You heard it here first.
The First Clear Country is going to be the United States, according to ASHO.
This is the organization that was created SOLELY to deliver the Briefing Course and Power Processing. They haven’t had a Briefing Course for 20 years, since Miscavige decided it was “off-Source” (even though the course is almost entirely simply listening to the lectures Hubbard delivered to the Briefing Course students at St Hill in the early 60’s) and Power Processing is the MySpace of scientology services. A “thing” in the past, nothing today.
So, apparently they have turned their finely honed administrative and technical skills to predicting the future.
When everything is going wrong, you can count on scientology to go big on delusion.
The unnamed person who put this together, sadly, probably believes this is true. True, there are more orgs in the US than the rest of the world put together, so it is of course logical that it will be the first Clear Country.
The problem is that scientology always looks internally — comparing itself to itself. They love to claim “Highest Ever” this or that, as if it has some meaning. Highest ever number of clears made in a week is irrelevant if that number is 10. Or 100. Or 1000.
If scientology had made EVERY Clear in its history — 80,000 — all of them in the last year and all of them in the US, it would still not have any statistical relevance in a country of 340 million where there are 3.75 million births in a year. That would be 3.5 million+ MORE NON-CLEARS added every year. They would only be getting around 2% of the new population Cleared even at that rate of all 80,000 in one year. In reality, they are producing a lot less than 1,000 Clears per year in the US. So they are further away from a Cleared country every year. It’s so far from impossible at this point that they should have long abandoned this pretense and gone with something more realistic like “we are devoting all our efforts internationally to making the first clear org staff.” Something not achieved ever.
The lies these people convince themselves of are breathtaking. It’s what happens when you live inside a bubble.
I accidentally misread the post as the first clear “county”. Which would still be a challenge for the organization I guess.
Can I ask about the podcast? When will it start up again? It is my favorite! Also loved the book!
Should be back in action fairly soon. My book activity is slowing down and will be able to focus on getting that back again…
Thanks for letting us know. Been wanting to hear more about what you are up to now.
“When everything is going wrong, you can count on Scientology to go big on delusion.”
I suppose the dissemination of delusion is all they can do.
And per Hubbard’s “The Wrong Thing To Do Is Nothing” policy, they have to do something. They can’t do nothing.
Facts are out, certainly. The facts, the actual statistics and facts are too painful.
So What else is there to “do” except lie?
And delude THEMSELVES – and that’s the sad part, for them.
Like many here I know a number of essentially good people who’ve dedicated their entire adult lives to Scientology.
They are – or were – honest, helpful, caring people. I’m sure they still think of themselves as that way.
Its sad to me that these people have plowed themselves into a dishonest mental state.
They’ve done it to themselves, so that they don’t have to face the truth.
Its sad, to witness the self-degradation of good people.
They can’t be trusted.
Sad.
Funny thing is about 20 years ago there was a big push to open orgs in Mexico and I remember the COS saying that Mexico would be the 1st clear country!! How did that go?
A Billion Years by Mike Rinder – My Review
I just finished reading A Billion Years by Mike Rinder and wanted to get my thoughts into a review while they are fresh and the book is widely available.
I as almost anyone who knows me knows spent twenty five years in Scientology and left in 2014. Since leaving I have spent many hundreds of hours reading about psychology, neuroscience, rhetoric, propaganda analysis, critical thinking and related topics to understand what happened in Scientology and why and how.
There are many books on cults that are useful in my opinion and the sub genre of the ex member who writes an autobiography is an abundant example. In fact there are a plethora of such books available and after one reads a few dozen the question becomes which ones to read and how many are beneficial? There are probably over a hundred such books out there now!
I have read and enjoyed many and have a few that I am looking forward to reading but the truth is after so many and so many biographies of cult leaders like Scientology founder Ronald Hubbard one can be aware that time is limited and if I want to learn something useful at some point I need to be selective.
I read A Billion Years thinking that it would give me useful information for my personal interests which include comparing the emotional aspects of the journey into Scientology through Scientology for decades and ultimately out of the group and out of the mindset that Hubbard was a genius and his doctrine is sacred, wise, profound and miraculous.
I took that same journey but have not been able to articulate it nearly as well as Mike Rinder has here, so I have a great reference to recommend to others who have never been in Scientology.
They often ask about what it was like and this in my opinion is the best representation in any writing or any form of media to explain it clearly to most people, people who were never in Scientology. That alone makes it a very valuable tool and well worth reading.
Additionally, Mike Rinder gives a great description in my opinion of the Sea Org, how David Miscavige is in person and how he runs the Sea Org. This is helpful for the layman but also for the ex members to fill in the blanks and get added perspective on what was going on with Scientology management and the leadership while the ex members were told and shown far less much of the time.
I have read a lot of books since leaving Scientology in the effort to understand it, at this point over fifty so I have to be practical and only recommend one or a few to most people if they ask about it, because if I recommend everything I have read they will be despondent and read nothing.
Knowing that, if someone asks for one book to explain “what is it like to be in Scientology?” or “what happens when you leave Scientology?” I can happily recommend this book because it is superb for these purposes.
For ex members I think a special experience can be had in seeing in what ways their own journey into and out of Scientology is different and what ways it’s similar can be beneficial for self reflection and contemplation on what they are interested in exploring in the future regarding their own education and recovery. We have no one way to recover and no one silver bullet for recovery but I think a lot of people can benefit from reading this book.
I initially was unsure if I would read this book before seeing Mike Rinder in interviews explain what he tried to capture in the book regarding his journey and in particular his emotions and am glad I did.
I am not recommending against any other bios but the benefits and value of this book to me make it well worth reading if you want to understand what it’s like emotionally to be a Scientologist then realize it’s a fraud and if you were a Scientologist especially.
Even if have read the biographies of Hubbard and many people I think this is the essential biography of a Scientologist.
Thank you Mockingbird. I appreciate your thoughts and am so glad you found it helpful. This feedback is most welcome as it is what I struggled with mightily to achieve.
If someone had even had the idea to remove one of the lectures from the SHSBC Hubbard would have declared the person. That Miscavige threw the entire SHSBC, the Class 8 Course and the Technical Volumes into the trash almost 20 years ago is really unbelievable. That Scientologists and Sea Org members simply over look such things just shows how lost they are. I have even heard some staff have pictures of Miscavige on their desks. It would be comparable to the Pope canceling the Bible and nuns having pictures of the Pope on their night stand. It’s not surprising that Scientology is fading into the sunset.
Superb comment, Mat.
Yes, it is unbelievable, and yet, that’s what was done, and the Scientologists and Sea Org members are indeed lost, and, due to their own self delusion, lack of honesty and self honesty and ability to confront, so far – so very, very far from any kind of true spiritual freedom now. Talk about complexity and confront! Talk about tangled webs and theta traps!
To: Aquamarine
From: David Miscavige COB RTC
Re: sucking up to people.
“Superb comment, Mat.”
Sheesh!
The low levels to which you will stop to win the admiration of other people. It really shows what a downstat you really are.
ML,
Dave.
To: David Miscavige COB RTC
From: Alcoboy
Re: being admired by people.
At least people actually love Aquamarine. And she is truly concerned about others.
Not like this one person I know.
Hint, hint.
No love at all,
Alcoboy.
Well, Alco, I have to LOL, because unfortunately COB is right; I do crave love, or liking as well as approval if not necessarily admiration from just about everybody, although, in fairness, not from COB or Donald Trump, other known criminals or my late father’s third wife.
On the other hand, there’s a force in me equally strong, a driving force if you will, that compels me to tell the truth.
Lying to people bothers me.
Even little social lies to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, like, “Yes, magenta looks fine on you” or ” No, the ratatouille was not too greasy” give me a feeling of discomfort in the pit of my stomach.
And as for telling lies about important things – forget it. I can’t. I don’t even try.
So there you have it, Alco; 2 opposing needs, equally strong.
On the one hand: Needing to be liked/ loved/approved of/admired by everyone (exceptions listed above)
On the other: A compulsion to tell my own simple unvarnished truth at all times.
Frankly, its a tangle!
Always has been!
Thanks for defending me though 🙂
Plenty of love,
Aqua
And if you don’t mind me asking why do you think he did that? I read somewhere that someone speculated that it was taking people too long to complete and therefore not bringing enough money into the orgs.
To: Mat Pesch
From: David Miscavige COB RTC
Re: trashing the SHSBC
For your information, Matty boy, the reason I cancelled the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course is because, one, all LRH did was rant about meaningless stuff like dancing beer bottles and such and two, because whenever someone seizes control of a major religion like I did that person needs to rework the teachings so he can take credit for being the religion’s actual founder. This is why I cancelled the Briefing Course and substituted GAT instead. Never mind that it doesn’t really work! Neither does Super Power! Look at what Brigham Young did for Mormonism after he arranged for that Illinois mob to blast Joseph Smith to pieces!
So there!
ML,
Dave.
To: David Miscavige COB RTC
From: Alcoboy
Re: previous comment.
Uh, what?
Dancing beer bottles on the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course?
Brigham Young ordering a hit on Joseph Smith?
Maybe you ought to lay off the scotch.
No love at all,
Alcoboy.
I’m sorry if I’m not commenting in the right place, but this is a question for your next podcast with Leah. Can you please explain why Scientology uses a cross on top of their buildings? Also, what is the meaning behind their other symbols like the linking triangles with the S hook going through them? I love what you guys are doing! Bonus question if you have time…I grew up in Dunedin and always begged my mom to go to the Christmas village set up on Alternate 19 right near downtown. She would never let me because she said it was a Scientology exhibit. Is this true? If so, do they still do this, and why would they try to draw in children to something like this. Keep up the noble work. Thank you!
Hi Maisy.
Here is a previous article that covers the scientology cross: https://www.mikerindersblog.org/can-scientologists-be-christians-or-jews-too/
Yes, “Winter Wonderland” is entirely a scientology front. Your mother was right.
As I have written many times I believe that the symbols in Scientology like the practices and doctrine are either entirely plagiarized or very nearly so.
I believe it’s important to present the evidence for this whenever appropriate because a significant number of Scientologists and ex members are in awe of the pure amount of seemingly brilliant material that Hubbard put out and see this as proof of his super human intellect and past life recall.
In truth he studied very few subjects in depth, notably hypnosis and some aspects of the occult, and plagiarized even the ideas he repackaged from those subjects after filing off the serial numbers.
It can help a significant portion of ex members to throw off the spell of Hubbard if they understand that he stole these ideas and methods and further that they are not great esoteric secrets of profound wisdom and transcendent miracles, but are practices that usually have been tried for decades or centuries and failed in their own turn before being rejected as ineffective or downright harmful as therapies.
This is crucial for some ex members in my opinion.
It plainly helps a lot of people to see the counterfeit dreams, to borrow Jefferson Hawkins phrase, that Hubbard presented as nothing more than very generous empty promises, a sort of fool’s gold and it needs to lose its luster.
Wow, thank you so much for answering my question. Y’all are wonderful!
Yes, Mike, Winter Wonderland is a Scientology front. I love how Angry Gay Pope goes down there to enturbulate and keeps getting chased by cult guard Angel.
They have on in Clearwater too…
Didn’t know that. Thanks.
It boggles me that GAT II just cancelled everything that wasn’t GAT II. The BC, VIII course, vanished along with the tech vols etc. ( I was there for it, but I’ve been away awhile now. 🙂
How’s ASHO’s lineup any different than a class V these days?
The Flag Trainees are Admin trainees
“How do you fit in?”
This is a staff recruitment event.
So much bullshit.
Will they do anything in the name of self promotion?
(Rhetorical question, I know.)
Clearing the plante was my first agreement with Scientology – ist was a good target to do that. But I had only read the Dianetics Book at this time – and did not know how complicated the Tech of LRH became with the Bridge to Total Freedom. Naturally I did also not know what this mysterious OTIII (Wall of Fire) is. Allegedly was a catastrophe happend – what occured? Maybe it is true – maybe all beings are running with a fullfilled trap… generally… maybe this or that… something… if you agree, you cannot longer see what was there before… which is a generell problem at all times. So what – I needed 6 years before I went Clear. I was surely the same as before… certainly… because I realised that I have only to create my own ARC… and that meant, that I had never at any time this postulated reactive mind – because I create my ARC always self. Which is not really true, because I have experienced that others can also create my wish to ARC… something which is not worse, as long it goes in the line of my own ARC… But this Clear Attest went not in the line of my own ARC… why – what happened… a lot… and I said Clearing the Planet with Scientoloy is Nonsens… Finish…
If the figures are true then the heading on the poster should say the First Clear County not Country. And it should be referring a small one somewhere, certainly not Los Angeles County.
“In reality, they are producing a lot less than 1,000 Clears per year…”
In reality they are producing zero ‘clears’ per year, but they are still cranking out ‘clear’ certificates and ‘clear’ bracelets. This exalted state of being has not been attained by anyone as far as I can tell. There are no ‘homo-novis’ beings as Hubbard described.
There are lots of folks who post here who have attested to being ‘clear’. It would be interesting to hear how they feel about this supposed permanent state of being now after a bit of time has passed. Of course, we would have to take their statements with a huge grain of salt because anyone posting comments here is also a gen-u-ine Suppressive Person so maybe those abilities they gained magically disappeared. My bet is that if you interviewed ‘clears’ both in and out of the cult, their assessments would be about the same, except the ‘clears’ outside the cult would be a lot more honest about their abilities.
So, the real measure of who gets to be the first Clear Country will be which country has the most Clear Certificates. Whoopee!!! Hip Hip Horay and thank you COB and LRH for clearing out our bank accounts!!!