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The Seminar Every Scientologist Needs

July 31, 2021 By Mike Rinder 37 Comments

Michael Lewis has driven his clown car into town once again to offer up a “seminar” that sheds light on what really happens inside the bubble of scientology.

“Flourish and prosper” is a much over-used scientology catchphrase. It is code for “make money” just as they use the strange “we are 1000 steps closer to making our target” instead of saying they got in $1,000. It seems they understand how grotesquely money-oriented they are and are trying to keep this hidden from the world.

But Michael Lewis blows it. He uses the right euphemism but then comes right out and says it plainly. What is scientology really about? Money, money, money.

For the orgs it is all about trying to get as much as they can. For the scientologists it is about making enough money to be able to afford the “Bridge to Total Freedom.”


This is scientology encapsulated into a single promotional piece.

All the weird shit, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, code language and jargon wrapped up neatly in one short page. It even has the standard scientology “come on” with questions posed that will supposedly be answered — that doesn’t in fact happen. For example he is not going to tell you that one of the things you should NEVER do with your money is give it to a money-obsessed cult.

And these are the people who are saving mankind….

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Filed Under: Fundraising Tagged With: flourish and prosper, fundraising, Michael Lewis, Scientology

Comments

  1. Cindy says

    August 1, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    Divona Lewis, Michael’s deceased wife, had to redo the Purif at least once or twice. There was a time when to generate more money, they started saying that the Purif wasn’t done until you’ done a minimum of so many hours (just like they did with Objectives). So Divona as an OT VII at the time was put back on the Purif. The dosages of Niacin go up every day, so if you’re on it a long time, your dosage on Niacin is super high. The overrun and huge amount of Niacin for so long could have maybe brought on the cancer. I knew one Borg who was ordered to do the Purif after she’d already done it years before and that Scn ended up with a horribly painful rash that wouldn’t go away and she had to practically tie her hands up to prevent scratching the horrible itch. She attributed it to the Purif but never complained, that
    is how brainwashed she was.

    Reply
  2. PeaceMaker says

    August 1, 2021 at 10:09 am

    Aren’t scientologists always doing prosperity seminars? Isn’t doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results, well, you know….

    From what I can find, Lewis is an FSM, and makes his living selling Scientology. He might be qualified to do a high pressure sales seminar, but I doubt he knows much more about money, like how to prosper delivering products and services that are of value and leave customers satisfied, because they meet or exceed promises and expectations.

    Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 2, 2021 at 5:52 pm

      Of COURSE scns are addicted to ‘”prosperity seminars” because they keep hoping THIS time it’ll work, and, money will magically flood their way. The trouble is that if the flood does happen —for some other reason, of course—, it all gets funneled into useless courses or meaningless statuses, leaving them worse off than before. Like Hubbard, their only interest is get rich quick schemes so they can pay more to the organization.

      Reply
  3. Phillip says

    August 1, 2021 at 4:21 am

    Cindy’s comment below made me do some research on the symbols on the poster. They are (sorta?) World Currency Symbols.

    Starting at 7:00 clockwise around to 5:00
    Bulgaria Lev or some of the _____stans
    Guatemala Quetzal
    US Dollar
    United Kingdom Pound
    Possibly Several middle East Countries Rial
    Possibly Botswana Pula
    Japan Yen or China Yuan
    India Rupee
    Europe Euro
    Couldn’t find it – Marcab Confederacy?

    Reply
    • Cindy says

      August 1, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      Thanks for looking that up Phillip. Love the Marcab quip. I still maintain that for most reading that promo piece those symbols are MU’s and the big Mr Tech himself, Michael Lewis, put it on his promo. Ironic.

      Reply
    • mwesten says

      August 1, 2021 at 4:02 pm

      Kuwaiti dinar 😂

      Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 2, 2021 at 5:59 pm

      “Marcab Confederacy” would be some entirely made-up thing since it is no more real than Lord Xenu. But it’s an appropriate answer for this forum. If there was any truth to the scn cosmology mentioned in OT III, scns reading that poster would be dropping like flies.
      They aren’t, so it’s not, obviously.

      Reply
  4. Mark Kamran says

    July 31, 2021 at 10:11 pm

    And after all this , in last 70 years , now they were making fun of themselves by getting exposed their Super Humans to WOG’s world .

    None of their graduates of any stage : Semi Super Human ,Full Super Human or Extra Charge Super Human were presented infront of Universities or General public for validation of the ” Tech”.

    In last 12 years ,thanks to Ananomous movement , dozen of Ex Scientologist come forward with incident of verbal and physical abuses.

    And ,when those Ex Scientologist clashes with Scientologist of Super abilities we seen nothing but
    shouting , yelling and cursing. And offcourse display of various models of iPhone.

    This brings to main question , What they have to offer after getting exposed badly ?

    Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 2, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Mark asked: “What they have to offer after getting exposed badly ?”
      I counter with:
      What do they have left to expose? Did they ever have anything to OFFER?
      (Not in my experience; it was all empty promises.)

      Reply
      • Mark Kamran says

        August 2, 2021 at 11:54 am

        Agreed and they were successful in past hiding their failures, but since the dawn of Social media era , info travels at the speed of light ( almost)

        Like other cults ,they were selling a mad man obsession with date of expiry, 50 to 60 years from date of manufacturing.
        This exactly started since 2004 /5 and shall be done by 2025 , organically .

        It’s not me ,its written on the wall.

        Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 2, 2021 at 6:08 pm

      Mark, when “super beings” of the group calling itself scientology encounter ex-scientologists of any stripe, they collapse into puddles of cringing BTs — at best. They might scream vulgarities for a short bit in their last gasps, but the spineless clapping clams can’t confront we who survived what scientology dishes out THEN had a chance to recover in the real world, untroubled by scn’s constant suppression. Even a big, loveable puppy is more able than the deluded bubble-dwellers

      Reply
  5. Imaberrated says

    July 31, 2021 at 5:26 pm

    In my day, the solution, though not overtly mentioned, for staff and Sea Organs to go up the Bridge, was to leave staff so that they could earn money in order to do so. it was tacitly understood that you would never go up the Bridge while a staff member. Because money was involved, people would be allowed to do it.

    Reply
  6. jim rowles says

    July 31, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    It may be FREE! to get in; but it ain’t free to get out.

    Like the song Hotel California.

    Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 2, 2021 at 10:28 am

      And the poor deluded scns as the cockroaches thus trapped.

      Reply
  7. Cindy says

    July 31, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    Scns are very big on “find your MU” (misunderstood word) Or “clear your words” meaning to look up any word you don’t know. And don’t put out a promo piece that has any misunderstood words or symbols. Well once again they break their own rules and publish the graphics where each symbol is an MU. Look at the round clock looking graph. Those symbols are either alphabetical from a foreign language or are some other unknown (to me anyway) thing. But according to Hubbard, if you go by a word OR SYMBOL that you don’t understand the whole text will be not understood and will go blank in your mind. Michael, how can you put out so many MU symbols on your promo piece. It will make people go blank and not attend. I’d like to be a fly on that wall and count the number of people who come, which will be few or none.

    Reply
    • jim rowles says

      July 31, 2021 at 10:15 pm

      All various symbols for money around the globe?

      Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 2, 2021 at 10:31 am

      Methinks he has a MU on “mystery sandwich” and designed a poster that would be a mystery to all who gazed upon it.

      Reply
      • Cindy says

        August 2, 2021 at 3:00 pm

        Jere Lull, Ha ha ha. Good one.

        Reply
  8. Jere Lull says

    July 31, 2021 at 11:39 am

    SO sad….

    For a supposedly spiritual enterprise, they sure are stuck in the MEST of it all.

    Reply
  9. Zee Moo says

    July 31, 2021 at 11:37 am

    Cue the O’Jay’s Money…

    For the love of money
    People will lie, Lord, they will cheat
    For the love of money
    People don’t care who they hurt or beat
    For the love of money
    A woman will sell her precious body
    For a small piece of paper it carries a lot of weight
    Call it lean, mean, mean green
    Almighty dollar
    I know money is the root of all evil
    Do funny things to some people
    Give me a nickel, brother can you spare a dime
    Money can drive some people out of their minds

    Where is Mikey Chan? Shouldn’t he be beating the bushes for his ‘prosperity’ seminar too?

    Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 1, 2021 at 9:40 am

      Do you think Michael Chan might have gone BROKE?

      Reply
      • Cindy says

        August 1, 2021 at 2:32 pm

        We can only hope. I hope it’s even better than broke. I hope that he, like Luis Garcia, finally saw the light after OT VIII (or before it) and exited stage left.

        Reply
  10. Ms. B. Haven says

    July 31, 2021 at 10:04 am

    As Mike says, “It even has the standard scientology “come on” with questions posed that will supposedly be answered — that doesn’t in fact happen.”

    This is exactly the case. The last one of these “seminars” I went to over a quarter century ago supposedly had all the answers I needed regarding the mysteries of money and how to get more of it. The only thing the presenter offered up was to go and beg for money from friends and family after you had exhausted your ability to obtain loans, second mortgages, multiple credit cards, etc. This was presented as important because it would allow you to purchase more scientology services which would undoubtably allow you to overcome barriers to even more income for more and more services. Ad nausium.

    Right after the “seminar”, the regges were waiting…

    Reply
    • Jere Lull says

      August 1, 2021 at 9:44 am

      Such a common event in scientology: revelations promised implicitly or explicitly and NEVER revealed. It’s astounding how many times that con can be played ON THE SAME PEOPLE who will never wise up. (Largely because they WANT to believe the promises; we ALL did.

      Reply
    • Cindy says

      August 1, 2021 at 2:33 pm

      And at the money seminar they have you wad up dollar bills and throw them around the room. Yeah, dat’s de ticket.

      Reply
      • Jere Lull says

        August 2, 2021 at 6:13 pm

        Yup, it’s the ticket for the poor staff who have to clean the mess up. That may be the only money they can receive during their servitude.

        Reply
  11. pluvo says

    July 31, 2021 at 9:25 am

    What is scientology really about? Money, money, money.

    Mat Pesch wrote an excellent comment about that and in which he describes in detail how that is executed in Flag in Clearwater. I think it could stand as an article itself (including his replies).

    https://tonyortega.org/2021/07/30/what-kind-of-technical-perfection-can-you-expect-at-scientologys-mecca-space-pilgrim/

    Reply
    • Mary Kahn says

      August 1, 2021 at 7:38 am

      I agree. I’d be great to have Mat on the podcast talking about the extortion and fraud of this “religion.”

      Reply
  12. Geoff Levin says

    July 31, 2021 at 8:17 am

    It is fitting that Michael Lewis is allowed to give Scientology seminars. Here is a man whose son died horribly by having a murderous suicidal break. And his wife Divona an OT VIII dies of cancer at the top of the bridge. I have known Michael for many years and worked with him. As with almost every Scientologist I know who is still in, they become akin to Star Treks cyborgs. As Hubbard was a Science Fiction writer he successfully turned his corporate followers into the walking dead. This is sick and beyond sad. Tony Ortega did a good article on the Lewis clan.

    https://tonyortega.org/2020/07/25/scientology-to-the-rescue-after-losing-son-and-wife-johnny-lewis-dad-is-happier-than-ever/

    Reply
    • Joe Pendleton says

      July 31, 2021 at 10:15 am

      Hmmm … So the son goes nuts, murders someone and kills himself …

      And the OT8 wife dies of cancer …

      But the father and husband is still alive and says he’s happy …

      HELOOOOOOOOOOO …

      Anyone out there do the PTS/SP Course?

      Just askin’ … Not that I buy all that stuff as true … But just askin’ …

      Reply
      • Geoff Levin says

        July 31, 2021 at 2:59 pm

        Because Scientology has such little respect for love and family ties Michael is being a perfect scientologist. And he is a happy little Sciebot.

        Reply
      • Geoff Levin says

        July 31, 2021 at 3:22 pm

        Yes, I did the new PTS/Course. It has some major bobbie traps in it. One of Hubbards greatest tools for brainwashing.

        Reply
      • Cindy says

        August 1, 2021 at 2:36 pm

        I think you have something here.

        Reply
    • grisianfarce says

      July 31, 2021 at 10:41 am

      With nothing much else going in Michael’s life, and no further bridge gaols, the Borg have given him purpose: to present Borg seminars.

      Reply
      • Geoff Levin says

        July 31, 2021 at 3:01 pm

        Yes. So he can hopefully re-borgatize someone or help people make more money to donate to the Ideal Borgs.

        Reply
      • Cindy says

        August 1, 2021 at 2:35 pm

        I think you have something here.

        Reply
      • Jere Lull says

        August 2, 2021 at 6:17 pm

        The only “public” for the borgs is the other borgs who have already been convinced of the borg’s “truth”.
        That’s about the easiest “sell” they can have, trading ‘truths’ amongst themselves like trading cards

        Reply

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