Scientology

[Bingewatcher92]

I hope I’ve put this in the right area.
I couldn’t find a thread on it and it fascinates me so wanted to see what others thing or story’s anyone has...
I have no personal connection to it but have watched a lot of documentaries and read a lot up on it and I just can’t understand how people get sucked in.

 

[strange addiction]

I got into a full battle on twitter with actual american scientologists, then I got scared incase they fair gamed me! I blocked them and they tagged me in all sorts of posts I've never met crazier/more deluded people in my life.
I'm so glad I found out who they were before I got sucked in through their pesky personality tests!!

 

[bunnyboo]

For those you wondering how people get suckered into their nonsense, similar a lot of new age 'religions' and/or cults. they purposefully go after vulnerable members of society.

Example A: Their most prominent and recruitment tactic is offering free personality tests to people on the street and tell you that you failed the test, you have serious issues etc. The idea that one can 'fail' a personality test is absurd in itself, but I digress. Once they start telling you that you have serious problems, you're more susceptible to falling for their recruitment pitch. Basic human understanding would suggest that if you're someone who would interested in doing a personality test with a stranger on the street in the first place, you're likely to be someone who is curious about yourself and/or searching for meaning in your life. And this is where the scientologists swoop in, to offer you all the answers to life - at an ever increasing price.

Example B: Scientology actually started as an alternative to psychiatry and the church has a very strong opposition to psychiatry and psychology, they love going out of their way to link psychiatry as an evil practice linked to Nazis (yes, really). They actively encourage people who have mental health conditions to stop taking their medicines, stop attending tradition therapy and so on. This one is particularly abhorrent tbh, because they will actively prey on mentally unwell people as they are extremely easy to indoctrinate and manipulate. There's been many suicides of people struggling with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia etc because they were driven to it by this cruel cult.

Example C: Similar to the point above, Scientologists actively seek out people in the midst of addictions through Narcanon (a 'treatment' programme for addictions). Again, if you are in the midst of an addiction, you are extremely vulnerable. Narcanon is not an accredited programme, it's just another load of quackery that has disastrous results. It also costs a bomb, which all goes back to Scientology. They pretend it's not a scientologist programme, but that's a lie.

 

[tolpol]

This site gives some insight into their beliefs and practices. Operation Clambake

This link here gives you an idea of what they are taught as 'gospel'. Worth a look, it's hilariously bad science fiction.
The Xenu Legend
How any grown adult can fall for the above story truly baffles me.

A lot of the survivors talk about systemic sexual abuse of children.
L Ron Hubbard was a drug addled pervert and a conman. The present leader David Miscavige is also named as a paedophile by survivors.

 

[1001 others]

For those you wondering how people get suckered into their nonsense, similar a lot of new age 'religions' and/or cults. they purposefully go after vulnerable members of society.

Example A: Their most prominent and recruitment tactic is offering free personality tests to people on the street and tell you that you failed the test, you have serious issues etc. The idea that one can 'fail' a personality test is absurd in itself, but I digress. Once they start telling you that you have serious problems, you're more susceptible to falling for their recruitment pitch. Basic human understanding would suggest that if you're someone who would interested in doing a personality test with a stranger on the street in the first place, you're likely to be someone who is curious about yourself and/or searching for meaning in your life. And this is where the scientologists swoop in, to offer you all the answers to life - at an ever increasing price.

Example B: Scientology actually started as an alternative to psychiatry and the church has a very strong opposition to psychiatry and psychology, they love going out of their way to link psychiatry as an evil practice linked to Nazis (yes, really). They actively encourage people who have mental health conditions to stop taking their medicines, stop attending tradition therapy and so on. This one is particularly abhorrent tbh, because they will actively prey on mentally unwell people as they are extremely easy to indoctrinate and manipulate. There's been many suicides of people struggling with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia etc because they were driven to it by this cruel cult.

Example C: Similar to the point above, Scientologists actively seek out people in the midst of addictions through Narcanon (a 'treatment' programme for addictions). Again, if you are in the midst of an addiction, you are extremely vulnerable. Narcanon is not an accredited programme, it's just another load of quackery that has disastrous results. It also costs a bomb, which all goes back to Scientology. They pretend it's not a scientologist programme, but that's a lie.

I know of someone who got hooked in from being offered a "free" personality test ... the recruiters had set up in an open-air mall and seemed really lovely - friendly, ordinary people. From there, the questionnaire left more questions than answers so they went along to an information evening which then led to making a donation for all of these people's help up to that point, and to enroll in a program where they could find out more about what makes them tick. Long story short, the courses were never-ending, as were the requests for donations and before they knew it they were taking out loans just to pay for everything. They were encouraged to drop their friends as they weren't enlightened beings (or whatever the heck they refer to normal people as), their family, even their job. They found it very hard to escape from it and it just about ruined their life. This person is an intelligent, normal person.

 

[bunnyboo]

 

[Lola1988]

OMG Yessss i found a thread.. Whats every ones opinion on it?
I know its very different in America to the UK but i cant work out Law wise how they get away with so much? Money talks i guess?

 

[mickeycat]

This is what I posted yesterday in the Secret Celeb Gossip thread, which led he to here. I take it East Grinstead is their base here in the UK, then? They really are everywhere, aren't they?

For some reason scientology, and weird cults in general, fascinates me. I lived in the former East Germany from 99-2001 and as a freelance TEFL teacher, the contracts I had to sign always had a clause that stipulated that 'I was not and had never been a follower of L.Ron Hubbard.' I found that bizarre at first but was told that after the wall came down Scientology, and various other cults, swarmed in and tried to fill the vacuum left by Communism. Anyone with any links to them was not allowed to be in any position of authority. They also owned loads of bars, cafes and hostels in the city but it was never made known, you just knew which ones to avoid through word of mouth. Creepy.

 

[emmer_moans]

I’d imagine it’s partly that people get involved when they’re relatively unknown and then once they get famous the Church has so much dirt on them that it’s impossible for them to disentangle themselves without risking everything. I did also once read an article somewhere that one of the reasons celebrities like Scientology is that, unlike most religions that say we’re all equal, Scientology teaches very clearly that there are different levels of human achievement and some people are most definitely ‘better’ than others. That (and the ego massage that goes with it) appeals to a lot of celebrities. The ‘celebrity’ experience in Scientology is generally very different from that of ordinary people, someone like Tom Cruise isn’t cleaning toilets and working for nothing, he’s literally treated like a God. So when celebrities cone out in support of Scientology it’s probably part fear, part ego and a big dollop of not really experiencing the worst of the organisation.

I wonder sometimes whether Tom thinks about his daughter or if he’s been conditioned to forget she exists. I never understood how he can just drop her like that, when she was young. Also, how can he be a decent actor (he was brilliant in Top Gun Maverick), yet be trapped in a cult?

 

[bubbletea123]

It also fascinates me. Have you watched Leah Remini's show? I also read her book which was very interesting. It is such a scary cult.

 

[Bingewatcher92]

It also fascinates me. Have you watched Leah Remini's show? I also read her book which was very interesting. It is such a scary cult.

Yes! Her show was really interesting. I haven’t read her book yet but I kept meaning to.
Isn’t it!! I’ve read a lot of story’s from people who got out and what it was like that way back and it just sounds horrific. Especially for the children born into it.

 

[Silverback]

I read the other day that there are less than 10,000 members worldwide of Scientology now due to all the negative press and ex members speaking out.

 

[Veronicaaa]

Do you guys think that the Masterton verdict and sentencing will have any effect on them? It was really so brave of those women to pursue it, could momentum be built from it, do you think?

 

[Curlygirl28]

Has anyone got recommendations of what documentaries to watch and where I can watch Leah Remini's show in the UK please?

I've seen the Louis documentary and own some books on my Kindle including Leah's and Jenna's and I think a few by Marty Rathburn but I haven't read them yet.


This is an interesting idea - why would they employ people to do that?

Lawrence Wrights book Going Clear and also the film of the same name are excellent, a real definitive look at the cult. I didn’t rate the Louis Theroux one at all, it was a strange concept, I thought. I can’t remember the name but the BBC one that John Sweeney did was also very good/scary as hell!

 

[mickeycat]

No that’s just a ‘life improvement centre’ I.e where they do their silly tests on people

Has anyone on here ever been for one of their tests? I kind of want to for a laugh but at the same time I'm scared I'd somehow get sucked in

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

Has anyone on here ever been for one of their tests? I kind of want to for a laugh but at the same time I'm scared I'd somehow get sucked in

No but I used to walk past this one daily when I was working in London pre Covid. I never saw anyone engage with the guys outside trying either.

Ive read Going Clear twice and it cracks me up that the original E Meters were literally bean cans

 

[Shinythings]

I have no idea how it hasn't been shut down by now, but I suppose they have people in powerful places. Leah Remini is so brave for exposing them. Nothing more than a cult.

L Ron Hubbard was a paranoid schizophrenic which is why he is so anti-psychiatry because of his delusions. I am sure David Miscavige would be a diagnosed psychopath if he was ever assessed.

 

[Ensay]

I've seen all the documentaries, I think I'm kind of fascinated by it... not because I think it's good in any way, more that I'm stunned so many people are taken in by it. I'm not talking about the SeaOrg so much, because they're often born into it and don't know anything else, more the celebrities (e.g. John Travolta, Kirstie Alley) that live in the outside world and yet still can't see through Scientology.

I just find it baffling that so many celebrities have donated millions to the Church of Scientology over the years. Even Leah Remini said that when she read the stuff about Xenu and little beings she was like "wtf?" and she was well doctrinated at that point. I find her insight fascinating, given that she spent so many years in that 'religion'.

I always found it weird how Tommy Davis just vanished. He was their main spokesperson for years and then suddenly wasn't. I remember watching his shouting match with a BBC documentary maker and being totally shocked.

I think Shelley Miscavige is in their mountain base (I forget the name of it) probably transcribing L Ron Hubbard's words onto gold ingots. I'm pretty sure Leah Remini or Mike Rinder said that David Miscavige wants to write all the text on metal bars and then bury them deep in a vault so Hubbard's words can survive even a nuclear holocaust. She either wanted to leave or she peed him off (not hard to do) and this is her penance. She must be okay though because the Police investigated her welfare and said there was no crime. I assume she's so brainwashed she'd tell anyone she's there completely voluntarily.

I guess when you're in that situation it's tough to see a life outside. Leah and many others would help her, but the idea of a life outside Scientology would probably scare her. Plus she'd be convinced David would get to her anyway and she would never want to incur his wrath. It's all so creepy.

 

[CrispyB2019]

No link to this but marking my place as it fascinates me. I've watched all the TV shows and it's basically just a cult.

 

[strange addiction]

OMG Dalty! No way! I have too int he passed & closed my twitter down in the end as i was terrified of being fair gamed Haha!

I am so intrigued about what makes them so blind to the money... What is with all the empty buildings in Clearwater? And the IRS?
Imagine HMRC here- they would have a proper battle on their hands if they tried to get tax immunity here!

Apparently there is a home near me that was formally L Ron Hubbards holiday home. Saint Manor i think its called. And you can go & visit... i really really want to go but i'm also a bit scared they might start following me! Although i live a fairly mundane life full of sins!!

I'd love to go in to one of their buildings but would be scared of getting kidnapped I mean, ok Ron Hubbard made the whole thing up and admitted there was no money in writing science fiction but theres money in religion (evidently!!) But miscavige took it to a whole other level. Hubbard might have been bat shit crazy but miscavige is cruel, nasty and violent. I've ran out of scientology things to watch. I rewatched all the aftermath programmes.

Weve a church in a town outside of belfast called green pastures, it's basically an extreme 'Christian' cult (personally I believe all religions are cults) but green pastures has been built in a real deprived area and millions has been pumped in to it.

Some people are just a bit mental