The shrinking world of scientology.... These days, about the only hope they have of getting new people to join staff or the Sea Org is if they are the children of scientologist parents. Rarely are the "successes" about staff from anyone else, unless it is an old person who says they’ve been on staff for 40 years and are still hoping to make it to Clear. We have had a number of people who were not scientologists recruited for "ideal orgs" with the promise of a job, pay and accommodations that have ended up being helped by the Aftermath Foundation. Typically they have not … [Read more...]
Episode 38: Listener Questions #4
This week is another episode answering listener questions. We cover a range of topics and below are related documents. The first is that scientology paid the IRS $12.5 million as part of the settlement which resulted in tax exemption. At the event announcing the exemption, Miscavige said the bill to the IRS was $1 billion: This is a fairly comprehensive summary of the story of the IRS and Scn on Wikipedia: How to find your US Representative: and US Senator: And here are some twitter … [Read more...]
Sign Up For The Sea Org
This "briefing" is clearly a recruitment event (and of course, if they cannot get you to sign up for the SO or staff they will definitely take your money). How can you tell? You don't have Senior HCO there for a straight fundraiser. They are only there to try to get new staff. I suspect this is connected to the post of yesterday where they announced a "big thing coming" -- the orgs will be expected to send staff for OEC training at Flag. Many orgs don't have anyone to send, so they need to recruit someone. They will use this as a recruitment gimmick. Promising … [Read more...]
A Primer on Brainwashing
If you have watched either The Vow on HBO, or Seduced on Starz about NXIVM, or The Aftermath or Going Clear about scientology, this article will ring a lot of bells. Many of the specific control mechanisms Dr. Burkley cites about NXIVM have direct parallels in scientology. As she says, "the psychological tricks Raniere used are not particularly special. In face, his ability to ensnare so many victims is rooted in his reliance on several core psychological principles -- principles to which each of us is vulnerable." One of the great accomplishments of The Vow was how … [Read more...]
“Welcome Home”
How sad is this. "AJ" from Minneapolis just arrived at Flag to join the Sea Org. He just graduated high school. No doubt the child of some long term scientologist or staff member. This is the age I joined the Sea Org -- wide-eyed and enthusiastic to save the world. It won't be long before the promises he heard when they were recruiting him are forgotten and he becomes another drone in the money machine that is Flag. He will soon find out that he now belongs to the organization and his free will is meaningless. It used to be a thing to say "A mind is a terrible thing to … [Read more...]
We Don’t Come Back
This is the PR line that is presented on the Sea Org. It is their motto “We Come Back.” It goes hand in hand with signing up for a billion years - we will return, over and over, lifetime fire lifetime to fulfill this obligation. Ask any Sea Org member, in fact, any scientologist and they will explain this with absolute certainty. Yet, since the formation of the Sea Org in 1967 -- more than 50 years -- there is not a single case of a Sea Org member returning to duty after their 21 year "leave of absence." L. Ron Hubbard himself is way overdue -- he should have "Come Back" in 2007. … [Read more...]
“We’ll have to come back to earth someday…”
A sort of follow-up to yesterday's post about deaths in scientology. This from a slightly different angle. I wonder if the person who put together this promo piece and chose this quote even gave it a moment of thought. Probably not. It's good enough that "LRH said it" so we can just put it in here and it will inspire people. Because his words are inspiring. Always. No matter what they say. But if you stop for a second, where is "the Commodore"? He has not "come back"? No sign of him (Justin Craig doesn't count, or if that IS him then he regressed terribly in his between-lives implant … [Read more...]
Important Survey
Apparently, this is very important. But then again, what isn't in scientology? To save you the trouble, I looked at the survey. A couple of "softener" questions "What do you feel scientology should be doing in the current situation" and "How important is scientology to the world" sort of stuff. Then -- Have you ever considered joining the Sea Org? When are you ready to start? Are you eligible? What is your phone number? I wonder if anyone actually completes a survey like this? And I wonder why Tampa Org is trying to recruit for the Sea Org? Maybe FSO has a full time … [Read more...]
Scientology Recruitment
Scientology's quest for money is unrelenting. They rake in tens of millions (perhaps hundreds) each year. But they have to spend at least some of it to satisfy IRS requirements. They don't ever give it away. One of the things they spend it on is new buildings (they always say they have opened "a new church" but in fact they have not opened any new churches since the one in East Harlem NY and before that the one in Inglewood and before that, nobody can recall). Buildings remain assets on their books, so the statistic of "total reserves" does not go down (total reserves is cash, property, … [Read more...]
Scientology Preppers
An interesting thing here from some people who call themselves "Community Preparedness Group Int. Inc." Can't find this with a google search. It is my supposition that scientology tends to attract people who are conspiracy theorist/anti-vaxxers/New World Order types because these views fall in well with the Hubbard anti-government, anti-medical, anti-pscyhiatric, anti-communist, anti-UN, anti-everything not scientology world view. And within scientology people are indoctrinated into Hubbard's way of thinking, so the chorus of agreement continues to grow within the … [Read more...]