From: [Name Withheld] To: fun@thingy.apana.org.au Subject: SCIENTOLOGY STORY Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000 23:23:00 PST
Hello,
I am writing to share my 'Scientology Story' with you for your personal experiences section. I understand you are rather busy but I ask that at some point you send me a quick e-mail telling me if you have placed my story on your site. I will make it thoughful and sincerely hope it will find its way on to your excellent page! It would mean a lot to me! Another voice in this matter is always hopeful.
My story begins with DMSMH, The Book, as its known. My family and I had bought The Book for my father for his birthday knowing nothing of the cult. As time passed the book sat in a drawer and eventually found its way into my hands some years later. As time passed I studied it and became intrigued more and more by Hubbards claims. Especially the one about psychosomatic illnesses consisting %70 percent of man's ills. My interest became obssession, Hubbard had got me. One day I drove to the nearest org. and simply sat in my car observing people going in and out. I was fascinated with Scientology!
I purchased Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought and decided I wanted to be a Scientologist. However, I stumbled upon the internet and was able to read Margery Wakefield's story and I got hold of Bent Corydon's Messiah or Madman book on Hubbard. Nonetheless, the topping was all too sweet. I decided to check out the organization for myself.
I drove down with the image of encountering crazy cult fanatics that were going to die trying to get me to sign for their STC course or auditing. However, when I walked into the org I saw kids running around and smiling faces. I encountered people who seemed to care, seemed to be bright, seemed to be all too together. I took their personality test. I was told that I had a ton of traits that would doom me to failure had I not signed up for Scientology services. I did mention that I was extremely shy and thought I might have a 'social phobia'. I was told to sign up for their Success Through Communications Course for assured cures. I stated that I would be too stressed out with that course being so shy and all. I was then told to sign up for the Personal Efficiency Course to handle the problem. I realize now that the sole purpose was to sign me up for something, make me BUY! I talked for quite a while with the people there. I told them I was a psychology student and the man replied, "Well, I hope this (Scientology) can save you from that." I thought that to be a rather odd statement. Was Psychology something I needed to be 'saved' from?
I was told how 'Ron', as they called him, was this great war hero, nuclear physicist, philosopher, and humanitarian. The shelves were filled with his 'scriptures' and the walls with his photos. I overheard several conversations while I was there. I heard one Scientologist talking to another, "I was able to read my brother's thoughts the other day, I couldn't believe it. I'm really making my postulates stick." A young kid approached me, probably about 10 years of age, and asked if I was a student. I replied, "No, not yet." and asked him the same question. He relpied with that all too common statement. "Yeh ... its really great I'm really having wins and gains". Yet another matter of interest concerned the book Science of Survival. I read on numerous sites that CoS had been changing and rearranging Hubbard scripture. They were squirreling and lying to their own membership. When I asked about the book mentioning nothing of what I heard, one women told me how great it was in predicting human behavior and then said, "and it hasn't changed at all since it was published." Why did she have to say that? Was she trying to hide something?
I also observed that the Scientologist with whom I was speaking was a science fiction fan, he loved Star Trek and of course Ron's science fiction works as well. Not too uncommon for a Scientologist to be a sci-fi fan since most of Hubbards work was a reworking of sci-fi themes. I left that night purchasing several items and gave my name, address and phone number. Hubbard said to sign everyone who walks through the doors on the mailing list, even the mail man. I was reluctant to give my address but the Scientologist would have none of that and insisted I give it. And I did.
I received quite a bit of mail from them over the next few weeks and was invited down to the org. several times. I kept telling them I would be down shortly, saying that only to hold them off. I read more and more about CoS on the net. I spoke to my college professors about Scientology and Dianetics principles. They either knew nothing of it or considered what I did tell them to be unscientifically proven. How was Scientology so remarkable if such accredited men knew nothing of it? I read Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky and continued to find my way on the net. But I was hooked! Hubbard had taken hold of my mind. I was not even in CoS yet and could not think outside of Scientology lines. I didn't care about the false claims concerning Hubbard's bogus past nor about the unscientific principles of the his works. I was consumed in that 'feeling', that 'feeling' of stepping into another world. A world of mystery and of 'total freedom'. I was taken over by that 'feeling' of being in the org. People up late in a modern day philosophical school learning to achieve super human powers and learning the secrets of the universe? Not something that I was familiar with. The topping was sweet indeed!
However, my reason prevailed and thanks to the net I never did join. So my story might not be so enlightening. But I think it's important to let everyone hear people's encounters with this organization. I was stuck in Hubbard's fantasy world. I was gettin' a high from Scientology. I didn't listen to reason, I just wanted to be a part of that 'feeling', that 'group' who I deep down knew didn't have all the answers but was willing to go along with because of that 'feeling'. Numerous times I called the org. to order one book only to have the registrar inform of a 'special package'. I ended up buying 5 books, forking over money I had no intention of spending when I called. Scientology gets inside people and saturates. The marketing ploys are all too great. The glossy, colourful mailing pamplets, the letters to join staff and help build a better planet, the petition to start on course and make gains. It was sold perfectly. There was even an attractive registrar to top things off. I knew the dangers but it was that damn 'feeling' I got from the whole thing. I knew the Training Routines and Purification Program were utterly bogus but still I couldn't leave wanting to be a part of the group.
I mean ... how often is it that you can talk to an attractive, young women about philosophy and metaphysical matters? How often are you promised all the answers if you just fork over the necessary money? How often are you sold spirituality? But in the end there is nothing. It's sold great but is just a scam. I hope that with this story more and more people are able to put 'that feeling', 'that high' that Scientology gives them aside and think 'critically' about it before jumping into it. Hubbard took what was most precious to man and used it to achieve evil ends. Please think before you join, put aside the marketing and think about the philosophy, the principles, the organization. When you remove that fantasy bubble that Scientology creates you will see that without it Scientology is worth little.