Here is a new report just received from someone who visited Hannover "org." Maybe the massive international expansion is also bypassing Hannover? The main question that springs to mind after reading this that I would love to ask David Miscavige — "I know you haven't a clue about the Great Middle Path, but have you ever heard of gradients?" Something between an empty craphole like this and an empty palace like Berllin would probably work out better for everyone. I know you don't like suggestions from me Dave, but I offer one anyway. Mike Rinder
Here is my encounter with the oh-so-important Hannover Org, Germany. This cabinet of dilettanti would be entertaining if it wasn’t reality for the people who put their trust in this path and are now stuck, yet still keep wasting their energy on it in hope for a better future that will never come.
The Hannover Org is just five minutes by foot from central station. It’s not in the red-light district, but up to a few years ago, there had been a burlesque-transvestite bar across the street, where also weekly sado-maso meet-ups took place. Not a good neighbourhood.
Once you found the place and entered its vestibule you had to withstand an olfactory onslaught of urine. Not to be deterred, we shuffled my suitcase up the stairs and contemplated the shabby yellow paper sign.
We did as asked – “Bitte klingeln. Danke.” means: “Please ring the bell. Thank you.”
A lady in a worn sweater of the most horrid shade of pistachio opened the door and mustered us full of suspicion. I recited my little speech on how we wanted to know what Scientology is actually about, so we thought we’d just pay a visit. Obviously confused by my luggage, she asked us in and pulled herself together to greet us politely and ask all sorts of questions as to which city I lived in, where I had been and what I had been doing there. Most of them I answered truthfully. 🙂
Everything was glutted with Scientology merchandise. As far as I could see there was the reception area, a course room, a hallway and the bureau. Oh, not to forget, the Hubbard shrine. All in all not even 100sqm², but there might be more space than visible.
There were only two more individuals: one male colleague, who split his time between smoking outside and sitting behind the reception desk, looking grumpy. Later a female colleague entered and disappeared in the bureau, so I could catch a glimpse of a poster showing the shiny knight on his white horse beside the expansion-meter for Germany coloured with green marker at 15%. Neither of them greeted us nor each other and both avoided eye-contact.
We were seated uncomfortably in the hallway. After the interrogation-style conversation about my existing knowledge of Scientology, we were force-fed an LRH biography. She used her best TR0-gone-wrong on us. Once she had started talking, there was no end to it, till I wondered whether the new strategy of bypassing communication with videos didn’t have its advantages.
I had to be really assertive to make her explain the generalized statements of “the tech is wonderful and works for everything”. She finally produced the course book on communication and talked us through it. We would have also talked about The Bridge, but she constantly lost her focus, so we basically just chatted instead. Standing in front of the chart I peeked inside the course room, which was empty and she quickly closed the door.
I asked her about the purification rundown and she shared her experience of how the combination of sauna and 300 mg dosages of niacin had caused her old sunburns to “emerge”. I kept on smiling politely and nodded, instead of discussing the common side effects of high doses of niacin or recommending the no-flush products by AOR as I didn’t want to question her success.
She had difficulties responding to any specific question beyond a rigorous yes or no. I tried: Does your personality change as you move up the bridge? YES! How does it change you? It helps. How does the tech help handle tensions between staff (she previously had told us about these)? We apply the tech. Is just sitting there with your eyes closed a bit like Zen meditation? NO! Afterwards she said she didn’t know what a Zen meditation is, but it was clear that this was of no importance to her. She constantly cut me off, till I joked about how she was using the tech too well she had shown us in the study materials on communication.
Since I am interested, it would have been nice if someone competent had actually answered my questions.
Her lack of boundaries made her stand and sit way too close to me, which made me uncomfortable. There was something strange about her, as if she no longer had an aura. She embodied everything I wouldn't want "the tech" to do to me.
Then she desperately wanted to know what my occupation was and asked me two more times, when I dodged her questions. During our conversation she repeatedly and exclusively referred to the world as “outside”.
What struck me was how much information she gave us, totally uncalled for. I now know all kinds of things, such as: her love of Renoir prints, the freezone’s supposedly inferior auditing, that staff shrinked from 40 to 11 during her time there, Hamburg’s visitor stats, where she works to earn her living since payment for the hours in the org doesn’t really exist (tough she was very vague on that, probably as vague as the payment), the state of her health and how it deteriorates if she doesn’t swim regularly, the Easter holiday fights with her sister and so on and so forth.
We spent almost two hours there and I don’t want to relay everything that was being said, but I left with the impression that she was unhappy with the current situation at the org and frustrated by her own progress, which is perfectly understandable. She has been practicing Scientology for 24 years now and is a Grade II. At the age of 64. She cannot advance any further, because they lack qualified auditors. They allegedly sent staff to Copenhagen, to be trained to audit the higher Grades. She blossomed for a moment, when she talked about her early days with Scientology and how she first got involved in the church.
It remained unclear how you could actually enrol in a course or who to contact to receive auditing. She never tried to sell us anything – I can only speculate on why that might be – but gave us the DVDs, so we would “have the mass”. When I tried to run them, my computer went kind of weird and rattled like there was a hamster inside, I feared it was going to crash. Probably Black Dianetics? Now I use them to hunt mosquitoes. Their cases are especially well suited to that, so I left with a win!
And now someone needs to check out the Copenhagen org to see if there’s anyone home and if the Hanover auditor-trainees ever arrived.
The Ideal Org concept is easy to understand:
We are sold a magic bullet. Boom, and everything just falls into place. No fuss, no muss. No effort, it is just automatic. We just throw money at it. (And we can be on staff to take some credit for the success, too.)
All so easy, no effort. It is what we want to hear.
Then reality sets in = Idle Morgue. Staff numbers drop (Moral is directly related to production.)
I think its great that you listened to her. It was probably to most auditing she has received in a long time.
SamU, that’s actually a very nice way of seeing it. I like it!
“where weekly sado-maso meet-ups took place.”
Doesn’t this describe accurately the regular month sec checks that DM has decreed when one is “on the level” (OT VII)?
Seriously, thanks to you, Mike, for being able to gather and publish these stories; the more data points we have about current life in the orgs (Ideal and otherwise) the easier it will be to get an accurate picture of total membership of the RCS, and then to get some useful data on the finances. That, as I’ve said repeatedly, is key to figuring out how fast the whole thing will unravel. And thanks to you, anonymous contributor of the situation report.
You’re most welcome John, it was my pleasure. We had a ton of fun. I should probably feel guilty for seeing the comical in the severe and subject myself to an S/M sec check.
Will someone please pull Rinder off of Miscaviage. I”ve met bookies who aren’t as brutal. Ah, im just kidding, keep stomping this jag off, like a narc in the county jail.
Rinder, hit me up – we haven’t emailed in a bit.
Cheers & beers Bed Man Okc
When will you be back in Texas? Maybe Chelsea and I will make the journey.
Hey there BMOC. Nice to hear from you. Look forward to that beer with you and Chelsea!
Email me next time youre in Texas or Oklahoma area…… and if you have time, of course.
Sigh…
Once they get their “Ideal Org” everything will be different. People will be drawn to it like moths to a flame. The staff will be euphoric. The trannies will come in and go Clear. The screams of sexual torture will be replaced with beautiful birdsong and the angelic laughter of playful children. The smell of piss will soon become the sweet, heady scents of jasmine and honeysuckle. Crime will be a thing of the past. It will be a booming hub of pure paradise and the good people of Hannover will owe it all to the simple acquisition of a spiffy, new building.
Isn’t that worth maxing out all your credit cards? C’mon, man! You’ll make it back ten-fold. This is your eternity, you sonofabitch! Give me your f**king money!!
For the love of God, 64 years old, all those decades involved and through grade two? It’s one thing when you can not get NEW people interested, when you have INTERESTED people THERE and they CAN’T HAVE it……………what can I say? That is so fucking wrong! The people IN and INTERESTED CAN’T even HAVE it!
How the hell are going to bring in NEW people? There is a woman right there wanting to pick up the cans. She CAN’T HAVE it and is expected to interest people that don’t EVEN WANT IT? How CRAZY does this get?
I don’t think David Miscavige has a LICK of common sense!
Pimping senior citizens! You FUCK!
Riddle: How many David Miscaviges does it take to figure out if you want to get a release, you should audit the people who are already THERE and INTERESTED?
stu·pid (stpd, sty-)
adj. stu·pid·er, stu·pid·est
1. Slow to learn or understand; obtuse.
2. Tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes.
3. Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless: a stupid mistake.
4. Dazed, stunned, or stupefied.
5. Pointless; worthless: a stupid job.
n.
A stupid or foolish person.
[Latin stupidus, from stupre, to be stunned.]
OMG! I’m sure it will be much better when they raise the $10 mill for an Ideal Org though. 🙂
Kevin Bloody Mackey, they actually started looking for a new building in 2007, allegedly planning to spend just that, only in € 😉 To buy the biggest – what else – org ever in Germany with 5000sqm. Go home Berlin! with meagre 4000sqm..
Sad indeed.
Very sad state of affairs, indeed. Mike, thanks for continuing to expose the truth.
Service on this side of the pond ain’t much better. I was actually cringing through this video it’s so embarrassing. It makes scientologists look like complete morons. And this young woman was answering his questions sincerely. Wow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntpQHIzP6ZA
Delphine, what a video!
Can you believe it?! The first time I saw this I was caught between being horrified and laughing hysterically. I mean, the Church of Miscavage should add another TR on how to talk to the rest of humanity and not instantly alienate them with a load of scientologese. Well, that’s another body-exiting-the-shop for COB.
You just have to wonder how long the charade can continue with all of the orgs in such awful condition. How long until some withered group of staff members finally admits the truth to each other, and goes rogue? How long until some frustrated E.D. has finally had enough, and calls their staff together for a vote on mutiny?
The current situation is dire. The orgs can’t survive much longer at this rate. Even if management chooses to foot the bills of these failing orgs, the staff will soon bolt because their orgs are empty of public. Will they lock the doors and put signs on the windows that say, “By Appointment Only”? Then what? Will DM hire actors to play the part of staff and public?
Will the last sheeple out of the building please turn out the lights?
Ronnie, at least they have the good sense to not stick to the hours stated on their website, but shortened them almost by half. By appointment only is not too far away…
Gotta love the trash bags out front…so inviting!
And Mike , come on…the windows are straight up and vertical!
This story is so sad…and typical. I have been watching my local Org, over the past 25 years, go from being an active, friendly part of the neighborhood in the city…with 2 front entrances, open doors and beautiful, welcoming faces…to one that now has half of those same front windows and doors covered with butcher paper and locked at all times. There is now only one entrance, and the staff has dwindled down as well.
Yeah, the trash bags alone made it worth my while 🙂
Wow – that is really sad – the poor thing! I hope it closes soon so she does not waste any more time. All Org’s are Morgue’s and the poor staff are fed lies as to why that is. David Miscavige is living like a King while the really good people that are trying to be obedient and help others – are really suffering.
Good reporting Mike – I am loving your blog. It is filled with all sorts of news about the state Scientology really is in – empty buildings, dwindling members and staff – no more money coming in – sad state of affairs for the Church of scientology.
Blown SP, the good woman would be surprised to hear you refer to COB as his kingship. When the topic of LRH’s succession came up, she mentioned ‘a Herr Miskaavitch’ in passing. She didn’t make him sound like a person of consequence…
It’s really sad how many staff members like this actually exist. They don’t act like they know real Scientology anymore (the real tech and its benefits), they are stuck on some church contract of some sort or the billion years of the sea org, or their contract is even over and they are being made to stay “because they haven’t replaced themsleves,” and they have no hope of getting any farther up the Bridge which is supposed to be part of their payback for all their hard work. There is nothing within any management structure at all, if you want to call it that, that does ANYthing for the staff–except turn them into pathetic slaves. I hope she and the others figure it out. A lot did and got the heck out—here’s hoping they do too.
Wow that’s quite a sad story. I happen to know that Hannover does have a very large and active group of Anonymous members who protest at the org quite often. This may or may not have contributed to her less than cheery mood.
Poor lady, at 64 one would hope to have learned more about what’s important in life. Thank you Mr Rinder. Excellent post.
I hate to disagree with you on the cheerful mood, Paul Salerno, but I cannot imagine anyone watching Anonymous doing their cluster dance and keep a straight face. You can get an impression here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPlIMLE3RHo at min 3:00. A rare diamond of entertainment emerges as the performance unfolds. He’ll be grateful for the mask. Beyond funny, but not for the faint of heart.