I was rubbing my little mental hands with glee at this). I loomed over him (he was about 5’6″, I’m 6′) and said I have delusions of grandeur with episodes of psycopathy. He couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.
Everything I’ve read over the years leads me to think that $camology doesn’t think twice about applying emotional, and familial, blackmail to anyone who dares to question to their authority. So I found RB’s strip this week more of an indictment of this cult than funny. Well done.
The normal blackmail works again. Good one, RB!
Why don’t they push the digital edition? All cash, no printing/stocking/staff expense.
It’s like for CDs.
They’re waiting for it to become obsolete.
By the time they publish an ebook, it will be an antiquated format and normal people will probably be uploading the things straight into their brain prostheses.
I think because you can only buy one copy for yourself on Kindle. You can buy as many copies as you want for other people as gifts, but I believe the publisher doesn’t get paid until the recipient accepts it in their Amazon account.
But this might be giving the cult too much credit, and they may be behind the (real) technological curve again.
It’s actually not that uncommon anymore in the (“wog”) world for (living) authors to do some kind of promotion to encourage people to buy multiple copies of their new book. Reasons they might do this are to get a better deal/bigger advance on their next publishing contact, or to promote their business if they do seminars and/or consulting. In exchange for proof that the reader bought a certain number of copies, there will be some kind of benefit, like a free seminar or event that usually has a value higher than the cost of the pile of books they bought. Yes, it might make their Amazon or New York Times ranking somewhat questionable, and I’m sure the practice was pioneered by Scientology, but it’s done. I used to find it shocking, but it’s now common enough that it seems like a smart thing to do. I’ve even bought a few (usually good) books during promotion periods to get some “free” stuff.
However, I’ve never actually seen a “wog” author (living or dead) threaten to hold a reader’s kids hostage unless the reader buys 20 books so it can get on a bestseller list.
“I think because you can only buy one copy for yourself on Kindle. You can buy as many copies as you want for other people as gifts, but I believe the publisher doesn’t get paid until the recipient accepts it in their Amazon account.”
I probably also should have pointed out here that any Kindle gift copies that aren’t claimed by the recipients right away wouldn’t count toward getting BE on the bestseller lists during the period they wanted anyway, since Amazon wouldn’t see them as “sold” books yet. I’m also not sure this issue was even on their radar.
Also not on their radar: The question of whether receiving a 1,000+ page,not-well-written and poorly-reviewed novel as a “gift” feels more like receiving a gift or getting work, just because you can now read it on an iPad.
I believe that they want people to buy print copies of the book because it’s purely a money-making scam. Miscavige was head of A.S.I. (Author Services) and well knows how that entity makes money from printing, selling, returning, and reselling books, and the funds do not go into the Scientology coffers, it’s a separate entity, with money funneled through this avenue without any accountability whatsoever.
T.J. there is MORE money per sale in digital for ASI than in print edition. Hence my question.
Hi Mike Wynski, thank you for your reply. I understand that on the surface it appears this way. Yes, if it were straight-up and honest, you are right. (Or I assume you are right, I haven’t run the numbers myself on digital vs. paper books, will give you the benefit of knowledge on this). But I believe that there are financial irregularities surrounding the sale, production, promotions, distribution, returns and redistribution etc., of the L.Ron Hubbard books. My view is that it isn’t strictly above-board, i.e. buy a book, makes xx profit, but that D.M. is profiting personally from the whole process, not just from “book sales” but the entire process from start to end, in ways that are not known to the general public.
Ok, how to illustrate this… recently we had a seismic retrofit done to the S.F. Bay bridge. They were supposed to use best grade materials, strong enough to withstand an earthquake, so the bridge would not fall apart, as it did during our last earthquake. The project was in well into construction, bids made, materials bought, companies vetted and hired, oversight in place, testing had been done all along the process, everything was progressing on schedule, until right before completion, when suddenly the bridge retrofit sections “buckled” and an outside company was hired for a spot-check, who found that the materials used were sub-standard, basically crap, that were not even supposed to be used for ordinary construction, let alone for the bridge earthquake-safe repairs. An investigation was launched outside ordinary channels, as those who had been charged with oversight had reported all was well, and it was discovered that there was fraud riddled throughout the entire process by many persons and agencies on multi levels, who had personally pocketed monies, by various avenues, procurement, distribution, hiring, construction, oversight, private contractors, inspectors, officials of government agencies. Monies were made in illegitimate ways by alternate means. So the way that A.S.I. is set up, it is outside the normal Scientology reporting and income, and funds from LRH books goes directly into separate accounts and along the way disappears into who knows where. There have always been reports of suitcases of cash being carried around. So this is what I meant by that. If it were as simple as sell a book = xx dollars, and sell digital book = xx plus 1 dollars, yes, digital makes more, right? But it isn’t straight-forward.
OK, that said, I am not an insider in Scientology, just a curious outsider whose primary field is in financial/accounting and it sparks my interest enough to be skeptical, but without access to the inner workings can’t say with certainty how this all works. I can only speculate. Based on experience. And hereby a disclaimer: I am making no claim or accusation or specific charges, this is just idle speculation on my part. So, why the huge push for ‘Battlefield Earth’ right now? How does it benefit the Church of Scientology, and David Miscavige? Is it public relations? Generating interest in the CofS? Or monetary? In many things, I’ve found the answer to be “follow the money” and you will find the reason. But of course, I could be wrong. Maybe money isn’t all that important to the CofS or Miscavige.
T.J. Unless you can even come up with a way of making more money by handling the same book multiple times (over digital where you NEVER handle the book; including printing, shipping, storing, et al), what you are saying makes NO sense. Math is math, even if DM is involved.
Hi again Mike Wynski. So, yes there are many ways to make money by handling things that should be straightforward and on the level, but in fact, are not handled that way. The average person would not normally think of these things; it wouldn’t cross their minds to do such things, however, as someone who has been extensively involved in auditing (the financial kind, not the Scientology kind) and has seen many different types of fraud perpetuated in more ways than one can imagine, I can say that it does happen more often than one would think.
I am sorry that the example I gave did not help to make this more clear, or understandable, and instead was apparently confusing, that was not my intent, but I can certainly see how that could happen. I’ll try to be more clear in future posts.
Right now, I do not have the time, energy, or even the desire to track down instances and proof of what may be going on with the LRH books, it would take more effort than I want to put into discovering something that I would ordinarily be paid for doing, just to show how it is possible, or that I am “right” about this, it isn’t that important to me, and you can feel free to believe or disbelieve whatever you want with regard to Hubbard’s books, and come to any conclusion that you feel comfortable with. If this means you feel I am full of hot air on this, so be it, I have no stake in this, financial or otherwise. I still think it is an worthwhile topic though, and that if you researched it a bit more, you might find something interesting. Then again, maybe not.
I’m pretty much done with this topic now, so I won’t be discussing it any further here… sorry if this discussion annoyed you, or perhaps my posts in general do, and apologies in advance if I fail to respond to any further posts on this matter.
I did get just a few links after a quick 2-minute search in case anyone has interest, (see below). I’m sure there is much more information out there, and more specific to this, but as I mentioned, I just don’t have the time or inclination to gather up more about this at the moment. It might make a fun project if I ever have an afternoon free (sheesh, the things that are considered “fun” in accounting, lol)
There have for many years been stories about selling and re-selling Hubbard books to pad stats and make money. Here are a few links to some older discussions:
In this discussion thread there are quotes from the Los Angeles Times in 1990 regarding B Dalton booksellers receiving previously sold Hubbard books coming into their store as new with their store stickers already on them:
http://ocmb.xenu.net/ocmb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=25104
and another board discussion on buying, returning and reselling Hubbard’s books:
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?36624-LRH-lectures-available-for-download/page3
A 2011 discussion: “Miscavige’s cult of falsified stats” at Marty Rathbun’s site about how kids in the Sea Org were given Sea Org money to buy many copies of BattlefieldEarth, taking money from one arm of Scientology to create income for another sector: https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/miscaviges-cult-of-falsified-stats/#comments
Marty Rathbun said LRH always got his royalty checks on the resold books… Michael Fairman said books were shipped from Bridge publications that had already been purchased and then returned and shipped out again as new…
Here’s a 2013 discussion right here at Mike Rinder’s blog about books, while not specifically addressing reselling, it’s still interesting: https://www.mikerindersblog.org/library-campaign-fraud/
Here’s a 1990 article titled “Financial Scam” that quotes Vicki Aznaran formerly of RTC talking about the relationship between them and Bridge Publications, saying “Author Services used to always think of schemes to make more money”:
http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/cosbookf.htm
And I’m sure more info can be found if one cares to look…
Years go and far way hubbard dangled new processes and rundowns to get the needed inflows. Now they rely solely and only on a threat with a club.
Second and third generation scientologists make great hostag–I mean sea org recruits.
That may be why so many stay in. Their families and jobs and business contacts are all hostage to the reg.
Is changing though. With John Q Capitalist estimating the current amount of still-ins dropping to about 20.000 scientologists (15000 public and 5000 staff) this means less and less hostages to take.
Business considerations are not the same as 20 years ago. Business owners are either (semi)retired or their clients are.
The few 2nd generation cannot be lost as clients since they have had no formal education therefore no money to buy anything..
Even if John is right and we have only 10% decline per year (feels closer to 15%)
Then: Juli 2017 say 18.000 left.
Juli 2018:16200 left.
Juli 2019 14.400 left etc.
RB is certainly doing his unique part to make this happen. For sure many of us who have hostages are grateful for his work.
And yet….if they really wanted to, they could just walk out the door.
O.S.D. yes, but that’s what makes it such a fascinating phenomena. Because of the “mind control” that they have conditioned on themselves… even though you are 100 percent correct, they could actually physically get up and go (in most cases), it’s so much more complex. So why do they remain in?
In some people it’s their “salvation” or eternity at stake. For others, they don’t see another option at the moment, as the group is their life, they have no outside resources, their family and friends are all in, they feel that they have no other options. For others, there is a child involved who would disconnect from them. For others, they have done so well at mentally blocking out thoughts – other than the official “church think” – that they actually have censored what they allow themselves to think and do not clearly see that they can leave.
Humans are creatures of habit. If a routine has become ingrained into their life, they may not understand they have the ability to leave. To illustrate this, here’s a little true story about humans being creatures of habit, who follow routine without thinking… my son had a birthday party, (I think it was his 10th) that had ended, and we were driving one of his friends home. The boy was sitting in the back seat, and when we pulled up to his house to drop him off, he just remained sitting there. After a few moments of no movement on his part, I turned around and looked at him quizzically and asked “you don’t want to get out?” He said “I can’t”. When I asked him why not, he said “I’m in the backseat.” Well, it turns out that in his family’s car, they only have 2 doors, so anyone in the backseat has to wait for the person in the front to get out, then push the front seat forward, to let the person in back get out. The thing is, we were in my car, which has 4 doors, and he was sitting right beside a back door, which he could easily open by himself to exit. He had a clear path to unlock and open the door and get out. But he was so “conditioned” to doing it a certain way, (a routine) that he failed to realize that he had the ability to get himself out.
So perhaps that’s what it’s like, and what is so clearly able to be seen by us, is not seen by someone who is inside.
What door?
All doors are in use for the SRD, none spare to walk out of.
That’s right! I completely forgot about that. Doors are used for the SRD and not for opening and closing! I think I’ll jump back in the rabbit hole…..
Or hostige to theirs and others salvation. The church staff deal in invalidation, evaluation, threats and blackmail. That’s all the power they have left. They deal in exactly what l con supposedly was offering a solution to. Why so many don’t up and leave in the face of it is no mystery. They are very confused individuals. I was threatend with several things after I began reading blogs in 2010. OSA via my X even flew my daughter to LA from Austin with the threats. I’m so glad I didn’t backtrack. You under the radar guys I hope are feeding the truth to those that will listen and doing well on your plans and excape with your families. I can hardly wait for those glorious stories 🙂
Yep. Disconnection from loved ones. David Miscavige has got leverage.
Isn’t that just the coolest thing about the coolest religion on earth?
“Leverage” is what Terl is always worrying about. He needs to have lots of it! 🙂
The Co$ (for hundreds of thousands of dollars) gives you the freedom (which only they own) to refuse to see your family for no other reason than that the Co$ orders you to (against your will).
Now let’s see …
Religious Car Dealer sells you a car
Religious Car Dealer warrants that you can drive it anywhere you want
Religious Car Dealer restricts you from driving to visit your family.
In the commercial free market world of honoring contractual agreements, that would be so absurd that no one could contain their scorn and laughter when the Religious Car Dealer asked a court to enforce their restrictions.
But the world of philosophy and religion is so very, very poorly grasped and so thoroughly misunderstood, that courts will not touch the case when Co$ members are restricted.
This has nothing to do with “members of the Co$ agree to abide by church restrictions.” It has to do with the very fundamental misunderstanding of self-determinism. The U.S. Supreme Court, following a Constitution based on philosophy which dates back to before Ancient Greece, got it right that if civil and criminal laws “generally applicable” laws, are not enforced upon religions, then every man becomes a law unto himself. What the Justices said implicitly, already stated elsewhere, and did not say explicitly in that ruling, is that every man has the right to be a religion unto himself.
Under LRH the church was pan-denominational. And every member retained that right to be a religion unto himself. This is the way things are, and there cannot be any other way. There are many individual interpretations of every great religion, and no two are exactly alike. They never will be. Each man sets his own principles, develops his own philosophy, sees what he wants to see, and hopes he sees clearly.
The original Church of Scientology was there with the sole purpose of helping a man see more clearly, and understand. It was NEVER there to impose a religious belief which impaired self-determinism.
The only “belief” I find in Scientology writing is the belief that man is basically good. That is something similar to the phrase “In God we trust.” And it should be, as Scientology incorporates the same long history of philosophy which the U.S. Constitution is founded on. Scientology has as its purpose to enable the individual to himself resolve that long history of philosophy, while the Constitution has as one of its purposes to guarantee the freedom of the individual to do so. The common element is self-determinism.
It is funny that in all the debates about good and evil, and “what is good, and is good definable, and are there things such as universal ethics, and is God good, and is man good” … some simple practical distinctions between love and hate as a basis of operation, do not resolve these issues. Ultimately it is responsibility. The choice of the individual to be responsible to himself and to truth and if you will, to God.
It strikes me that good seeks to promote and encourage individual freedom, in faith, if not in certainty. Evil seeks to restrict. Co$ members or adherents should take another look at their own self-determinism, their own lives and goals and purposes, and what they wish to achieve – and stop kneeling.
All in my perhaps not-so-humble opinion. Although we have little of Socrates’ thought in writing, written by him, it is related that someone once asked Socrates, “What is good?” Socrates, it is said, replied: “I do not know what good is, but I dearly hope I am.”
“The choice of the individual to be responsible to himself and to truth and if you will, to God”
Noble in thought but Scientology is built on a lack of choice …source is always right, the tech works 100% of the time, any “wins” come from Scientology but anything negative “you drew it in”. The only CHOICE is a Sophie’s Choice, leave with your autonomy OR have your loved ones disconnect… Despicable as far as choices go.
Facebook, my emails from the church, those still in that I’m in contact with are all telling me this is exactly the current scene inside the bubble.
Good to know. Thx. Far worse then AOLA mid 1996 but similar to dealings with AOs Swartz guy and CLO Feb 2007. And auditing I last got – well Purif in 2002 I nearly died and NOTS 2003/4 was not auditing as I once knew it. It won’t be long. Keep telling us how it is 🙂
Cece, thanks for sharing your experiences. What happened on the Purif that you nearly died, if you can say? It’s always seemed to me like a somewhat risky thing to do. Thanks, T.J.