• Home
  • About Me
  • Mission Statement
  • Welcome Message
  • Open Letter to My Family
  • Donate
  • Contact Me

Mike Rinder's Blog

Something Can Be Done About It

  • All Posts
  • Disconnection
  • Idle Orgs
  • IAS
  • Media
  • Books
  • Fundraising
  • Regraded Being

About Me

Mike-Rinder-photo-smI was raised a Scientologist from the age of 6 and finally escaped the organization when I was 52.

By the age of fifteen I had traveled from Australia with the rest of my family to scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s home in England twice. The first time in 1966 and then again in 1969. Both occasions were for them to participate in advanced scientology courses and auditing (the scientology term for counseling) only available at Hubbard’s international headquarters. They were very dedicated and committed scientologists, and that is how I was raised.

The Sea Org

Shortly after I graduated high school in April 1973 I joined the Sea Organization (Sea Org). This is the dedicated core of scientology, Sea Org members sign a billion year commitment to forward the aims of scientology and live communally with other Sea Org members, pretty much out of touch with the outside world. In October 1973 I was aboard the Hubbard’s ship Apollo (hence the name Sea Organization) and met him for the first time.

Hubbard to scientologists is the closest thing to God. His word is taken as literal truth, not to be interpreted, only to be understood and followed exactly.

I remained in the Sea Org until 2007 when I finally decided there was no way I could change the culture of violence and abuse that had become endemic under the “leadership” of David Miscavige.  Miscavige had taken over following the death of Hubbard in 1986. While Hubbard had been unpredictable, sometimes cruel and harsh and other times humorous and compassionate, Miscavige was exclusively cruel and harsh. He had seized power and held onto it ruthlessly.

When I decided to escape the Sea Org I confronted a terrible choice – leave my wife of 31 years and two children born into the Sea Org (one in Clearwater Florida at “Flag” the “spiritual headquarters of scientology” and the other at the international scientology base called “Gold” near Hemet, California) or continue to facilitate the abuses of Miscavige.  After many years of anguished thought about the alternatives, I finally decided that things were not going to get better and to cut my losses by leaving.

During my time in the Sea Org I held numerous positions (or “posts”), many of them very senior. I sat on the Board of Directors of Church of Scientology International until the day I made my escape.

Representing Scientology in the Office of Special Affairs

In 1981 I began what would become a lengthy history working in and leading the Office of Special Affairs. This is the department of scientology devoted to dealing with external facing matters, including media and public relations, legal and government relations, and dealing with the so-called enemies of scientology. I appeared on numerous TV shows and was quoted in dozens of newspaper and magazine stories. I dealt with governments and law enforcement agencies around the world. I oversaw a great deal of scientology litigation. And I directed the destruction of those deemed “enemies” of scientology.

Scientology Training

I studied a large part of the voluminous output of scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, especially his so-called “Administrative Technology”. I also studied everything he had to say about how to destroy enemies, win litigation, deal with the media and run a spy network. I trained to be a scientology “auditor.” Few people have had the wide exposure to so much of Hubbard’s writings as there is a good deal of it which is deemed confidential.

Speaking Out

Since I first spoke out to the then St Petersburg Times in 2009, I have done all I could to bring about change to end the abuses within scientology.  I have done dozens of media interviews and appeared in HBO’s Going Clear and the 3 seasons of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.  I have traveled to Australia, England and Ireland to speak out about scientology abuses.

Scientology hooks people with the promise of making them better. It claims it will wake you up and make you happier and more able to communicate with the world around you. In practice it accomplishes the polar opposite.  Scientologists are cut off from observation and told what to think. It is a gradual process, but eventually scientologists become convinced they are the only people on earth who understand what is going on, that anyone who questions or doubts them is an “enemy of mankind” and that hurting people or destroying their lives is justified as being for the “greater good.” It is a hard bubble to break free from, but more and more people are doing so and less and less are becoming entrapped in the first place.

Scientology is shrinking.

Family Life

I have a daughter (Taryn) and a son (Benjamin) with my ex-wife Cathy who remain in the Sea Org. Cathy and I divorced after I escaped. My children disconnected from me as did my brother, sister and members of their family. My father (an “OT VIII”) was deceased long before I left the SO. My mother (also an OT VIII) disconnected from me,  and I was told by others (not my family) that she had passed on in late 2013.

I now live in Palm Harbor, Florida with my wife Christie, her son Shane and our son Jack, born in April 2012.

Mike Rinder

 

Order now hardback or audiobook

Subscribe

Loading

Important Reading

Troublemaker - Leah Remini
Ruthless - Ron Miscavige
Going Clear - Lawrence Wright
Bare Faced Messiah - Russell Miller
Counterfeit Dreams - Jeff Hawkins
Blown For Good - Marc Headley
Abuse at the Top - Amy Scobee
Unbreakable Miss Lovely - Tony Ortega
The Church of Fear - John Sweeney
Fair Game - Steve Cannane
Inside Scientology - Janet Reitman
A Piece of Blue Sky - Jon Atack
Beyond Belief - Jenna Miscavige
My Billion Year Contract
Escaping Scientology - Karen Schless
Commodore's Messenger - Janis Grady
Commodore's Messenger - Book II
Scythe Tleppo - Nathan Rich
Expert Witness - Jesse Prince
Perfectly Clear - Michelle LeCaire
Ron the War Hero - Chris Owen
donate-button

Check out MRinder.com

Recent Tweets

Mike Rinder Follow

Blogging at Mike Rinder's blog -- https://t.co/WEvBhSZnSN Website -- https://t.co/gDAGnK4a4V

MikeRinder
Retweet on Twitter Mike Rinder Retweeted
__doe_eyes__ Doe Eyes @__doe_eyes__ ·
3h

Sorry, can't. I'm listening to @MikeRinder #ABillionYears on @audible_com

Reply on Twitter 1621552930724749312 Retweet on Twitter 1621552930724749312 2 Like on Twitter 1621552930724749312 14 Twitter 1621552930724749312
Retweet on Twitter Mike Rinder Retweeted
cedarsjwsurvey Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey ·
1 Feb

Ex-Scientologist turned whistleblower @MikeRinder talks about his new book "A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology" and joins me in identifying the similarities and differences between our respective former #cults. https://youtu.be/YBVUxhwPzCE

Reply on Twitter 1620819035834441737 Retweet on Twitter 1620819035834441737 14 Like on Twitter 1620819035834441737 78 Twitter 1620819035834441737
Retweet on Twitter Mike Rinder Retweeted
blownforgood Marc Headley @blownforgood ·
1 Feb

Scientology Q&A Live w/ Aaron Smith-Levin & Mike Rinder 5:45 PM (MST) #XenuIsMyHomeboy https://youtube.com/live/sgIdM250NhM?feature=share

Reply on Twitter 1620575181021532161 Retweet on Twitter 1620575181021532161 8 Like on Twitter 1620575181021532161 51 Twitter 1620575181021532161
mikerinder Mike Rinder @mikerinder ·
29 Jan

Crazy L. Ron Hubbard's 1980 letter to Pres. Reagan explaining his plan for a national sales tax and abolishing the IRS. It was a key theme of #scientology's war on the IRS... until they got exemption. Do today's proponents know? Full letter in blog post.
https://www.mikerindersblog.org/the-flat-tax-republicans-reviving-the-scientology-campaign-to-abolish-the-irs/

Reply on Twitter 1619748863748997121 Retweet on Twitter 1619748863748997121 98 Like on Twitter 1619748863748997121 328 Twitter 1619748863748997121
Retweet on Twitter Mike Rinder Retweeted
klempmichele Michele Klemp @klempmichele ·
29 Jan

@MikeRinder just finished reading your book. I've been anti-scientology for about 30 years. Your book was so informative as to the mindset and the bullying, gaslighting etc. Every through I watched the documentaries and listened to the podcast, I found this book so much (/2)

Reply on Twitter 1619682577367056384 Retweet on Twitter 1619682577367056384 4 Like on Twitter 1619682577367056384 25 Twitter 1619682577367056384
Load More

Recent Comments

  • Linear13 on Thursday Funnies: “Elbert Hubbard was the quintessential opposite of L Ron Hubbard. Elbert must be rolling over in his watery grave knowing…” Feb 3, 13:07
  • Alcoboy on Regraded Being: “Good point, Aqua. The whole thing of eat loads of protein before auditing is simply another example of LRH not…” Feb 3, 13:07
  • Doug Sprinkle on Regraded Being: “Do they disseminate to people on the street anymore? The last several years I have walked around Big Blue twice,…” Feb 3, 12:43
  • Cindy on Tony Mo is Back!: “Wow you’re acting like I condone his actions. I don’t. My only point was had he gotten medical help for…” Feb 3, 12:12
  • Dalton on Regraded Being: “…Arslycus… 🤣” Feb 3, 12:07
  • unelectedfloofgoofer on Regraded Being: “The worst part is they’ll never realize how lucky they were not to get in the van while they’re being…” Feb 3, 11:29
  • Yawn on Regraded Being: “RB you’ve created a communication/language phenomenon with this one, but it sure puts Scientology think on the table and I…” Feb 3, 10:57
  • vǝda on Regraded Being: “Hi, everyone. Speaking of Ruins, I figure that I should probably introduce myself. My name is vǝda (vä’də). While I’m…” Feb 3, 10:56
  • Glenn on Thursday Funnies: “Wow! Thanks for that story Aquamarine. A lot like my friend who got refused. Very able, well trained already and…” Feb 3, 10:19
  • SL1978 on Regraded Being: “The amount of “cloud fogginess” these guys display is unfortunately all too real. Keep those TR’s in boys.” Feb 3, 09:52

Past Posts By Month

February 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728  
« Jan    

Copyright © 2023 Mike Rinder · WordPress · Log in