Peridot. Thank you. It is a path to get out of it. What I finally realized is that scn doesn’t know anything about us. What happens is that we get ‘introverted’ by all the bullshit they tell and we start rummaging inside thinking there must be something wrong with us. This is what happens and then we get stuck inside. But in fact there is nothing wrong with us and with our true essence. It’s just a damn trap to recognize and never fall for it again.

@Loosing my Religion, I appreciate your words. When first out, I considered, if an intention-packed staff or Sea Org member got in front of me, they might succeed in “hooking” me back again. I feel differently now (not vulnerable).

I believe the wisdom here that you write: the traps are cleverly and carefully laid. It is a whole other level of “covert.” Like you, this blog helps me with my education.

On the “critical thought always indicate overts” – I hear you. If that were true, by Hubbard’s standards, there would be no need for his “Doubt Formula” where you get to sift through and weigh out: “Does this group or activity suit me?” If there was never any valid reason to depart an activity, then the Doubt formula would simply say, “Write up your overts & withholds and get back to what you were doing.”

Further, in one of the Ron Miscavige, Sr. YouTube programs, “Life After Scientology,” he interviews a professional vocalist who was a guest artist on the Apollo ship with ample face time being around Hubbard. She calmly explains her recall of Hubbard making a decision to switch the order of importance of Affinity-Reality-Communication breaks and Overt-Withholds. She remembers that Hubbard made a decision to trumpet Overts & Withholds as the primary “indicator” and item to be tackled for one reason: control.

According to this source, Hubbard did consider ARC to be the primary governing factor in one’s state, not overts & withholds, but he switched them in priority to address.

I enjoyed all of the Ron Miscavige, Sr. interviews. That one stood out.

Interesting Jere. Good points indeed!

Peacemaker. What you write gives the right idea of how things are going at the moment.
However, I wonder how long DM will be able to maintain this situation of precarious balance as the flow of new members has been interrupted – and will remain so – and an internal cannibalism activity has begun on those who remained, given that fundraising must continue to regardless of everything.
And this, sooner or later, will make other people flee.

Jere, I agree, disconnection is sort of the glue holding the CofS together at this point. It’s sort of deviously clever, or at least brutally effective, on DM’s part, people don’t dare leave because of the social, family, and business consequences – and they even manage to suck a few people back in, in hopes of restoring family connections.

Peridot, that’s a GREAT wognition! Welcome back to the real world.

Comparing someone to Hubbard is easy: Even *I* am a better writer than he is, I do believe.

Routing out of the SO would be another cut-out separating Davey-Boy from the crimes committed in his name. THEN they promoted the fiction that there IS no Sea Org. Funny! WHO was I working for and studying with from ’75 to ’80, then?