Saturday is Terra Cognita day!
If religion was the opiate of the people as Marx and my parents used to tell me, how in the hell did the latter’s offspring get involved in Scientology?
Religion…Or Not
I didn’t know Scientology was a religion until well into my HQS course (Hubbard Qualified Scientologist course). And even then, I didn’t accept that it was a bona fide religious entity but more of a new-age, self-help type of outfit. Werner Erhard and EST had set up shop locally, Moonies and Buddhists were common sights at airports, and yes, the field of psychology had become the lifeblood of American mental health.
If people wanted to call Scientology a religion, so be it. I didn’t care. I just wanted to handle my life and go Clear.
The Lure
What attracted me to Scientology and Dianetics—I had no idea what the difference was—was its hands-on approach in handling the human condition. LRH had created specific courses chock full of practical exercises designed to strip away my hang-ups and make me a better human being. Auditing rundowns addressed those very areas of my life where I was deficient.
I loved the practical aspect. I embraced the TR’s. I fully accepted the idea of using the e-meter—that marvel of modern engineering—to help locate those buried incidents screwing with my mind. I appreciated how LRH had expedited the whole auditing process by writing lists to reach the core of my troubles. I loved his administrative technology and how he’d created a vast organization to “clear the planet.” The man was the ultimate humanitarian!
Shortly, I learned that the reactive mind wasn’t the only thing holding me back. The subject of ethics convinced me I’d go free if I just refrained from committing all those niggling daily infractions. A lifetime of overts and withholds had driven me deeper and deeper into myself, depriving me of my inherent powers and ability. These transgressions had created the walls between myself, others and life. Writing up all these overts and withholds—getting off my O/Ws—and applying the Conditions would grease the wheels to going up the Bridge. To Total Freedom! Disconnecting from the suppressive persons in my life would hasten the journey. I couldn’t wait to “wash my hands,” and go free.
Da Bridge and Mountain Tops
Ron had achieved what no other man had ever done before: mapped the “way out.” Not only had he figured out how to handle what was ruining my life, he’d crafted specific auditing levels that addressed those problems inherent to all human beings.
One had only to cross LRH’s straightforward Bridge to Spiritual Freedom to achieve immortality. I didn’t need to shave my head and wear a robe, retire to a mountain top for the next fifty years, or earn a degree in psychology. Lying on a couch next to some bespectacled man or woman my parent’s age while divulging my innermost sexual secrets/fantasies didn’t appeal to me, either. Co-auditing with someone who wore bellbottoms like myself seemed like the way to go.
Scientology was different from all the other religions with which I was somewhat familiar. I’d never subscribed to listening to some old white guy pontificate for hours every Saturday or Sunday morning on how to lead a moral life. As far as I was concerned, “those that didn’t play the game, shouldn’t make the rules.”
All religious texts contained kernels of truth but none came close to making total sense, much less, containing the “tech” to handle my “case.” Outlandish stories of creation and omnipotent beings had me smirking and shaking my head. If God existed, why hadn’t he lent a hand to mankind of late? Or at least published a revised edition of the Bible or Koran so we could understand what he was talking about without having to wade through and interpret two thousand-year-old parables. Was the guy on vacation? Praying for absolution to some quasi-deity every night before I went to bed wasn’t gonna happen.
Ron and Sig
Dianetics was more aligned with Freud and conventional psychology than with any other religious therapy I’d encountered—more so than Hubbard or his followers would ever care to admit. A “reactive mind” jammed full of pain, loss, and unconsciousness was responsible for all my problems. I fully embraced the idea that these hidden traumas were the cause of my failings.
The Comm Course was exhilarating. The Tone Scale made me view people in a new context. The ARC triangle fit nicely inside my personal paradigm. I sensed the power and ability inside me waiting to be released. Dianetics and the Grades would snap the ball and chain holding me back and make me Me! Ron had mapped out the route and paved the way.
And since the Wall of Fire and OT Levels were confidential to newbies like myself, I wouldn’t have to reconcile their wild concepts with the real world for years to come—not until I was hooked, line and sinker, to church doctrine.
Last Words
I don’t know if LRH designed Scientology specifically to dupe people into handing over their money or whether he believed he was really saving the planet. Probably some kind of combination. Manic-depressive/bi-polar/Dr. Jekel-Mr. Hyde-type personalities tend to follow these sorts of patterns. I just know he was a good fisherman. And that religion really is addictive.
Still not Declared,
Terra Cognita
You have no idea how helpful this is. Makes me feel like I’m not alone.
I get what gets ppl sucked into cults bad relationships & often Abuse seem go hand in hand,Power,Money just can add to it,get Young ppl into it & they prob see things as normal until they see things as what they are
I have been digging through the wikipedia entry on LRH. One thing, out of many, what strikes me is his blatant lies. He never failed. Read the co$ hand outs. He was brilliant. I have to admit he was, but only about covering up his legion of failures by twisting the facts to suit himself. He was a con man and snake oil salesman. The end of the entry is this.
In October 1984 Judge Paul G. Breckenridge ruled in Armstrong’s favor, saying:
The evidence portrays a man who has been virtually a pathological liar when it comes to his history, background and achievements. The writings and documents in evidence additionally reflect his egoism, greed, avarice, lust for power, and vindictiveness and aggressiveness against persons perceived by him to be disloyal or hostile. At the same time it appears that he is charismatic and highly capable of motivating, organizing, controlling, manipulating and inspiring his adherents. He has been referred to during the trial as a “genius,” a “revered person,” a man who was “viewed by his followers in awe.” Obviously, he is and has been a very complex person and that complexity is further reflected in his alter ego, the Church of Scientology.[364]
Nuff said.
Terra, this is your best post yet!
I could’ve written the same story… Same attractions. Same reasoning. Good post. 🙂
Hi Mike glad to see you took a day off I know you need it rest well my friend looking forward to seeing new episode on October 10th and chatting with you during the week as always peace out
Way back in 1965 The Anderson Report from Australia described in detail exactly how Scientology ‘hooked’ preclears during their first few sessions of auditing. It was the well-known technique of command hypnosis, also known as authoritarian or authoritative hypnosis, and in Scientology it is done covertly – they disavow any use of hypnosis, ever.
This whole topic is better explained at
http://www.lermanet.com/exit/covert-hypnosis.htm
under the title Hubbard’s Use of Covert Hypnosis – Exposed.
Another writer quotes this pithy passage from The Anderson Reports:
“It is the firm conclusion of this Board that most scientology and dianetic techniques are those of authoritative hypnosis and as such are dangerous,” the report found.
Arnie’s site contains this enlightening comment from ‘songbird’, a comment which I find validated time and again when people explain how or why they first got into Scientology. Like TC here, most former Scn people never mention the hypnotic effects of auditing, especially early auditing at the lowest levels.
Here’s the relevant comment from ‘songbird’:
Thank you, Arnie. I’ve found that this one topic – more than any other – Scientologists just will not address. I’ve raised it over & over here and no Scntst will discuss even the possibility that there is a hypnotic component to auditing. Fascinating. The anti-hypnosis line must be soooo thoroughly drummed into them.
Hubbard revealed as Master Hypnotist. See article here:
http://www.lermanet.com/exit/hubbard-the-hypnotist.htm
at that site a Ms.Halverson, a present or former Scientologist says:
The techniques of counseling and training in Scientology do have an hypnotic effect. L. Ron Hubbard was a master hypnotist. Most Scientologists haven’t a clue that that’s what’s really going on.
So all that yearning for a better something or other is not the cause for joining Scn. Rather, the cause is command hypnosis during auditing. They don’t make you join, they make you feel like you want to join, but it only works on a small percentage of people. Today with such a small number of youthful ‘seekers’ on the streets, Scn is having a hard time getting new recruits.
I doubt if anyone ever regarded me as authoritative – just a regular old auditor. I asked questions and he or she gave answers. Maybe scn-ists won’t address it because it doesn’t exist.
Richard – your denial is telling, and truly Scientologian in nature. For decades academics and laymen alike have studied and written about the various forms of hypnosis, including authoritarian hypnosis.
In three short sentences you deny its existence, with the usual ‘some people say’ replaced by the definitive ‘Maybe”.
You ‘doubt if anyone’ ever caught you practicing command hypnosis on them. A strength and a danger of command hypnosis its ability to remain covert in all but its effect on the recipient.
You simplified to the point of untruth your own personal practice of auditing by claiming to be just a regular old auditor, as if that meant you were just a good ol’ boy, casually shootin’ tha breeze down at the fishin’ hole with a new fren’.
In fact auditors are trained, usually experienced, with a script to follow, a supervisor and an entire upstream hierarchy to please, a prepared set of questions, a set routine to every session’s beginning and end, and the mysterious e-meter which is manipulated with one hand while the other hand writes comments to be forever enshrined in a permanent secret folder… or not-so-secret folder…and that’s ignoring the audio and/or video recordings in progress which your new bud prolly had no ideer evun existed, yuk yuk.
You wrote “I asked questions and he or she gave answers,” but that is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but but but, etc etc. That statement is an oversimplification of a process conducted by a trained operator that is repetitive, suggestive in nature, often extended to long hours, that lowers the preclear’s resistance by fatigue, produces dependency upon the auditor, and was carefully designed by Elron and laid out step by step in writing for his faithful followers.
I’ll close by repeating my earlier quote from ‘songbird’ to Arnie Lerna:
“Thank you, Arnie. I’ve found that this one topic – [hypnotism] – more than any other – Scientologists just will not address. I’ve raised it over & over here and no Scntst will discuss even the possibility that there is a hypnotic component to auditing. Fascinating. The anti-hypnosis line must be soooo thoroughly drummed into them.”
Ta dum, ta dum
Richard if you are unhappy with the word or concept of hypnosis, then substitute the word “suggestive” because that seems to be a natural state for human beings. Hypnosis is not the version we see on TV where someone is hypnotised to act like a chicken for example and look foolish against their will, it is much more subtle than that. Try reading up on the subject and you’ll see how powerful it can be yet it works at a much more superficial level than is generally thought.
We humans really are not as on the ball as we’d like to think. For example we do not have the kind of accurate recall Hubbard and Scientology would have us believe as has been shown and proven with a number of clinical experiments any one could conduct. In fact personal testimony in a court of law should be taken with a large pinch of salt because on the whole it has been shown to be no better than around 30% accurate. And lets remember that Hubbard absolutely denied the right to question anything at any time of his technology. It would instantly be assigned a condition of Doubt and yet to doubt and question is in fact what helps to keep us sane and vigilant! Once one has undermined personal integrity in this manner its a downhill journey from there.
Ammo, I cringed and went through contortions for the first 4 or so years while reading similar references on the sites you mentioned and in Jon Stack arrivals but now its the only thing that makes sense to me after wondering why for 40 years I would give up so much including family. I believe it pertains to the training even with out the counseling. I believe it becomes very much like an addiction for many and they have no clue.
Jon Stack arrivals = Jon Atack articles
Peter 🙂
The Law of atraction as-issed Scientology for me thank God
What a trap!!!! Beautifuly set up , I love your points of view by the way TC.
Religion is addictive for one main reason: we all have a desire to experience more love than anyone in this world can possibly offer. No matter how much your parents, siblings, friends, or spouse may truly love you…they are still fallible just like you. So how much sense does it really make, to expect the epitome of all love from someone else who’s also looking for it?
From an early age, we all recognize that there must be something or Someone out there, who really can love us in spite of our constant failings. Otherwise, the most content people in the world would be those with the biggest bank accounts and the most expensive cars and clothes, who surround themselves with the most physically attractive people. But the reality is often the opposite – plenty of “rich and famous” people are flat-out miserable…and some even commit suicide. So obviously, things like money, possessions, and sex don’t hold the answer to what most people ultimately want.
I was raised by my great-aunt and great-uncle, who called themselves Christians but were very legalistic. In their minds, anything which did not explicitly and exclusively honor God was something to be feared or hated…and the same seemed generally true of people as well. They never said it, but their behavior showed it to me almost every day. I remember being physically beaten by school bullies as a teenager, walking into their home…and hearing the most depressing, coma-like readings of the Bible on my aunt’s radio. They knew all about the laws of God, and occasionally claimed He loved me…but the emphasis was far more on unquestioning obedience than anything else. That approach drove me away from God in my heart during my teens, and I rebelled during my 20s.
Sadly, it often takes making some very bad mistakes on our own, to show us how much we really need God…and in my case, those mistakes included porn addiction and adultery. I also briefly flirted with smoking and drinking, but neither made me feel any better. The main reasons I didn’t pursue illegal drugs were because I was broke, I didn’t like needles, and I didn’t want any more addictions. What really changed my life around though, was coming close to suicide myself in 2002. It took a literal vision from God, to show me how much He really loves me…and I didn’t see Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments”, either. Instead, God showed me my own gravestone, and my then-girlfriend blaming herself for my suicide. I know this phrase may sound trite, but it really was a major turning point for me.
I won’t lie, and say everything’s been peachy since – far from it. In the past four years, I’ve lost my Grandma, my Mom, and my great-uncle who helped raise me. I was always the introvert growing up, never the independent type…but now I’m 37 and on my own for the first time. I struggle many days, with feelings and thoughts of loneliness and despair. There’s times where I want to hate God, because of the pain He’s allowed to take place in my life…but one refreshing fact is that unlike me, He can take it. I can rage against Him like crazy, screaming my head off and crying like a water faucet…but Jesus still loves me anyway. I know this because when I was 22 years old, wanting to slice my arm open with a butcher knife, the God who created me showed me there was more to my life than my own pain.
Six years ago, I became interested in the study of Christian apologetics, which involves giving a rational, evidence-based defense for my faith. It has helped me immensely, though I would never recommend it as a replacement for the Bible or prayer. The fact of the matter is that we often feel pressured to perform for God, like an animal being trained. But He doesn’t see anyone that way – we’re His creations who He desperately wants a personal relationship with. But as much as God loves us, He also gave us free will…and so He will not force Himself upon us. Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20, NIV) God wants us to know Him, and be known by Him…but the choice to receive Him must be ours. Another verse says, “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12)
God is no respecter of one person over another; what He’s done for me He will do for you. The question is, will you open the door to your broken heart, and allow Him to love you? This last passage is one I quote to myself a lot, to remind me that no matter what I feel, God still loves me…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
May God and Jesus bless all of you who read this, giving you His perfect love and peace.
We do not “. . . all have a desire to experience more love than anyone in this world can possibly offer.” Speak for your own neuroses. Grand proclamations tend to shut people down and then they don’t listen any further. And in my five decades, thee of which were spent in thrall to magical-thinking, I’ve seen zero rational evidence for yours or any faith, but if it works for you and you don’t use it to club and shame others, go for it. May you find the bracing peace that comes with accepting that there is no evidence for gods of any kind and all that matters in the end is how well you treated other people. Did I convert you? No, right? See how well that works?
@ pareidolius – If you’re looking for rational evidence, I’d recommend two books – “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel, and “Cold-Case Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace. Both were devout atheists who came to Jesus later in life, through in-depth investigation. Strobel was a journalist for the Chicago Tribune, and Wallace a homicide detective.
Reading comments like that which you have just posted is the reason why I come to Mike’s blog. Your journey in life is similar To mine.I am going to save your reply here so that I can read it again. Thank you and take care
@ David Millsap – You’re welcome. I don’t claim to be a saint by any means, but I’m glad what God has done for me has made a good impact on you.
Although I’m not a believer, I’ll take all the blessings I can get.
Have you sinned again Dude?
What led to you shaking the hook?
This is a good description and rings true in many ways for me too. Thanks for making things more understandable for never ins.
…..
Recent ridiculous mail advertising a Flag World Tour Event:
“With a 500% increase in American’s now going OT at Saint HIll, just this last year, the Bridge is truly more ascendable than ever”
500 percent increase over what? This is a silly claim. Also, they do need to learn punctuation.
Or at least bring back the semicolons 😉
Bring back the semicolons! Bring back the semicolons! Also, I hope the person who stole my semi gets caught.
You made me laugh.
They don’t need to learn punctuation or anything except what gives them acceptance by their peers or their seniors. Scientology has for sometime been evolving it’s own language and a highly inventive but interpretive analysis of their own statistical regime (thin air and numberless lines are of great value to them). Truth truly has nothing to do with it and is in fact totally inappropriate – to utter it will earn you an instant declare within the bubble.
That which now emanates from the Cof$ is and was never intended for anyone but a Scientologist. They buy their own bullshit, hook, line & sinker – it’s a requirement of continuing membership!
After I read you today TC, I had to take a breath and sit back and sigh. Not just because of how you felt at the time but how you explained everything and it makes so much sense for the era that you lived through.
I remembered when we (as teenagers in the early 70’s) used to pan handle on Young street in Toronto Canada. Watching the different religious groups handing out pamphlets. I couldn’t tell you who where what and why but I did think about it.
Bless you for the conviction to try something and the strength to leave.
With much respect to you and yours
An X JW learning to breath 🙂
Do not forget his satanic background. This is basic. Remember “history of man” and his paranoia of bodythetans till death. I guess mrs Hubbard was the “man” behind the black curtain, who served him the ladies and youngsters for his sexual obsessions, also the ideas and drugs. Two of a kind. To understand this guy, you must keep this in mind. Sorry if i missed some important things, but this is stuff for some movies.
You said it. About the Satanic influence. Reading in the Going Clear book..shocking still. But not surprising
This feels like a good time to “come out” – I’ve been lurking & reading for over a year; just began to comment a bit during the last month. I’m a Never-In, but knew (vaguely) about Scientology. I got interested when Going Clear came out, and as I read the book I found things that really caught my attention.
Scientology was very under the radar here in Flyover Country, but The Forum (was est, now Landmark Forum) was introduced to me in the mid-80’s, I bit. I jumped into the deep end (as I would have if it had been Scientology that I found).
I’ve done my homework and know that in the late 80’s Miscavage went for Werner Erhard with guns blazing. I’m sure Erhard had enough skeletons in his closet that he was easy to Fair Game – he got himself out of the country in a hurry. I remember wondering why at the time –
But in 1986, I was in deep. There was no Forum staff in our midwestern city, but we had the Center Leaders Program (sort of like the Sea Org – we did the grunt work, anyway) and I was part of that. I left within a year because of pressures that were very similar to what I read here. Constant pressure to work. To get those Stats up. To register more people – more, more, more. And pressure to take more (expensive) courses myself. I had early wins, as most do in programs like this, but they were overshadowed by what came later.
I’m so thankful that it was easy to walk away compared to what Scientologists, and particularly Sea Org members, go through. My friends didn’t shun me. My family was relieved. And I got to keep my wins while escaping from something that felt more like a cult all the time.
I am in awe of the courage and tenacity of Mike and Leah, and of everyone who comes forward and risks their peace and progress by stating publicly what happened to them in Scientology. I’m 100% behind this effort. I spread the word all the time, and encourage my friends to watch Aftermath and to sign the IRS petition. Keep it up!!
Welcome Briget:)
I am a never – in and my only experience with CoS was a half hearted attempt in the 1980’s – either a Personality or Intelligence test, I really do not remember. I got the paperback (Dianetics? Again I do not remember – the damn heart attack has really done a number on my memory), but what I do remember, was that I was BORED and I could not get past the first few pages. Did I dodge a bullet, or what….
The people here are WONDERFUL. For someone like me, the information I get here is amazing. I have always been one for standing up for those who cannot – the horror stories that I here are enough to get me of my butttt and inspire me to do something. Not to mention that I am totally fangirling over Mike and Leah, heee heee:)))
Welcome to the 2nd part of your life xxx
Thanks, Maria B! Yeah – I feel I dodged a bullet, too. I would have been sucked into Scientology so easily back then. This week’s blog by Terra confirms that – I was looking hard for a way to get my life under control in my 30’s. Sympathies on your heart attack and tanks for the Welcome!
Welcome, Bridget; I’m not a lurker here but I don’t share too much (unless I’m buzzed out on my morning coffee). When I was living in San Fransisco in the late ’70’s EST was very big and I crossed paths with a lot of people who were into it. I got invited to a tea at a couple’s house and a number of people tried to do a little hard sell on me – Nothing compared to what scientology does, but still a hard sell. At one time I had a girlfriend who had taken EST. She just sipped the cool aid, didn’t chug it down and didn’t try to prosyletize me. She kept getting stuff in the mail and being urge to take a “follow up” course, but she didn’t take the bait.
I”ve gotta hand it to Werner Erhardt. He was better at conmanship than Hubbard and his subsequent lackies. He took bits of scientology, re-packaged them, and came up with EST. He got rich, then sold the thing and got out (it seemd his mother raised no fools). Hubbard must have been green with envy. A reporter once asked Erhardt what EST did with all that money. Without missing a beat, Erhardt replied: “Why, spend it, of course.” I love it.
Agreed! The article I read said that Sci tried hard to replicate the programs that Erhard stole & repackaged, but “were never as successful at it as est was.” Must have driven LRon nuts, indeed.
Erhard gets a bad rap. He’s still active and many of his own intellectual insights are in use in university courses and elsewhere. Take a look at his wikipedia entry.
Terra, another great essay. This was also me to a T. I could not have explained it better, I have found in you a kindred spirit!
I was brought in the org by my brother, I was curious what changed him so much that from pessimistic, troublesome man he became energetic and very confident. I was caught by self improvement stuff, I liked auditing, I liked to socialize in the org, I like to feel uptone and to think that iam better than folks who don’t use the tech, I never considered my self as a Scientologist and never seriously fought about it as a religion, but in fact I was one and I was definitely deep into it. I can’t understand now how I was so stupid, magister of engineering who from a first glance on the e-meter told himself “that’s a simple resistance meter” but beloved wins and gains from it (I was so happy after life repair and arc straightwire and even after graids 1-3). Scientology was fun, it was for me at first strange but magnificent hobby, like cosplay or board games for others. Now watching back I try to understand when they started to control me when I was still thinking that I’m in charge? When I became a 100% Scientology cultist?
Ps when now I had to blink on the radars I found out how easily I can beat the e-meter, my sec-check lasted 40 minutes (did you visited web-sites of squirrels and enemies of church- of course not, did you ever publicly criticized Scientology-no), that was one of my last steps out in my mind, they can’t even caught me in their own fashion.
Pss folks go to the professionals, recently I went to the psychiatrist and found out that I wasn’t “roller coastering” or “constantly restimulated” or “suppressing myself” or another crap, I was just bi polar and with meds I feel much better, better than ever. I am proud and bright minded illegal preclear )))
So true, Terra. Wow …
TC, I got you on the whole “old white guy telling me what to do” thing. For me, it’s both nature and nurture – I was always a little suspicious of religion, and growing up in Utah pretty much cemented those suspicions, lol.
Great post today.
Chuck: Spoil sport!!! LOL
Hubbard definitely packaged his snake oil into something, not only palatable, but wrapped in enough *truth*, to make it plausible. Charles Mason did the same. Hold out the carrot long enough someone will snap at it. During a time when questioning was not only allowed but admired you dared to question. Make you part of something, but never answer a direct question. The *answer* is always marked, *to be continued*.
You found clear? Great! Look at the benefits to your life. Want more? Here, now you have this bridge to build, climb, understand. Do you feel you are climbing too slowly? Now now, that thinking gets to sent in for more auditing, and you have to redo everything you have accomplished already. Just because you paid for it once doesn’t mean a lifetime supply. Oh, no no no no. You should have learned by now, there is no free lunch on this flight. Tapped out? Well, we can fix that. See? Now your AmEx credit limit will cover this just fine. Don’t worry about repaying them, when you get to level V or so you will have all the answers to dealing with pesky creditors.
You didn’t get here because you found the answers for yourself in yourself. Of course not! You only got here because of the courses.
It’s a never ending cycle. People who have been on the show hand had reached level VIII found nothing enhanced. (Unless you want to buy into the guy who talks to his cat. I talk to my cat all the time, she just ignores me.)
It’s not lack of dedication. It’s not something they *missed*. Once you get through the *self-help* that really CAN help, there is nothing more to find.
I am continually awed at the courage it must take to walk away. To look and see the wizard behind the curtain. To once again dare to question, seeking the truth is admirable. But the source you are seeking it from has to know what the truth is before they can offer it to you. Not some perverted version of truth but the real McCoy.
Best reason by far why someone would go into Scientology. That makes a lot of sense and it’s a lot more clear to me. Thank you so much.
What’s the deal with OSA? How come they haven’t figured out who Terra Cognita is yet?
How do you know that they haven’t?
I believe that one of the people identified by the Garcias as an arbitrator was rejected by COS due to being Terra Cognita. If that’s right, then OSA knows and The Owner doesn’t want a declare order being made public. Why?
Ummm…..because they have to follow idiotic policies?
from all the various bits of internet chatter, it’s just not done that way currently. Chatter is about how OSA doesn’t want to see the declares on the internet so you never get a copy of the declare anymore and they don’t even tell you you’re declared.
It’s probably still posted in HCO, but copies don’t get out. Some of the chatter and stories I’ve read speak of how they do a whispering campaign and simply tell people to disconnect.
I rarely go into orgs now and haven’t been to Flag for a bit, so I’ve not seen recent things. When I was at Flag last I did see declares in HCO behind glass.
If Terra had any question about being declared, he could just start going to events again. Show up at the upcoming IAS event and see what happens.
OSA may or may not be trying to find out about Terra – (they have a fair bit on their plates lately)
P.S. not that it matters, but it violates policy and the whole concept behind why we have declares to not give the person a copy.
They very likely know who TC is. The rub comes after they declare someone who is a well known long time member and it has a negative effect on those still in who knew the person. It makes the cherchs’ problem worse so they usually only resort to declares if it is needed to separate them from someone still in …………such as a family member.
That makes them a bunch of sissies, doesn’t it?
Yes that is exactly what they’re doing now, Coop. And I might add that if your kids are in the SO or on staff, then they HAVE to declare you in order to get your kids to disconnect. But before that gradient, they have already done the whispering campaign and Black PR campaign to get people to disconnect from you without ever showing them any kind of a declare. I know because I lived it.
Yeah, pretty much covers it Terra. You’ve tackled a large subject in few words (once again) and done a pretty good job of it.
I guess my main trouble with Scientology has been refined over the years to sort of conclude itself that it never had to be that way to begin with. It could have been sold off as a self help kind of therapy and auditing was a method of temporarily relieving different types of troubles that seems to be common among most people.
But NO! It was foisted off as the dream of dreams, promising unobtainable states and a pain/trouble free existence. Back to native state and free as a bird is appealing, is it not? And yeah, let’s end wars and insanity – I’m in! Hubbard led us up the proverbial garden path. Whether he intentionally did that to begin with is irrelevant now really as the criminal abuses perpetrated by the Cof$ is all there is of organised Scientology and the legacy they create and continue to create is heartbreaking. It’s the mafia of religion for the want of a better explanation. I suppose another way of explaining it, somewhat vulgarly is, if you weren’t an asshole before Scientology but got into it and stayed in it despite all the evidence around you of what it does to people, you are one now.
I will admit it dragged me out of some heavy duty mental crap when I first got in to it for which I’m grateful but promptly dumped me into another I did not see coming for some years. It’s a trap (bait & switch) all right and I have nothing but contempt for that organisation and its system of lies and betrayal.
I suppose if anything is to be learnt from Hubbard, it has to be along the organisational lines of, “this is how you DON’T do it!”
Your comment, if you weren’t an asshole getting into scientology, you will become one through scientology. One only has to view any of those scientology attack videos to realize just how true this is.
Just thinking about the recent victim-attack videos of scientology, or the recent Marty videos, or the satanic “inch” wives on Anderson Cooper… these people really are assholes. Are they not aware how bad they look to world?
I’ve been listening to various youtube vids of Jon Atack, and it’s been quite beneficial to hear him give various sources of where hubbard stole tech from, and then altered it.
I don’t currently feel like I have to have my own explanations for why I thought I got gain from things at the time, but the more I listen to Jon, the more I’m finding that learning how cults work on one’s mind may be helpful to my peace of mind.
Terra, you like a large number of people fell for the ‘reverie’ that comes from ‘good’ auditing.
” I sensed the power and ability inside me waiting to be released.” Just a little light hypnosis and some soul searching and you were hooked. It was and is a ‘I’ll make you feel better’ scam. But a scam it was.
Why does nearly everyone who takes the introductory courses leave? Because they weren’t handled correctly by the auditor and C/S and the rest of the staff. Balancing the ‘reverie’ and getting the next course paid for is not an easy thing. It takes good salesmanship and good psychology to do that.
Those skills seem to be going by the wayside these days. Thank God, or Xenu or any other imaginary friend you have.
TC: I too fell for the easy way to overcome my shyness, and after a huge sum paid for my family and my own courses I opened up my eyes and saw the real: OTs were no different from WOGs. If Internet were available at that time, I could be off the hook much earlier! Thank you very much.
I think Hubbard’s reason for making Scientology was simply a warped goal of acceptance and validation. Prior to Dianetics he told massive lies about himself. Huge whoppers that some folks believed, but most probably dismissed. Each lie or story got more outlandish than the last and increasingly, people didn’t believe him. Then he comes up with something that some people are interested in (Dianetics ) and then he stopped writing fiction for a penny a word. And devoted himself to then creating Scientology. People believed him now, they looked up to him, the followed him…and that’s really what he wanted all along. What’s more, now if anyone doesn’t believe him or criticizes him, rather than being hurt by it he can go on the offensive, call that person a SP and everything that entails.
And that validation is what he got for the rest of his life. Yes, I think it was about money too for him, but until the day he died he finally had acolytes who, without question, believed every word he said. No matter how ridiculous. And that’s what he craved all along.
Just my 2 cents.
Exactly!
This rings true to me. I live in a neighborhood near Flag in Clearwater with a number of “whales’ that either live here full time or have large homes for visits when they are on course. These people have total access to the internet, A&E and know full well the stigma Scientologists face in this Tampa Bay Times informed community that is suspicious and critical. YET, they continue to move in/out, renovate, host big events, etc. ,even with all that is publicized about COS, and Sea Org exploitation.
The Scientology “whales” are social outsiders here, but get the same validation from the big awards and medals from a worshipful, ego stroking COS, not so different than the wealthy “in crowd”, who put their names on hospital buildings and are large, public donors to local charities. Hubbard may have created Scientology for his own validation, and used that longing for approval to design a program/religion that connects it’s members to their shared superiority and purpose. Miscavige just took it the next step in stroking the egos of the new rich to give them the recognition they crave.
Macy, this is my take on LRH, as well. The more I learn about him, it becomes more clear his insatiable need to be exalted by the masses and, in particular, the laudable scientific community…which I believe he deeply desired membership in order to elevate himself to his desired public stature (although, likely narcissistic, he felt he had already achieved this level) I, also, believe he was lazy, possessed zero work ethic, and found little value in the day to day wonders of life such as loving relationships and genuine care of others and/or community. The latter, some may argue, was visible through the “conception” of his tech, but, truly, in my opinion, the conception of the tech was selfishly motivated and self-serving. Of course, money had a lot to do with his motivation, although, in my opinion, that was just a side benefit so he could continue his lazy and selfishly useless lifestyle while, at the same time, wielding his monetary power to accomplish his objectives.
This is not unlike the current cult leader. The similarities are very disturbing.
Teen, I agree 100%. He absolutely wanted to be thought of a some sort of scientist or explorer without doing any of the work. His insane claims of scientific reasearch that he said he did which were clearly false. I think one of the most telling examples of his mentality is the fact he bragged that people killed them selves by jumping out a window when they read whatever it was he had written. To be proud in the lie that people commited suicide based on anything you’ve done takes a special kind of jerk. It’s almost perverse. And yes, I think the line about making money starting a religion was just a comment he made later. The money allowed him to do whatever, but the adulation was his goal.
I wonder if Hubbard could create any of that today, with everyone’s ability to immediately fact check him.
Agreed. And targetting questioning youth at the time was his masterstroke. Who better to suck in than (often) vulnerable young people with little life experience, searching for something greater than themselves that didn’t involve the organised religious structure they were used to (& running from). As a child of the 70s & 80s (& with zero previous religious indoctrination), I just never got it nor understood the need. Thank goodness for me eh ?
Your best one yet.
What got me into Scientology was the idea that ‘What is true is true for you’ and also ‘It doesn’t have to be true, but workable’. (I prefer Occam’s Razor now) Later on, you find out these are totally false datums because you are expected to think lockstep with the books, the course supervisor’s stopping your progress on course until you agree with the materials, and the C/S enforcing these ideas through repetitive processes. The whole bridge is to get you thinking exactly like LRH thought, in sequence of chronology, in the exact same way he discovered the tech. In a sense, it is his reincarnation theory through mental engineering to make Ron-bots.
I recommend reading L. Kin’s books on Scientology. The greatest invalidation of the bridge for me was ‘Scientology: The Pied Pipers of Heaven’. It’s a great fiction book that goes into the history of the scientology creation myth to the explanation of the Galactic Confederation even to the meaning of the symbolism of the wheat-wreath and star on the Sea Org’s uniforms.
Exactly! You’re running Elron’s case throughout your auditing experiences, but because he was an evil, mad, power-mad loon and $cn doesn’t work as promised, you end up broke, dramatizing his mental disorders and further away from any kind of true spiritual freedom than you were before you got in.
Everyone is welcome to disagree with me there, but if you do, then…”show me a m-effin’ clear,” please 😉
I agree. “dramatizing his mental disorders”
The “cross” they use is deceiving too..from a distance it looks good ..on top of the Big Blue building in Hollywood and can be seen from the Freeway.
On closer look. Different
Who is L. Kin?
A google search will answer who L. Kin is. I started to read his books years ago but I stopped rather quickly and they sit on my bookshelf gathering dust alongside books such things as the oil stained workshop manual for the British Norton motorcycle, the “750 Command,” (had one as a kid, the oil leaking, unreliable beast of a thing it was) and their use to me now are about the same value.
The Story of Excalibur (http://www.galac-patra.org/story_of_excalibur.html)
by Ulrich (L. Kin), Germany
(Ulrich went up to Cl. IV and OT III at Saint Hill England. After he left the CofS he did some work with Capt. Bill Robertson. At present he is the chief editor of VAP, a German publisher known for the translated editions of such books as “The Hidden Story of Scientology” and “None Dare Call It Conspiracy”, who currently – in the edition Scienterra – publishes L. Kin’s trilogy on Scientology philosophy and tech in both German and English. Volume One, “Scn – More Than a Cult”, and Volume 2 “Scn – A Handbook for use”, are published, and Volume 3 “Scn – the Solo Levels” is planned for publication summer 1993.Ed.)
Ron-bots! This word should go into the dictionaties and into wikipedia!
I think it is part of human nature to want difficult tasks to be effortless. If this were not so, then the weight loss and anti aging industries would no longer be in business! I believe that some religions such as scientology fall in that catagory. I wonder if this is something that is hard wired into us or if it is a learned attitude?
Its a lot less effort leaving the thinking/figure out to someone else but I grew up thinking there must be someone who’d figured it out. No one told me that. When I found Scientology it confirmed it for me. Worked for 40 years. I’m hoping our generations now are growing up with better thinking skills. I think we all learn faster having the internet.
Thank you for the article T.C.
My spouse read this this morning and wondered why I hadn’t added some sort of disclaimer stating that I’d finally come to my senses, “cognited” that the gains promised by Hubbard and Scientology weren’t as advertised, and walked away.
Yeah…what she said.
To answer your question T.C. of, “I don’t know if LRH designed Scientology specifically to dupe people into handing over their money or whether he believed he was really saving the planet.”
“You don’t get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.”
L. Ron Hubbard 1948 In response to a question from the audience during a meeting of the Eastern Science Fiction Association.
Wynski: Thanks for reminding us of that quote.
“If you want to get rich, you start a religion. That’s where the money is.”
Gives a twist to the term, ‘God help me’ doesn’t it?
Yes it does.
I am looking for the quote from Alestair Crowley about making money by starting a religion. It’s deep in the internet. I’m pretty sure Crowley said it first.
It was the pretty blonde girl with the frizzy hair and thousand yard stare on the corner of Broadway and 32 rd street,
Just about in front of the Martinique Hotel, eh? I’m curious when you got in. I was on staff in the mid 60s there, but don’t recognize your name.
Oh god I miss you so much, you are real funny
There ya go! An honest, hormonal approach to religion. Give that man a cigar!
Ha! I have her beat! I have a two thousand yard stare!
I really enjoyed this Terra. For never-ins, when we first start learning about this stuff, it’s difficult for us to reconcile how someone can be obviously very intelligent and yet still be drawn into this type of a mentality.
What we fail to realize initially, is that most individuals don’t really know about the particular aspects of Scientology that are bizarre, manipulative, or destructive until they’ve been fully indoctrinated, or perhaps they chalk it up to “yeah, but there’s more good than bad”. Also, we must keep in mind that we currently have access to so much information that most former members never had (thanks to the massive and recent exposure, particularly Going Clear and Aftermath).
I’ve said this many times, but I feel it’s important for never-ins to understand that just because someone “got sucked into this” (and that doesn’t include those born/raised in it), it doesn’t define them in any way as a person and it certainly doesn’t indicate any kind of a “mental weakness”.
We are all susceptible to psychological manipulation by those who have their own selfish goals (look at how ridiculous much of the political discourse is conducted these days). It’s important for us to realize this in my opinion, because 1) I think it’s probably insulting to the survivors/victims of this cult when we poke our proverbial chests out and pompously proclaim “I would NEVER….”, and 2) it’s important for us to realize just how easily we can all be “sucked into” a particular way of thinking without question (for Americans, is your level of trust in a particular politician largely dependent upon whether they have a D or R behind their name? be honest now….). If we don’t recognize how susceptible we ALL are to stuff like this, then we risk letting our guard down, which others can and will take advantage of, and that means that we potentially get stuck in our own self-made “prisons of beliefs”, even without realizing it.
To believe we are personally immune to the same human impulses that lead people into cults like this, is arrogant, ignorant, and most of all…..extremely dangerous.
Thanks again Terra for another great article.
Thanks, Mick. I’ve tried many times to express this. Things WERE different in the 60s and we DID have a hell of a lot of fun working together. There were no heavy ethics back then, the Sea Org rarely impinged on us. A very different reality. As well, we were the NY Org, the first org ever declared by Ron to be in Power, both the Day and Foundation Orgs. We proudly kept the stats expanding and a steady flow of people coming in. The days of heavy Sea Org interference were yet to come. Thus my memories of those days and those friendships last to this day. You really nailed the different realities we were experiencing back then. Again, thank you.
I always appreciate your words on this, I’ve not been “helped” by anyone telling me how they would be too smart to fall into it.
…
Yet………
For myself I think I was susceptible due specific aspects of my upbringing and the age at which I was FSMed in. In addition to this, I’ve also been thinking that it may be a mental propensity/weakness/flaw/imbalance or something that also made me susceptible.
Mick – thanks and I’m sure the rest of the old timers here like myself really appreciate your comment. Understanding and non-judgmental is a rare commodity these days.
True. Very true!
Well said, Mick….as a fellow “Never-in” and as a human, I can attest and admit to quick moments of judgment (for which I apologize profusely) but, as a clinician, (eek!!) I’ve learned over the years (since my first client who appeared cray cray…but, with time, I discovered was in great emotional pain) the power of seeking and discovering. I do not believe there exists one single answer to the question of “why” someone would fall prey to this cult (or other cults) while another may not. There is a lot of research that assumes profiles, characteristics etc. There are just too many variables and, in my opinion, each individual’s journey to discover their own answer is singular to them but, at the same time, may cross-over with someone else’s experience.
With that said, I am a 5th generation (likely longer) Christian. I was indoctrinated at birth to believe Christian theology. All I have to rely on the truth of this theology is what my loving family has shared and witnessed through faith, what I’ve learned on my own through research of God’s word, conversations with God, and what learned and faithful leaders have taught. I’ve chosen to believe. I may recognize and refer to a “win” as a miracle (which is confirmation that His story is true) but having faith in something is what drives us all to gain the answers of life. This journey can take each of us down many paths until we find contentment and peace in our choices. For many ex-Scn, the cult was just one of the paths they experienced…now they’ve chosen another. I’ve chosen to stay the course and feel very blessed that my path now has an opportunity to intersect with theirs. Just lovely!
Pecking order syndrome I call it. It’s everywhere, especially anywhere money and power (and even sexual attraction) are involved. You make some good points, “being led or having a belief” is a subject many have died for or dedicated their lives to, only to realise or be questioned later, “what was I/they thinking or why did they do that to us/them?”
It’s never easy to swallow being fooled but many relish pointing it out to others from their own blind corner. Such is life. A compassionate, logical and sane human being – oh what a joy when you find one!
Great point Mick! I’ve mentioned it before, that in the very late 60’s & 70’s people were LOOKING for a way to change the world as it was then. Those late generation “hippies” full of peace & love, wanted a more loving giving way of life. The Viet Nam War was raging, young men were killed, great sadness & strife….we ALL wanted a more kind way of releasing the pain daily life was caused.
Many loving, giving, generous, sweet, kind hearted people thought they’d found something so very positive that they could fully relate to & so many others felt the same way. Hey, what’s wrong with joining “an organization” that can teach you so much about being a better person & clearing a planet full of war & hate & malice, for something that will clear the planet of so much sadness.
Ahhh, then comes the LRH sales pitch “we can fix what’s broken inside you”…..who the HELL wouldn’t want that? I had friends my age who were joining the Moonies and Buddhists who as noted were common sights at airports street corners in NYC where I worked at the time. There was so much more information being PRINTED about mental illness & better ways of coping with these issues. No one realize for a second what PTSD was…..they had no idea that the evils of war would become the new “IT” in the field of psychology. A few guys I knew who returned from Viet Nam would JUMP in the air if pots & pans, plates, utensils suddenly accidentally crashed to the floor. No one understood any of this, then some turned to drinking & smoking “weed” to cope…..others had mental breakdowns & were placed in V.A. Hospitals so that psychiatry & Electro-shock therapy & hoards or new psycho tropic drugs had become the lifeblood of American mental health. Back in those days, & even today it is STILL hit or miss with these drugs as some drugs work for certain people, so it’s more or less a game of chance.
Some found talking to someone who would listen would help unburden. There were sales pitches from the Moonies about peace & love & etc….the Moonies wanted money & would jump up & down bare foot, partially shaved heads, with bells ringing & wanting money, but NOT the same amount of money LRH was collecting.
Pay your way to cross a bridge that does not in reality exist….it exist ONLY in the mind, the same mind that tells you that LRH can “fix everything”…just unload all the bad & evil things that your mind is reacting to. Well, for most, we’ve seen & heard what that did or did not do…..& how MUCH money & for most, the pain & misery it caused.
It’s been said, “Life Is A Lesson”…& that my friends is more than true. When we touch a hot stove, boiling water, get a grease burn, accidentally pull a plug out of a socket & get a shock, get frostbite from not wearing proper protection from the cold, eat something that has made us sick, cut ourselves with a knife, needle or razor blade while shaving we LEARN it hurts & are MORE careful the next time not to repeat that error………seems like you are expected to forget all those life’s lessons so you can repeat the same mistakes over & over again…..& all this ERASING THE PAIN will cost you THOUSANDS of $$$$$
Hmmmm. no thanks….I’ll pass up that offer.
Just curious Mike how you feel today about real religion? Not a fake faith where people worship the church building or it’s money, but faith that is real, a relationship with The Maker of the earth and all within it, a personal decree of love for the God of the universe kind of faith. Not a big bad god in the sky kind of faith, but the kind of faith that talks and walks with a heavenly Father Who truly loves but is also mysterious and not to be all known at this time. A real relationship with The One True God. What do you think about this? Have you been soured towards believing in a Real Diety?
Bless you and Leah and all who are exposing what Scientology really is and the hell of what you all have been thru. I am thankful you no longer choose to follow such nonsense. I pray for strength to make it thru the rest of the journey ya’ll are on to deal with the lies and pain and destruction Scientology has done to people. Thank you for sticking to what you believe in exposing the evil that is happening.
“…The ARC triangle fit nicely inside my personal paradigm…”
In a nutshell, to me, this is a tough sub subject. ARC seems to me today to just be consciously making a genuine display of kindness and admiration and find goodness in anyone else, and they will respond with increased “ARC” back in response.
I see Scientology more as a list of ideas one could employ, if one does the Hubbard ideas’ drills on the Hubbard Scientology course checksheets, the introductory or theory application of Hubbard’s ideas, for one’s betterment.
The ideas can be consciously acted out, and one can see how positive reactions from other people can be elicited.
But it can overall hide the negatives in Hubbard’s other ideas and practices.
The whole swarm of Hubbard’s ideas contain so much negative abusive behaviors that one is trained to do (executive checksheets drill executives in applying the “too gruesome” practice, and also trains executives of Scientology into the “black eye” option of the Knowledge Report policy or the stern confrontation of the “Corrupt Activities” policy practice which is Miscavige’s bread and butter bullying theoretical basis for his acting out staff berating and physical violence, that also is L. Ron Hubbard “scriptures” always there on the table to be applied by whomever gets to that level of Scientology leadership).
But who could argue with Way to Happiness Precept 20, or argue with Joy of Creation.
Hubbard’s mixed bag of ideas and practices add up to an abusive operation.
More decent leaders wouldn’t be able to succeed though, because the OT status isn’t there to attain. The whole operation is an “OT” snipe-hunt.
“Hubbard’s mixed bag of ideas and practices add up to an abusive operation.” Yeah that was my “clear cognition” the realization I was going to forever stay “clear” of that psychotic organization and it’s brainwashed dupes.
Good summation Chuck. In addition to basically agreeing with your analysis, I found the R6 materials, confusing at first but kind of an interesting explanation. They are, imo, are a bit trappy in themselves as they are extremely negative and show life as a continual battle of which you are an unwitting player following along, gaining enemies/opponents and getting suckered into apathy and changing sides until you eventually drop the whole thing and start all over again with something similar but never varying the formula of the battle, just the identities. I still think it’s interesting but the time span of these games is a little hard to comprehend and it’s all more than likely all bs anyway. But as far as getting the stated God like abilities of OT at the end of the rainbow with Scientology – naw!
Yes, Hubbard’s mixed bag of ideas and practices did add up being a very abusive black ops scenario that infiltrated far further into good natured people’s psyches than is easy to comprehend. It made robots out of people. It is good the crap about Scientology is finding the light of day and the organisation is being attacked for what it is – a dangerous criminally intended scam.
Thank you. Insightful.
And convincing….
You didn’t know it was a religion because it’s NOT.
It’s a vicious, toxic, evil, totalitarian, militant CULT. It has NO redeeming values. None. And they never will. Nothing good can come from joining Scientology. Only heart break.