Ah, Dianetics! Our video source came through again, and we have another “quote video” of an L. Ron Hubbard lecture. In this case, it was Hubbard giving a talk on Dianetics in November 1950, about six months after his best-selling book had come out and created a craze.
To this day, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health is considered “Book One” in the Hubbard canon, and it is still pushed as the introductory text to Scientology.
Time and again, we hear from people who say they first got into Scientology by reading this book, and they tell us how much it spoke to them and really hooked them. And every time they say that, we have to shake our heads.
Last year, we blogged Dianetics from cover to cover with former Scientologist Vance Woodward, and that’s when we learned the book’s actual message: That all of us are walking around carrying the psychic scars of damage we received when dad had rough sex with mom while we were a zygote of a few cells attached to the wall of her uterus.
Oh, you didn’t know that’s what Dianetics is about? Well, it is, and it’s a shame that most media outlets won’t tell you that. Too squeamish, apparently.
Anyway, this excerpt is much less interesting than Hubbard’s assertion, also in Dianetics, that you may be suffering problems in your adult life because your pregnant mother spent too much time on the crapper.
Here’s how Bridge Publications describes this, the Dianetics Professional Course: “Following six months of coast-to-coast travel, lecturing to the first Dianeticists, L. Ron Hubbard assembled auditors in Los Angeles for a new Professional Course. The subject was his next sweeping discovery on life — the ARC Triangle, describing the interrelationship of Affinity, Reality and Communication.”
And here’s Hubbard. Just soak in that early Dianetics wisdom as Hubbard explains the problem between the US and the Soviet Union, and hands out life advice: If your marriage sucks, talking to your wife might actually help. Ya think?
We asked Marc Headley to watch the video and tell us if he recognized people in it. And boy, did he. Take it away, Marc…
The audio is from a lecture that Hubbard did in Los Angeles in November 1950. If my hunch is correct, Hubbard left his baby in the car while he was giving this lecture. Any Internet sleuths out there could connect the dots and prove me right.
[Alexis, the daughter Hubbard had with his second wife, Sara ‘Betty’ Northrup, was born on March 8, so she would have been eight months old in November. Can anyone corroborate Marc’s anecdote? UPDATE: According to this press clipping, Hubbard was cited for leaving Alexis in a car during a lecture in December, not November.]
This video is jam-packed with Int Base staff. We start out with Tony Pinder, Ron Sommerville, and Jennifer Champagne. Tony Pinder was a video editor and was included in videos as much as possible so we could at least make it look like there were not only white folks in Scientology. Ron Sommerville was in the Sets Department and would be building the set up until 45 seconds before the shot at which point he would jump into a suit and get into the shot as “talent.”
Jennifer Champagne worked in CMO (Commodore’s Messenger Org) International and generally was on administrative posts. Her husband was a security guard and part of some of the craziest stuff that happened at the Int Base, including spying on David Miscavige himself (according to Miscavige). Bob Champagne would eventually be assigned to the RPF and then left the base and the Sea Org. Sadly, Jennifer Champagne stayed and a few short years after Bob left she became ill. She was constantly tired from a continual lack of sleep (like everyone at the Int Base). But when she started having body aches and went to the doctor, they ran some tests. She was found to have cancer in just about all of her major organs and sadly she died shortly thereafter. Jennifer was in her late 30s.
In the background we have Pat Hunter, Carl Leach, and Catherine Frasier. Pat was in Manufacturing, Carl Leach was a musician, and Catherine Frasier was in PR.
In the next scene we have Abigail Miller and some other local girls. Abigail Miller used to be in CMO Int and has since left the Int Base.
The next scene we have Mike Gilchrist, Chuck Brummer, and Hans Hasslberger pretending to build something off in a deserted part of the Int Base property. Mike Gilchrist now works in the “Back Office” (Visuals Department) at Golden Era Productions.
Back in the Dianetics Center we have Mimica (Micaela) Blasco and some older gentleman. For a good time Mimica was assigned to work with me personally to attempt to make me a better executive by word clearing me on Hubbard’s management policies. Shortly thereafter, Mimica was sent to the RPF in PAC and has since left the Sea Org and is a makeup artist in LA.
In the next scene we have Chris Wilson and a head of hair doing Dianetics counseling outside near the water. Chris Wilson worked in the LRH film and Equipment unit and was a darkroom tech for the most part. She is now in Golden Era in the Stills department and does all her photo work on the computer.
Next outside session includes Lars Bystrom and Mike Gilchrist. Lars was a master carpenter and Mike Gilchrist was an MAA for most of his years and later would end up in the Cinematography division working on a shoot team.
Back in the Dianetics center we have Aleah Chisholm, Steve Young, Chloe Morrison, and Charlene Hartley. Aleah was generally an auditor and ended up in charge of the Qualifications division only to get busted off post and made into a video editing lackey. Steve Young works in the Stills department, and Chloe Morrison is in the Translations Unit.
After an imminent nuclear threat montage, we end up in a conference room with Bob Ferris, McHenry Ellis, and Allan Baumgarten. Bob Ferris is Cine Technician, Allan and Sherry Baumgarten (Wayne’s parents) were both shipped back to Australia as they were elderly and Dave Miscavige does not like people dying at the base.
After this we have shots of people walking, reflecting inward. Ute Schian and Ron Pratt are the stars of this scene. Ute was in RTC forever before being busted out by Dave Miscavige and assigned to Video Editing. Ron Pratt was the Case Supervisor at Gold for the entire time I was there but ended up being made a dishwasher.
After a dinner scene with all hired actors we get back outside to the productive building scene with Mike Gilchrist and Hans Hasslberger. Shawn Allcock, Winston Mellor, and Marco Grizetti join the crew. Shawn Allcock took over from me as the Shoot crew Chief over the film unit. He is still on this post as far as I know. Winston Mellor was in the Cinematography division and a steward in RTC, Amber O’Sullivan, had a mad crush on him. She ended up getting busted off post as part of the Shelly Miscavige flap and she was made a bucket cleaner in the Cinematography division. As it would turn out, Amber is my wife’s cousin! She is now the head of the Cinematography division and she and Winston were married.
Marco Grizzetti was a huge Italian guy who worked in the Audio Division as a voice recordist. If you have ever seen the movie Goonies, Marco is Sloth’s brother from another mother. Sadly Marco also became ill. He was shipped back to Italy in 2011 and hopefully he is still alive.
At this point we have one more outside conversation we need to see with Faith Schermerhorn and Sarah Fear. Sarah Fear was in the Hole. Faith was a services person in CMO Int and could be seen rounding up food or supplies for the Hole dwellers or getting them vitamins when they could not stay awake after a few days with no sleep. Faith ended up getting shipped off the base to set up Ideal Orgs and is likely posted in Los Angeles.
After this we get to see a rare appearance from Kenny Campleman! Kenny is sitting doing Dianetics with one of the construction workers as the rest of them prep for an epic tug of war battle in the background. Kenny was one of the original members of the Apollo Stars (flute player) with LRH aboard the Apollo. After his star-studded musician days he was a security guard at the Int Base for years before being made into a dishwasher, then manufacturing, before landing in the Cine Division as a painter. He actually waved at me when I was driving by the Int base recently!
Looks like they won the tug of war battle as they all start clapping and cheering before we end up in an exploding volcano that turns into a plastic CD binder.
Thanks for that detailed rundown, Marc!
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Camilla Andersson loses a thumb and gains her freedom
In part two of the videos she made with Karen de la Carriere, Camilla Andersson talks about the hazards of Sea Org life.
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Still seeking justice for Stacy Dawn Murphy
Two years ago today, Stacey Murphy, 20, died in the Withdrawal Unit at Scientology’s flagship drug rehab facility, Narconon Arrowhead, in eastern Oklahoma.
Robert Murphy, her father, is still seeking answers and accountability in his daughter’s death. Two years later, however, there’s still no sign of action from the local sheriff and prosecutor.
Murphy told us he is watching one sign of progress: We broke the news that Oklahoma’s multi-county grand jury is hearing evidence about insurance fraud at Narconon Arrowhead.
If news breaks about criminal indictments, we’ll be thinking of Murphy and his loss.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 18, 2014 at 07:00
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