The question you have to ask after reading this breathless promo — why would anyone pay to go to the Freewinds when you can apparently “Go OT” virtually?
The second question — is there any difference between an OT and a virtual OT? Aren’t all OT’s “virtual” anyway as the state is entirely subjective — nobody has ever objectively proven that an OT exists. Hubbard’s explanation for that was “we don’t do parlor tricks.” The only time anyone supposedly set out to verify any OT abilities was Ingo Swann and Hal Puthoff trying to turn it into an intelligence tool for the CIA. Nothing ever came of that. Even the simplest claims that being OT makes you happier or more causative are disproven by the numerous “OT’s” who are neither despite their “success stories.” And that’s not even touching the “cause over matter, energy, space and time,” or “freedom from overwhelm,” or “freedom from amnesia in the whole track.”
So, one must conclude that all “OTness” is virtual as there is no evidence otherwise. Finally, some truth in advertising from scientology?
If it is true that people who get to be OT’s become truly prosperous, they should accept people into their courses on a “contingency basis”.
When they tell someone they need to become an OT, they should answer, “Well, when I become truly prosperous, then I will pay you for the courses. How’s that? But I am not going to go into debt to take the courses now if I’m not certain that I will indeed prosper.”
I wonder if anyone has ever tried that.
I can hear the regges reply Skyler…
”Are you being purposely 1.1? I’m signing you up for a re-do of PTS/SP course ASAP obviously you didn’t learn anything. Lucky for you I’m also wearing the ethics hat today I’m putting you in the condition of doubt and you know what’s right below doubt…enemy! When you work your way back up to at least normal then you can restart the clearing course. Forget OT I’m revoking your certs till this is sorted out.”
Now most people would never have the common sense to say what you said anyway because by the time they get to OT they have imbibed deeply of the kool aid and know better. But IF someone were to get ‘smart’ and say something similar I can just imagine that something like the above would come out of the regges mouth. Probably something far worse but for J&D I like to think it would be something funny like the above.
You’re using common sense and there is no common sense left in Scientology Inc.
Phew! I’m glad you explained that. After reading the first paragraph, I was getting seriously scared. No wonder people buckle under to the will of the reges. That is very scary stuff.
Once upon a time ago, about the time I was posting the ASCII text versions of The Resister on Usenet, I bought an AK-47 chambered in 5.56 NATO. It had the thumb hole stock mandated at the time by our masters in Washington. As a former combat rifleman I took it upon myself to properly zero in the sights on the weapon. As I was doing this at the Moon Valley range down in Eden Prairie I was rudely interrupted. It appeared that a scraggly young man wanted to sell me a folding stock for the AK-47. I said no. He repeated his offer. I repeated my refusal. Eventually he got the point. First, I actually had no interest in a folding stock for the rifle. The folding stock for the Ak-47 series rifle is copied from the MP-38/MP-40 series machine pistols issued by the Wehrmacht. They’re inherently unstable and were used both by the Wehrmacht and the Soviets to shorten the weapon for carriage within an aircraft or armored vehicle. An acceptable trade off for them but not for me. Second, folding stocks at the time were illegal. I wasn’t about to ruin a weapon by installing an inferior stock simply for the sake of disobeying our self appointed masters. By his demeanor and his insistence on selling the stock to my unwilling self I concluded that this fellow was a stooge for the BATF. I refused to fall into the trap. A simple bit of common sense can go a long way.
Why aren’t all those “OT” lecturers using their “powers” to make all the orgs booming, money making machines? They tout their ability to make their businesses gobs of money. Why are they withholding their talents from their own church? Anyone have any explanation?
That’s exactly what I was wondering, Wynski. Ok, postulate seminar leaders, you’re so good at making postulates; you want to teach US how to postulate,great, now before teaching us how to do it, how about YOU postulate everything you want for yourself and Scientology and let’s sit back and watch it all come true 🙂
Yea! And howz about them Ideal mORGues lil Davey? Ya better git them Tee Ares in good buddy and show the followers just how good those Oh Tee Powerz can be if you follow em with a good jolt of fine scotch. Tell us how it is Dave!
Yo Newcomer!
Flunk!
Out of Sequence.
FIRST always comes my scotch.
Soon afterwards come my Oh Tee Powerz.
Find your misunderstood, good buddy.
Much love,
Dave
Aqua, it would be great to break into these virtual hatting feeds and place these questions to all watching. That would be worth paying for.
Let’s do it, Wynski. Is there a way? Seriously, could we Bitter Defrocked Types here on Mike’s pull this off together somehow? Dumb question perhaps but I’m not the most tech-savvy creature and I’d need some coaching IT-wise, but boyOboy do I have the questions ready to fire at them, bam, bam, bam, – oh, yeah… locked AND loaded 🙂 Let’s do it if there’s a way!
Unfortunately it is probably illegal as it would involve getting into a server we don’t own. I wish it weren’t though. Would be hilarious and probably good for the target audience.
Got it. Oh, well. Can’t play into the cult’s hands by doing anything illegal.
I’d love to be regged for a postulates seminar so I could try out this line:
“Tell ya what…..YOU go, and then postulate that I’LL come to the NEXT one!
And we can see what happens!!”
🙂
Oh, I wish they would call and ask me!
(Messing up while typing my screen name… Hell, I’m getting old, maybe I’ll keep it. “Rip Can Wrinkle”
I like your name, Rip. Sure, he slept for a long time, but then, he DID wake up 🙂 I think we all feel like Rip Van Winkles to some extent. I know I do.
Thanks, Aqua.
I was “secretfornow” when I (terrified) began posting after a year of lurking…
My awakening really was a light switch, the new name is apt.
In the middle of trauma, I just realized it was 100% bullshit. One second I was a four decade dedicated blah blah, the next second I was done, it had all been BS.
The name probably resonates with many.
I’m lucky I woke up. I was musing the other day about some of my friends’ children who joined the SO at 14 and 15.. so many of my friends’ kids are staff or SO, now in their 30’s and 40’s, having had no life at all.
My years of “failure” as a parent, unable to get my kid on the bridge is now something I’m feverishly grateful for.
I have an explanation. Here it is:
They promise prosperity. But that is just a lie designed to separate people from their money.
Just like most everything they say is a lie designed to get people to give them money.
MONEY! MONEY! MONEY! That is what this cult is all about. That is the only thing it is about.
OTness and thetan are concepts that reflect the original falsewood and scam of Scn. I don’t know if hubbard really believed these stories he was telling but I am pretty sure that OT levels are a needed consequence/solution of having these clears still ‘reactive’ even after reaching that state.
Personally I was very low on the bridge but I kicked the hell that came in out of too many situations. I am talking about dealing with creditors REALLY pissed off and quite unfriendly and it went on for years. By the way those who were OTs in the base were well hidden behind the doors or having a “meeting” while was their hat to solve it not mine. But I did it and saved the damn asylum many times.
@Loosing my religion
That sure must have been at the OTL, and I can imagine the dodgy situations you had to confront there!
But if anybody can charm the socks off of anybody then it’s you 😀 creditors didn’t stand a chance! 😀
Hey Derek! Thanks.
You remember when we worked together we could enthusiasm and involve anybody in getting things done that are still the highest nobody has never done.
I was doing the same with the creditors and I had never money in the hands!
Just my damned charm. Laughing!
One of these days I call you and tell you a few stories so funny that we will roll on the floor laughing. Ciao amico.
These posts about OT’s always remind me of some of the claims my auditor (who wasn’t even clear and I doubt if he ever made it to clear) used to make about OT’s. He said an OT could read the thoughts of anyone. He said an OT could know anything they wanted to know. He even told me that I didn’t have to worry about nuclear war anymore because there were too many OT 8’s out there.
Yo Dave,
I’m feelin virtually Oh Tea Ate after a wonderful 4th of July celebrating my independence from the endless stream of nonsensical mail, endless calls for moar money and moar time, not to mention all of the cries to secure my eternity but most of all, thank you Dave for ceasing all of yer background noise.
It’s been 10 years since you sent your missionaires to debrief me on the perils I would be headed for if I didn’t shape up and fly right under the steady guidance of the most ethical group on the planet. Thank you for being the I/C of such an insincere group of backbiting, vicious wingdings that I ever actually trusted. It must be my virtual Oh Teaness that prompted me to be curious about the stench I was smelling!
You said it was me and I needed a cleansing. Sorry bro, the stench is coming from yer own back yard and these days, you’re really stinkin the place up. It’s not just rot, I think yer actually doing a fermentation of sorts.
Anyway, not to be too long winded (not that yer ever long winded Dave) I wanted to give you a report on howz things have been since you declared me an Ess Pee. We’ll keep it short ……… Fan Frickin Tastic good buddy. Thanks for not being any part of my life.
Newcomer! I love this: ‘Thanks for not being any of my life’. Classic!!! And I love it!
“Insincere group of backbiting, vicious wingdings…” Outstanding description! Congratulations on your freedom, Newcomer!
Amusing, incisive post, Newcomer 🙂
Newcomer I always love it when you go off on “yer good buddy” Dave. It’s great knowing there’s OSA following this blog and reading along and probably giving reports back to King Tiny Terror.
Looking at these ‘webinars’ full of the usual misspelling. It is obvious to me that Scientology is no longer trying to push bridge movement. It’s all another version of the ‘prosperity gospel’. Give us your money so we can show you how to be prosperous. Hint – start a religion and beg for money and call it ‘fundraising’ then give seminars on how to make money by charging big bucks to attend said seminar given by other graduates of same seminar.
I had to laugh at “organizational prosperity” seminar. Seems if they had accomplished organizational prosperity their orgs would not be empty and closing and the staff starving. Scn, heal thyself!
And I see that Barbara Russell has finally gone back to using her maiden name after so many marriages and name changes it must have been confusing for her to remember which last name to use now.
Oh, the ignominy of it all! DM has become the Reverend Ike of religious cults. Actually I’m not sure whether that would be a demotion or a promotion. Well, Fearless Leader can work that out in his own pea-brain.
True, Linear.
Breaking News:
“An investigation has been launched to uncover whether or not the Church of Scientology has ties to the late L. Ron Hubbard. So far no links have been determined but clues remain which some researchers believe will yield evidence of such a connection.”
This is funny! Great humor here, Aqua.
🙂 Thanks, Cindy.
Go virtually OT but pay with ‘virtual’ dollars. And watch every FSM’s head explode.
Speaking of parlor tricks, with the pandemic, there should be more cruise ships on sale to replace The Freewinds.
I think Cunnard lines should have a bunch of idle cattle barges for sale. Davey ought to make em an offer. I guess the real problem is then Sharron would have to really up the ante to cover the increased fuel costs.
But alas, Rafferty the Pendrey could make monthly flows from his surplus gains off the Prosperity convention proceeds.
I hope someone tries to give them a virtual cash payment.
I’ll forward them my virtual See Orge Contract along with my virtual tooth brush for the dumpster duty.
LOL, I bet they will appreciate that Newcomer. I know I appreciated your plan.
Concisely written, and so it was/is.
The 1971 gradation Chart that stated an OT 8 was cause over MEST, both mental and physical , was an attention grabber at the time. We lined up for this. Beginning with ‘old’ OT4 the preOT drilled going exterior and observing something not visible to the body– then go over and confirm, and continue this drill and level until the ability to perceive as an exterior viewpoint was stable. That turned out to be an unobtainable step for almost everyone. Plus it could take years, whereas Scientology needed quick courses so that there would be fresh payments coming in. So the AO accepted as a success story: “In my mind I can move around and see what I want to see.” Attested and moved on. Yuck.
So to answer your second question: Yes, it’s all in their frikkin mind. Mental masterbation. Zero flow delusion. Woo woo. Virtual feel good.
ps: Crowley went down this rod too.
Only Hubbard’s twelve year old mind could develop the subjective aspects of OT’s. It is like his article on “Illusions” in which he concludes that the illusion is not knowing you are a thetan. I guess this keeps people in Scientology and still looking for answers. In 1988 the Freewinds was a new idea and Hubbard got his last chance to finally prove thetans and OT’s. He totally failed, but the movement survived. I guess he can still put fear in people thinking that he controlled their eternity.
That Barbara Russell must really know how to shanghai them on to the boat.
Rather than the actual OT courses these seminars look like “If you were OT you could …”, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the material presented was exactly the same as sold to pre-Clears about the state of Clear.
Like we used to chant at protests, “If there were any actual OT’s we wouldn’t be here!”
That’s brilliant!
Do we have any insight into how many – if any – these things pull in?
Locally, the seminars and tape plays were put on for a cheap round of stats BIS/PDC/SS and mainly just a way of getting people in to make it look busy and pretend this pool of people can be regged for other stuff.
But those attending were the local fringe poor public who can’t buy courses or have “study bugs”, single and lonely, “yes I’m active” people, … And then the few who are sucked in by the same old buzz words and promise of the secret to exteriorization or making your postulates stick.
I think about those who would attend such things in person, and their reasons for doing so… And I can’t envision any of them signing up for this shyte.
Probably some hope for personal recognition from the “opinion leader” speaker.
Maybe something for those “Basics Completions” to do to look active…
So true what you write, Rip.
Rip, I’m just waiting for stories to start coming out about what’s really been going on inside Scientology during this period.
In the meantime, the CofS itself is truly the mystery sandwich. A couple of UTRs that still have active inside connections have provided a few clues, but we know very little, and nothing I’ve seen like about how Scientology’s use of Zoom has been working out. I’m also very curious about how much auditing and sec checking activity the orgs have been keeping up, as there have been reports of some surreptitious comings and goings.
… and I’ve got a Hatting Course! (not free):
“Steps (all Copyrights reserved) on How to Apply a Positive Mindset to Anything (all Copyrights reserved) and Attributing any Success to Me (Success Stories Mandatory)”
You rock Mary!! Happy 6th in lieu of a happy 4th!