People send me information routinely on their visits to orgs, and I happened to get several recently from people who were in LA and also at Flag. I accumulate these because individually each one is not worth a whole post, but when there are a few they tell a story. In this case, apparently the rudderless ship is all but abandoned.
And it is interesting how the stories from different people in different orgs are all pretty much the same. And align so well with the information being imparted on the “Oh No Ross and Carrie” podcasts about their investigation of scientology at Los Angeles org (well worth listening to – humorous, insightful and honest).
There is no significance to the sequence of the orgs discussed and I have combined information from a number of people. The single overriding observation: The buildings are gorgeous but are uniformly empty except for Sea Org members.
LRH Life Exhibition: Someone recently took a tour – he was the only person in the place apart from two SO members.
Standing out the front were more Sea Org members “smoking like chimneys.”
Someone else walked in to the Information Center at 6724 Hollywood Blvd (the Hollywood Inn). This is where the hundreds of new starts that LA Org is getting on Introductory Services every week are supposedly coming from (certainly not the body routers at the corner of Sunset and Vermont – NUMEROUS reports tell us those people have absolutely NO success bodyrouting anyone, people refuse to take the tickets they try to hand them). At the “Information Center” there were three body routers out front – in Sea Org uniforms – and several more inside. The street is bustling right there – very very busy, lots of foot traffic. As far as customers – I saw a Latino man paying for something at the bookstore, but not another person except the 7-8 Sea Org members. All of them were young and reasonably attractive.
Celebrity Center: Someone responded to the sign out front “Open House, 9am – 10pm daily.” So, they walked in and asked to be shown around. They reported the parking lot was full – perhaps 50 cars (I don’t think they know there is a whole underground parking lot). There were two women sitting in the lobby. While waiting for my tour guide, I asked each of them if they were there for the tour but they were not. One was an older woman who said she was being recruited to take courses. The tour guide walked me around the downstairs – I saw about 5 people in uniforms – no one else came in or left during the 20 minutes I was waiting and then being shown around. I then walked through the pretty gardens over to the café where I saw about 8 public scientologists. Definitely not bustling.
LA Org: Again, someone walked in the front door asking for information. They were given “a very brief tour” and were then “left among the videos and book displays. I was the only one there during the 15 minutes or so I was inside, and no one else came or left. I sidled by the course room and peeked in, but just saw three Sea Org in it but no one else.”
Interesting side note: The person when asked said they had tried to read Dianetics but it was so poorly written they couldn’t finish it. The “tour guide” explained that it “must have been the old version” and that it was “cleaned up in 2007, it reads much better now. LRH gave it to the editor but then did not read it or notice the mistakes after it was published in 1950 until his death in 1986. Only then after years of research were the mistakes found and corrected.”
ASHO: A recent ASHO student reports that in the Academy theory course room when he was there in the last few months, there were THREE students. And in practical there were 14. There were more people in the staff training courseroom than in the public course rooms.
Flag: Someone who was in the Flag HGC’s shortly before Christmas said there was hardly any public. The Super Power building is virtually empty except for the basement at meal times (the SO crew all eat there). The HGC’s in the Super Power building do not have enough pc’s, some of the auditors only have ONE pc for an entire week. The courserooms are empty except for some outer org TTC. That even the auditors are still given quotas to get IAS donations each month and are constantly asking their pc’s for money. No surprise, apparently there is an influx of Russian and Venezuelan new Sea Org Members. But perhaps the biggest surprise — people who have not DONE the Running Program, still have NO IDEA what it is or that there is a running track on the 6th floor! You would think people would talk about this all day long if it really was the greatest thing on earth. Doesn’t seem to be a problem keeping it under wraps — people are probably ashamed to admit they have paid thousands of dollars to run around a pole….
The good ship scientology increasingly resembles the Mary Celeste or perhaps the Flying Dutchman. Creepy and bereft of life.
This is what I wish for DM: fanatical scientologists playing Queen’s Another ONE Bites the Dust on an endless loop while he runs around his little pole
DM must watch himself nicking all the Russians – Putin won’t stand for that for too long. What’s he gonna do when he runs out of Americans to marry off?
I’m just amazed Scientology, the world’s most explosively expanding religion, STILL hasn’t updated its web page since last year.
They didn’t make a peep on the thirtieth anniversary of Ron dropping his body to go into space.
My local Baptist church has a bigger web presence than that, though it’s mostly just activities listed.
I’ve been listening to these:
Part 1 of 3 — L. Ron Hubbard Talks About Xemu-Xenu 07:27
https://youtu.be/WVqN4ivQ_TM
Part 2 of 3 — L. Ron Hubbard Talks About Xemu-Xenu 06:30
https://youtu.be/iwDKg5K3in8
Part 3 of 3 — L. Ron Hubbard Talks About Xemu-Xenu 05:42
https://youtu.be/F6P4YV6CfI0
I listened to a few minutes of part 3. It’s below average science fiction/horror. Stephen King could do better.
Stephen King could do better even if he was in a coma.
That comment about someone asking for information and being referred to watch videos bothered me. Driving around today, I realized why.
First, let me acknowledge my opinion that Scientology, like a fraudulent gold mine, is salted with nuggets of value. One that appealed to me was the concept of confronting (being there and observing) and not using “vias” — various workarounds that avoid directly communicating (one way to put it).
So here’s the thing. All that “go watch a video” is a via, a way for staff to avoid engaging people on a person-to-person level, which I think is what tended to get people “in” in the old days (not that that was a good thing, since the full product of Clear and OT are mythical).
And where do all these “vias” and “non-confronts” come from? Miscavige and everyone who falls in line with him. The cold, polished mausoleums, shuffling people off to watch a video by themselves, the lies and statistical falsehood, etc. It’s all a massive non-confront of reality. And a non-confront of people and their needs.
Of course, Miscavige had a mortally flawed ideology to take over, but he has managed to drive the stake firmly into the heart of the thing Hubbard built.
Perfect
Another example of the “epic fail” of Scientology. Hip, hip, hooray!
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/02/watchdog-bans-church-scientology-tv-ad-misleading
TV ads for Scientology banned.
Way to go UK!
F*cking nailed ’em:
Quote: However, when the ASA asked for evidence of the aid given at various disaster sites it was only “anecdotal”.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/02/watchdog-bans-church-scientology-tv-ad-misleading
I can’t imagine what the mindset of those sea org members is walking around in empty buildings. Maybe they think it’s just a lull before the promised huge influx begins. Maybe they are happy to walk around in nice posh buildings with nothing to do. Who knows.
My aunt think’s it’s the bee’s knee’s….of course,if we try to discuss,question,etc….She get’s so rattled,we shut up. She was an auditor for years…from the 70’s-mid-90’s….showed up at my parent’s in central Florida in the middle of the night. She blew. BUT! She got amnesty,is living off base in Clearwater,and is more rattled then ever. This cult get’s on my nerves so friggin’ bad I could scream. When does it end?!?!?!?!?
julie – I suppose “amnesty” is the closest thing CoS can offer as being nice to someone. Wishing to delete scn to history books is frustrating, especially when it involves family.
If your aunt blew once, I think it’s likely she’ll do so again. She’ll need a lot of support. I’m sure you’re aware that anything resembling I told you so won’t work. “Hi Aunty. Would you like a cup of tea?”
This makes me think back on when I was in. Nobody ever challenged me on my beliefs, which of course at that time would have been factual reality. I would have been a stone wall – laughter
Richard…I highly doubt she will leave again. Before she blew,she slaved for them for years and years and years and traveled everywhere as an auditor…When she blew from “Scientologyville” in Clearwater in the 90’s,We,to this day,do not know why she blew. She had to leave the state to escape the people harassing us…then when “they” offered amnesty,she went right back,and even though she is not living on base,or “working” for “them”…she seems even more involved…she is a lovely person,HOWEVER,she is very,very,very judge mental and always has been? We had to hide EVERYTHING from her….if we were on any medications,seeing a therapist,etc…After seeing “Going Clear” and reading the book,leading to reading several other book’s and learning even more about “that organization”…I will not hide one more thing from her…I will ask her what I wish,about “that organization”,and I refuse to be judged by ANYONE in this cult. I will also say,I get the self improvement part,etc…however,what EXACTLY are THEY trying to ACHIEVE? Perfection? Perfection is against the law of physic’s,it is not possible to be PERFECT,nor is it possible to CLEAR the planet…it’s against every law of nature,Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,anything PRIMAL,blah,blah,blah,etc,etc…And she veryyyy impatient??? I mean,what the hell is THAT all about? I thought “that place” was about self awareness,”clearing” the planet of any bad? She is quite thoughtful though? hahaha.
Charlotte – I truly do sympathize with you. Scientology is a CULT. We were good people who got suckered in. There are books about cultism in general which may give perspective. Some of the newer ones consider scn as one of the worst. I’m not saying you hate your aunt but it could go that way if she persists.
I think the best a blog can do is allow people to express themselves and, as this one does, continually expose CoS misdeeds and crimes. Sincerely, Richard
I know I usually make sharp and witty comments about the current state of Scientology, but this is all so sad. There are some very caring people in orgs (both staff and public) and I truly hope they wake up and see how degraded the scene now actually is, put an end to their participation, recover their good intentions and move on with their lives, a little saner and a lot wiser.
You mean like declared SPs living on the edge of the Internet sitting on a porch with an I-phone wondering what should I push
like on today?
Wow NC you better get on the ohhtee levels now as it’s obvious your BeeTees are making comments for you. I think they need the BeeTee drug rundown asap. Will that be Cash or credit?
Hi Gadfly – I was wondering why you haven’t posted on ESMB in a while? On the subject of the post – I was standing at the corner of sunset and vermont waiting for my wife to pick me up – and there were a bunch of young so body routers there – but they only approached people their own age. I was actually going to be nice and gently tell them how the handing out tickets and body routing was perhaps the least effective way to get good qualified prospects – but nobody came within 20 ft of me. Sigh. Mimsey
Hi Mimsey. I never have posted on ESMB. Perhaps someone else with the same handle?
Really! Yes, he posted there quite often, he had a lot interesting posts about spirituality, zen and music. If I recall – he was once on staff somewhere – possibly SO – was quite knowledgeable. He always had insightful posts about scientology. His avatar was an ostrich, seen from the shoulders up. Smart guy. Sigh. I always wondered why he stopped posting there… I guess life moves on. Thanks for replying.
Mimsey
I like Zen. Try this – “What Is Isn’t, and What Isn’t Is”
When I was in Martial Arts Training I did exercises
to increase CHI ( life force) which is still done today
practically everywhere. I went to Martial Arts school
in Hong Kong. Some of it was running around a pole.
No way it was expensive or done on a special built track
on the 6 th floor anywhere. David Miscavige has
won the Oscar of Snake Oil calling it Cause Resurgence
with special uniforms, et al.
American Indians did this hundreds of years ago running
around bonfires also. It’s not something new is what I’m saying.
Thanks for the updates. These anecdotals are very helpful to me.
We have one in New Orleans, where I live. I would love to get in there, as it is in a historic home/building on St. Charles Ave. I wonder, if I should use a fake name or pay for the smallest into course in cash….(no identity tracing) and record any observes, on how UPSCALE this org with 10 Facebook likes is. What do you think Mike? I’d even go head to head with the e-meter….. 🙂
Scientology is booming…ooming…ooming…ooming. Scientology is expanding…anding…anding…anding.
Cue crickets and tumbleweeds…
No, Kronomex, it’s not correct. This is the reality – Scientology is expanding… ending, ending, ending…
The image that staff have is that Scientology is booming. They are completely protected from how Scientology is derided in mainstream TV entertainment. Someone that I spoke to recently was surprised when I told her that I didn’t see the recent Scientology ad on TV, because I no longer watch commercials. I had to describe to her the process of recording shows and watching them at my leisure or watching them on delay or on demand, skipping over any commercials. She had no idea that this was possible. The impression that she had was that everything before 2007 was a hard time for Scientology and everything has been resolved and Scientology is flourishing. She said that the tech had been sabotaged and David Miscavige had saved Scientology. They just don’t see the empty courserooms or auditing rooms.
Yes, I have no doubt that many staff believe Scientology is booming. Not in their own orgs, and not in any orgs of other staff with whom they are in communication, but, nevertheless, yes, its definitely doing quite well…somewhere.
I don’t think they could continue if they without believing this.
They are the Poster People for the outpoint “Missing Applicable Data”. I’d love to really understand how they work it out, in their own minds.
Perhaps I’m making it too complicated and it is merely that their uninspected stable datum upon which all their activities are based is, “COB says…”
It probably is that simple. They are not stupid people about other things – at least the staff I know. They’re pretty bright about a lot of things. For them to be so dumb about this, with the evidence right in front of them, year in and year out, bespeaks of an uninspected stable datum.
Long ago, way before I got into Scientology, I learned a cruel lesson about operating on an uninspected stable datum. Of course I didn’t use that terminology, but for many years I’ve had that concept down. When I did the Data Series and read those PLs I lit up like a Christmas tree inside. It was quite a validation of that lesson I learned the hard way.
Brite or dull or anywhere in between, an uninspected stable datum which is the linchpin for all one’s key activities, can be very dangerous, can really do a person in.
When I first got into Scientology, I was introduced to a man who had been OT1 for a long time. I looked up to him immensely, thought he walked on water, couldn’t wait to be OT1 myself, and couldn’t understand why he was only OT1.
It took me less than a year to reach that “exalted” state. After I attested, I believe my success story said “I feel more like I’m in present time”, I was underwhelmed with the entire OT1 deal.
I went all the way to OTV before I really understood that it wasn’t worth chasing the carrot any more.
I can honestly say I would never have gone that far had I been asked for money every time I turned around, I would have left long before.
As a matter of fact, it was my father dying and the possibility of glomming onto his estate and the vultures sniffing around that caused me to throw off the final blinders and make the last of my long exit from scientology.
For the record, scientology didn’t get a penny of my inheritance – I bought a house and got a grand piano then put the rest into unbreakable trusts for my childrens’ college funds before the regges even began their onslaught.
The reason people don’t talk about the contents of the running program IMHO is because they are like I was; so damn embarrassed that they had been hoodwinked into paying for that (whatever that may be) and thinking somewhere in the back of their minds that they are the only ones who didn’t get those over the top wins that everyone is bragging about.
As for the man I admired who was OT1: Last I heard, he was still in and OTVII, divorced and his business closed. I keep hoping that he’s just hiding under the radar because his ex-wife is an outspoken scientologist and he wants to see his kids. I still think he’s a nice guy.
(PS: Find the supressive semicolon in this rant for 10 points)
The thing that is sad about this, is that you get this Sea Org Member out of Hollywood boulevard hawking for David, and he / she is watching the “wogs” walk by , and assessing them, from a huge back massive ball of attitude blocking their view.
Meanwhile all the way over in Utah, the Mormon Church put out a memo that spread through the city in hours, to keep people informed of real and actual conditions. There are lines at the grocery stores entrance now with workers out on the side walk selling and rationing water supplies. Because they are attuned to “survive” and try to remain aware of “conditions”.
https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/950
But over at the Church on the West Coast, anyone walking around with a sizable carbon monoxide headache right now, will be viewed as having “disturbing BT’s”, because “they” are attuned to the “supernatural”.
Interesting site and article. I’d like to see corroborating sources. Regarding the land shift article, land shifts were common when I was in Ca 40 years ago so I suspect a bit of hype.
More than “a bit” of hype.
I was being polite. The Oracle might be stocking up in preparation for the Big One.
Hi Oracle – I love ya!
So, in 36 years Lron didn’t bother to read Dianetics and see that it was an adventure in misplaced punctuation and cognitive dissonance and false equivalency? Present day clams are reaching for the top shelf of idiocy by trying to put that one over any public.
The current estimate of 10-20 thousand active clams may be overstated. If they can’t fill up rooms in LA, where can they fill them up? Not in Prague or St. Petersburg or Johannesburg. The crash and burn seems to be very near. The current infrastructure can’t survive on this amount of income. Slave wages to the staff or SO or anyone can’t balance the books.
don’t know if you know, the very first dianetics book had 4 appendix’s.
APPENDIX I The Philosophic Method by Will Durant
APPENDIX II The Scientific Method …by John W Campbell Jr.
APPENDIX III (A) Mind Schematic by DH Rogers
APPENDIX III (B) Analyzer Schematic by DH Rogers
APPENDIX IV Advice to the Pre-clear..
http://projectavalon.net/DMSMH.PDF
Those are all missing from the latest version. I wonder why?
BTW, Will Durant did not know his appendix was in the book nor did he know the book was dedicated to him.
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/1434/6496/original.jpg
This was before the advent of the semicolon revolution.
This past Saturday night Feb. 27), my friend and I went to see Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra at the Shrine Auditorium. I have not been there since my last Scientology LRH Birthday Event. What a difference. The Beautiful Lady Emcee said there were over 6,000 people in attendance and there was NO Call-IN; NO multiple emails, et al; Only two standing ovations – one for each speaker; the stage had no garish props; no loud music or explosions; no entertainment; no food; and NO COB SHERMANSPEAK. Only an area rug with a small table holding a few flowers and a water glass along with two chairs. The entire show lasted two very fast hours of hope, peace and enlightenment for mankind. There’re was NO SECURITY GUARDS and NO FAKE PLANT WALLS to keep the onlookers from seeing who was attending. The entire event was about Hope and Unconditional Love for all. Two things Scientology NEVER mentions. Best of all, all the attendees left easily without having to sneak out so as not to be harassed to donate. P.S. I saw other scientologists there too.
🙂
“Only then after ***36*** years of research were the mistakes found and corrected.”
***36 Years of research*** but the research wasn’t done by the author.
I think I will go “research” “Moby Dick” and correct mistakes, I have knowledge of Herman Mellville, having read some of his books in high school and college so I am sure he didn’t want the semicolon on page 72 chapter 3 (don’t look there I just pulled that out of my a**).
I guess that’s the way it’s done these days.
Thank you so much Valerie for pointing out that semicolon in Moby Dick, the room seems so much brighter now and I really really fully completely understand the book now!! lol
Then there’s the Amazing Randi on Dianetics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiO7zt83s0c
The above data and other data people have given me from some Class V orgs in the US cements my theory that there are now more staff members in the Church than there are Active members. I don’t see a different situation in EU either. People must remember that there are perhaps ~1,000 SO members that are NOT in public service orgs. That is the portion that tips the scales no question.
Any ‘church’ that phones its members at all hours of the day and night (2:30 AM is the latest I was called) to harangue you to buy an overpriced collection of books – at the direction of their depraved leader, does not deserve a membership.
That was the final straw for me, and thousands of other scientologists, because it was so blatantly about the MONEY. Miscavige is like a crack addict, oblivious to all except his monetary fix.
How can SI people smoke like their insane Hubbard, unless it’s to get a cancer and a heart attack, together with a schzophrenia (every scientologists believing at leat some moments that he:she”s invaded by thousands of Bee Teas is schizophren if we take the DSM that scnists hate even when they don’t even read one line of that)
Rogfer – you did not do your Basics cuz if you had – it would have explained everything. Some SP put in the WTH booklet – the precept “brush your teeth” – well, this sent L Ron Hubbard stark raving mad – just look at his mouth in that interview he did with that guy from England (that staff told me he was so impressed with Ron – he joined the Sea Org – LIE)
Finally in 2007, DM got around to removing that SP tech and changing it to what LRH intended and that was – “SMOKE your brains out” and is now in every WTH booklets filling landfills on every continent on Teegeeack.
Hip Hip Hooray to Ron the Nut!
Well, Wognitied, sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don’t. Profound, yes?
Oh boy, this is a flap of magnitude but what do you expect when you covertly ‘transfer’ any and all staff into a registrar position?
It is true, Flag auditors instead of getting their quotas of well auditing hours and completed pcs were badgered for the IAS quota…this started around 2006 and 10 years later you have only empty buildings.
But no problem for Miscavige, he has his coffers loaded with stolen/ripped off ‘donations’.
Silvia, you could have all auditors and no regs and the situation would be the same. The scam LONG ago started running out of fuel. When I was going through FDF (Flag data files) in early 80’s is was apparent that it was over no later than ~’75 based on major starts world wide. Other than children born into the cult it has been eating its own since then. Look at the OT Meetings at orgs. Most are from that time period or before.
“eating its own” laughter! grim but funny
About the Dianetics spiel the person at LA Org was given, I got the same spiel from the SO lady at the Life Exhibit. They really actually believe it. I was even told to stop reading the current version and get the new one but surprisingly they didn’t try to sell me one. Also there was no one but us at the exhibit.
We also went to LA Org, Psych Museum and Test Center on Hollywood Blvd and were denied entrance to all of them bc there was a known SP with us. Both LA Org and Psych museum politely but firmly told us we couldn’t take a tour bc a big tour group was coming soon so we would have to call ahead next time. 🙂
I guess the people at Life Exhibit didn’t think to call HQ and check us out before letting us in bc they did give us a tour. The tour guide was from Taiwan and the front desk lady was American btw
Sorry I forgot to mention, every place we visited or tried to visit was empty except for SO
Wow! A tour bus. Um Hum. I would have politely but firmly said I would wait around and go after the tour bus left, plenty of time as a matter of fact, i would buy lunch and watch the tour bus as they arrived.
Of course, I’m also known for telling “Bruce” from “Microsoft Tech Support” that its a shame his mother named him “Bruce” when he was born in India, the other kids must have teased him mercilessly.
Or telling a scammer “hang on, let me get the number for FBI Fraud Investigation Squad” when they ask for a good callback number for me.
(I wonder why I don’t have any friends 😉 )
Outstanding handlings, Valerie!
how did they know you had an SP in your party? Did the SP used to work at that org? Do they have lists of SPs at the front counter? Do they have biometric face recognition software?
Dave,
Are you taking notes?
That is indeed a creepy report Mike.
When I was a sup in the 80s, I had anywhere from 20 to 50 plus public in the course room, too much to do and always had public tech estimates waiting for me to do which took me off the floor creating even more busyness. And with the SO in the building I tried hard to avoid them, I was just too busy for them to be around “doing their thing,” they constantly got in the way and screwed up production.
And now they are running the whole show across the boards in Scientology. They have been working hard for decades to drive off anyone who does not wish to wear a naval uniform, public or staff. Truth be told it is the SO who are frying other fish, but the whole Scientology organisational ethos was always destined to degenerate into something truly creepy with something like the SO in charge. What is really real for an SO member is so far from reality it stings to think about it. Such good lives wasted.
“Keep it simple stupid,” should be tattooed backwards on the forehead of every scientology staff member so they are reminded every morning of the key piece of tech they are missing. Perhaps just under that ‘miscavige sux’ or ‘run away,’ would be good survival phrases too.
What a rock show scientology is…
Maybe Off Topic, BUT,
What has happened to CAL COLE since removed
as CO of AOLA.
1. Slaving away in Bowels of Miscavige Uranium Mine
2. Chained to Boiler Room at Flag.
3. Sentenced to Life in the Bilges of the Freewinds
Anybody,anybody ?????
Going into “the trash can of infinity”
Going into the, ‘garbage disposal of infinity.’
This is great news. The end of Scientology is not a question of if, but when.
I agree, though it is a little worrisome to hear about the sea org imports from various countries. DM has a dedicated army that think they are saving the world.
And they are introduced, or induced by, (maybe for the 1st time, maybe not) the life and alleged freedoms available in the U.S. But, it appears, by all accounts, that this is far from the reality with some SO workers brought over on a religious worker visa.
Then they are put in the position, if able to escape, of being afraid to seek sanctuary/assistance with an embassy, state, FED government or other LE/social agency for fear of deportation, which likely results in a return to their home country, ridicule, a strike against them on U.S. soil for abusing the immigration rules (despite if they knew or not – had a choice after coming to the reality of the situation or not) which could impact or hinder their chances for a legal re-entry to the U.S. to start a life they intended to start the first go round. Instead they end up becoming an indentured servant with little chance at escape or escape with a laundry list of fear attached to it.
It’s very sad for those who are essentially enlisted via a lie, which creates future problems for them should they decide CoS is not for them. They become accomplices by choice and/or force.
I do not mean to make excuses for those who are knowingly using the system in an illegal way in order to gain entry — merely highlighting the additional adverse effects when the system is used this way and then are in a huge catch-22.
The collateral damage from organised scientology knows no bounds. It will continue to mess up people’s lives long after miscavige leaves the scene with his organisation erased from the scene. Immigration will hopefully adopt some compassionate responses but don’t hold your breath. Govt as a group doesn’t get what is going on within scientology anyway, they don’t want to – it’s legally a religion. Lawyers know… that might make it worse.
Humanly destructive, sad, messy and a major criminal activity on a global scale is the wake scientology creates.
I Yawn – Reading your post reminds me to not focus too much on entheta. The cult is shrinking. More people are getting out then going in. That’s the way it is.
I’d be courious to know what is happening with the Execs of these Orgs – low statistics aren’t taken lightly, as far as I remember. Does anybody know if any of these ED’s got busted or “musical-chaired”?
Must be hell if you get into Ethics-Trouble for “pulling a make-wrong on COB (or Management)” with low statistics …
The so-called “Scientology Boom” is over. (I have been to Flag and I was not impressed nor did I make one friend or acquaintance of any lasting value when I was there. I was there for a while. I have also been to ASHO and AOLA and the only Org I slightly liked was AOLA because they never bothered me with anything.) I”The BOOM” began when LRH learned most people go Clear on NED without having to do Power, Solo, Grade VI etc. etc. etc. At that time in 1978 there was a “BIG BOOM” in the orgs only because there was an unknown backlog of unattested Clears. On the heels of this David Miscavige became the figurative leader of the Church of Scientology (figurative because all he ever does is spend money, invent expense and declare people). Even the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is suing the church for purchasing an Ideal Org property and then never turning it into an ideal org under the Pennsylvania Blight Law. 🙂
The Blight Law is not a law that is or is being applied discriminatorily (contrary to the church’s claims). An unoccupied empty building is a blight to the city not a revenue earner HENCE the name “Blight Law”. 🙂
Though anecdotal, these reports are more shocking evidence of the decline of Scientology.
In the first half of the 90’s, before Lisa McPherson and before GAT I, the Ft. Harrison HGC at FLAG was so crammed with public that it was not uncommon to wait 2-3 days for a session upon arrival and then have to wait a day or two in between sessions for the next one.
The place was being run fairly smoothly, the atmosphere was good but it was so incredibly busy that there just were not enough staff auditors to handle all the PC’s. Many times one could not even find a place to sit in the HGC waiting room…it was that crammed with people. This was not because of poor service…but because of the sheer volume of public moving through their auditing programs.
Ten years later the jam up of people was gone.The public were audibly angry about the service provided and auditing programs they were forced onto. The regging was so intense that one could not sit or stand still in a public area for more than a minute without being approached by one or more vultures. Public hid in their rooms to avoid being hammered for money. The entire tone of the place was hostile and scary. It most definitively was not the “Friendliest Place in the World. Lol.
I would add in the first half of the 90’s before list the three swing fn.
I was at Flag in 1985.
It was already pretty horrible and creepy, I thought.
My CLXll auditors main talent seemed to be drilling holes through me, looking for withholds and overts.
I’d left ASHO feeling great, excited and above all, clean as a whistle. A totally dedicated Scientologist who was ALL IN.
Flag auditing made me not only feel like some kind of criminal, but worse, a criminal that was so occluded I was incapable of knowing what my numerous crimes were!
The place was packed though, I’ll give them that.
I can’t imagine how spooky that experience would have been without interesting people from all over the world who were going through the same thing, to cushion the blow.
I think $cientologys new advanced state is called; “running on fumes”.
Potpie, I say we do something bold! Let’s make it 4 swings of the needle for an FN.
I experienced exactly the same thing, “I Wont Be Back”. The boom and the desolation and empty corridors both. To have it go from bursting at the seems to a deserted wasteland in only 10 years speaks volumes about David, let him die, Miscavige’s leadership. It is more like rape, pillage and plunder under his dictatorship.
I do love that bit about how Hubbard didn’t know, from 1950 until his death, that Dianetecs was so poorly edited that it was unreadable. That’s some heavy, back-twisting excuse making.
It reminds me of something that Christopher Hitchens liked to say about importance of the truth of the existence of Jesus. He would note that if, for instance, the ancient historical figure Socrates turned out to be mythical instead of real, it would not make a bit of difference to him. For it’s the ideas represented under the name of Socrates that matter, not the actual person. But that’s not the case about Jesus. If Jesus doesn’t exist, then the whole Christian project is blown. That’s why Christians so vigorously defend against any hint of a mythical Jesus.
it’s a similar situation for Dianetics. If someone says to Dan Brown that “The Da Vinci Code” is unreadable junk, he can just reply, “that’s all fine and well, don’t read it if you don’t like it, I’m still a multi-millionaire.” He’s not harmed in the least. Nothing hinges on that book except entertainment value. But if Dianetics is unreadable junk, then the entire Hubbard-based edifice is exposed as a house of cards. Thus they have to construct flimsy mythology about evil book editors and misplaced semicolons to try to backstop the damage of exposure. What a friggin’ mess.
“They have to construct flimsy mythology about evil book editors and misplaced semicolons to try to backstop the damage of exposure.”
Do they even know how ludicrous this sounds? That the man who wrote the fundamental “scripture” of their religion was so uninterested in reaching the most people possible with his super-amazing truth that he didn’t bother to proofread it during his lifetime, resulting in alienating millions of people with unreadable trash. And that it was over two decades after his death that someone finally got around to proofreading the foundation text of “the world’s fastest growing religion(tm)?”
Rather than defending the idea of Hubbard as the infallible genius in all things, their excuse actually undermines any hope of being able to claim that credibly.
Do they know how ludicrous that sounds? Gosh, I’m genuinely not sure about that. On the one hand, from an outsider’s perspective, it’s simply impossible to not know how ludicrous that sounds. On the other hand, Scientologists are carefully constructed thought-stopping machines. They are programmed to accede. They recognize no alternative but to maintain agreement with their overlords. Dissonance is squelched.
I agree with you. Completely ludicrous AND offensive to the whole public of the first 40 years of Scientology, really.
I was in Div VI in the mid-70’s. We had 8 staff in just the Div VI area – not including the Chaplain or the course sups. 8 body routers/public reg’s/OCA evaluators, etc. PLUS about 4 or 5 course sups. The comm course was always packed.
But I digress.
The point I wanted to make here is that if we were lucky enough to body route someone who’d read Dianetics, he was a “pearl”. He/she would be so happy that you were talking to them about Dianetics and, when you got them into the org/mission, they didn’t want to hear about a comm course or student hat (this was pre-purif AND pre-running program), they wanted to GET AUDITING and BE CLEAR.
Every single one.
So, if Dianetics was so hard to read, these people must have all been unique genius’, and far above the common, garden variety earthling. (jk)
AND, this was before all of the footnotes and “the glossary in the back, so good that you don’t even have to use a dictionary(!)”.
See image. Note the price. 🙂 and, it was only about 2 inches thick.
https://mikemcclaughry.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/cover_dianetics_1968_001.png
I’m sorry but Dianetics isn’t worth the paper its printed on. Maybe it has value as toilet paper. Maybe? Its shit mans brain does not work as L Fraud wrote. There is no clear. As defined in that crap that would be hard to call a book.
Agreed. Having read all the classical authors and up through modern era, Dianetics is the most poorly written “work” I’ve encountered. I’m not surprised that the most mentally ill generation yet encountered (Boomer’s) were the SOLE group that drove the “boom” in scientology.
Hey now! This boomer paid for auditing and training ONLY. Never a stupid “DONATION”. Laughter
“Donations” created Scientology Properties Incorporated
Back in the ’80s I bought and read Dianetics because I needed something to read on my commute. I’ve always been a person who will read just about anything.
Ok, so I read Dianetics and then walked myself into an org because I was curious about what a Clear was.
I didn’t consider it a difficult book even though there was a lot in the book about the fine points of Dianetic auditing that went over my head. I did get the concept about the reactive mind, though, and I was intrigued and curious about what a “Clear” person would be like, so I went into an org.
The person they chose to talk to me had an impeccable comm cycle. She was dressed in casual business attire. She paid attention to everything I said. She asked good questions in a natural, down to earth way. She listened. She acknowledged me. She gave me every indication that she understood exactly what I was telling her about what was bothering me – ruining me, actually.
She didn’t try to sell me anything, but she suggested that I get some Dianetic auditing that cost $50. In those days I was very broke and $50 was not peanuts. I didn’t have it, and said I’d think about it and get back to her.
She said we could keep in touch. When I asked her told me she was a Clear. “Aha!”, I thought, “THIS is what a Clear is like!” I was impressed. I liked her. wanted to go back there. I got the $50 and went back. After that I took more basic courses and was helped by them. NOT, “The Basics”, by the way. In those days, basic courses were “Personal Values and Intregrity”, “Ups and Downs in Life”, and the Comm Course. I did these courses and benefited from them almost immediately. So I stayed and “graduated” into the Academy and then the HGC for auditing.
This marketing strategy worked on me and it started by me reading Dianetics just because I like to read and needed something to read on what was then my very long commute. I don’t know if the same strategy worked on other people. For me it was a simple twist of fate, my getting into Scientology.
Nowadays Dianetics isn’t being mass marketed and sold, so this marketing strategy, workable or not, is no longer utilized to get new people in. Without having read a book, it must be very tough. Especially since Div 6 people are now forbidden to talk to new people but have to direct them to some video. That wouldn’t have worked on me. If that woman hadn’t talked to me and listened to me as she had, I would have politely thanked them for their time and walked out. Reading the book, and then connecting with someone who gave every indication of being interested in me, in actually caring about me, was what got me in.
So true! It was people that got me in. If I had had to watch even one video, I would have found better things to do with my time. I don’t have the time even now, more 40 years after the fact to take the time to watch a video, but I will take the time to talk to a person.
Thank you for your excellent comment. I have very similar feelings, and good memories of the nice, caring, understanding people in orgs. I also had very nice experiences on staff, but in those days auditors were important and auditor training makes you interested in what others have to say. Auditors were replaced by unscrupulous sales personnel and IAS extortion minions and that was the beginning of the end.
🙂
Aquamarine, I always enjoy your posts. To simply dismiss Scientology as quackery shows a lack of understanding regarding cults and the cheese used as bait for the trap. Maybe Hubbard considered it a relatively benign trap, although I find little evidence of altruism in his personal dealings.
The cheese in Scientology is used as a false corroboration of the “higher truths” it presents. Once the adherent accepts those “truths” as “ultimate truth”, it’s hard to see beyond the bubble. It’s a very clever process.
For me it’s been hard to accept that Hubbard (or any man) would put forth so much effort towards his con. It’s hard to understand the motivation of such a man.
WhatWall, I hear you.
I have a theory about Dianetics, Scientology, and the Bridge To Total Freedom. In a nutshell, I believe that what works is the stuff that is not new but based on ancient truths from time immemorial, truths that LRH isolated and renamed, just gave them a new name. I believe that the stuff that doesn’t uniformly work is that which Hubbard invented.
Example: You wants to meet someone, or become better acquainted, for whatever reasons – business, personal, whatever. You are informed by a mutual friend that this person used to live in Amsterdam in the mid ’80s. You also lived in Amsterdam in the mid 80s, so when you meet this person in whom you are interested, you mention you lived in Amsterdam in the mid 80’s, you talk about it, you listen to what he/she has to sayabout it, you get a conversation going with this person who has shared a similar life experience. You get a conversation going, which can lead to other conversations, and possibly a relationship.
Now, people have been doing this for eons. It is very workable. You can call it the ARC Triangle or call it peanut butter and jelly, it doesn’t matter, because we all do this and it almost always works unless the other person refuses to communicate with you. L. Ron Hubbard called this “The ARC Triangle” and its a very big part of Scientology. It is a tool, to use in relationships, that’s all. Its a tool that can be used for good purposes or evil purposes or anything in between. There’s nothing new about it. Hubbard spotted it and renamed it and created drills and so forth to teach people how to use this powerful tool – and powerful it IS. Hopefully, one’s purposes in using this and other communication tools are clean, honest purposes.
As a matter of fact, the ARC Triangle, or whatever you wish to call it, is so powerful that the cult knows that it cannot permit its Sheeple to have ANY communication with SPs such as myself, or you 🙂
One last note: I’m very low on the Bridge, not even Clear yet, so I can’t comment on what I haven’t experienced, as to its being workable. That said, I’ve seen plenty of OTs who left me wondering “WTF”? and I’ve also known OTs about whom I thought, “Wow! Impressive”. With me this applies to people anywhere on the Bridge and very much also to non-Scientologists.
I have my own definition of OT and it has nothing to do with a placque on someone’s wall. I think that “OT is as OT does” and that to some degree and in varying areas each of us is OT. That being OT is something inherent in each of us.
I also believe that the way to OT (or whatever you want to call the journey toward realization of one’s full potential) is impossible if one is prevented from talking, listening, hearing,reading, looking, touching, thinking about – in short, if one’s reach is cut. People whose reach has been cut in any way are not going to go “OT”…my opinion.
And last but not least, I believe that the OTs who believe that they are achieving eternal freedom and total realization of their own true selves, native state, etc.,by being very obedient, by allowing their reach to be cut, are in the worst, the very worst! and most lethal of traps.
What would be the worst trap?
A trap wherein one believes that only by staying IN their trap will one become FREE!
That is the trap that these guys are in, and its why they fight to stay in it..
Good observations!
Hubbard wrote an article published (I believe) in one of the Writers of the Future compilations about how we researched a subject before writing a work of fiction. It was very detailed about how he immersed himself in the reality of a subject. I suspect he used his research skills to discover religious & philosophical concepts that he then repackaged and sold to whoever would listen.
I don’t think one has to believe in an actual historical Jesus to believe in the ideas of Jesus, that is to love God and your fellow man.
I don’t remember Jesus leaving specific instructions as to what is (or is not) ‘Christian’
So much like one can continue to believe in the ideas of Socrates without him being real, I believe one can believe in the ‘teachings’ of Jesus, real or not.
I agree, Chee. Whether or not is was Jesus, SOMEBODY said, “You are your brother’s keeper”…”A soft answer turneth away wrath”….”It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles a man, it is what proceeds from his mouth, that defiles him.” Revolutionary and enlightening concepts. I don’t care who first said them.
Maybe not everyone. But I’m pretty sure that most believing Christians put a lot of stock in the actuality of a living, breathing Jesus Christ, and most of them on the actual crucifixion. Similarly, not all people who cling to the belief that Hubbard’s auditing processes really do help them deal with their “reactive mind,” etc (few though they may be) rely on a belief in the wonderfulness of “Dianetics,” but most probably do.
But this is specifically about the adherents within the official Church of Scientology. They are definitely staying in agreement with the “Dianetics” is a wonderful book ethos, or they’re keeping their sacrilege utr. Thus you have bad editing shore story.
You get similar back twisting in Christian apologetics, as regards why some of the commandments of the OT are current and some are obsolete. That’s the problem with sacred texts: they’re a mess under the microscope.
Hgc,
I would agree with you that most Christians believe that Jesus was an actual man.
I don’t know what Christopher Hitchens actually said but I am surprised he made that analogy.
Perhaps Hitchens was thinking of specific religions (i.e. Catholicism, C of E., etc). That would make a little more sense.
Chee, here’s a video. Hitch is reading from his book about it, and expounding on it. There is little to no direct evidence of the existence of Socrates, but it doesn’t matter because the value of philosophy does not depend on revealed knowledge. Of course, biblical faith totally depends on revealed knowledge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inCpro8NEaw
What else depends on revealed knowledge? Scientology, of course. Hubbard made endless unverifiable claims that he discovered on his “researches,” upon which the entire rotten enterprise rests. He then revealed it to his followers. Think about Tommy Davis’ incredulous reaction to the revelation of Hubbard’s real war records. He said flat-out (to his almost immediate regret, no doubt) that if Hubbard had lied about his war injuries, then the whole thing falls apart. Hubbard’s personal history and the fruits of his research are myth and revealed knowledge. If they’re not true, then nothing built upon them matters.
Thank you hgc! I enjoyed Christopher Hitchens and always watched whenever he was on a talk show…. He was never boring that is for sure.
And gone much too soon.
I always wondered if he had any kind of change of heart on his deathbed, you know the whole ‘no atheists in a foxhole’ school of thought.
I know he pubically remained very much the athiest up to his death, but I wonder if any doubt crept in at the very end….we’ll never know.
Oh how I wish a Christopher Hitchens could debate LRH or even David Miscavige! How entertaining would that be!
Debating Miscavige would be a total joke. He was “trained” as a Class IV, I seem to remember when he was 15 or 16 and probably has as much knowledge about his false religion as my Miniature Schnauzer. He couldn’t debate anything about philosophy, but he would probably would have just punched out Hitchens. He may, however, win a debate on which scotch is best.
I also miss Hitch. He was a brilliant thinker and beautifully eloquent speaker. He spoke frequently between the time of his cancer diagnosis and his death about how he won’t be having a deathbed conversion of any kind. He was totally accepting of the reality of the end of his life bringing the end of his existence, though he fought valiantly to extend his life as much as possible with all that medical science could offer. I don’t think he had even a scintilla of a doubt. Some believers love to imagine deathbed conversion of prominent atheists — they’ve been lying about Charles Darwin in that regard forever.
For those who have family members in the crime syndicate this is good news.
The” true believers”are getting very old.Traction with young people who were not born into it seems close to Now the only thing we need is to get our loved ones back and we can close the book on a major wrong turn we made in our lives.
“…. we can close the book on a major wrong turn we made in our lives.”
Great way to put it. I might steal it…! 🙂
Scientology is expanding right into oblivion.
The only ones still not aware of it are the poor deluded staffers that are kept real busy doing nothing. High pressure and malnutrition combined with sleep deprivation keeps them grinding without any thought.
Well, it is.
You know, like gas.
When you take a certain quantity of gas and force it into a larger volume, its molecules get further and further from one another, while it gets colder.
Scientology is expanding straight up and vertical right into interplanetary space, and one fine day nothing will be left of it.
Or it could be like these relics of the Cold War:
http://antonrumata.tumblr.com/post/138868610596/enrique262-the-relics-of-the-cold-war#permalink-notes