I came across this on Twitter. Jeffrey Palmaccio (his twitter handle is @longisland1892), a Masters of Journalism student at Hofstra University, wrote this mini capstone in December 2020 about scientology (I had to look that up:
Jeffrey explained when I reached out to him that he had “been a victim of high control groups, namely radicalized political groups, and your story and advocacy work with Leah is tremendously courageous and immensely helpful to me and so many more.
It means so much to me that you took the time to read my work, with your hectic schedule, and for the feedback!
I’m so appreciative of the brave and necessary work that you, Leah and so many other ex Scientologist continue to do.
I’m a born and raised New Yorker like Leah, with Australian family too. In the 70s my Aunt lost one of her dear friends to Scientology.
Jeffrey has put together a pretty remarkable summary of scientology’s dark side. Here is the link to the site for the full article:
Ballet Lady, there was no “reply” button on your comment but I wanted to thank you for such a lovely and caring comment. And I’m so glad that your brother in law and his wife stepped up to raise those boys when both their parents died. With love all is possible. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Just for curiosity how did a student’s capstone project or mini capstone as the case might be end up on the internet where Mike read it? Did he set up a website or something? What might be the readership? Also is he expanding on it as part of a Master’s thesis?
I just looked at the address on the link and I guess he posted it on Hoftra’s website or something. Other than commenting on a couple of scn blogs over the last five years I don’t participate on social media so I’m not familiar with the ins and outs.
Who tweeted who on which twitter that Mike and Jeffrey became acquainted. . . . . . . .. (joke)
Ugh 😣 I should pay more attention before I post. It says in the topic that Jeffrey is a Masters of Journalism student. At least he’s getting some free constructive criticism below before he writes his thesis- lol
Of COURSE journalists are fair game. They might just tell the truth — and be BELIEVED by their readers. scientology just can’t HANDLE the truth!
how ironic that Jack Nicholson shouted at Tom Cruise in “A Few Good Men”
YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
Journalism is a tough business these days with many journalists being called simply opinion piece writers. Jeffrey will probably look in at the topic to see what people have to say and just by chance I happened to watch a video on C-Span’s Booktv show yesterday with a Harvard psychology professor and a journalist discussing the journalists new book. He might want to take a look.
Quite oversimplified, it discusses the information war currently going on with the “right” using disinformation and the “left” using cancel culture.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?512543-1/the-constitution-knowledge
Jonathan Rauch, “The Constitution of Knowledge – A Defense of Truth” (virtual)
Jun 11, 2021 … Brookings Institution senior fellow Jonathan Rauch suggested that cancel culture and social media disinformation are eroding the truth.
You need to read Sharyl Atkisson’s books and listen to this talk. Journalism died with Cronkite, who was an anti-military activist who showed American soldiers in Vietnam in the worst possible light in order to sway public opinion — and it worked. All those soldiers who returned home to be spit on and reviled by their fellow countrymen (who were all about love, by the way) can directly thank Cronkite for their treatment.
Now, more than ever, so-called “journalists” have completely abdicated their traditional responsibility of holding elected officials accountable . In fact, those who call themselves journalists consider themselves the news-makers,the movers and shakers, and the kingmakers.
Instead of championing free discussion and and the freedom to know, so-called journalists have appointed themselves the arbiters of information, and have usurped the power to decide what the people are allowed to see. This occurs on both right and left, though it is an indisputable fact that the left is currently in charge of the ship. When a judge refers to the New York Times as “disinformation,” you know it’s bad.
Watch: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYAQ-ZZtEU
Kimo – Thanks. I like Atkinson’s metaphor of Astroturf foundations or organizations falsely posing as “grassroots”. Scn has lots of them.
The reviews on Amazon say that while Rauch leans left he presents a balanced view. We’ll see – I ordered the book. Not all journalists are propagandists.
The great divide of people with different political, economic and philosophical beliefs is obvious to people. The flight from truth and reality is an ongoing discussion on scn blogs and ex scns and others who follow scn have a broad background and knowledge on that discussion.
There is the possibility that the pendulum will swing to rationality rather than Big Brother but it will be a slow generational change. In the meantime I believe the checks and balances in the Constitution will cancel out the most radical extremes. Call me an optimist and I choose not to get stuck in “fixed opinions” in scn lingo. When I first registered to vote I put down Democrat but I need to figure out how to change that to Independent. haha – my 2 cents
https://www.amazon.com/Constitution-Knowledge-Jonathan-Rauch/dp/0815738862/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UIE5P0UB5HLV&dchild=1&keywords=jonathan+rauch+the+constitution+of+knowledge&qid=162799
Richard, you’re right that not all journalists are propagandists, though the corporate model kind of dictates that those who belong to thost corporations fill that slot. That fact means that true journalism is in the process of reverting to those to whom it rightly belongs — the citizen journalists who walk around with their eyes open.
I will get myself a copy of that book too, and read it. It’s fun to discover whether one’s beliefs are still right or whether one needs to grow some more. Well, maybe “fun” isn’t quite the right word… but rewarding, maybe?
And I completely agree that the right has its cancel culture as well. Huck Finn is an interesting dichotomy, though; both the left and the right have or are cancelling it, for different reasons, both of which prove a narrowness of thought that is distressing in any circumstance. When I was a high school English teacher, I was mortified that the department head unilaterally discarded To Kill a Mockingbird in favor of a hagiography of Steve Jobs… ugh.
That said, the Constitution only protects to the extent it’s followed, and though neither side is blameless, currently the Left is the one that is mostly ignoring constitutional principles. Changing it requires a convention. Ignoring it just requires complicit law enforcement entities and public apathy, both of which are in abundance.
Kimo – That’s an excellent overview. I’ll ramble on a bit in response to you and PeaceMaker below. I have my own opinions and probably biases and it’s worth taking a look at them. A lifelong friend of mine is a “progressive” and presents some of the usual arguments like “Rich people are too rich and that’s not fair.” He suggests that Jeff Bezos should be more than happy with a $50 million a year income and I suppose he has a point. I suggested that was arbitrary and I asked him if he believed that “decent, honest” politicians could be entrusted to determine what amount of income for people was acceptable but that didn’t go far – lol
On a video I watched which was unrelated to scn some professor or someone with some sort of credential was saying that if you are talking to someone who has an opposite viewpoint you might first say “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying.” and repeat back to the person what they said. She then mentioned that the most important thing is that the person you are speaking with feels acknowledged since so often people don’t feel they are being acknowledged and that usually calms down a heated debate. If that doesn’t remind an ex scn of the Communication Course I don’t know what would!
Continued rambling – Regarding the Constitution and public apathy I would suggest that a large percentage of the US population, maybe more than half is or was disinterested in politics as usual as long as their own life was largely unaffected. Here comes a controversial statement – Trump made politics interesting! A lot more people started paying attention and forming opinions.
In the “Look Inside” feature of Rauch’s book on Amazon Rauch notes several stupidities and lies coming from Trump. The current President/Administration is accumulating its own collection of stupidities and lies. Life goes on. End of my political commentary with the exception that I hope that Trump stfu but it’s highly unlikely. Lol
Richard, that looks like a good book. I bought it, but haven’t had time yet to read it.
I take it as a good balanced book as it seems to take the view, as I generally find to be the case, that both ideologial extremes have their own particular forms of intolerance and excess.
And I would note also, that in my observation, the right has its own version of cancel culture that is so long-running and ingrained that we hardly even notice when for instance, for the umpteenth year in the zillionth place they try to get books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain banned, or object to science education like evolution; the ‘moral majority’ of the 1980s with their attempts to boycott Disney and get records banned also seems almost lost in the post-McCarthy witch hunt normal, and so on.
Frequently Challenged Books:
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks
Peacemaker – Thanks. We’re on the same “wavelength”. At a quick glance I pulled this from the ALA, American Library Association, reference. A chance for rationality? haha
“Explore additional frequently challenged books by topic, genre, time, and audience. While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read. Banned Books Week is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and draws attention to the harms of censorship.”
I could reply further but for now my brain cells are fried and I need to regenerate. :-))
Young Mr. Palmaccio shsows he understands the heart of Scientologist’s beliefs with his simple opening statement: “Scientology is a penitentiary of certainty… ” Scientologists who have been fully indoctrinated into Hubbard’s long con are Certain of so much. Their Certainty prevents them from seeing the simple truths of the world around them. Penitentiary of Certainty or Prison of Belief, it is all of a piece.
Scientologists are Certain that Disconnection is necessary to prevent Suppressive Persons or Potential Trouble Sources from stealing their Eternity. How that might happen is not well specified, but it’s easy to see the real threat is the outside information that might draw the Scientologist away from Hubbards teachings, and away from spending time (and especially money) at the cherch.
Disconnection most often results in heartbreak and lost souls for all the parties involved. Read today’s first comment, and feel the hunger a mother has for contact with her long-Disconnected daughter. But the Certainty Prison of Scientology that surrounds the daughter supports and reinforces her Disconnection, at least for now. It’s sad. This mother, and all who suffer from Disconnection, have our sympathy, and our hopes for a better future around the corner.
Young Mr. Palmaccio is helping to spread the message that Scientology is a prison of certainty. As he, and others like him, write scholarly papers, conduct interviews, and generally shine the light of Truth on Scientology’s abuse of its own membership, that same membership may become less and less Certain of the ‘truths’ of Hubbard, such as they may be.
And that could be a Good Thing.
Just because he’s a student doesn’t mean he’s young. It would seem that in that field one might want to have some outside experience before persuing a Masters degree. Maybe the mini capstone is practice.
Scientology Fair Game policies are the most self defeating policies ever invented by an organization. These even surpass the stupidity of the Roman Emperor’s who hunted down and killed Christians. Hubbard invited members to destroy his enemies. Well this might work if Scientology had millions of members. The truth is that ex-scientologists outumber members by at least 10-20 to one. The magnitude of the force these Scientologists can exert is minimal, The general population could storm every Scientology building and destroy them in one day. My old buddy is a former Scientologist and cannot speak to his grand kids. I got news for you if that was me, I would literally burn down the Flag Land Base in Clearwater. No one would object Beware Scientology. Your money will keep you afloat but you can be destroyed in a matter of days.
By now, there are more “bitter defrocked apostates” than scientologists “in good standing”.
What an excellent post.
More TRUTH
More Knowledge
More Data
Fair GAME always contains a lot of HATE.
It is interesting that in country after country, the same story of family destruction, divisiveness and HATE is told.
BECAUSE
Its in the IDEOLOGY.
A high control authoritarian group can pull this off because of utter ruthless domination.
This is the cult of Child labor
Human Trafficking
Hideous punishments and abuse
Global summary here in 10 min clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_m6tUG0mh8
It’s decent…despite the lack of objectivity and some logical and factual errors.
1. Auditing sessions are rarely mandatory.
2. The “chilling and disturbingly accurate auditing session” referred to in The Master clip is anything but.
3. OTIII is not a “creationist” story.
4. “In the case of priesthood molestation, the Catholic church owned up to the crimes, and dealt with the priest whom were guilty.” This is categorically untrue. So much so, it risks undermining the entire article.
Good effort though.
The *manditory* “auditing sessions aren’t auditing; in fact, they start with “I am not auditing you.”, AFAIK.
Maybe also include the quote from CNN that scn is “the most successful new North American religion of the last century.” That information most likely comes from unsuspecting journalists accepting the cherch’s own publications and media output and I’ve seen it repeated in various forms elsewhere in the media.
There might be a kernel of truth in it if you count all the people who tried scn over the years and left which would probably in the six figures and the accumulation of money and assets which is in the billions. Regardless it’s additional exposure.
Wow, the picture of the girl with almond shaped eyes and fine hair is my daughter. I’m pretty sure of it. I haven’t seen her in almost 8 years but that looks just like her. I went to the site and played the video over and over to see her and that’s her. So sad that I have to catch a once in a blue moon glimpse of one of my kids to see them when they should be in my life every day. And they are old enough to have kids of their own and I could be the doting grandma. But I don’t even know if either of my kids are married or what. This is what Scn’s disconnection policy does to families.
I’m so sorry Cindy. My heart break for all those, especially the mother who have lost their children to this terrible group. It’s been almost 8 years for me too and it doesn’t get any easier. I hope this church dies a sudden and horrible death as predicted by Jeffrey Augustine.
Mary , thank you. I’m sorry for your kid’s disconnection too. I hope they have an injustice or go to Flag as public on OT VII or VIII because these are places where people get fed up with the shit and leave the church. I’m hoping Jeffrey Augustine is right about the church having a sudden death.
I recommend writing letters to your political representatives asking for any help they might be willing to give, specifically for the evil cult’s tax status to be revoked.
Holy shit!
That’s so sad, Cindy. Another example of how that enterprise is NOT a religion in any sane sense of the concept; it’s just a high-control criminal cult hiding behind a false assertion of being a church.
Jere, You said it better than I could have. Truth!
O/T. Nation of Islam Brother Kevin Muhammad has completed the Scientology PTS/SP Course.
https://facebook.com/groups/DianeticallySpeaking/permalink/4007142332718087/
Memorialized with screenshots on Instagram and ESMBR at:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCs6tiBYPN/
https://exscn2.net/threads/nation-of-islam-brother-kevin-muhammad-has-completed-the-scientology-pts-sp-course.3682/
/
PTS/SP Course. The single worst course in Scientology that will teach one how to thought stop better than any other course. Instead of understanding that life is up and down naturally as the course of being human, it teaches that one is connected to an SP or a PTS if there is an accident, illness, something goes wrong. It’s quite the mind fuck. It’s the forms the mindset that enable one to disconnect from those they love.
Right, Mary! And THEN you’re made out to be wrong by being connected to that person or entity identified as “your” SP. no matter how hard you’ve tried to scrape them off like dog dirt in the past.
AND you can’t ID the most successful squirrel and SP in scientology’s history, Little Davey Dwarfenführer.
Mary, this is so true. The PTS/SP course also puts the Scn into the mindset of being a victim. “Oh, I’m sick, I’m the victim of a big, bad SP.”
Cindy, over the last year I’ve learned how narcissists covertly play the victim while professing to be in charge, powerful and stoic, Hubbard was one, always for instance implicitly blaiming the failure of his faulty theories on conspirators opposed to him, and he “baked” that dynamic into Scientology and its indoctrination of followers,
Good comment. So true, Peace Maker
“someone who was never in”.
The article said nothing we don’t already know. Would be a WHOLE LOT better if the author had personal experience to include.
Well, that is true. But it is interesting how widespread the understanding of the abuses of scientology has become….
Quite true my friend.
Yes, partially true Mike speaking from the view point of yet another “never in”…..BUT while working in NYC I had come ACROSS & WALKED BY their NYC site many times…….a few times curious, but not curious enough to go inside.
A few times having Pizza at the small place next door AND having “donated” two left over slices from a small Pizza Pie my friend & I did NOT want to toss OR carry around NYC the rest of the day. Two young ones outside having a cigarette that day as I’ve mentioned before, when offered the slices thanked us & wolfed them down a few steps off to the side of the building. They seemed hesitant at first, eyeing us up somewhat suspiciously, but one could see they were hungry & probably had no money to buy pizza for themselves right next door.
Yes, once or twice “the hook was out” trying to snare me or my friend(s) in for a free test etc….we always said no. I’d read up a bit on COS, the Moonies, Children of God, Hare Krishna etc…..common sense said DO NOT get involved, so I never did.
My Dad always said “If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably isn’t” & I keep that in the back of my mind always. Friends from High school got sucked into various cults…..especially the Hare Krishna whose “job” it was to wear white “karate outfits”….bells, semi shaved heads with a ponytail….& jump up & down jingling bells.
I’d seen two guys I actually KNEW…..they were totally IMHO OUT of it…..they’d dumped their family, friends, lives for WHAT. One committed suicide years later after a horrific internal battle. The other’s family all but having been rejected, disconnected, disassociated, ignored for decades…..could not bring themselves to make amends.
It is ONLY through Leah & Mike’s EXPERTISE in REVEALING THE INSIDE SCOOP on life inside the bubble that others have become aware of the “lifestyle & fake Belief system” including “Squirrel Busting….harassing….not letting those OUT who WANT OUT…..chasing after people as if they are escaped dangerous criminals.
You CANNOT LEAVE EASILY…..now THAT is something I knew little about…UNTIL Mike & Leah’s AFTERMATH Series hit the TV Screen. To hear what goes on, from the very mouths of people who were ONCE IN…….EYE OPENING.
NOT TRUE THEY CRY….yet so many have continued to tell their past life & STILL SUFFER because their loved ones STILL IN won’t leave……………….
My own personal heartache is that important information is gone & that the AFTERMATH NEEDS TO RETURN TO TV…..pod casts are one thing….a FULL SCREEN NATIONWIDE BLITZ needs to happen.
For Cindy, As a mother, my heart aches for you as well. To SEE a picture of a lovely young woman who might be your own daughter….& not be able to speak with her, see her, hug her…know about her life, i.e. grandkids etc…….is more than sad.
I pray that for everyone: WHAT & WHO HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM YOU, GETS RETURNED.
Thank you Ballet Lady. Yes, she is my daughter. A shame we have to catch a glimpse of them on a promo piece.
You are welcome Cindy, I only wish I had the power to put her in contact with you, yet I know she’d “pay the price” if that were done.
One can only hold on to hope that one day she sees the truth & leaves. My love & prayers are with you.
Ballet Lady, I so appreciate your good wishes and prayers and love. I’m sure all who have lost loved ones to the cult appreciate it too.
Thank you Cindy! Nothing is worse than the loss of a child under ANY circumstances. Almost 10 years ago we “lost” our then 36 year old niece to Stage 4 Glioblastoma Brain Cancer (inoperable). She battled the disease for 14 months before she could fight no more. It was horrific watching her go through it all, despite her deep faith & strength, the cancerous tumor “won out” At the time, she left behind a 7 & 8 year old sons & her husband.
.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, her husband, the boys’ father, was into drugs & overdosed 8 years later. This left the boys parentless & homeless. My brother in law & his wife stepped in & have raised the boys the last 8 years.
One is now a senior in high school, the eldest a soon to be Freshman in College.
Only through the love & support of family have these lovely young boys, now men, turned so to be stellar young adults.
I am here for you anytime if you need to talk. Virtual hugs Cindy. Stay strong, hopefully one day you’ll be able to share that hug with your daughter.
Exactly so. Quite an accurate expose from a ‘wog’.
The widespread knowledge of scientology’s abuses is largely due to brave ex-scientologists using every possible type of media effectively. scientology is dying the death of a thousand cuts, each of which is a plain and simple truth.
It’s a good article, worth a read. Articulate, with credible research, it’s surprisingly spot on coming from someone who was never in.