A plug for my old friend Janis Gillham Grady’s book Commodore’s Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization
If you are interested in the early years of scientology in Australia and St Hill and the Sea Org, this is THE definitive work. And it is just Part One.
It is truly encyclopedic in its detail of times, places and people and contains remarkable photos never seen before. Janis has a memory that would shame an elephant. I have long wondered how anyone could recall so many names, people and events so clearly and accurately.
Janis is a fountain on knowledge about the history of the Sea Org and it is a fascinating story she has to tell that is very unique. Nobody has had a life like hers (except her brother and sister…)
And now the mainstream media is starting to take note. This is a recent article on the Daily Mail website. This is one of the most widely read websites in the world. You will be seeing her in other media soon.
In response to DailyMail.com’s request for comment, scientology’s “dead agent” effort was to proclaim: “Janis Grady has not been a member of the Church of Scientology for nearly thirty years.” What an astonishing revelation that is!
Note to Dave: Janis is NOT writing about the current activities in scientology — her book is about growing up in scientology and the Sea Org and her experiences. This is like trying to dismiss a book by Michael Jordan about the dynasty years of the Chicago Bulls by saying “he has not played in the NBA for 30 years”? No shit sherlock.
And their second tier is the infamous “John Travolta Two Step” duck and weave: “We have not read her book and so are not in a position to confirm or deny any of its contents, but the false allegations you raise are contrary to our archive records about the Gillham family and do not represent in any way the Church today.” So, let me get this straight. You have no idea what the book says, but it’s false anyway according to your “archive records.” Oh, how clever, showing it’s “old news” again because you called it “archive records” rather than just “records.” Super slick.
I challenge David Miscavige or any designated representative he chooses to sit down with Janis and refute ANYTHING she has written about. Literally, anything.
Here is what is so funny — the majority of what is contained in her book is stuff Miscavige has NO CLUE about and certainly no personal experience. He was not on the Apollo. He was not at St Hill in the 60’s when LRH was there. He was not in Australia. And factually, scientology would be hard pressed to come up with ANYONE who was at St Hill with Hubbard and on the Apollo during the early years who still remains part of the church except the shell-shocked Diana Hubbard. There are a number I can name who are no longer in the church, including Janis’ siblings and Diana’s siblings, Hana Whitfield, Ken Urquhart, Ira Chaleff, Tony Dunleavy and those are just off the top of my head. I would bet any of these people would confirm everything that is in Janis’s book. I know the experiences I shared with her are very accurately portrayed.
In fact, it’s a point she is quoted on in the Mail article: “Public relations people within the church are altering history and I look around at who’s left and who even know Hubbard and there’s very few people left. I thought, “I can set the record straight.'”
And that is precisely the value of this book.
Just a quick question for anyone who was on the ship with LRH.
I tend to get really sea-sick, and I know for a fact that if I was on the ship with LRH (or anyone else) I would be totally in trouble trying to keep anything down.
Question: I don’t know, perhaps everyone who put on the snazzy uniform and had held on to the tin cans were cured of sea-sickness (if this is true, sign me up). If not, who would upper management blame. The Ocean, LRH for getting them on the ship in the first place, an act of God, what??
Lance Caldwell.
Well I can tell you I got sea sick many a time standing watch on aft deck, I saw LRH one day, he looks at me and says whats the matter I said I hate being sick on watch , he said best way is to go with the ship when it rocks side to side you don’t resist it . and somehow that worked for me after a while .I also managed some how to obtain some sea sick tablets, they weren’t much good Believe it or not
Thanks Hadley.
I would be OK on board ship after about 10 or so days. I still had to take sea sick pills and would feel just a bit of uneasiness in the tummy.
When I would get off ship, the whole world would rise and fall as if I was still on the ship. I live fairly close to the ocean, and look out from the shore to the ocean, not look out from the ocean to the shore. LOL.
Kind of interesting that LRH or someone else did not scold you for being weak or there was something in your past that made you sea sick.
On a very dark side, I watched a video from an old timer who was on one of the ships and she said that they threw people overboard tied up with a sack over their head. That is murder plain and simple. Can you or anyone reading this blog comment on any activities that you might know of someone being thrown overboard.
Lance Caldwell.
Hello again.
I have been going through the different interviews, protest, and yes, even the Scientology “Why we are so wonderful” videos.
I came across an extremely interesting video that is only about 3 or 4 minutes long that you should check out. I have been looking for it again, but have not found it yet.
It shows a picture of a cell phone, and it is a phone call from a “Jeff” to DM. Jeff hears DM tell him he is sorry about something, and DM calls Scientology a “Cult” and can’t believe that anyone believes this S—. In the background, Tom Cruise is laughing and DM tells him to leave and go to the book store and buy something and not just loiter. Proof positive that DM does not believe this stuff any more than anyone else.
Who is Jeff, and I wonder what the beef between him and DM was in the first place.
Another thing that has struck me. There are enough of the “Old timers” who have been in Scientology for 10-20-30 years and knew LRH, and got high up in the workings of the cult that are now coming forward and telling their story. Not only that, LRH’s writings just come right on out that if you want to make a ton of money start a church and you can have a tax free status.
Why can’t everyone who has their story to tell go to court as a group and expose this cult for what it is. A money making, kidnapping, sweat shop of the worst kind prison. It would not shut down the cult, but if they had to pay taxes, hours worked at the wages that should be paid, back pay for employees, children services, etc. They would be very hard pressed to stay in business with the brag of how many square feet that they have of buildings that they own. What really is wrong with our government that lets such things go on in the name of “Oh, they have rights.”
Lance Caldwell
Just the excerpt on Amazon is fascinating. So it’s the “first of 3 books”?
Can’t wait to hear the details that only an eyewitness can relate.
It’s a great book!
Janis’s book is a must read!
It shows the Hubbard was “just a man”. Maybe a charismatic charming man, but just a guy looking for answers. I was there at Flag in the ’70’s at CW then moving to CMO to the Int base. Read her book to dispel any idea’s of super powers, great discoveries etc. Though the purpose of the book is a long awaited truthful history lesson- a side revelation is ‘He’ was nothing but a guy who could lead- and not very well. He was not self aware. Read up on PT Barnum- very similar but PT was self aware. LRH laid the foundation for Davey and future Daveys with out realizing it. No long term plan- only survival while he looked for answers. I do know the one thing Hubbard is rolling over in the cosmos about is Davey’s spending. The Ol Redhead was a cheap SOB. Debate the reasons, but he was.
Can’t wait for her 2nd book and hopefully Janis will hang in there and give us the all important 3rd, that I predict will be a NY Times best seller and will have Hollywood ringing her phone.
The article in the Daily Mail was very good. I have some knowledge about that time period. Janis’s book describes exactly what I saw happening. Current Scientologists have no clue of what it was like. We all took certain behaviors for granted. No one questioned the abuses. It was part of the new civilization.
“And factually, scientology would be hard pressed to come up with ANYONE who was at St Hill with Hubbard and on the Apollo during the early years who still remains part of the church except the shell-shocked Diana Hubbard. There are a number I can name who are no longer in the church, including Janis’ siblings and Diana’s siblings, Hana Whitfield, Ken Urquhart, Ira Chaleff, Tony Dunleavy and those are just off the top of my head.”
Here’s a list of senior staff who served at St. Hill when Hubbard lived there: https://androvillans.wordpress.com/category/st-hill-tech-staff-declared-sps/
I can only see one person that hasn’t been declared.
thats list is not complete I think
I was amazed to see that list. While I only personally knew a few of them, I recognized almost all the names. Whan an indictment of Miscavige!
Mike I envy your ability to connect to people ,Especially Janis, love that photo her with Ron its so emotive,
there is so much info that we were not privy too i feel indented to Janis i a funny way ,
But If you guys come Down under our place, is your Place …..and May you never be the same.
this has been one hellva journey,
I love HellivaHoakes AND Moksie they’re on to it
keep up the good work , our lives depend on it
PS I lead a sheltered life
Granitt
Reading her book now….really well written….her memory astounds me. And, I know ya’all know this aleady but I need to cleanse my pallet:
LRH was a sick sick bastard.
Ok, a bit better now…
I continue to feel for everyone who got snookered into that mess. Can anyone tell me why LRH took himself into hiding and stayed there until his death? He doesn’t seem like the type to give up control.
He didn’t give up control. Just kept it hidden.
He was afraid of being indicted or served with lawsuits.
Also (my opinion), he knew the tech was not producing real Clears and OT’s and had no new ideas to offer.
“… the infamous “John Travolta Two Step” duck and weave …”
There is a hair joke in this, but I won’t go there, only because John Travolta is supposed to be a pretty nice guy. I hope he can get out of scientology someday.
Unlikely that he’ll leave. A nice guy he may be, but he’s still 100% supportive of a maniac.
The church is likely blackmailing all those guys with the contents of their pc folders.
Sorry I have put my foot in my mouth(again) but it was for a good cause
BRAVO..
And thank you thank you thank you again and more .
Mike my bestie (pun intended) I am stealing that picture and posting all of your shit on WWP
love Niels
Interesting story in the Mail, but this bullet point just isn’t true: “In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com Janis Grady spoke for the first time and told of how Scientology defined and destroyed her family.”
Jeffrey Augustine did a 3 part interview with Janis that was posted to You Tube back in July. Just Google ‘Church of Scientology’s Original Hubbard Messenger Janis Grady – Part’ to find them.
And Tony Ortega mentioned this in his 07/23/2017 ‘Bunker’ story.
So the Mail’s “exclusive” isn’t. But then again, that’s the Mail.
So the Mail’s “exclusive” isn’t. But then again, that’s the Mail.
That’s a line a LOT of “mass market” print media use. They rarely get challenged on it, and if they did they would say that Ortega and Jeff are not real media.
They want to sell their stuff…
I would add, that exclusive doesn’t mean first. It can be interpreted as a private or one-on-one interview, compared with a press conference or a few questions after a presentation to a large group.
I think her book is significant for many reasons, one of those is there is so little detail about the Apollo days. I think for the future it is important to get this level of detail out to the public. It is not a condemnation of CoS, but it is a full picture, warts and all.
It was “exclusive” after the interview with Jeffery, I had an agreement with them and turned down all other interviews until this one was released. You will now see me on the interview circuit.
It was 1980-1981 when I had been a Flag Bureaux Evaluator for six years. My job was to evaluate the performance of the Scientology Organizations, using a text written by LRH called the Data Series and a much more extensive one called FEBC (Flag Executive Briefing Course). Our main focus at that time was to constantly monitor the delivery of Scientology processes and Income. At this time and since Flag wa moved ashore, LRH was in full control and used the Flag Bureaux to keep track of Scientology internationally. Every week he knew how Scientology organizations were performing and he would issue orders to the FB when he thought it was necessary. And it was the CMO (Commodore Messenger Org) who were in charge of seeing that his orders were complied with. During my time as evaluator I had dealings with a number of Messengers including David Miscavige and Mike Rinder. Almost all were arrogant, dismissive and thought they were messengers from some powerful god, way above us people who were helping L Ron Hubbard make miillions of dollars for his coffers. Mike, as I remember him was not like that. Cathy Rinder his ex wife was also an evaluator, we worked next to each other and although she was a heavy duty ladder climber I liked the Rinders. I still like Mike today, especially because he has had the cojones to expose what the criminal Scientology organization under the leadership of David Miscavige is all about. Our last meeting in London was somewhat rushed and full of dodging dumb Miscavige PIs but we got to see where each other were at.
So it was 1981. By this time the CMO Int had started to control Flag. The WDC had been created and David Miscavige was making inroads into his eventual position of Jefe Supremo. Harsh ethics became rampant at Flag, injustices galore, mostly ordered by the CMO Int and local. Although I couldn’t voice it, my opinion was that the CMO wa violating a great number of LRH policies and were getting away with it because the old man was no longer running the show. I was sent to the RPF by Miscavige for no reason and took me months to get out by proving the assignment was against policy. I went back to my post after that.
That year I came back from 6 months in Europe after performing a number of missions in the UK, only to find that the Flag Bureaux had just been reorganized into what became the IMO (International Management Organization).
There was a grand opening event to open the IMO and there were a few messengers there.
I had known about Janis Guillham for a long time, her mom Ivonne had been my saviour previously when I did my Sea Org training on the Excalibur in LA and had to do courses in CCLA, but this was the first time I saw Jannis in person. When I saw Janis at my home some time ago, I told her this story but I’ll tell it again.
That time at Flag, in my eyes, Janis stood out from the number of high highups because she had this aura of being, unassuming, knowledgeable, caring and wise, someone I always strived to be, as the image I had formed of LRH through reading and studying his written words. Years later I found Janis again and today I am proud to count myself as her friend.
Carry on Janis, Mike,, Leah and all those who are contributing to bringing in light into the darkness.
Sorry Jan, I misspelled your name again. Will go to cramming, I promise?
No worries! Just make sure I get a compliance report with all evidence of the cram being done in full! lol
“It’s all lies, lies I tell you. I was there.”
Swamper Norman Starkey
As approved by COB Assistant
Norman…you’re still alive! I was there, too, Normie. You lie. Janis told it like it was. I hope you can have some joy in your life…you deserve to.
On my Kindle!!
I commend Janis on her fine book! I finished it a couple of weeks ago. She is an amazing lady to live through all that she did as a child with no choice of her own and into her adulthood. I had to put the book down many times to take a breath from being disgusted by this twisted, egotistical, bastard cult leader (LRH). The many sick punishments he enjoyed putting children and adults through, including starvation and no sleep for days. Keeping children as slaves on his ship away from their parents… hungry, and in disgusting filthy conditions. And when there were too many children in this cult, he shipped them off to Mexico for a predator’s smorgasbord. Who does this?
He wasn’t out to save the planet, he was out to feed his own ego and line his pockets with your $$$. Church? There is nothing spiritual about it. He didn’t even write some of his crazy tech….are you surprised? If I’d have known any of these things about this cult and the instigator, and what currently continues under the little man’s (DM) leadership, I would never have put a toe in! This cult has to be ceased and the criminals jailed. We all need to bring our family members home where they belong away from the brainwashing.
Many thanks to Mike, Leah, and Janis for unveiling the devils here. We appreciate you more than you know. Blessings!
Except that Janis makes it a point to underscore that Hubbard believed in his own tech and mission.
He conned others but it was in alignment to his own delusions.
Not really nomnom. If he REALLY believed it he would not have lied about being exposed to OT 3 causing death. That one right there falsifies that theory. He simply conned his messengers too.
BTW I’ve decided (actually hours prior to seeing Steven Mangos vid on it https://youtu.be/BSv8jWfUkCY
If Co$ is willing to pay their critics by putting ads on their channels. I’m more than willing to help!
I have begun going on many anti/critical co$ youtube vids and just playing them (often with the sound off, cuz I’m working) just to cost co$ money. I’ve been on Aaron Smith-Levin, Mangos, Mark Bunker, Chris Shelton, etc. I don’t know if Tory has monetized hers because I have yet to come up with ANY ads on her videos. And I just play them . . . and I can do it from my cell/mobile phone and tablet and other computers (which i’ve done when the ads are done because my computer’s IP address is logged, and stops being unique for the day – or 3 – sometimes its just a matter of finding new videos by critics you’ve not viewed before)
I can’t stop them from playing the ads – but I can cost them money for doing it. Just a suggestion for you too – especially if you’re a never in who wants to fight more.
Thanks, CS! I *am* one of those never-wins you mention, and I’ll start doing so today (Monday 09/25).
Damn autocorrect!
It’s a great book. I’m still reading it. Thank you, Janis!
I haven’t been in for over 35 years myself but you can bet that a helluva lot of details of my experience there is still seared in my memory. Oh, and incidentally, DM has a very limited vocabulary and tends to overuse certain words like “malfeasance”and “disingenuous”. When I see these written by a “church spokesperson”, it’s a dead giveaway that he is the actual author.
Every time scientology’s disclaimers come up on Aftermath “her transgressions were so egregious she was expelled, which remains the source of her bitterness today” blah de blah and so on, I hear it in my head in Miscavige’s voice. Wish I could mute it but that’s what happens every time.
The cover itself must scare Co$ because it says “Book One”
meaning there’s more to come. . . in fact 2 more.
Will be read as soon as this semester is over.
Janis’s book is unique and heart-gripping. I cannot wait for the second & third books in this Trilogy. She goes up with my library of all the suburb books about our times with the Cult. ?
On a different topic, here is a video of a “1st amendment audit” of the Scientology Org of Cincinnati (really in Florence, Kentucky):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un0BB3mRnHQ
What is a 1st amendment audit? It occurs when photographers or videographers visit a place – often a government office, a business, government contractors, or even a criminal organization like Scientology, and stand outside, on the public sidewalk, and take pictures and/or video of things that are visible from the public location.
Multiple courts have ruled that taking video or photos from a public location is an activity protected by the 1st amendment of the US constitution (freedom of the press: citizens have the same rights as the press). If the videographers are accosted by paranoid security or police, the audit is a fail. If they are ignored, the audit is a pass. In this video the Florence police pass, but Scientology fails because they call the police. No surprise there as
SCIENTOLOGY == FAIL.
PS there are other 1st amendment audits of Scientology facilities on YouTube, including “Big Blue”.
Best “Source Briefing” to come out to date.
I hope her book encourages other Apollo Vets to write, no matter what they remember, and it somehow accumulates into a category of Scientology history.
Janis’ memory is so impressive.
I’m glad her kids are grown up, and now she is in sort of her retirement nearing years, she can do these detailed history telling books.
If Scientology continues, and ever reforms, then Janis’ books ought be on the EPF Course Room, on the Staff Course Room, and on the OEC/FEBC Course Room reference books shelves.
A great book, very entertaining to read for any Scientologist.From someone who was actually there side by side with LRH. I enjoyed it.
Fantastic interview and revelations
Wow I read that article on the daily Mail website and it is something else! I hope she can find some peace and I’m so sorry that she wasn’t told about her mother but maybe she can help other families open their eyes that are in Scientology and give them the strength to leave and get their families back. She is a very remarkable lady that lived in a remarkable time but also paid a remarkable price.
I agree, Mike. There are few left who can tell their stories of the early days, which makes it that much easier for DM to change and rewrite history (even though he was not there at most of the places.) So that is exactly the beauty and value of Janis’ book. I read it and felt she showed restraint about the abuses and gave a fair and even-handed recounting of events. And she has two more books coming out. That should be good!
I would encourage Gayle Reisdorf to write a book to give us details of what made her want to go to the pay phone outside Int and call to report David Miscavige, and of his subsequent chase to catch up with her and then have his goons beat the phone booth to death and dismember the receiver of it so that the contact person could not call back. That along with other things she witnessed and lived through would be good to get down for history’s sake.
Yes. I’ve read the “Gang of Five” stories on Steve Hall’s site, and they explain a bit more. A lot of patient searching you can find a lot of Gayle’s snippets of history from others online. But it’d be good if someone like Dan Koon ghosted a small book from Gayle, like Dan did for Ron Senior. The key players of Hubbard final years history, the people who lived unclose, even if they have not much to say, I believe for history’s sakes, whatever their general views now, and then, are valuable enough for someone like Dan to help them get into a book, maybe just chapters from each of them, edited by Dan, also. Russ Williams is a professional writer and he too knows the landscape well enough to help edit the key ex top members’ stories into chapters and into an anthology or book.
Terrific. Ms. Grady’s book has gone on my Amazon wish list immediately. Setting the record straight, truth, is always the goal. Thank you Mr. Rinder for bringing us this title and information, as always.
“We categorically deny any and all of Ms. Grady’s assertions. She was summarily dismissed for gross malfeasance and desertion of post. Furthermore, her statements must be viewed as highly skewed, as by her own admission, she is a highly unstable and psychotic individual. We trust one day she comes to her senses and avails herself of the only technology capable of freeing mankind. Until then, we of the church strongly advise anyone to disregard whatever she has to say.”
Church Spokesperson
When satire gets too real 🙂 Moxie you really captured the DEAD AGENT absurdity.
😀
I was there. I can vouch for her you lying piece of trash. Crawl back onto your hole.
Paul — you know this was a spoof right?
Please look up the word ‘satire.’
To church spokesperson:
Prove it.
Oy vey!
Moxie – gotta luv you, you are so good at this that people actually believe you, how many times now? – lol.
Thank you for reviewing Janis’ new book. I am so anxious to read it. Unfortunately, I have problems with old fashioned reading (meds I’m on make me fall asleep so easily. It’s so frustrating…), and can’t really absorb a book unless I can listen to it (i.e. Audible.com). Any chance it will be coming out as an audio book?? Kudos, Janis, for getting your important story written and shared with the world. ❤️
Good old amazon added Commodore’s Messenger Book One along with Steve Cannane’s Fair Game to my bookshelf this past week. This is the second copy of Fair Game I received, as in the first instance I mistakenly ordered an audiobook copy of it. I realize you are asking about Janis’ book and not Fair Game, but I have been scratching my head as to what to do with the audiobook copy of Fair Game (12 discs, 14+ hours of listening), I prefer to read and despite having hundreds of extremely good times in the USA on long road trips I will not travel there under the current administration and therefore cannot imagine a situation where I might be in the presence of a cd player long enough to listen to this. And now I have the paperback anyway. The audiobook copy will become landfill here eventually unless I can find it a good home, if you or any other readers are interested in this item please let me know, if a satisfactory safe exchange of addies can be arranged it is yours, gratis.
I am thrilled that Commodore’s Messenger: A Child Adrift in the Scientology Sea Organization was available for my NOOK. I will be busy reading for a day.
It’s also available for the Kindle.
I remember the LRH commercials in the 60’s. Probably one reason I found his books unpalatable was his revolting presence. He hit every squick button I had before I knew I had squick buttons.
I’m halfway into the book and I too was stunned how specific she Janis’s recall was even when she was a little girl in Australia. Yes DM was never on the ship, barely knew Hubbard, and Janis knew him for more that you Dave.
Wow! The Latin of Scientology. A big piece of the base language, unalterable by the lies generated by the modern day church’s strict adherence to Hubbard’s self destructive policy system. In retrospect, Scientology was always doomed to failure no matter what it’s technology is, was or was claimed it could do (which it doesn’t do as stated imo no matter how you arrange it. It’s got some interesting things in it I will openly admit but there are simply too many lies associated for its value to be considered worthy over the abuses perpetrated in its name). For me the major confirmation of my doubts on the whole thing was the piecing together of those speaking out and what they said by giving their stories of life in and around and with Hubbard. Hubbard was the catalyst of his own demise, Miscavige is just a thug. However, they both have victims they can no longer hide under the arrogance of vast monetary wealth and legal criminality. Yes, the truth will set you free but it doesn’t take prisoners if you’re fully honest about it. Thank God for the humanity inherent in the power of forgiveness, but let’s give justice her head for a bit hey?
This site and gone from strength to strength on the back of the facts about Scientology being given a safe space to breathe without prejudice. I will get this book, I have reserved a special spot in my library for it, but I’m already converted.
As a ending thought on this, Scientology didn’t have to end up or be the way it was arranged. It was never that which it was pitched to be. It could have been vastly more benevolent, but Hubbard wasn’t that way inclined. I guess there’s truth to the saying, “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” (but pork is pretty good if cooked correctly).
Scientology ended up the way it is because the insanity and evil is baked into its core by Hubbard. From encouraging pedophilia in Book one to okaying beating people in his Flag Orders.
Hey, nobody’s perfect. ?
$cientology wasn’t broken by David Miscavige, it was broken by design.
(Sorry, just came up with that and wanted to get it out there 🙂 )
Jens, that should be a (sm) of the CoS!
“I challenge David Miscavige or any designated representative he chooses to sit down with Janis and refute ANYTHING she has written about. Literally, anything.”
Monique “Blinky Blink Blink” Yingling is very good at refuting things people claim about scientoligy, because she has never heard of these things having happened. The perfect escape from having to own up to anything.
How ridiculous it is that the statement “I NEVER saw it” to some means that means it never happened”.
A friend’s business was recently “tagged” with spray paint & some not so nice statements made about someone my friend doesn’t even know. The local police department KNOW who did the “tagging” but the business owner, my friend, well….He can’t do anything about it because the adult person who “tagged” the building was not caught on camera or caught in the act of spray painting. It was an act of revenge against someone the tagger knew, & since my friend’s business does well & is on the “main drag” (busy street) the tagging can be well seen.
So I would imagine…I never saw someone being abused sexually or physical by LRH or by DM or anyone else works well. Getting away with this abuse must be a power trip for the little man.
Cannot hide the past it is truly history. David the former President of Iran continued to deny the Holocaust, it did not work. And with social media behind these true facts of abuses (confirmed by many) and hearing testimonials from all those who have written on this blog. Your time D.M. is over in your small pathetic realm with all these confirmed accusations and as they continue brick by brick it is crumbling. It is disturbing that some still believe and still are in your clutches. Remember Warren Jeffs convicted sexual predator who tried to escape but caught speeding and his eventual arrest and conviction. D.M. your story will be no different run and hide we and social media will rat on you. Let the games begin.
Great point, its like this, are there any followers left that walked with Aleister Crowley?
Mike, I love this article that stands in defense of your friend Janis and her excellent book. If I were Janis, I would feel like you were her virtual body guard. She’s accomplished something that decades of LRH biographers have never been able to achieve, because while they are busy trying to rewrite history about Hubbard and Scientology and trying to make their lies fit together on a dateline, she simply tells a true story as an eye-witness. She doesn’t even try to interpret the events–she shares them as facts that don’t need to be puffed up with falsehoods like all the materials that the criminal organization cranks out. I was also honored to have a small hand in her book as an editor. I hope the waves her book creates become a tsunami that helps turn over the organization.
Since no official biography of Elron’s lies and crimes, er, life and times has ever been written, the detailed memoirs of folks like Janis who were at the Great Thetan’s side, day in and day out for years, are the best historical record of those pivotal times that we have. So, it’s great to see all these new books coming out, and especially those that carefully document the timeline of events that took place in the cult’s earliest years, as a burgeoning international fraud scam, cleverly disguised as a killer mind control cult.
But it seems more than passing strange that we haven’t yet heard from Elron’s official biographer, Dan Sherman, on a topic that you’d think the cherch would be deeply concerned with and closely attentive to. Maybe he just hasn’t had time to study it in detail, then write a comprehensive review.
We”ll be waiting anxiously to read it when he’s done, but we’re not going to hold our breath waiting for it to appear in the next issue of the cult’s FreeDumb mag 😉
Dan is doing the DPF (Dave’s Rehabilitation Project) due to issuing inappropriate adjectives in one of COB’s speeches that failed to get the proper decibel level of applause. When he completes the program, he’ll be able to wrap up the biography sometime in late 2029.
Lol…..While in the DPF, he’s eagerly waiting for all the other books to publish so that he can reference and plagiarize.
And it’s a very interesting eye opening read!
Started reading it last night. Am looking forward to her insight and experience.
Great coverage of her book!
That’s the next download to my iPad.
Saw the article in the Daily Mail yesterday. Quite a large spread and hard to miss. Can’t find a trace of it today…………
Daily mail head lighted yesterday seems , today gone. where did that go ?
Its still there with over 2600 shares on facebook! Which I believe is very unusual for someone like me that is not a big well known name.
That’s good news Janis. I’m not a facebook fan, but the Daily Mail is my go to site with my morning coffee. I was so pleased to see the article about your book yesterday and impressed that the Daily Mail seemed to have got everything right……which they are not always known for! lol Kudos to you and I hope book sales go through the roof!
I hope to begin my book collection soon – as soon as I get my $$ situation in order. This is a book that I am planning on getting and studying every single page. Thank you Janis for writing this and thank you Mike for bringing all this to our attention.
You are all very brave to share your stories detailing deeply personal experiences in Scientology. I look forward to reading Janis’s story.
Thank you, Mike (and Leah) for making yourself available to people who are struggling after they leave. To be heard and validated helps with healing, which is a long road. You (and Leah) are heroic. Looking forward to the next A&E episode.
Just finished reading the book.
??
One day this church will have no feet left.
“TIMBER!!!”
Or in golfing terms – FOUR!!!!!!
Or in army terms-GRENADE!!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent! This is an important book because as you state, there is virtually no-one “in” scientology who actually knows it’s history, everything currently stated is “bleached”. If one even takes into account all of LRH’s messengers who worked directly with him day in and day out and knew him better than even his own kids, we are all either out and declared or dead……….except for Clarisse and Shelley Barnett, who are sequestered/hidden from public view. Yes, DM, why don’t you do an interview with Janis and the rest of us who are out and see where you will go with your knowledge of events. After being out for 30 years and then going back in to save our family, it was shocking to me how little Sea Org members knew anything about LRH or the early days of the Sea Org, they referred to those days as the “cowboy days”. Read the book…….
If the movement reformed enough, Janis’ books ought be in the EPF Course Room, the Staff Course Rooms, and the OEC/FEBC Course Rooms and all the Academy Course Rooms, internationally as a new category of history books for the movement.
A litmus test for Scientology, will test that they have evolved and reformed somewhat, the day they can allow books on their staff training shelves, from their former important staff ex members.
Also, Janis’s books and the other messengers’ stories and hindsight thoughts on their unclose to LRH lives, ought be in books on the shelves of the CMO EPF Course Room also.
” If the movement reformed enough …………..”
Chuck, I think the chances of that happening are zero or perhaps less than zero.
Yo Dave,
Whadayasay good buddy?
I think the weight of Hubbard’s writings will be more important to Scientology’s long range future continuance compared to the weight of good or bad leaders within the movement.
Janis’ hung around “top management” which were around Hubbard.
Her views are very significant to any future “top management” people, decades from now, once Miscavige is gone.
in today’s case “top management” of Scientology has been unquestionably ursurped by one guy, Miscavige, doing all major decision making, and by both Hubbard’s policy standards and for normal people in the world, in external standards, Miscavige has worsened the cult nature that Scientology had under Hubbard.
However is in the driver seat (either Miscavige usurper style, or the “coordinating committee” “strat planning sector by sector” style of WDC and Exec Strata and the other major “networks”) to whatever degree any future grouping of “top management” the whole top management of the movement lands itself within, it is HUBBARD’S WRITINGS and lectures which will likely continue to be referred to.
Hubbard’s the guy. As much as Miscavige wishes his decisions are tops, over Hubbard’s. Miscavige has made here and there, some decisions that he had to make, since to follow Hubbard would be illegal and undoable.
But he’s “low tone” and he doesn’t know it, so anyone with a higher humane nature would be better “leader” or “top decision maker” (Miscavige and ASI in one ASI advice were given the AVC top editor/orthodoxy grader role, and that top orthodoxy arbiter role position, is a key key role grading how the “top managers” who are supposed to write the strategic planning of the movement, it is this top AVC “approval” “authorization” job, that Miscavige took on, at some point.
I wish Janis and Mark FIsher and others, will expand on this “approval” “hat” (job) that Miscavige has retained for decades now, as the top approval decision-maker.
A history of AVC “hat” ought be done up.
I forget this is all just nonsense, forget it. I submit to the smartest harshest critics when they say it is impossible to reform and “fix” an unfixable crackpot-therapy-exorcism massive fake-religion.
Hubbard failed to make his “I failed. All of it.” statements to Sarge, into the movement’s strategic planning. The movement needs a strat plan to carry out the “I failed.” final orders of Hubbard.
Yes, I recall using that justification myself when confronted with various things that went on and were in the news… I reminded the person “its a new religion and things have been sorted out, you know like all other religions”. Barf :).
Isn’t it amazing how many excuses we had to make for Scientology?
Dave,
Your ‘Reign of Terror’ may be covered in future editions, probably after you have been incarcerated or exiled. LOL
Good point , Theirs a lot more that saw what happened good / and bad in those days under LRH / Mary sue and those he commanded to carry out duties, But then its those that were devoted to the task of the Sea org , its purpose , anyone that has been there , and witnessed, knows exactly how things were , what went on, changes , removal , those days . from the time under LRH and the family were at St Hill , to Royal Scotsman and beyond . Miscaviage has destroyed them and those even that remain alive H e needs to be counted for his damage to Scientology as it is and to the followers.
I was there and didnt get sick.
How ever youl get used to it
Saw the anchor dragging ,propella going over sand bar and that omniouse vibration,stuppid ethics officer with a ball/mase n chain .
For an 8yr old im still alive and what an experience,cant forget ron .
Excellent. I have another book to add to my reading list. Thanks for ALL you do!