Another installment in the ongoing series of essays by Terra Cognita. See earlier posts here: The Almighty Stat, The Reg, The Horrors of Wordclearing, Why Scientologists Don’t FSM, Respect, The Survival Rundown – The Latest Scam, Communication in Scientology… Or Not, Am I Still A Thetan?, To Be Or Not To Be, An Evaluation of Scientology, Fear: That Which Drives Scientology and Justification and Rationalization.
Integrity
One of the most bandied about words in Scientology is “integrity.”
LRH wrote, “What is true for you is what you have observed yourself. And when you lose that, you have lost everything. What is personal integrity? Personal integrity is knowing what you know. What you know is what you know and to have the courage to know and say what you have observed. And that is integrity and there is no other integrity.”
He went on to write, “And not necessarily maintaining a skeptical attitude, a critical attitude or an open mind—not necessarily maintaining these things at all—but certainly maintaining sufficient personal integrity and sufficient personal belief and confidence in self and courage that we can observe what we observe and say what we have observed.
“Nothing in Scientology is true for you unless you have observed it and it is true according to your observation. That is all.”
Well, well, well.
Courage?
Twice, LRH mentioned courage in the above passage. According to him, it’s not enough to simply observe and know something. One has to have the courage to know and SAY what was observed. What I have observed: A decided lack of courage in Scientology.
In “Knowledge Reports,” LRH wrote this bit of truth: “When misconduct and out-ethics is occurring in a group, it is almost impossible for other members of the group not to know it.” If this is true—and I believe it is—the level of integrity of this group is dismally low.
For the most part, Scientology staff are cowed into submission and afraid to say what they have observed. I suspect, this lack of courage has been going on since LRH’s days on the Apollo—over-boarding personnel that didn’t measure up as they sailed the high seas. I applaud those who’ve had the courage—and integrity—to say, “Enough is enough” and walk away.
The public are no less guilty of turning a blind eye to what they’ve observed and know is wrong. Cowardly behavior such as this upsets people on the outside to no end. Not only do Scientologists pretend to not see what’s going on right in front of their faces, they refuse to discuss the situation with others—those within, as well as, those on the outside. Fear crushes integrity within the Church of Scientology.
Beliefs
People within Scientology are forced to believe the company line one hundred percent, to the exclusion of observing and trusting their own convictions. They’re taught that no other philosophy or science or study comes close to what LRH laid out in his books and courses. Thinking for oneself is a waste of time in Scientology. LRH has already done it for you.
Questioning and discussing different philosophies, personal beliefs, and religions are central to maintaining personal integrity. Scientology has created an environment where such dialogue is not only discouraged, but is considered subversive and subject to penalty.
Principles, Schminciples
On one hand, LRH wrote of observation, courage, and integrity. On the other, the lack of backbone and character demonstrated within the church is striking. Hypocrisy, dishonesty, and cowardice run rampant within its walls.
How did an organization which prides itself on self-determinism, high ethical standards, and integrity fail so miserably at upholding these principles?
LRH created the system and wrote the policy on which the organization is run. His successor, David Miscavige, has perpetuated the lack of integrity within Scientology by bullying and getting rid of any who speak out.
Standing up for what one believes in Scientology is tough, if not impossible—especially if what one believes runs counter to the messiah and his twisted disciple.
Outsiders
Lots of things aggravate me about my time inside Scientology. Two of the biggest are the lack of integrity I demonstrated by not speaking up and by staying in as long as I did. I’m glad I finally got out. I’m annoyed I took so long.
I appreciate communicating with those who’ve traveled similar roads. Thanks for listening.
Still not Declared,
Terra Cognita
The problem with LRH is not necessary what he wrote about, as most of it is just an amateurish copy-paste of already KNOWN principles taken out of ancient philosophies, and thus, there is a varying degree of truth in Scn. The problem with him is that he SELDOM followed his own writings, SPECIALLY the subject of Integrity.
To me – and this might sound unfair to some – is enough to look at the mental/spiritual state of the wife/husband and the kids of an individual, to determine his/her degree of Integrity. A person with REAL integrity radiates harmony, sanity and good control, and thus his immediate family is positively influenced by him/her which can be observed in the mental/spiritual state of them.
Hubbard’s family were a real mess. He ABANDONED his own wife; the one who had been always there for him working day and night handling his BUSINESS (not his “religion”). He rejected his own son for his sexual preferences, and his desire to seek other goals (flying) different than the “lofty” one of “planetary clearing”.
The one woman who was there for him in good times and in bad times, received mere leftovers as an inheritance when LRH died. But the CofS (or whatever the fuck Scn legal entity was) got MILLIONS!!!
The REAL truth; the ONLY truth is that LRH was just a coward shadow of a man who had the “integrity” of a thief and a con man. He was no “humanitarian” at all; what a joke of a man. When I think of the degree of loyalty that I had for that cockroach, I feel like vomiting.
Well put Theta Clear!
I don’t believe for a moment that he believed his own writings. He was a PR expert. He wrote what he wrote to capture our attention, hook us. After we got hooked, he showed his true colours. We were under his spell and mind control after that was easy. We bought the bs hook, line and sinker and paid good money after bad. That was what he was really all about.
“… by staying in as long as I did. I’m glad I finally got out. I’m annoyed I took so long.” Me, too!
But I’m out!
This is a great, great post. I’m actually going to copy and paste it and I’ve a few people I intend emailing it too.
On http://www.Findagrave.com they (interestingly) list Ron’s profession as “Social Reformer”. I guess they are correct in a way. He did reform a lot of society. They never said “for the better”. LOL
Right Skorp. Like Stalin was the Peasant Landowner Social Reformer. He reformed 15 million of them into graves.
Hi jrfool, Your comment was so true about the old man having some concept or great insight that I might miss when I blew.Another reason I stayed for the abuse.In a weird way did I think white hat Ron would ride to the rescue?Now I know black hat Ron took one look at me and took off leaving me to climb out of his abyss alone.XO
He didn’t care about people, not even HIS people. He was cruel, callous and manipulating in the extreme. He used people. He got rid of good people, sometimes going out of his way to ruin them. He toyed with people like a cat toys with a mouse, playing with it while it still moves but losing interest once it’s dead and no longer there for its amusement.
I think some of us like to adorn him with some measure of decency. We can then be less hard on ourselves – IMO. It’s hard for some of us to contemplate just how naive we were, susceptible to magic and charisma. We didn’t inspect ANYthing, bowed and scraped. There’s probably a hollow space in each of us, begging to be filled. He did that. We allowed it because we felt purposeful, all of the sudden. We had something to do, something to look forward to instead of constantly wondering what it was all about. He played on this skillfully – IMO.
The sooner we face the error of our ways and confront the truth, from the very first time he said that the way to make money was to start a religion, the sooner we can get over him and the ordeal of being mesmorised – IMHO. This is far healthier, I believe, that trying to salvage something out of it all with falsities.
Terra, each of your articles have been penetrating but this one has really hit me where I live. I trusted the people in my org and when I observed outpoints I communicated about them and wrote them up in KRs also. Well, I was there, and I communicated, and it was just as you’ve said, I was looked askance and considered subversive, someone with witholds and missed withholds or I wouldn’t be being critical. “But there are such things as outpoints!”, I replied. “Outpoints exist, just as pluspoints exist! I should have saved my breath. All I ever got back, in various ways, was the concept that, sure, outpoints exist, but only someone with major overts and withholds, etc. would want to point them out! Off policy, out-tech – so what? What were MY crimes? It really was consistently like that. They refused to look. Sad for them, actually. Ignorance or, I’d say in their cases, delusion, can be a comfortable state for a while but the peace of mind is based on not-knowing or not looking. I pity the staff of my former org their inevitable painful awakening. One of the major wins I had in my Scientology auditing and training was the realization that the only things that had ever really hurt me, really messed me up, were events stemming from situations caused by what I didn’t know and worse, what I had been refusing to know because of a refusal to look. Sounds pretty basic, kind of like, “Duh, who wouldn’t have a grip on THAT?”, and maybe it is, but for me it was a major, to realize this, and I’ll never forget it. No matter the initial pain, when something is important its always better to know; what you don’t know can not only hurt you but possibly destroy you.
You’ve reminded me. Aquamarine, of the fact that I too wrote KRs on many questionable goings on. I became a target and was told I should be investigated for targeting sea org members. I was told that anyone who did this must a crimes. I was put on an “little” ethics programme, which got longer and longer. I refused to do it, however. I had done nothing wrong.
But it’s not the people/staff who can’t look. They looked, okay, at me! They followed policy on this written by Hubbard. It was his teaching. They didn’t look any further than what he wrote.
Lovin the essay series, love this place in general
A person who disconnected from me told me to call her if I ever decide to let go of my integrity ! How is that for mind boggling incoherent nonsense?
.
Re: “incoherent nonsense”
The following is a quote from page 45 of the once SECRET CIA Interrogation Manual, the title of the manual is “The KUBARK INTERROGATION MANUAL” Kubark is a word substitution cipher (Like the key word substitution codes used in scientology Telex transmissions in the 70’s) for the CIA.
The title of this page is ALICE IN WONDERLAND
“The aim of Alice in Wonderland or Confusion Technique is to confound expectations and expected reactions in the interogatee. He is accustomed to a world that makes some sense, at least to him: a world of continuity and logic, a predictable world. He clings to this world to reenforce his identity and powers of resistance.
The confusion technique is designed not only to obliterate the familiar but to replace it with the weird. Although this methods can be employed by a single interrogator it is better adapted for use by two or three.”
(long paragraph with details) last sentence reads:
“This technique may be extremely effective with the orderly obstinate type.”
Image with full text webbed on this page: https://arnielerma.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/hypnosis-in-scientology-and-dianetics-cliff-notes-for-deprogramming-a-scientologist/
I sort of remember Ron’s essay on integrity from back in the day–at the time I thought it probably was profound, now I recognize it as gobbledygook.
Something from a write-up by Julie Gillespie Mayo:
When I escaped from Gilman Hot Springs in 1983 I hitched to Hemet and caught a bus … barely had the correct change, any change, for that matter, and two security guards at my heels.
This was after several months of being falsely imprisoned — we were under guard and weren’t allowed to communicate with the outside world. It had started in August 1982 when I was awoken early by Marc Yager, who was the CO CMO INT, I believe, at the time. He told me that there was a special meeting that I was to come to — this was the first time that the CO CMO INT had ever offered to ride me on his moped anywhere. He took me to the SNR C/S INT Office where David Miscavige was waiting for me.
Complete text at: http://www.freezone.org/reports/e_jmayo.htm
How many ‘success stories’ are now like the old ‘Penthouse Letters to the Editor’? i.e., totally made up?
A friend of mine went by the Buffalo NY mOrg today and reported that the blinds on the Main Street side were up for a change and that the lights were off and no one could be seen. This was at noon on Monday. Booming? Only the echo of footsteps leaving the area…..
I bet the staff got construction jobs 1/2 mile up the street. That area is really booming with construction worth 1/2 billion dollars.
Welcome to Buffalo my friend! We roll up the sidewalks each evening, LOL
Terra, you may have stayed in too long but you DID allow personal integrity to win out and you reinforce that excellent choice with each and every one of your shared observations. Keep it up, your voice is needed and well received. You are an inspiration that you can reach the other side with intellect and integrity intact.
Good to see you, teehee. Glad you are well.
Terra,
Appreciation goes out to you, from me and on behalf of everyone free…
for painting such a vivid picture of what really goes on in this predatory and deceitful cult.
Awwww, thanks Bug! Got hit with pneumonia when I got home from vacation but I’m strong again ?
Thanks TC. Enjoyed the read very much. Just this past weekend, at a HS reunion I had what was once a very good friend who has disconnected from me, tell me that no one who has disconnected from me actually believes I’m an SP. (I knew this.) Then why did they disconnect? Your post says it all.
Hi Terra Cognita, You have a very concise and precise way of telling your story with excellent examples of not only what you experienced,but what you saw inside amoungst SO & public.You are providing another blow to this cult.Wonderful! As to your feeling of why did I stay so long? I have asked myself those same questions many times in many years.Like a mixture of all the facets that made up my belief that I was a forever SO member and Ron was the way out and through -melded into why I had put up with abuse that was verbal physical mental and yes spiritual warfare I realize now,I put up with all that bs because a shred of me had been so conditioned to believe all that had happened to me was pulled in or created by me because I was a bad Thetan.Finally Terra Cognita I can freely say I can do so much more good now out than I ever could in.So I celebrate that I got out and hope to help blast the laser beam of Truth and shatter all the lies and the years of disconnection and what all have been through at the hands of this cult.XO❤️.
Many philosophers have said this sort of thing in different ways, I’m reading a lot about alllllll those other practices now and it’s great. Again Hubbard is not the originator of the things he writes but puts his own twist on it and turns it into policy or an article of his own.
It’s one side of the forked-tongue. Writings like this are often referred to to counter-act and disprove the bad behavior ordered or encouraged by other policies. I used to notice this stuff while still in, especially with the sea org flag orders clashing with the policies. My favorite example of two-facedness is out of the Ethics Justice and the Dynamics PL, where he states (paraphrased) “No dynamic is more important than the other.” Like…..WHAAAAAAAAATTTTTT??????!
I’m starting to wonder why Terra has not been declared. Is Terra’s identity known to the flying green monkeys? Because, if so, there may be a kind of stubbornness operating here. By closing each week with “still not declared,” he’s (she?) daring them to do it. And David Miscavige will be goddamned if he’s gonna order that Declare just because some piss-ant pushes him into it.
There not so quick to declare these days. Maybe a Dead File and whisper campaign is what might happen. Of course, if TC has his picture posted with Mike Rinder, then he’d get declared.
I too stayed way to long also. Why?
1. I would have to admit I was wrong for the most part. I was more OT before scientology.
2. At the end I got more out of scientology then I put in. Admiration from women, I was listened too by everyone.
3. The frog in the boiling pot syndrome.
4. I just withdrew from areas and people I did not like.
5. Lack of emotional and practical knowledge of alternatives. Where else was I going to go? How do I get new friends viewpoints at my age?
6. Ok from Sea Org Zombies sucks and is ether criminal psychotic or both. But by and large non-zombied sea org class 5 org and mission individuals well-meaning and energetic. Of course they were going nowhere fat but they kept going.
7. There are some good things in scientology. You pick them up and make them stable data you’re your confusions.
8. Lack of information. I does not smell or look right but maybe it is just my overts selfishness and deranged personality.
9. Of course I got nothing out of ot7 and OT 8 except big debts but maybe the next level will give those superpowers that I was craving for. Clear the world? Who cares I want to be superman.
You want to be Superman? I’m a Jedi Knight. I can hook you up…
You going to answer today or to scared
Jennifer Kamuda cain, who are you asking for an answer?
The annoyance of having been a member of the Cof$ will come to pass for the most part, it has to. I’ve never considered I’d ever let myself be a victim of long duration because of decisions I made 30 something years ago, lied to or not. It’s regretful but when does the line end? The loss I personally suffer is people I care about are still not available to me or the rest of the family because of Scientology, that hurts, even more than death itself. That you eventually accept for better or for worse as there is no decisions to make with them anymore, they are gone! I guess there’s still hope as they do exist, but it’s been such a long, long time.
There is no integrity generated in Scientology as a group, only individuals can display that. The only choice for anyone of integrity within Scientology is to leave it. Once there was a freedom of movement within that group as I saw it, but that ceased with expansion beyond technical awareness or capability. The moment the almighty dollar became more important than delivery it all went to crap. Perhaps for that small moment I enjoyed what I did as an auditor back in the 80s was AS GOOD AS IT GETS and there is no more unless by some unforeseen miracle elsewhere. Lots of Freezone stuff I saw also went by the wayside but there are some that seem to be functioning OK, like in Idaho & Israel and a few under the radar.
I saw better group ethics, integrity and courage displayed within the military. But geezers… if those fancy gold buttoned, reptilian eyed assholes who influence the big decisions for the overall power of those groups ever get into the controlling political field, wow, we’re fucked! All they know and care about is destruction.
It’s tough though, the reasons I got into Scientology are still there, except Scientology applied has been a group failure, of that there is no doubt. Flogging a dead horse… well, it’s dead!
I would like to see that group disbanded, its criminals put in jail and let’s see what people of integrity do. The future is a fluid thing, it’s not all doom and gloom.
My name is jennifer kamuda,when i was 15 i went to have a personality test which they did not allow me to do ,i have since learned that places i have lived recieved my mail,including myself the last two years, just so you know my ex mother in law recieved my mail from them at an address i never lived at,why would they send me mail 28 years with no response,who am i ,according to the information that i recieve i am in the sea org, if you could help me,figure this out,i am disapointed in the greed level i have seen,i hope LRon treated people with equal work equal pay,and fairness
Chalk it up to experience, a brief brush with a cult. You fared pretty well really if that’s all you did with them. Their promo does make good fire starters and if wet down and compressed in one of those brick making contraptions will serve as handy firewood, if you can be bothered. Apart from that I don’t know of any value of it.
L Ron didn’t set up a system that turned out to be fair with people. Church polices, while they look good on paper are so easily ignored they too are a waste of paper. The Church and its parishioners lie to each other on a daily basis and call it a religion.
The greed demonstrated by the Cof$ is enough to make Gordon Gekko blush with embarrassment.
We can all think back to when we were all in. Some in for a few years…some in for decades. But, my point here is, we’re all out! None of the cult’s crap affects us anymore. And, everyday of my life, I feel gratitude that I’m truly free. The cult is yesterday’s news…
Hallelujah!
I am with you Surfer Dude.
Free.
It’s tempting to post the entire bulletin “Jokers and Degraders”, but here’s a pertinent paragraph:
“In some cultural areas, wit and humor are looked upon as a healthy release. However, in the case of orgs, this was not found to be the case. Intentional destruction of the org or fellow staff members was the direct purpose.” (LRH)
When I first read the J&D policy, I was at Flag (which, I remind you, was “the friendliest place on the planet”). The policy — as I read it — had the intent of stopping any and all negative comments about any org, or any member. It didn’t matter if what I’d observed was, in fact, what I’d observed. What mattered what that I was no longer allowed to openly express my observations without inviting ethics “handlings” to “correct” my observations.
Having been on staff prior to reading this policy, I already knew it was unsafe to express some of my observations but, for me, reading the J&D policy was the first time I truly wondered if LRH was in the business of mind-control. It also marked the beginning of me being on the look-out for more of same. In the meantime, I was at half-integrity at best, and I have many people to thank for reinforcing the fact that I was no longer free to express myself truthfully. It took several years for me to get to the point where the only action I could take, with full integrity, was to leave.
I left in 1986 and have read many posts from others about the horrors of the years that followed right up until present day. I can only imagine the “crack where the light got in” for some — similar to what the J&D policy did for me. And I hope more and more are beginning to find themselves wondering about the true intent of LRH and the snake he left in his wake.
It’s remarkable, Robin, how Hubbard positioned his fascist, thought-stopping mindfuck, as The Road to Freedom. Little by little, he masterfully stripped away individual rights and freedoms.
And made people pay for the privilege.
That is quite an accomplishment.
It really is an accomplishment..for the dark side…Hubbard & Miscavige are Emperor Palpatine & Darth Vader ?
Statpush, your description of the system is one of the best I’ve ever read! He was cunning, no doubt about that.
Impressed you figured out Hubbard’s real game so well & quickly…you saw the heart of darkness back then…
Thank you for more good observations, Terra. When I was defending the “church” years ago, I thought I was maintaining my integrity by refusing to look at anything negative. Though one could say I was being blindly loyal or applying the Code of Honour, I had actually given up part of my integrity without realizing it. Then it occurred to me – how does one audit someone to greater integrity as a being, while asking them to give up their integrity? I think the answer is you don’t.
In my last meeting with an MAA at AOLA about ten years ago, I cited the exact LRH issues that she and the org were violating in their handling of me. Her response was to say angrily, “I don’t care!” I replied that she was OBLIGATED to care about following standard tech and policy. She sputtered for a moment and then said, “Even if we’ve been totally wrong and have totally squirreled your handling, you pulled it in, so you must have overts.” I replied, “So the solution to what you claim to be my overts is for me to say nothing about the overts I’ve observed this org to commit on me and probably many others? Excuse me, but I have Personal Integrity.” Then I stood up and walked out, saying to her, “What you are doing right here, right now, is NOT Scientology.” Amazingly, I didn’t get declared for another 5 years.
That is about the average comm lag for innies of the cult. It was 2009 when I found out the most ethical pimps in the universe had been able to convince my Too Dee that she needed to step up and donate without any agreement (or communication) with me in order that the planet be saved. After all, it was up to the really Big Beans to take responsibility and git-er-done!
So after six figures vaporized and I came up sputtering expletives and saying what I observed (and reciting the Integrity Bulletin ad nauseum) I was finally declared in 2013.
We will see whether Terra Incognita has to wait that long or whether Dave (shit for brains) Gag Too upgrades will cut down on the comm lag.
Yo Dave,
Whaddayasay good buddy?
Years ago when I read “the only crime you can commit in this universe is – being there and communicating”, it never occurred to me that he was talking about Scientology.
Amazing. Four years ago I had a similar situation. Presented the MAA with a list of policies that were not being followed. Her response – “We don’t do that any more.” I flipped and told her she can’t do that. She simply shrugged her shoulders.
–She sputtered for a moment and then said, “Even if we’ve been totally wrong and have totally squirreled your handling, you pulled it in, so you must have overts.”–
That’s completely amazing! Even by CoS standards. So even if they are totally wrong, it’s because you (with your overts) MADE them be totally wrong. Or something.
Even with a standard ethics handling, one often is being mishandled because Ethics was written by Hubbard, who knew veryl ittle about the subject
Thanks for another thoughtful article Terra Cognita. LRH did kind of falter on this, in my opinion, especially regarding integrity. If people want to ponder ethics and virtues more, I recommend reading Aristotle: http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2s.htm he’s thought this subject out a bit more.
Hubbard went out of his way to give valuable lip service to things like integrity and truth yet look at scientologists today. They won’t speak the truth because they’re afraid to do so. The problem isn’t so much they’re afraid, it’s that they obey their fear and by doing so they further the inflicting of harm. That’s the problem: the inflicting of harm and the furthering of it by their obedience to their fears. Never mind the wages of sin, take a look at the wages of “wins” and “stable gains”.
Hubbard was the master of pretense. If he wanted to be viewed as a philosopher he would sound philosophic. When he wanted to be perceived as a scientist, he would sound scientific.
The church now carries on the tradition.
From American Heritage Dictionary:
Integrity
1) Steadfast adherence to a strict moral code: (example) a leader of great integrity.
L Ron Hubbard:
“I am not interested in wog morality”
” We are not moralists”
L Ron Hubbard had a knack for redefining common concepts that degraded the word with his definitions. Words like “sympathy”, “open minded”, “grief” “reasonable” are a few.
But it is interesting that Ron acknowledged no common standard of decency with his definition of integrity. It was “whatever you think” and have the courage to expresses it.
Well, if I am a bank robber and my observation is I like robbing banks, that is my experience and I have the courage to express it by robbing banks; that fits Ron’s definition of integrity.
Ron, in my opinion, because he resonated with the philosophy of “do as thou wilt” alla Crowely, hated standards of decency.
To Ron, there was no Dharmic imperative (universal laws of decent behavior), in which to evaluate one’s motive.
Ron’s integrity went no further than an aknowkedged worship of ego; whatever you think is real is real. He never talks about honesty, he never aknowkedges a standard outside of personal motive.
So Ron’s redefinition of integrity was contrary to real integrity.
If L Ron Hubbard’s definition of integrity was American Heritage’s, we would not have so much reporting of Scientology lacking real integrity.
Scientology integrity is in all honesty is “the greater good.” And that means to hell with integrity, honesty to promote Scientology.
L Ron Hubbard controlled language like a hypnotist.
My favorite redefining of a word is what he did to the word “sympathy.”
Sympathy is below hate on the tone scale. Putting sympathy below hate on the tone scale divorces people’s feelings from the suffering of others.
And if you look at it, that is how Scientology deals with hate and sympathy; families torn apart, don’t be so griefy, your loss of your children is just a secondary, familiy bonding is just the psychotic GE.
There is no sympathy in Scientology because the students of Ron learned to put sympathy below hate on the tone scale.
And just a all of the criminal behavior that is revealed in Scientology.
INTEGRITY??? Yes, Ron’s version. What is true for you is true.
This is a definition that only defaults to the ego as the final arbiter of truth.
True integrity bows to a common standard of decency and governs behavior thereby.
Ron bowed to no higher laws of Spirit, bowed to no Dharmic standard that true wisemen and women hold up as a Pole Star that sails their ship of action and behavior.
“Do as thou wilt is the whole of the law” Crowley
Scientology is in a mess because of the lack of integrity from L Ron Hubbard.
He was a congenital liar who redefined integrity. Think on that for a moment.
Then think how he treated his wife, sons and close friends. Then think about sympathy being below hate on the tone scale.
Teachers teach and students learn. Leaving ethics and morality out of the definition of integrity is what we call “the true believing Scientologist who feels their will and action can do any immoral behavior to further the goals of Scientology.
It is offensive to decent people that a congenital liar taught about integrity.
Think about it.
Hey now, Brian. You’re talking about “Mankind’s Greatest Friend”.
Brian, You reminded me of a thought I had recently. Taking into consideration all the mumbo jumbo about integrity and greatest good. Any Scientologist worth his salt would rather see all life on earth extinguished, than to see Ron’s tech destroyed.
Can’t believe I fell for that shit.
You had a thought recently? Lucky you! I haven’t had a thought since Ronnie was in office…
“…familiy bonding is just the psychotic GE.” Can’t remember where now but he said that thetans didn’t need marriage/sex/children, only the GE.
Dawn, El Con DID and HAD to write that lest people call him, quite correctly, criminally insane for kidnapping his own baby daughter and threatening to drown her unless her mother (his wife) do exactly what he told her to do.
El Con apologists who know these facts (99% who are out of the church) are of the same criminal mind set as he.
Woof!
Yes of course, Greatest Friend.
Hubbard’s genius was in his timing. There he was, with the power of articulation like a fundamentalist preacher, with a highly developed intelligence that was applied to lying and duplicity and interest in metaphysics, at a time in our culture that all things transcendent was on the upward swing.
His power over us, was really in our ignorance of the subject.
Our lack of familiarity with the subject of Spirit, soul, God etc. created in us a susceptibility to his captivating orations and convincing complex concepts, that only he knew about.
But the real glue in the trap was the blowing of real emotional and mental charge from his auditing techniques.
Who here has not felt like the world was just lifted from our shoulders from a good session? Where we understood the construct of our suffering, it’s root cause as stuck thoughts and emotions.
That is where the noose was laid around our necks. It’s the truth in Scientology that acts as the ball and chain.
Because of our underdeveloped discriminating intelligence, we did not have the mental faculty to separate the lies from the truth.
And what made it even impossible to sort it all out was the threat of loosing mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, daughters, sons, uncles, aunts, grandmas and grandpas and jobs by daring to look and see with our own eyes.
Ron said in Fundamentals of Thought, ” I am only trying to get you to look” (paraphrase).
But he never revealed that if you did use your own power of looking to really look; you become an enemy SP.
Ron was an admixture of philosopher, congenital liar, criminal and madman.
I totally agree with your comment Brian. “Underdeveloped discriminating intelligence” sums up my mind pretty well back then. I did the HDA when I was nineteen. I was convinced to abandon a lot of interests and goals at that time. I’m only now coming to realize how truly diabolical Scientology is.
I had the courage to leave back 82 because I was already seeking before Scientology for a number of years. I got into Scientology to further my spiritual goal of knowing the Supreme Being.
That was and is my only goal.
When I left, I immediately went back to meditation and became a student of the masters of India; I picked up where I left off. It was easy to leave because my spiritual purpose was still in tact.
I feel for those who have had their reach to other practices totally booby trapped by Ron.
Even the term “other practices” really means becoming trapped by implants and getting keyed in.
And that is a crime Ron will have to pay the piper for. That is some bad ass karma to cut off people’s paths to their spiritual well being by convincing them that “other practices” really means spiritual death in Scientology.
The term “other practices” is a vulgarity, a demeaning term, an arrogant condescension for practices more aligned with unlettered rubes than honorable and real seekers of spiritual liberation.
What is sad is that these sites are really weigh stations for the broken winged bird.
The excitement, the joy, the energy and hope that being on the spiritual path is real. But Ron made it a point to block any reach to “other practices.”
I don’t think it was benevolence that guided this. I think it was his greeting little heart that did not want his customers finding spiritual comfort in anything but Scientology.
There are so many great books to read. So many great meditation practices.
The goal of freedom is real. Ron got that goal from the study of the Vedas. The ancient Rishis are here. Their writings and their guidance.
Give a soul call! Time and space be damned!
When the student is ready, the teacher arrives.
There is so much to know, so much to learn, so much challenge and beauty. Consciousness is ever expanding.
We are not these bodies, we are not these minds, we are not these emotions.
We are immutable, self luminous, independent and joyous when we know the real truth of our spiritual natures.
The goal is still alive. But there are many broken betrayed hearts here in this Scientology halfway house.
Give a soul call. You’d be surprised who comes knockin.
Word correction “greedy little heart” not “greeting little heart.”
You mean you wouldn’t like a greeting heart? You must have a greedy heart. This wine is really good…
Hi Brian, Soul Call.You are so skilled at weaving your thoughts and words together to create a more expansive view.”When the student is ready the teacher will come.” Your heart is golden Brian,Thank you for being here and connecting with me.xo
Hi OSD, OK pass miss Ann some of that vino pronto.I need lessons in the art of your comments.Masterpieces all.Love you both xo
Brian – I love all your comments here. They are always well thought out and articulate, thanks for sharing.
Brian, you sure did a good job of gouging elron with man’s greatest friend.
I just observed the obvious. Ron made it easy. Thank you.
Wonderfully put ?
Thank you, Terra Cognita. This article hits to the core of why people eventually leave. They simply get to a point where they can no longer compromise themselves.
Until they reach that point, sadly, that fear you mention overtakes whatever integrity they thought they had and leads them to do things like donating their life savings to the church and endangering the financial stability of the family, or disconnecting from caring family and lifelong friends because they might have a different viewpoint. It baffles me to no end how someone will listen to the almighty ethics officer discredit and degrade someone, someone that in many cases the ethics officer has never met. And even tho a person may have known or lived with someone for 20+ years, they allow themselves to be convinced that the “EO” knows more than they do, so they comply, willingly or unwillingly, with that order of disconnection from a loving relationship to their parent, friend or other relative. In my opinion, when someone agrees to that, they have completely lost their integrity. How can they ever expect to “go free” when they are so trapped that they are not even allowed to make their own choice of loving another based on decades of love and experience with that person?
The 7th floor of PAC Base is full of folks who had the courage to know and say what they have observed. LRH says things like that and then makes the people who listen to him walk the plank.
Is that where the RPF is situated these days?
What a great post this is. Thank you, Terra Cognita.
Another great article. Thank you, TC and Mike for releasing it.
I can site numerous times I was slammed for speaking out when I saw something wrong or differently.
Hubbard stole some good philosophies regarding keeping groups on track and then came up with his own BS to trash his organization.
Terra Cognita, your breakdowns and explanations in a simple way are communicating effectively.
Regarding: “Not only do Scientologists pretend to not see what’s going on right in front of their faces, they refuse to discuss the situation with others— …”
Well, IF they discuss it, it is labeled as spreading disaffection and black PR with all its consequences and ‘ethics’ and ‘justice’ actions. It is a crime to question “Command Intention”; the whole Scientology is rigged in this way with various labels for it, one of them “being critical” as a negative.
The “what is true, is true for you … blahblahbla” is used to decoy and a means to allay peoples’s alertness when they encounter Scientology. Unfortunately I fell for it too when it was shown to me when I was still alert.
As with most things in scientology, “integrity” as practiced within the bubble cannot be exposed to light.
When one of the most important precepts ever taught in scientology is how to lie: to your fellow “parishioners”, to those on the outside and most importantly to yourself, integrity rapidly deteriorates into denial and self righteousness.
Terra Cog,
I read all of your articles, all are spot on.
David Miscavige is a COWARD AND LIAR
He built his own prison ( the HOLE) for those he was afraid of.
If you get a chance read “Into the mouth of the Cat”
The true story of Lance Sejan, Medal of Honor Winner.
I simply realized one day that I was done…and left. No one noticed. 🙂
Also still not declared. After 35 years, I doubt anyone cares, either.
Geeze, I do thegman77. Why not contact Julian and get the process underway?
You are a little bitch ,answer everyone else but mine,,,
Hey, Coop, is this the first time someone other than Schwartz has called you a little bitch? Personally, I don’t see it, but maybe this Julianbot knows different.
As I said, I doubt anyone cares. And neither do I. LOL
thegman, I care too. I’m glad you are free and glad to see you here. 🙂
Hi TJ, I care too even if I go awol occasionally.That is me no-one here has made me sad or mad.I love all of you.XO
Me too, thegman 77. And…everyone here cares.
Yes thegman77, I care too. Mine was the greatest, happiest day of freedom and total release I’ve ever experienced.
Tman 77,
Always interesting villagers screaming with torches and pitchforks
that want your head.
But nothing beats a clean get away out witting people that may or may not kill you.
Live to fight another day.
“I simply realized one day that I was done…and left. No one noticed. :)”
It’s how I did it! I’ve also not yet been declared. No one knows where I am, how to contact me. I did that bit so thoroughly that to all extent and purposes I’ve vanished! Lol!
Yes great: if LRH had had some integrity, he would never had had tio LIE, that’s the fact to start with. Lying to hide, lying to defraud, lying to pretend, that’s not something like “KNOWING” something. Knowing can pull people to assert what they really know, NOT what they are forced to say!
Perhaps also, with some more wordclearing :-)) on “Integrity” text, since the second phrase speaks of PERSONAL integrity. Well, personal integrity is only personal, it’s not believing whatever invention one is facing. And, the worse is now: if one can’t recognize one’s own doubts in some circumstances and assert these doubts, since the cult disallows that, one has not the least bit of integrity, personal or not!
Excellent post, Terra Cognita! Totally spot-on. Thanks!
Scientology on the east coast (except for Clearwater) is a bit more relaxed, at least from my observations. I deal with a handful of clams in my business, they seem to accept that I’m on a break, they really have no idea that I’m UTR! They do worry about my eternity, and yet they turn a blind eye when a negative comment slips out about Ron or ideal orgs, the tech or whatever. I decided to take Jon Atacks advice and be kind to them, knowing full well that they’d destroy me completely if they knew what an SP I am. I don’t discuss my case. Seems to hold them at bay!
Well, considering that El Con did more lying than ANYTHING else in his life, one has to just admit that he was a criminal with no integrity himself and walk away with whatever lessons learned.
As far as people “still in” (regardless of corporate affiliation) most of them lost their integrity long ago. Especially the ones who did the “confidential levels” and KNOW that there is no homo novus & above but keep lying about it. That too is ca criminal activity…
So what are you saying Mike W.? You mean to say Ron wasn’t on a ship that sank during the war? Wasn’t crippled and blinded by the sun on a life raft? Didn’t hunt with pygmies in the Philippines or slept with bandits in Mongolia? Didn’t sink two Japanese submarines? Wasn’t a blood brother to the Blackfeet tribe? Wasn’t the youngest Boy Scout in America? Didn’t spend his time questioning Buddhist lamas and meeting old Chinese magicians? Didn’t earn his wings as a pioneering barnstormer at the dawn of American aviation? Didn’t complete the first mineralogical survey of Puerto Rico?
Are those things that difficult to believe?? }8-D LoL
Mind boggling skorp.
Lol!
Having members with high personal integrity is of little value to a criminal organization seeking to dominate and control its members.
The virtue involved in helping those one loves is not “selflessness” or “sacrifice,” but integrity,. Integrity is loyalty to one’s convictions and values; it is the policy of acting in accordance with one’s values, of expressing, upholding and translating them into practical reality. If a man professes to love a woman, yet actions are indifferent or damaging to her, it is his lack of integrity that makes him immoral.
-Ayn Rand
I read her book 13 times. Though more than a little loquacious, she laid out a map of integrity which rings with me still. Interestingly, her book is still read, and quoted, by many almost 60 years later.
Her integrity took a quite a dip near the end of her life, when she died agreed to accept Medicare and Social Security while suffering from lung cancer.
Tell me about it when you’re suffering from cancer. Given all she has offered the world, I have no difficulty forgiving her for her lapse in agony.
VERY well put!
“If a man professes to love a woman, yet actions are indifferent or damaging to her, it is his lack of integrity that makes him immoral.”
I would take Ms. Rand to task and say what makes the man immoral isn’t his lack of integrity but his inflicting of pain on the woman. His lack of empathy. However upon further knowledge of Rand, her definition of integrity is probably the most enlightened I can recall reading. She says it is the recognition that you can’t fake your own consciousness. That’s an overly brief paraphrasing of course.
I have always defined integrity as doing the right thing when no one is watching and – the important part – expecting or requiring no reward. Knowledge of your own thoughts and verbalizing them is not required.
Good point Scott. “Doing the right thing” is an ability that sadly atrophies when on a Kool Aid diet.
Seeing my “friends” stand by and remain silent, or worse – jumping on the bandwagon, while MAAs and OSA run Black PR campaigns and coordinated attempts at breaking up families, is truly demoralizing.
Good, that’s a very relevant thought Scott. It’s like the saying “virtue is it’s own reward”. I also agree about verbalizing it, not certain why that would be required for integrity. Integrity is the action, it doesn’t have to be talked about to be done.
Provocative subject that requires thought Terra Cog.
Scott: Apart from one caveat that’s a good succinct and practical definition. It’s pretty easy for someone to judge whether they dealt with a situation with integrity or not. I’ve found myself lacking on some of my actions over the years, some to the point where I beat myself up or they haunt me for a while, perhaps a long while. Probably not a bad thing as it makes me more likely to think before I act.
My caveat is that the expression “doing the right thing” has lost currency by overuse not just by the Kool Aid drinkers as Statpush points out. It’s especially abused by politicians “if you elect me I will do the right thing” and particularly when they use “it was the right thing to do” to stop the pursuit of truth or to cover their tracks. When George Bush and Tony Blair were continually asked why they invaded Iraq, first justified by Saddam’s possession of WOMD, for which there was no evidence. Blair covered the lies by saying it was the right thing to do. As I recall Bush refused to answer. Neither could articulate the real reason. This is the opposite of integrity.
So I would change “doing the right thing” to simply “doing what’s right” which doesn’t have the cliche baggage.
Point taken. T.J. pointed out that “virtue is its own reward” which – though a well-worn cliche – is a five word summation of my beliefs.
Thank you Terra Cognita.
Your last observation, of being aggravated for staying so long, well…I don’t consider it a matter of balme, nor regret, or whatever.
It may be that you, myself and several others stayed long because each one’s original purpose when we joined scientology. Mine was to have tools and knowledge to help others. I stayed as long as I had that purpose until I realized, as you noted, that my purpose was opposite to the rampant criminality and abuse that was spreading since miscavige took over.
As that was NOT my game, nor purpose I left. Eventually you and many others had the courage to say: ‘the hell with you, this is not OK.’
Thank you for sharing your views and we look forward for more to come.
I stayed way too long as well, it just seemed easier to drag myself into the course room once or twice a week than to say I’d had enough. Seems stupid now, I literally hadn’t gotten anything out of scn for years yet still went there just because it was the path of least resistance.
Human beings are creatures of habit. When we get into a set routine it’s easier to continue doing what’s familiar than to change course – that requires thought, getting out of your comfort zone, etc. So sometimes it is easier to follow the path you’ve been on than look for another. There’s a certain feeling of security in doing what you’ve grown accustomed to. The important thing is, you did change course and set sail in another direction, yay. Think of those poor souls still tied up mentally and bound to the church of scientology – but you are free! 🙂
True & remains true (creatures of habit)! It takes a lot of emotional energy to change & re-set your course…the more suppressed our real emotions are, the harder that is…hence why getting out of a cult is hard ? But I want to sell up & move to a different area & kind of re-set my life…finding it so hard too!?
Thanks Gimpy. My scene exactly. Plus, I kept holding out and hoping the ‘old man’ would have another great insight/concept to be of use to me. Sigh, it was not to be.