One of our tipsters briefly considered joining Scientology’s Sea Organization — the hardcore group of workers who toil for almost no pay and often do menial labor from dawn to midnight, day after day.
This person had second thoughts and didn’t join, but they still had a copy of the Sea Org’s application form and thought we might like to see it.
Boy howdy, were we glad they sent it over.
Get out your pens and pencils, kids, because it’s time to answer some pretty strange questions before you join David Miscavige’s planetary clearing crew for the next billion years…
The application consists of dozens of very invasive questions about an applicant’s past. We ran them past several former Sea Org members who confirmed that they were the kind of interrogation they were put through before they could join.
“Those are the standard questions,” Amy Scobee told us.
“Invasive questioning is a big part of Scientology life,” Derek Bloch said.
They, and Mat Pesch, made sure we understood that an applicant doesn’t just write responses to these questions — “After you fill out the form, then you get put on an e-meter and they ask more questions,” Mat pointed out. “They’re looking for half-truths. They’ll ask, ‘Have you answered any questions untruthfully to try to impress me?’,” he added.
Our tipster received the application from a Sea Org member at Bridge Publications, Scientology’s printing arm. After deciding not to fill it out, the recipient instead forwarded a copy of it to the FBI, and it became part of the big 2010 investigation that ultimately fizzled out.
And now, they’ve decided to share it with us.
Let’s start out with the introduction on the application form, which includes an extended quote by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard:
“I am sure you will be interested in the progress being made in building a new civilization. As you know Scientology has continued to be the fastest expanding church on the planet.
“The Sea Org is the group that is spear-heading this expansion.
“Continents are booming to Highest Evers, led by members of the Sea Org.
“To join the Sea Org is the sensible thing to do. There is very little that could be more important to you than to add to this power. Many are called. Few are chosen. You can be part of this new civilization.
“It is possible we may welcome you as shipmates in the Sea Org, the organization of power.”
— L. Ron Hubbard
Commodore, 1974
The form then contains a remarkable passive-aggressive statement from Hubbard that should send shivers down the spine of any applicant…
ABOUT YOU:
“You can’t be shot for what you have done, you can only be shot for what you haven’t told us.” — LRH (CBO 910)
A “CBO” refers to a “Central Bureaux Order” from Hubbard, and we’ve asked our Scientology history experts if they can find another reference to CBO 910. That quote almost seems too good to be true. We’ll update the post if the experts find something.
Now, let’s get to the questions themselves. After your standard request for personal information (including next of kin), the form gets down to business…
4. Full Name of Mother, Address, Phone Number, Occupation
5. Full Name of Father, Address, Phone Number, Occupation
6. What is your Social Security Number?
7. Do you have a Passport?
8. Do you have a military or government ID?
9. Are you a citizen of this country? If no, what country are you a citizen of?
10. If you are not a citizen here, do you have a visa?
11. If you have a visa, list the type it is. When does it expire?
12. If you are not a citizen, do you have a green card?
13. Have you applied for a green card? If yes, give details
14. Do you have a driver’s license? If so, what state?
15. Do you have any out-standing moving violations? If yes, give details
16. Please list your education, including schooling, professional training, any degrees you hold, etc.
17. What is your present job? How long have you worked there?
18. Please list your past jobs (include date and length of time you worked there, and why you left)
19. Please list any special skills you have
20. What languages do you speak?
21. Do you have any children? Name, Age, Do they live with you? Do you pay child support?
22. Are you in good physical condition? If no, please give details
23. Have you ever threatened or attempted suicide? If so, please give the details
24. Do you have any chronic illness? If so, please give details
25. Are you currently taking drugs or medicine? If so, which ones and how long have you been taking them?
26. Have you taken street drugs? If so, which ones and how many times did you take them?
27. Have you taken LSD or “Acid” (Some slang names are “blotter acid”, “window pane”, “orange sunshine”, “purple haze”, and “microdot”)?
28. Have you ever taken PCP or Angel Dust (Some slang names are “Sherms”, “Superweed”, “Dust”, “Super Kool”, “Killer Weed”, “Whack” and “Animal Tranquilizer”)?
29. Have you ever sold drugs? If so, please give the details.
30. Please list your interests and hobbies
31. Please list the courses you have done, where you did them and when
32. Have you received any Scientology or Dianetics auditing? Please list what you have received and when
33. Are you currently under contract to any Dianetics or Scientology organization? If so, please give specifics
34. Former Scientology employment: Have you ever worked in a Scientology organization, mission or field group? If yes, give details of where, when and what posts held
35. Have you ever left staff or the Sea Org? If yes, give full details
36. Are you the subject of an ethics order or conditions order, or anything else that dismisses you from staff or the Sea Org? If so, give details, and what your re-entry program consisted of and what was done on it
37. Please list any self betterment or religious group you have belonged to
38. Do you have debts? If so, please list who you owe it to and the amount
39. Have you ever been bonded? If so, where and for what organization?
40. Are you a minor? If yes, do you have your parents’ or guardian’s consent to join the Sea Organization?
41. Are you subject to military service? If so, how long are you subject to service?
42. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? If so, please give details
43. Have you ever been in jail? If so, please state why and for how long?
44. Have you committed any felonies for which you weren’t caught? For example, grand theft auto, arson or some other such severe act?
45. have you been involved in any criminal activities like prostitution or illegal sex? Other examples would be downloading child pornography or sexual activities with a minor. If so, when and what state and country did this occur in and what handlings have you done?
46. Have you ever been involved in homosexual activities or sexual perversions? If so, please note any handlings done
47. Have you seen a psychiatrist or psychologist? If so, please give the details of when you went, the treatment you received and how many times
48. Have you received any treatment in any psychiatric institution, hospital or similar place?
49. Have you threatened to sue or sued a Scientology church or persons working in a Scientology church or organization?
50. Are you related to or connected to intelligence agencies either by past history or immediate family?
51. Do you have any relatives that have worked for the government? If so, who and what branch did they work for?
52. Are any of your parents or close relatives antagonistic to Scientology or would they be in disagreement with your working here?
53. Are you here to obtain news stories?
54. Are you here to disrupt the organization?
55. Have you been given any security clearances for any job or agency?
56. Have you worked in a high security section of the government or armed forces? If so, what did you do?
Note to the applicant: Read the attest below. Have another person witness your signing this attest at the end.
1. I’m not a flagrant criminal or wanted.
2. I have had no institutional history of psychosis.
3. I have had no electric, insulin or other shock treatment or psychiatric brain operation history.
4. I’m not an active drug pusher.
5. I have never sued an org or Scientology principals.
6. I’m not a blown staff member or blown Sea Org member, nor have any outstanding ethics order or staff re-entry program.
7. I’m not related to or connected to intelligence agencies either by past history or immediate familial connections.
8. I do not have a parent or guardian or other close family member who is a rabid antagonist of Scientology.
9. I’m not here to obtain news stories or generally disrupt the organization.
10. I do not have huge personal debt that would immediately pull me back out of the org.
11. I do not have any institutional history, by which is meant incarceration in an institution (or mental health section of a hospital) and knowingly or unknowingly given treatment therein.
12. I have not had prior service in a high-security section of the government or armed forces.
13. I have not taken LSD, any derivative of LSD, Angel Dust or PCP.
I attest that I have none of the above out-qualifications for joining the Sea Organization and I attest I have not misrepresented my qualifications in my answers to any of the questions above.
(Applicant’s Signature) Date
(Witness’ Signature) Date
————————————–
Wow, that is some application. Talk about harsh. A little superweed and you’re out? That’s a tough bunch.
We’re really looking forward to your reactions to this application. Are there questions they forgot to ask? What would you ask a Sea Org applicant, especially after they were hooked up to an e-meter in a hypnotic state?
UPDATE: We’ve been hearing from ex-Scientologists about their own memories of filling out this kind of form. We thought we’d share with you some observations from one of them, former Sea Org member Simi Valley…
This brought back fond memories of getting the “life history sec check.” Also, as a new recruit in OSA US in 1988, I was surprised to find that management had computerized dossiers on everyone.
In OSA’s HCO (Division 1, where they do all the personnel and ethics stuff), they had someone posted full time on typing every SO member’s personal details and submitting it to management’s centralized database.
And then you had to keep your life history updated throughout the course of your SO “career.” Which would include every sexual encounter — with whom, what was done, how many times, what position, etc.
Um, wow.
