We are joined by Jeff Hawkins, an extremely talented, thoughtful and articulate former Sea Org member to recount his experiences with David Miscavige, his role in making Dianetics a bestseller again the 80’s and his journey into and out of scientology. He is the author of 3 books on the subject.
Jeff’s brilliant book Counterfeit Dreams
One of the famous Dianetics “Question” ads from 1980’s that Jeff created, returning Dianetics to the bestseller lists for the first time since the 50’s.
Aftermath Episode with Jeff (Season 1 Ep 4)
Anderson Cooper’s week-long series “A History of Violence” featuring Jeff:
Jeff’s blog: Leaving Scientology
What was the name of the 1900’s cult mentioned? I wasn’t able to understand.
The Rosicrucians.
Thanks!
I live near the Rosicrucian Fellowship International Headquarters in Oceanside, CA. They are still active.
An excellent historical tape. Jeff Hawkins is talented. I remember the cable introduction of Dianetics. I enjoyed the first half of the book. The second half was very boring as I recall. Hubbard did not really have any competition for decades and could expand and sell. Once a new generation took over after the Viet Nam War, Hubbard was history.
Re: Anderson Cooper’s week-long series “A History of Violence”
Dear Mike:
Thanks for posting this. Between that and Tony Ortega’s posting of the cherch of scientology’s Super Bowl ads from 2013 to 2022, I’m in Ex-Scientologist Heaven!
I look forward to listening to this episode. Jeff Hawkins is always an articulate and insightful person, and I enjoy hearing him talk about his experiences in scientology and the perspective he has gained on them since he left.
Those “Questions” ads he did in the 80’s were so effective! Especially the tag line “it’s the owner’s manual for the human mind”. It certainly worked on me — for a little while. I was a teenager in the late 80’s, and those ads would come on during late night television shows. I was fascinated by psychology from a young age, and the promise of an actual “manual” for the mind was very appealing. I was intrigued by the idea of a book that could offer straightforward answers to such questions. So I got a paperback copy of Dianetics, and immediately began looking up the page references mentioned in the ads.
Needless to say, I was incredibly disappointed. It was immediately clear to me, even as a high school student, that there were no answers to be found, and the whole book was a bunch of nonsense mixed with pop psychology pablum. Talk about false advertising! LOL
That’s the “cream of the jest”, you might say.
Jefferson managed to send sales of the book into the skies, Hubbard told us “Books Make Booms”. It should, according to Hubbard’s internal fantasy, have been a volcano of exploding expansion for Scientology.
Sadly, or fortunately, the book only appeals to the hopelessly ignorant or venal among us. A tiny percentage go on to the real thing, and a tiny percentage of those last more than a few months.
As one of those who was trapped for 40 years in it, I can see the pull of the book. Not that it sounds like a happy journey, just that it offers that impossible hope. It says there is an easy answer to all the pain and suffering. A few weeks or maybe a month of hypnotic brain-bending and all the madness is over!
If it really worked, think of the future! No more war, no more insanity, no more pesky brother-in-law! Just one more iteration of that stupid utopian fantasy from the 18th century, but if you don’t know the signs you can easily be pulled in. As so many have.
Up on the third floor of Building 36, the Planetary Dissemination Organization, they even set up a sort of call center for those millions of happy Dianetics book readers. A few true believers manned the phones, all long gone now.
At least Jefferson managed to definitively prove that Dianetics is horse-shit. Even given the very best marketing, you can’t help a pig with cosmetics. Only the NOI has really fallen for it, and it is not clear what is actually happening there. Books may make Booms, but this one just makes Doom.
I look forward to this, i’ve just ordered a copy of counterfeit dreams as it was next on my reading list and I look forward to that as well. The anderson cooper series was shocking on soooooo many levels and I remember Jeff from this and the aftermath of course.
Hubbard was a dumb ass Frenchman who found his way to the USA after his grandfather sold furs in the wilderness of the mid-west. Ended in Tilden, Nebraska with a mother who spoke very little. They ran a little grocery story store before his father joined the Navy. Hubbard was not educated with a very false sense of confidence. It is not unusual for ego maniacs to spread lies.
I wasted $136,000 over seventeen years on his nonsense. Hubbard’s religious narrative is designed for fools.
If I could attribute my enlightenment about scientology to one person it would be Jefferson Hawkins. His beautifully written book, Counterfeit Dreams, was jaw dropping as regards the abusive nature of Hubbard and the horrors of being a Sea Org member and came along when I was finally willing to admit that something was wrong with this group I was in.
His blog in general and his article in particular on “Thought Stopping” was the first time I was introduced to and willing to take in this concept; it was a breathtaking and pivotal moment for me.
I personally owe Jefferson Hawkins a debt of gratitude.
Thats so warming, glad for you that you found your way out Mary. I’m sure hearing things like this from people like you helps jeff immensely in return x
Jeff Hawkins is in the pantheon of true helpers. His books and website are invaluable. His Counterfeit Dreams is “a hero’s journey.” Jeff’s story is representative of so many GOOD PEOPLE who enter Scientology, and particularly who are so deeply moved and motivated to join the Sea Org. His memoir shows what happens to said good persons, including how long it can take to discern what is actually going on. The mind of a good person has so much capacity to keep seeing the GOOD in another, even when not warranted.
Thank you, Jeff, for all you have done and do. Look forward to this episode!
I can’t wait to hear what Jeff will tell us.
Seeing the full version of 360 CNN, it’s amazing how many lies have been told by all of the scn interviewees. One after the other until they contradicted themselves, but even at that point they continued with the performance.
Thank God I forgot about that crazy fanatic way of being.