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[Quemonius]

An online friend of mine has a sister that has converted to the "religion" of Scientology and is worried sick about her. Her sis has distanced herself from the family, dropped out of college, and won't allow her family to visit when church members are over. My friend and fam visited the church but they have a prepared sermon when visitor are there. She went other times and the sermon was the same as before.

Anybody got some insider info on this organization?

What is it? I never heard of it until last year. The celebrities embrace it I hear?

[Without Fear]

Hi Quemonius
I know a little about this.

It was established by L.Ron Hubbard. His original book Dianetics, the modern Science of Mental Health, shows that he had gained a massive insight into the working of the mind. Put very simply, he had devised a method which he believed would allow the thetan (spirit) to become ‘clear’ through a series of ‘de-programming’ activities which will result in moving the person to another ‘level’. He identifies in great detail several mechanisms within the body that can be utilized and controlled.

No question that he was onto something big with this, but it soon appeared to become a major cash generation machine. Each level cost an increasing amount of money, and when ‘clear’ was finally reached, levels beyond that were discovered, each one costing more and more. It seemed to suck people deeper and deeper into the organization. It was later incorporated into the Church of Scientology and some would say that it was a cynical move to avoid taxes and deeper investigation of its practices. My experiences of it were that they used very high pressure selling techniques to get members to join.

It has a reputation for ‘brainwashing’ its converts by disrupting their minds and taking away their wealth. It is very secretive and like most cults is shy of publicity. I believe that it was banned in some countries.

I fully read the book on dianetics and undertook some of the early courses, but soon found that it was beginning to adversely affect my mind.

I looked for alternative reading at that time, and came across a book by Robert Kaufman, called Inside Scientology, where he described his experiences of the cult. It was one of the most disturbing books I have ever read, and decided to drop any further scientology involvement.

I still follow with some interest its evolution. L Ron Hubbard also developed a reputation for ScFi writing, including Battleship Earth. John Travolta, the lead actor in the film is a big Scientology devotee.

IMO This stuff is powerful, incredibly effective at programming/re-programming the mind, and very dangerous in the wrong hands.

I would be amazed if its principles are not already being used by alphabet organizations around the world.

It is worth the research to find out more, so that you can be more informed. But take it very seriously.

It is not a joke.

WF

[Wahya]

The FBI was investigating Hubbard at one time because he had a hit list of people known to be public opposers of his little cult.

Some say this list is not only still in existance, but has had new targets added to it.


When an organization has a hit list, that is a BIG warning.

[Quemonius]

oooo wow that is not good. Yeah...her sis was in her second semester of school and then dropped out so she could goto "class" at the church. If they are money hounds...why would they want her to drop out when if they hooked her she would probably make more money? Strange...I will send her the name of the book and other info you mentioned. Thanks

[Seralia]

Scientology is a dangerous cult that rakes in over 100 million dollars a year. It was started up by Hubbard who declared that "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."

Readers Digest wrote an article about it in 1980 that was entitled "Scientology:
Anatomy of a Frightening Cult" and goes into a lot of detail about how bad it is.
The article is reprinted here: http://www.skeptictank.org/readdig.htm

There is also a site called Operation Clambake that that has a lot of information about Scientology too: http://www.xenu.net/

[PurelyPagan]

I read the original Dianetics in the early 90s and there was much truth in that original book of his.

I always remember his premise that anytime anything happens that causes your heart to jump causes a physical 'ingram' in your body that can be and must be cleared out before one can be healed emotionally and physically enough to develop their spirituality.

I had a friend who went through body work therapy which was on similar lines to the 'ingram' philosophy. He had a good therapist and body worker who would find them in the strangest places. My friend said when manipulated they would hurt so much and at the same time trigger memory recalls that in his case were just gruesome involving the abandonment of him by his teenage mother, his resulting foster home experiences that involved sexual, physical and emotional abuse in each home he lived in until at age 14 he hit the Sunset Strip to live as a junkie and male prostitute...

He was in his late twenties and early thirties so devoted to dealing with his past, his ingrams and his life of pain. He was a wonderful Pan type personality and an unusually talented musician and songwriter. He died the day before I birthed my only child, killing himself in Sedona while suffering through a divorce.

What a wonderful human he was. A very sweet mentor to me about a lot of things. I found out about his death as I was just beginning what would turn into 44 hours of labor. I cried so much for his life and his death that I became dehydrated and ended up in the hospital for the birthing versus the home birth I had planned.

He had always said to me "if you had been my mother what a wonderful life I would have had"...though we were only 6 years apart in age.

The older I get the more I realize how painful life can be and how many people can barely stand it here. If being in Scientology is a factor that keeps you here versus dying I am open to that. It would not/could not be as mind numbing and soul deadening as the fundamentalist christians I know that belong to the cult of Harvest, Inc.

Always keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon YOUR wheel.