Our old friend Terra has some timely thoughts to share…
Tis the Season
L. Ron Hubbard hating giving anything away for free and insisted on charging a hefty price for most all things connected with Scientology.
He preached that people didn’t value goods and services that were given freely. Anything worth having was worth paying for. Paying for something meant it was valuable. Given freely, it was not.
This philosophy has hardened the hearts of countless Scientologists, driving many toward the level of “No Sympathy” on his infamous Tone Scale. The typical church member has little compassion for those without means or who don’t meet LRH’s exacting standards. They also have no sympathy for Scientologists not working tirelessly to get up the bridge as fast as they can.
Similar Policies
Not giving away anything for free, while charging exorbitant prices, dovetails nicely with other LRH policy.
Rewarding downstats creates more downstats and justifies not lending a hand to those who need help the most. Church members have little empathy or sympathy for the less fortunate.
Scientologists are hung-up on the concept of exchange. To them, all transactions require an even exchange of material or services. In particular, they’ve been trained to believe Scientology is invaluable, and thus, the church can never be given too much.
Scientology doesn’t have the time to handle all of Earth’s down-stats. LRH said we’ll get to these downstats and DBs—degraded beings—once we’ve handled the rest of the planet.
This kind of thinking is common to cults. We are right; everybody else is wrong. We have the technology; nobody else does. We’re the chosen ones; God picked us—leaving us with his written word. Everyone else needs to get their “ethics in” and work their way up from life’s lower levels of existence.
Benevolence is not part of the culture of Scientology.
Back to Giving
Contrary to LRH, people value much that doesn’t come with a price tag:
Kindness, compassion, love
Making sure our children receive an education
Giving: Presents, charity, donations, non-profit organizations
Medical help (Doctors without Borders; City of Hope; local clinics)
Coaching, teaching, volunteering
The list goes on and on. Volunteering and giving is a big part of the ethos of many cultures. Not everything in life comes with a hefty price tag. Many of our most cherished services and possessions were given to us without the thought of compensation.
Community college in my hometown is free to all local residents—including books! Of course, so is primary education. Our library lends its books for free. Seniors receive discounts on many services. The city provides housing for low-income citizens. Benevolent, non-profit organizations abound in my neck of the woods.
I didn’t even charge my guests for Thanksgiving this year. No money was exchanged; all insisted they bring something; everyone was happy to contribute.
Humans love to give freely. It’s written into our DNA. Unfortunately, LRH didn’t understand this concept. Apparently within his family, this particular trait skipped his generation.
Not only did he not believe in giving freely, he believed in charging ridiculous prices for flawed products and services. What other organization charges hundreds of thousands of dollars for spiritual freedom? Who else thinks that the quickest way to salvage the planet is by concentrating on the rich to the exclusion of the poor?
Last Words
I’m ashamed to admit that for years, I bought into this idea of not giving freely. That to do so, contributed in some way to a spiritual worsening in individuals. Since I left the church, this notion has been one of the hardest to overcome. Especially with regards to the homeless, the infirm, the less able, and the less fortunate.
For decades, I was taught—and believed—that giving freely was unhealthy to both the giver and the receiver. Kindness, compassion, and charity lead to societal degradation and ruin. Overcoming this type of thinking has not been easy.
Sometimes I wish, that instead of giving my money to Scientology, I’d handed it out to people living on the street.
Still not Declared,
Terra Cognita
When is season 4 starting mike
Thank Q
Iav a theory why fbi & irs avnt gone for david freak misgavige or scientoligy ……
As both have delt with it in the past they no what they are capeable off how low they will go THERE SCARED lol theyl take on the scum of usa but seem to have blinders on
I cudt beleve what i was earing is it true that david misgavige when trying buy that building he used waisting of tax being spent as it was getting money of tax-payers lol
I think that if any building owned by scientoligy if a 911 call is made it should go to a pay befor they dispate
Hi Mike Rinder,
I could really do with your help. Thank you for all you have done to uncover the atrocities committed by the Church (used very liberally) of Scientology. I posted this on Tony Ortega’s site and was wondering if you had any other suggestions.
I grew up in Scientology with my mother joining when I was about 4. I have always had a fairly good idea about it but luckily for me, always had my dad and step-mother warning me of the evils. Having said that, I don’t know that I ever took them that seriously, after all I could never imagine my mother being part of an organisation that was not operating for the greater good.
I am going to tell you her story but try to be fairly vague for fear of the recourse she may face. She joined the Sea Org about 20 years ago and is trained to the highest level on both side of the bridge. I recently started a dialogue with her regarding some of the accusations levelled against Scientology in the Leah Remini series. I got the standard response, the same one I got my entire childhood when questioning anything negative about Scientology.
I asked her to watch the Leah Remini series or if she was prohibited from watching it and got the following response, “There’s nothing I’m prohibited from watching. We can watch whatever we want to; it’s just a matter of what we choose to watch.
I have no interest in watching Leah Remini as I know the people she parades through her shows with their complaints are basically the same people who voice their complaints to any media that will listen to them.
You need to understand that the group of people who complain about Scientology are a small percentage of those who have been involved with Scientology. The fact that this small group is made to look like a lot is only because people like Leah Remini use them to sensationalize and draw attention to their show.
The media thrives on controversy and sensationalism which you can see on any tabloid on your local news stand. Leah is actually using these people for her own ends and they are the same people who go from rag mag to rag mag spewing their disagreements, probably getting paid for it along the way. So I have no interest in any of that.” – Pretty standard Scientology rhetoric.
My question is, in your experience what is the best method of getting through to people.We are talking about decades of un-programming. I have asked a couple of pointed questions and may have let my emotions get the better of me at one point so she has started using ‘good roads, fair weather’ on me in an attempt to steer the conversation away from my questions.
All my attempts to ask questions have been met with smoke and mirrors and I am at a point where I’m not sure I can maintain a relationship with someone who is wilfully ignorant and complicit in these crimes. I am considering saying this but there is a pretty good chance that would be the last thing I ever say to her.
Any ideas?
The Ex Scientologist Message Board is set up and visited by mostly exes.
Every now and then a question such as yours gets posted – and answered with lots of good advice.
Maybe you can try there.
http://www.forum.exscn.net/
The product of the church is, the creation of degraded beings, totally coward, controlled people with not a single piece of allowable compassion for anybody, total subservience to the hierarchy.
Peggy, SO members(slaves) giving up their measly stipend IS exchange, they’re paying DM back for all the wonderful things he’s given the world, particularly scientology, and for allowing them to slave away in such abject poverty, toughening them up for the battle to come in future lives.
I know Jere 🙁 Round and round and round it goes. Too bad the ACLU can’t get a foothold there.
Rosemarie, scientology doesn’t do those things normal churches do because it is not, and never has been, a church except by defining ‘church’ so that it includes the Mafia. At least the local (to me) Mafia will help those ‘down on their luck’, sponsor fireworks shows on appropriate holidays and similar. NEVER scientology. Everything they do must be paid for up-front, at exorbitant prices.
Just further proof that EVERYTHING in scientology is transactional. You get nothing for nothing. Particularly “friendship”: as long as you are contributing to the cause, you’re a friend. After that, you’re lower than snake droppings, and will be discarded at their first opportunity.
I was very moved when paul haggis told his story and that he lost the fake friends but leah remini sin him and spoke to him he seemed so shocked well done leah
Talking of no sympathy, unmerciful and uncharitable people and cases, Mike what has happened to Wynsky? He seems to have disappeared. Or has he finally done A-E and is now working as an IAS Reg as dictated by his GPMs? And FoolproofJunior? He seems to have disappeared also. Reason I ask is that I am doing a Book 1 Course ATM and need a junior case to sign off something on the checksheet (not really of course – haha!), although it seems his junior engram has been erased!
Mercifully yours, Foolproof.
You can have space aliens and word salad but compassion is a no go. Jeeze louise, why not just call it how to become a selfish arse hole in ten months or less (depending on ready cash and available credit). We’re clearing the planet. Yes…Clear Off!
Good article, Terra! This is one of many things I never agreed with when I was on staff; this whole idea that giving without any thought of reward was seen as out-exchange and ‘I kissed your ass so now you need to kiss mine’. I never could feel love and compassion as a staff member, only people looking to pull themselves up the Org Board. Whatever happened to ‘love thy neighbor’ as taught by Jesus?
Oh, that’s right! He was nothing but an implant!
Sort of justifies a lot, doesn’t it?
“Whatever happened to ‘love thy neighbor’ as taught by Jesus?”
He got drowned out long ago by all the nasty shit about gays, women, pagans, et al.
And yet, according to the New Testament, Jesus Christ hung out with publicans (tax collectors) and “sinners”. I’m technically not a Christian because I don’t believe in the Virgin Birth, or Water Walking or the other magic associated with his life. That said what’s written about Jesus is that he preached love and forgiveness and tolerance and peace and in doing so created an enormous positive effect back in the day. Sounds to me like he was quite a powerful being who didn’t concern himself that much with what others thought of him. Sounds to me that if he were living today he’d be hanging out whenever the moods would strike him with all the people the Religious Right absolutely hate.
And…he would have booted The Tilden Turd’s greedy, lying, criminal ass out of the temple…
I can’t quite picture JC as a rainbow warrior, personally. Certainly not the type you’d see twerking to Beyoncé down the Three Legged Cowboy at 3.00am on a Sunday morning. His admitted purpose was to fulfil the laws of the O/T, not to update or invalidate. For all his lovely, fluffy words about not being judgey, he still believed in the judgiest of scriptures.
To claim “[he] created an enormously positive effect” is similarly specious, imho. Christianity has been both a constructive and destructive force in the world. Its doctrines have brought liberation and oppression, affirmation and exploitation, spiritual emancipation and psychological slavery – all of which continue to this day via the dictates of its most fanatical churches and the actions of their members.
Religionists should be very careful when criticising other religions, imho. What they might believe to be the moral high ground is often just a giant, stinking cowpat of hypocrisy.
I sincerely hope everyone who posts here has a wonderful Christmas. Try to forgive yourself for the CoS involvement. It’s good for the human soul to forgive, give and do things for others without expecting anything in return. Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:25).
Could you “former Scilons” please quit exalting the philosophy/teachings as TECH or TECHNOLOGY? Even TI cannot quit calling it by the cult’s lingo. “This kind of thinking is common to cults. . . . We have the technology; nobody else does.”
Unless you are mocking the usage, it seems to me that you haven’t completely broken free of the invisible straps that are still entangling your minds when you keep elevating and glorifying the mind-trapping-teachings as TECH.
Maybe we need a “swear jar”, but in this case it would be a “Tech jar”. And every time you call this evil cult’s teachings TECH you have to send Mike’s foundation $1.
I certainly don’t mean to offend any of you, just an observation by a never-in.
As an ex-scilon, I agree with your statement. The scholars who study cults refer to the example you mentioned as ” loaded language “. A critical step in cleansing one’s mind and soul of scientology is to STOP using the made-up words that comprise its fucked , soul-crushing world-view.
??
I don’t agree. I understand the underlying sentiment, that its for our ultimate welfare to eschew cult lingo. Respectfully, I do understand that concept. On principle though, I’m against the concept of Thought Police, or Language Police. Let people think and communicate as they wish and as they can, honestly, with their own terms. We had enough Thought and Word Police action when we were in the cult.
I appreciate that you see what I’m talking about, but it saddens me that what was offered as a helpful suggestion was taken as a Thought Police edict. (Also, the “swear jar” part was meant to be humorous, but evidently it too missed the mark.)
I’ve read numerous accounts by former Scilons of how they had to retrain their brains to quit looking at things (empathy, compassion, etc) per their scilon training. And since $ci.. is what taught ya’ll that it’s teachings were worthy of being proclaimed “technology” (thus elevating it to a “proven” status), I was suggesting if one quits calling it “tech” it helps it to lose it’s power.
Do as you choose. I wish you well.
I agree with Aquamarine.
Aqua, to me, it’s not a censorship issue. It’s a matter of repairing the damage done by being subjected to years of nonconsensual hypnosis and indoctrination, and of recognizing the role the continued use of the loaded language plays in keeping the false ideas and bogus concepts of scientology unconsciously warping one’s thoughts and behavior. I’m still reading and learning about linguistics and brain plasticity and how we learn…George Lakoff’s(the power of metaphors ) work comes to mind, among many others… Anyway, for me,the idea of continuing to use the lexicon of an abusive con is abhorrent, beyond whatever scientific/psychological issues it raises…And, yes, of course, we can disagree, that’s the beautiful thing about being in the world outside of the cult; we are just tossing ideas around and sharing our experiences and have no ” homo novus/perfect tech ” agenda to promote or defend. Thanks for sharing your views.
Cheers, enjoy the holidays!?
Hubbard renamed many factually observable human emotions and reactions to make Scn seem unique. Most if not all of them can be re-translated back into King’s English. For example an overt (transgression, sin) and a withhold (hiding the transgression) from a counselor, priest, Buddhist teacher and so on would produce no benefit to an individual. The things you least want to confront (scn lingo) might be the things which produce the most benefit on examination.
Anyhow, how about calling it the Tek as a compromise, something badly need in politics these days. 🙂
Great thoughts Terra, and very appropriate for this time of year.
I hope that all scientologists who feel trapped and exhausted will reach out for help. It is there for them through the generosity of others. One amazing example is the Aftermath Foundation.
One free gift we can all have is the gift of hope.
A cult is a business in a sense. Money and power are the main objective. A cult leader doesn’t give anything away cause like a ceo it would cut into there profits. That would be terrible to a greedy narcissistic megalomaniac like a cult leader. They worked way to hard to dupe people to giv away what they stole.
Excellent article. It explains the madness and the inhumanity of the cult and its creator.
“I didn’t even charge my guests for Thanksgiving this year.”
Who charges their guests money to come to Thanksgiving dinner? I’ve never heard of such a thing. That’s not normal human behavior to ask a guest you’ve invited to your home for money.
On the off chance that you’re for real, word clear sarcasm.
I think there was a scientology event that charged $25 for Thanksgiving dinner ? Not really totally sure. I would think that’s a joke about being out-exchange. Lol. Made me laugh for sure! ?
I assume that line by Terra was tongue in cheek / a joke.
I believe Terra meant this as an example of giving, how everyone invites friends and family to Thanksgiving, wanting to give something to them. And they reciprocate by bringing food. He was being facetious when he made the comment.
Facetious, humorous, yes.
Unless you happen to be a Scientologist.
True Alcoboy. Lol ☺
In my apartment community, one brings a food dish for a potluck, or if not bringing food, then make a small donation, like $10-15.00.
Not on the Scn concept of exchange, but just to help pay for stuff, like napkins, etc.
In Buddhism, one of the most advanced processes is called “Exchanging self and others”, or “give and take”.
That is a mental practice where you give to others all your qualities and happiness, and take within yourself all their sufferings.
That is a mental practice, but it is said that advanced beings can really bring real improvements in the life of others.
Of course, with this practice, you give your qualities and happiness without asking for any money in exchange.
That is one of several tools that are used by Buddhists in order to reach bodhicitta: the willingness to become Buddha in order to help others (and self), and that allows eventually reaching Buddhahood, the state of Buddha, in one or several lifetimes.
Love me some Buddha!
Me too! ☺
A year after I left Scn I tried EST, Erhard Seminar Training, but it didn’t do anything for me. A few years later I tried Transcendental Meditation but I got bored with it after two months although I did go to a weekend retreat which focused on quiet and peaceful which was nice. I currently resonate with nondualism although I don’t follow any practice.
I suppose after thousands of years Buddhists have observed and catalogued just about every state of awareness or attainment. If I had to pick a branch of Buddhism to follow I’d pick Zen. I like koans and Zen gives some credence to the possibility of instant enlightenment as does nondualism. I’ve had a couple moments of kensho but I ain’t there yet. (joke)
Kenshō[note 1] (見性) is a Japanese term from the Zen tradition. Ken means “seeing,” shō means “nature, essence”.[4][2] It is usually translated as “seeing one’s (true) nature,” that is, the Buddha-nature.
Kenshō is an initial insight or awakening, not full Buddhahood.[5] It is to be followed by further training to deepen this insight, and learn to express it in daily life.[6][7][8]
The term kenshō is often used interchangeably with satori, which is derived from the verb satoru,[9] and means “comprehension; understanding”.[web 1][note 2][note 3]
On the bottom line Scn is presenting its own version of enlightenment. Eastern religion (my take) seeks the goal of being at one and at peace with the universe as it is and retaining conscious awareness in the never ending continuum. Being at cause over matter, energy, space, time, life and thought is saying the same thing in different words. The difference might be that in Scn the being at the highest level is in control of everything rather than allowing everything. Just a point of discussion.
In Scn I recall a friend saying they knew an OT who was “touching upon” different “realms” which caught my interest – haha.
Elron said Scn was the fast track to enlightenment, whatever my vague concept of that was at 26 or 27 years old, so I went for it. Hindsight is 20-20. I split Scn soon after attesting to Dianetic Clear and never looked back. The auditing I gave and received on the lower levels was more down to earth. Occasionally, rarely, the thought crossed my mind that maybe I’d missed something Scn had to offer but I wasn’t worried about it.
So, if you don’t just give away things, does that mean that all the poor, over worked, & underpaid, SO slaves can refuse to give up part of their meager pay for a gift to DM this Christmas? That is LRH’s philosophy isn’t it?
Oh but Peggy are you forgetting what DM does for the whole planet? And spending every freaking day rooting out evil suppressives? Now he’s got to deal with Rinder and Remini and the Aftermath? And hopefully answering questions about Shelly’s disappearance and his whole world crumbling? Doesn’t he deserve the sea org slaves meager earnings for a gift for him? Poor bastard! Not!!!!! I would want to say no but I think I read someone did say no before. But I can’t completely remember where heard that.
PS. Merry Christmas Peggy! ☺??
Merry Christmas to you too Ann – and everyone here too. I made this great list, checked it twice, and on the top of that list is that sooner rather than later (must be patient I know) is that everyone who has lost connection with their family and friends will be together again. Have a wonderful time just being together again. (I hope mr naughty gets his just desserts too)
That’s a beautiful wish Peggy! I wish that too for all the families to someday soon be reunited.
Yes, they are under no obligation to give DM anything although it would be hard not to as I recall the money was taken out of my pay automatically. One also has the Freedom to self-terminate at any time if the conditions become untenable. I had several ways worked out; the best being to grab onto the 380 Volt Buss bars in the Control room which connect the generators to the main circuit breakers. This is the equivalent of shorting out the ships entire electrical supply with your body. Would probably make a good protest statement. I told CMO in a metered videoed interview that I planned to do just that and nobody afterward even asked me not to do it. It was just like “Go ahead, make my day”.
Oh my gosh Bill, thank goodness you didn’t take that route, but it’s no wonder a person’s thinking might go there. I get the whole desensitizing, sterilizing of conscience (voodoo that the cult do) drives members to, and for anyone to not care that you were even thinking of taking your life is really really scary. I’m so glad you found your way out from under their control.
Sure, you had the freedom to self-terminate. After probably years, or a lifetime if you were a born in, to leave, knowing no other life, nothing about the outside world since the only information about the real world was provided by the cult. You could leave the only life you had known with no money, no family support if they were members of the cult. Nothing scary about that. It was a case of the devil you know may be better than the devil you don’t know.
I really hold out hope that at some point in time following the money will be more like following and exposing the money and favors that flowed to the LAPD and the DA’s office and everyone else within that group who profited from the cult to make it impossible for them to squirm out of how they have protected this criminal and corrupt corporation. Maybe then all the big donors will find out how they have funded nothing but an abusive and criminal organization. Their good intentions cause so much pain.
“So, if you don’t just give away things, does that mean that all the poor, over worked, & underpaid, SO slaves can refuse to give up part of their meager pay for a gift to DM this Christmas? That is LRH’s philosophy isn’t it?”
Ha! “Free Service = Free Fall” only applied to the organization and by extension to himself. He certainly didn’t mean it in re his staffers. Once he instituted the proportionate pay plan, he ~counted~ on them being willing to continue to work for free.
A decade later when he knew that at least some people would happily work for free to “make a better world” while he happily pocketed the pay that he otherwise would have had to pay them, he stopped even pretending to care about paying his underlings and instituted the Sea Org. Rank has its privileges!
I have come to think of it as a type of con I think of as “Tom Sawyering”. In the story, Tom Sawyer didn’t want to paint a fence so he pretended like it was a lot of fun and got all of the other kids to do it for him. Hubbard made very very clear in numerous ways that he would NOT work for free. By getting them to do what he would never do himself and wanted to avoid, he was knowingly running a con on them. He was “Tom Sawyering” them.
In Responsibility of Leaders he even condoned use of Machiavellian methods in order to ensure that he did not die honorable yet poor like Simon Bolivar, a TRUE liberator.
A poignant article Terra. Scientology is truly a cold & heartless, vampire type enterprise and I agree with feeling ashamed for being a part of it too. Words escape me to describe the betrayal it presents against all that is decent about humanity. To eventually come to understand it is being enforced upon you by Hubbard’s extremely selfish view of life is a rude awakening but a necessary one. That guy had ice water in his veins. It took a while to learn to look and not listen to him – his Bridge is bullshit.
I guess if I had to come up with words to put on Scientology’s tombstone it’d be something along the lines of, “if only…”
One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had occurred back in my college days. A good friend of mine was putting on a Xmas party and asked me to play Santa Claus. He said I could dress any way I wanted and create the presentation any way I chose and show up whenever I wanted. Then he told the party-goers that Santa was going to drop by sometime that evening. I suspected it was my friend’s way of getting me to loosen up. (I could be self-centered and egotistical.)
I showed up in a Stan-Lee-Marvel-Comics-Santa-as-super-hero sort of get-up. I made myself a cape, fur-lined boots, a head band with a golden star, and a shirt with “Santa Claus” painted across the chest. I had a pillow case filled with presents (truth be known, cans of beer and joints of marijuana). In that moment, I was generous, spontaneous, and creative–three things I would slowly lose once I got into Scn. Fortunately I’ve managed to regain those sorts of positive qualities since I left the Church. It took a while though.
I was staff for decades..and as such, I made almost no money from it and had to work side jobs to scrape by. I just did things to make money to get by – it wasn’t the focus.. the focus, the fun, and the fulfillment was my staff job.
I felt really really good about myself in a very deep way, because of my love and dedication to my staff post.
…
I don’t know what to make of any of this anymore. To me, I feel like I discovered I spent my life working for the Flat Earth Society, with some bad overtones.
Now…just ..to have…something – – – I look to my early teens and how I was a person then, my goals, goodnesses and badnesses… and I feel like I’m starting from there. Everything else in-between is too complicated and …. upsetting..at times. I don’t trust any of it. (a work in-progress from here on out…)
Rip, I was on staff for a much shorter period than you, but I, too, eventually discovered that I had been working for an idea and an organization that was the opposite of what it advertised itself to be. Yes, it’s time/ life lost, but now, in each day, in each moment, you have the opportunity to learn and change and grow and heal. For me, that has involved a lot of talking and reading(de-programming/ re-educating myself) and reflecting and experiencing new situations, places, and people. A critical, crucial part of my recovery has involved de-bunking scientology ideas and concepts and jettisoning the use of its language.
I wish you the best on your journey!??
I’m so impressed with your mental health work on yourself Mark. Everyone needs that not just ex scientologists. Way to go! You’re very inspiring to me. #Super emotionally healthy. ☺
yes….
I’m constantly reading, looking, listening, asking questions…. just…observing…..
It’s been a little while now, long enough so that I’m pretty comfortable speaking without the terms…it’s getting pretty normal. 🙂 sometimes I can’t find “real words” and have to use cult speak, but it’s getting better.
it’s SO odd…to go from Total Certainty to…. emptiness…and nothing. We dig ourselves out and find how deeply we were in and buried… such a big job to dig out…
leaving Scn is so huge. It’s like moving to a new planet.
…..
I made my comment… because of the OP’s comment of “regain those sorts of positive qualities”.
During my time on staff I gained a very very deep satisfaction with my worth and value … I worked all the time to improve myself, to always make the right decisions, to bring people UP around me..to always help in all ways that I could.
I fought for Standard Tech, I got creamed over and over again on staff. I went to the mattresses, I had the courage of my convictions, I stood up to bullies in the org, in the SO and on the street. Even in my own family on occasion. I tried to change all the time, I tried to not be banky or down tone, or effect… I tried to take responsibility for my words and actions and just…
Wear the LRH boots.
….
When it all broke apart..and suddenly I was just done… one of the things I feel … is the emptiness and confusion of …what now? My self worth and self conception were built on a false doctrine practiced and followed to the minutiae.
Without it, …I know…I’m a good person, because all the good stuff I did and tried to do came from a goodness…but I can no longer be proud of anything. There…it’s like…there’s no accomplishment anymore. No memories, nothing to fondly recall…it was all a lie.
It’s weird. It’s like totally losing yourself or something. I’ve wiped out 4 decades.
I may be able to go back and inspect and find something in that later…but for the next few years..(at least) (the way I’m going) … .I’m just slowly getting my bearings and looking.
My arms and hands hang empty.
I got nuthin. No answers, no clue, no idea.
But I’m out, (UTR, but out!) and that’s good enough to carry on with for now.
Not sure if you have already checked these writers out yet, but they all address the issues of loss and betrayal and ennui that hit folks who have left cults after being in them for a long time:
Janja Lalich, Steve Hassan, Rick Ross, Margaret Singer, Jon Atack
A good one page piece of information to print out ( in my opinion )is Robert Jay Lifton’s 8 Criteria For Thought Reform; scientology meets all 8 criteria. It’s a good reminder and proofs one against getting stuck in another cult…
There’s a really good blog by an ex-scientologist that’s worth checking out: mbnest.blogspot.com He has written quite a bit about
the steps he took to disinfect himself of the scientological mind-fuck. It has been a pivotal source of post-cult enlightenment for me.
Finally, if you are ready and willing, let go of the cult-instilled condemnation of psychology and read some psychology books about post-cult recovery, as the good ones address the exact feelings you mentioned in your comment.
Wishing you peace and freedom!
Rip – Nice comment. Forthright and honest. I’m not relating this comment to you since you’re doing well but someone else might relate to it. I didn’t experience any abuse in Scn requiring “recovery” but many years later I ended up in the AA Twelve Step Program. An “Old Timer” asked me “Do you have a place to live?” (yes) “Do you have food to eat?” (yes) “Is anyone after you?” (no)
After that came the three most often repeated sayings in AA,
Easy Does It
First Things First
One Step At A Time
I remember in the 70’s and 80’s asking, why don’t we feed the homeless like other churches, why don’t we help people who really need help and don’t have money. Cognitive dissonance for me. The answer was we make the able more able??? If you have tons of money you are considered the able. I don’t see that. I thought it was simply making the rich buy their products….period. There are some wins along the way of course, there are some awarenesses that we are a spiritual being and that is priceless…but the price is not worth it…you can find that elsewhere for a whole lot less money and that feels like correct exchange.
Terrific article! Happy Holidays to Mike, Leah and all those associated with this terrific informational blog!
Ditto, it’s good to have manners and wish others well.
Heh Lurkers – If you are down at Flag pretending to celebrate the Birth of the Implant – Jesus Christ – to bait and switch innocent, vulnerable souls who happen to have the unfortunate jorney to wander into your trap….
Here is a little Holiday Jingle Scientological Style – for you to sing at Flag – the Mecca of Spiritual Rape and Extortion.
Sung to the Tune of
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
___________________________________________________________________________
START! the harried Course Sup Sings
Start! the harried Course Sup Sings
Glory to the $ound of ching-ching
Fleece raw meat, and mercy non e
Johnnie is out ethics – chit him please!
Joyful when my stats a rise,
Ramen Noodles are a nice surprise
With th’ BT and Cluster host proclaim,
“Audit them off before your lame”
Hark! the harried Course Sup Sings
“Glory to the sound of ching – ching!
Everything about $cientology entails the insidious cult-designed systematic dismantling of humanity, empathy, altruism and feeling. And this is why it must FAIL.
So, VM’s that attend a disaster scene should log their hours and demand an hourly rate for their valuable time and service. Remind me what the V in VM is for. Isn’t that out exchange then?
Yes Billy,
You have noticed the one-way-flow into the cult and the no-out-flow by the cult.. The Donations to the IAS are one way in. Their calls for VOLUNTEERS to sort out central files is a one way flow in. Their appeals for relief goods, for buffet food, transportation, lodging, and supplies are all one way flows into the cult. Per the tek, a stuck flow eventually stops. And the day will come when the sheep will have been ‘gived’ out.
( PS: Contrary to rumor they never did run out of toilet paper, it was always available at the cashier for 5 cents a sheet. )
HI Billy,
If you are a Scilon, you are expected to either volunteer as a VM, but not let your student points drop, or slow your donations for IAS etc.
You are supposed to ‘make it go right.’ If you have kids, I guess they won’t be seeing you much because you’re on course, or at events donating or ‘helping out’ by bringing $200.00 worth of food or making 50 hours of phone calls to get people to arrive at the event.
When the natural disaster happens, you are asked to donate for stuff the ‘cherch’ is giving to the victims. The cherch isn’t paying for it. The parishioners pay for it in the name of the cherch. VM actions are a PR action to benefit the cherch.
Thought the IAS paid for good works? Nope.
When the cherch gives water? They have parishioners pay for it or get other NGO’s to let them hand it out. Then out come the cameras showing the massive, selfless giving. It’s nauseating how they take posed pictures of every event, every VM action, and they’ll get strangers to put on the yellow shirts so there aren’t only two VM’s at the disaster.
And they are media whores. At a recent TV briefing at a disaster, a VM slowly moved into the range of the camera. He then stood around looking very puffed up about his proximity to the important people, who were actually doing something. I watched in sick fascination as he slowly turned to better display his yellow VM shirt.
People were having to walk around him to get to the information they needed. But he had to pretend he was important.
VMing is a PR action only. VM’s get in the way, are untrained, and become a drag on other NGO’s if they go to a disaster area and need food and shelter.
Not that I have an opinion about this or anything!
“This kind of thinking is common to cults. We are right; everybody else is wrong.” This was exactly my sentiment soon after I left Scn in 1982 and looked back on the experience. I had expanded it to “We (Scientology/Hubbard) know everything about everything. We’re right and everybody else is wrong.” which is obviously the presentation of a cult, religious or otherwise.
Shortly after I left Scn I hooked up with a gal who had been in a small cult called The Center For Feeling Therapy which was an offshoot of Primal (Scream) Therapy. She hung onto a few things she thought were worthwhile in The Center and I hung onto a few things I thought were worthwhile in Scn. We both agreed we had been cultists and compared notes.
The main gist of Feeling Therapy was that in order to know your own Truth you need to consult or examine your deepest Feelings. Trusting your gut is applicable in some life experiences so I can’t argue with that. The problem with The Center was that the head honcho dictated what everyone could do up to and including who could marry whom!
This is from Wikipedia:
In 1971, two trainee primal therapists (another source claims they were “therapists”[75] at the Primal Institute), Joseph Hart and Richard Corriere, abandoned Arthur Janov and started the Center for Feeling Therapy. Hart claimed: “When we left Janov, forty percent of the patients came with us….we found that most had been faking their primals.”[76]
In 1973 a “birth simulator” was in use at the Primal Institute. The simulator was a 10-foot-long adjustable pressure vinyl tube. The patient was covered with a slick substance to simulate birth. Reports were made of bruises from obstetricians’ fingers appearing on the skin of patients reliving their births.[77]
In 1977, Arthur Janov filed a $US7.1 million suit against Psychology Today, because the magazine called primal therapy “Jabberwocky”.[78]
I don’t know what if any procedures Feeling Therapy followed. I didn’t discuss that with my girlfriend. I guess the leader’s Deepest Feelings were considered more accurate than those of others in the cult – haha
My girlfriend was smarter than me. Before she got into Feeling Therapy she was a skilled laboratory technician and could always beat me at Scrabble.
I think this little poem says it all…..enjoy it as I have!
To Be Free
© Monica Moore
Published: April 2015
At last I’m free from the cage.
No longer am I filled with rage.
I am free from all stress,
Free of anger and all the rest.
I am free from being harmed.
Now I welcome life’s challenges with open arms.
This is my new beginning,
This is my time to shine.
Finally, opportunity is mine.
Nothing can stop me,
I’m a girl with a dream.
Everything I have ever wished for,
I can now redeem.
I am free to dance, free to sing.
I now see that life is a beautiful thing.
This amazing world is mine to explore,
But most importantly…
I’m free to be me,
More than ever before.
“Back to Giving
Contrary to LRH, people value much that doesn’t come with a price tag:
Kindness, compassion, love
Making sure our children receive an education
Giving: Presents, charity, donations, non-profit organizations
Medical help (Doctors without Borders; City of Hope; local clinics)
Coaching, teaching, volunteering”
Amen! 🙂
Great essay for the season Terra. Especially this season of family, love, something Transcendent and giving.
I’ve always thought that where sympathy is on Hubbard’s tone scale was clearly revelatory about his malignancy.
Hubbard put “no sympathy” above “sympathy” on the tone scale. So that means not being sympathetic is a higher emotional tone than giving sympathy.
Think about that!
This could very well be the reason Scientologists have no compassion or sympathy. Hubbard, in his gradient instruction of the tone scale, teaches that not giving sympathy is more of a survival act than giving it.
Think about that!
Sound familiar! This is the Scientologists mind set and could be why it’s so easy for them to damage people and not care. Their doctrine teaches this. Don’t care, don’t be sympathetic, it’s just engrams talking.
But to me, the greatest evil in the emotional tone scale instruction is that HATE IS ABOVE SYMPATHY ON THE TONE SCALE!
Think about that!
Hubbard saw hatred as a more survival trait then sympathy. And saw not giving sympathy as a higher emotion than sympathy!
This is an anecdotal revelation of Ron’s psychological malignacy. This is the mental outlook of a sociopath or psychopath.
1.4 Hatred
1.2 No Sympathy
.9 Sympathy
The emotional tone scale is an early indoctrination. Early in the training – compassion, empathy and sympathy are educated out of the Scientologist through study and clay demoing.
I feel an essay coming on. Maybe I’ll write another one for you Mike. I haven’t done one in a while. This topic is rich with revelations about Hubbard. It’s a topic that needs repeating in my view.
I, too, would enjoy seeing your thoughts on that, Brian. Write away!
Your essay could be “what happens when a student goes past MisUs in reading Dianetics”! This “essay” would be rich in revealing what is really going on. But don’t use Repeater Technique for your essays as laughter in this case is not the relief of painful emotion.
* Foolproof, I always enjoy your humble, compassionate insights, informed with logic, scientific knowledge, and modest erudition. It’s a pleasure to observe your boundless empathy, sensitivity, and kindness in action. I can see that one of your goals in commenting here is to expose people to ideas and concepts that are eminently useful and uplifting.
So, when you get a chance, in the spirit of festive holiday sharing, do leave links to the studies and experiments that verify the states of clear and operating thetan, as well links to studies verifying the e-meter’s ” reading of thought energy”, as well as the related studies and experiments which define and quantify said ” thought energy”, okay?
Thanks in advance, and happy holidays?
I wish you all the best in your self mental health work as mentioned above by you and Ann Davis. To start with here’s a tip – clear up the words you missed in Staff Status 1. Following on from your rejection of Scientology terms, then followed with some Method 6 key word clearing with words such as A-J, PTS, SP, DB, ARCXen, MWH, not forgetting your favorite I am sure: KSW! Thanks in advance, and happy holidays with those misunderstood words – they are really troublesome and can lead to committing overts, did you know?
Wow! I’m just honored to be mentioned in the same post as Mark Foster. As for the rest of the comment I’ll definitely take a pass. I’m already happier than you. That’s enough for me. ☺
Hi Ann,
Whatever you do/ celebrate at this time of year, I hope you enjoy it.?
“Blessed are the rich, for they shall see Ron.”
Holy Buybull
Blessed are the pure at heart for they shall be called theedie weedie!
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for they shall be called bitter apostates
Blessed are the meek for they shall be called aberrated and at effect
Blessed are the merciful for they shall be called “low on the tone scale”
Blessed are the Branch Davidians for their name bears a likeness to Dave.
Blessed are Shoe Lift Insoles for they make Demento 5’2″.
Blessed is Born Blonde for that is what highlights the hair of COB.
Bring it on, brother! Bring it on! Amen!
Blessed are those who do their OTIII when they have completed earlier levels properly.
Blessed are those who don’t run OTIII on their back porch for 3 weeks without a meter.
Blessed are those who don’t have bees (or even BTs) in their bonnets.
Blessed are those who don’t compulsively find something to complain about.
Blessed are those who (long list omitted…)
And Blessed are those who have actually studied Scientology and know the real term is “theetie weetie”.
Fortunate are those who have discovered that dianutty and scientoology are not spiritual, not scientific, and not helpful. They are jerry-rigged assemblages of lies, fairy-tales, and toxic bullshit, designed to defraud, deceive, abd disable.
Foolproof is exhibit #1 here of what the long term practice of scientology does to a person.
See HCOB Confused Ideas. Therein lies the answer to your problems. Mark is exhibit #1 here of what the long term practice of going past words you don’t understand does to a person.
FP you are hilarious, but not now you think. ☺ Happy Holidays and I hope you can find some true happiness in giving and being kind to others.
Thank you Ann! Merry Christmas Foolproof. May you have a wonderful season of love, friends and family.
“No Sympathy” on the infamous ‘tone scale’ was an easy place for me to hang out emotionally when I got involved with the cult. It was something that really appealed to me and was reinforced by the rote and robotic ‘TRs’ that are drilled into scientologists at every level of training.
I joined up as a naive and shy 20-something and this attitude of ‘no sympathy’ played right into my inability to deal with my emotions. It let me wall myself off and not express much of anything. It wasn’t until I got out and started waking up that I was even able to do something simple emotionally like cry. Any human should be able to do this as an expression of their humanity when appropriate. Not so within the cult. There it is known as HE&R. Human Emotion & Reaction. HE&R is always a bad thing, a manifestation of one’s ‘case’ and something to be suppressed. This is why I often refer to the cult’s ‘technology’ as a complete mind-fuck. Because it is.
Great post Miss B Haven – so true too. I learned the skill to block emotions while in the cult of Scientology while I lost everything including my mind. It cost me my marriage, my life as I loved it, my sanity, my children, my family, my friends and my career.
It was a bitch when I got out – to get everything back. The flood of emotions overwhelmed me when I started to feel like a normal human being. OMG – it was awful. I had so much loss in Scientology and did not even realize it until I got out. I was waxing enthusiasm and thanking LRH for what a great life I had – A slave that worked for free for an evil cult that destroys lives.
I was shattered from Scientology
BUT I was able to put the pieces back together after leaving thanks to brave and coureagous people:
Mike Rinder,
Jason Beghe,
Ron DeWolfe,
Jamie DeWolfe,
Lisa McPherson Trust
Lisa McPherson and her family who allowed her autopsy photos to go public.
Joan Wood – she was the medical examiner – Scientology destroyed Joan Wood
Marty Rathbun,
Leah Remini,
Nancy Many,
Tory Magoo,
Tony Ortega,
EX Scientology Message Board,
Xenu.net,
Lawrence Wright,
Alex Gibney,
Janet Reitman,
Angry Gay Pope,
Bob Miton
Arnie Lerma
Anon Sparrow – DC ORG
ANONYMOUS
Wollersheim and all of the the dimes he got from the cult
Debbie Cook – she exposed the truth in her email which validated my suspicions about the cult
Willow Bellotti (Jaffee) – she actually let me do the doubt formula to get honest and straight
Jon Atack,
Jefferson Hawkins,
Ron Miscavige Senior,
Jenna Miscavige
and hundreds if not thousands of others who exposed the truth.
THANK YOU!
I have some cracks and flaws still from the experience. Complex PTSD.
Scientology did some damage but I am so much better out than in.
My friends and family still in are getting worse. Divorces and financial ruin are SOP for Scientologists. The Orgs are empty – no one is coming in. It is HELL in the Orgs.
OSA and Lurkers – walk out the door so you won’t get any worse.
Sending you a *cyber hug*, Pretending. The courage that got you out is obviously continuing to help you now. Happy, happy Holidays – and the freedom to enjoy them!
And yes – thanks always to all the brave and eloquent people who have written and posted and put their privacy (and often much more) on the line to help others to escape, to heal, and to move on.
Pretending,
Getting out is great, then the second phase of work begins. My personal experience: it’s a slow process of deprogramming. The rewards are worth it.
I too feel grateful to all those you listed.
Yes, I know, I sympathize, how awful for you! You could get some Dianetics to handle that. Being stuck on the Tone Scale is no fun. Or you could research this in your laboratory by upping the Prozac dosage on the rats?
Foolproof, the great ” tech warrior “, bringing ” truth ” to the masses and doing his bit to balance the ” theta/entheta ratio ” in this sector of cyberspace-wow!
We bow down to your scientological superiority, we quiver in the presence of your towering intellect, we hyper-ventilate and hang on every vitriolic, ignorant, condescending comment you post here!
Thank you for showing us what a true, repulsive, shit-encrusted asshole you are. Hip, hip, hooray!
Vitriolic – more in your line I see. Ignorant? Not of Scientology. Condescending? Somewhat it is true but then one knows instinctively one’s level, relatively that is.
You are no doubt applying the tones scale. Being a true believer you “know as a thetan” that we are low toned. In your Scio-techno-fantasy, you are using the tone scale in hopes of bringing us uptone.
Why wouldn’t you be using it? It would be natural for someone who is always seeing life through the mind of Hubbard.
All of our faults are some kind of mis application, need wire clearing etc.
So you must be stuck in applying the tone scale. You are stuck in a particular tone Foolproof.
Words you write are right out of Scientology fight the SPs central casting.
It’s possible that you are the one being brought up Tone from all of these wonderful folks on Mike’s site.
I wish you well, even if you wish to through a wrench in these posts. I wish you well.
Merry Christmas Brian! Your beautiful spirit inspires us.
Brian, that is a very interesting take on FP’s comment gameplan.
I pictured him sitting at the computer, tone scale poster on the wall to his right, clipboard to his left.
He reads a comment full of specific points. Asks himself, “hmmm, what is the tone level of that commenter?”
Then decides how best to attack their character, since speaking to the atrocious thing they have revealed, or conflicting tech point they may have commented on is clearly out of the question.
So, hmmm. “How best to attack that commenter,” he says to himself while stroking his stubbly chin. He stares at his clipboard. It says, ‘stock comment responses.’
“Well let’s check the response list,” says he. “Ah, let’s do anger.”
Stock Comment Response list item # 64:
‘You clearly have MU’s that have stunted your thetan to such a degree that …. (insert ad hominem phrase).’
That’s how it’s done.
End of daydreaming about FP striking out to protect the ‘tek.’
Excellent article, Terra!
Terra sez:
“I didn’t even charge my guests for Thanksgiving this year.”
…and then signs off with – Still not Declared.
Well, if this blatant ‘out-exchange’ behavior isn’t a prime example of a high crime, I don’t know what is. I imagine there will be more than a little bit of goldenrod stuffed into Terra’s Christmas card from the ‘church’ this year (along with a request for a donation to the IAS).
L Ron Hubbard was a crazy, criminal con man.
Overcharging people and ripping them off is one of many of Scientology’s clever little traps that keeps human beings stuck in the prison of belief.
One has to admit one was wrong – one has been duped. THAT is really painful. I know – I had to do it.
Cringe!
Everything $cientology offers to followers that are supposed to help them have disclaimers that $cientology makes no promises as advertised.
The INVESTED clubbed seals blindly sign away all of their rights.
The blind followers are also fed tons of propaganda about “ETHICS” and “Fair Exchange” to double dupe them into BELIEVING L Ron Hubbard would never $ell them an overt product that does not work.
The BLIND, CLUBBED and INVESTED Seals then carry on for decades – trained to believe anything they are told as long as it is positive about L Ron Hubbard, Scientology and the dictator – David Miss Management. They are conditioned into NOT BELIEVING anything negative – even if it is TRUE.
And THAT is how $ciendollatry Keeps Withholding.
A book entitled “TRAPS of Scientology” shall include:
1. $cientology will over – over – over – over – over charge and collect up front for $cientology auditing and training services – all delivered for free by volunteers. Then the duped member will sign away all rights to their money “on account” or hold this evil church accountable to actually deliver what they promise.
2. $cientology has 65 years of perfecting legal contracts. $cientologists will covertly be forced to blindly sign away their constitutional rights to have the money back or hold $cientology accountable for actually delivering the promised “levels of awareness” never achieved by anyone else before. Others have achieved these levels of awareness – Jim Jones and followers of the People’s Temple, Charles Manson followers, Moonies, Children of God, Branch Davidians etc.