Hey fly. That was one of their most popular songs for sure. Maybe the next famous one was Uber Alles California. Good talking with you bro.

Ha! Thanks. “Only The Shadow Knows…”

Yeah , I would like to avoid a catastrophic event for any cult members if it collapses rapidly. A quick end with no casualties is ideal .

I cringe ANY time I hear his voice… I literally hate the sound of Hubbard speaking (or singing).

Undoubtedly, the people around Miscavige suffer from a situation that gives him both ‘authority’ and free expression of his personality disorder. I think it is only a basic cowardice that places limitations upon him. He knows, at some level, that if he goes too far, the authorities will get involved and he fears this.

Isolated sites (used as labour camps) have been with Scientology since Hubbard invented the RPF . Here it is the social situation (constructed from an ‘authority’ structure, rules and some degree of belief and compliance on the part of the victims) that determines how bad it gets.

It is obviously intolerable for people to be deprived of their liberty and of medical treatment and used as free labour. The physical and mental damage will endure long after the experience. However, once again it seems to be built into the culture of CofS push the limits, but not go so far as to attract official action.

The panic surrounding the death of Lisa McPherson seems to illustrate this – the CofS did not try to brazen it out, but performed an elaborate cover-up and took measure to prevent it happening again.

It must be said that part of the reason that they can get away with so much in these places is that their victims
have surrendered their free will to this system (see “True Believer”)
and US Law enforcement seems to be unwilling to expend resources on
victims who will insist that they deserve their punishment and decline
to be liberated.

If CofS membership continues to decline, and the most fanatical members withdraw to compounds / secure buildings (a process called ‘social implosion’) the situation may worsen. I’m hoping the organisation effectively collapses before that happens.

By the way, for anyone interested in pseudo-scientific devices, I actually have a “singing rheotome” — see an example at http://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-1720260/vintage-electrical-medical-quackery-device-singing-rheotome-nice.html

Now, that’s an example where the device itself was claimed to have curative powers.

The e-meter by itself was not claimed to anything. Where it ran afoul of FDA legitimately was in _diagnosis_ (to be clear to everyone, I am not claiming the diagnosis was valid!).

Let me emphasize again for the list: by describing what Scientology theory claims re the e-meter, I am NOT saying I agree with the Scientology theory, any more than I would be agreeing with ISIS/ISIL or North Korean juche if I described their beliefs.

As I’ve said elsewhere — the FDA in my opinion was not correct in saying the e-meter itself did anything. However, they were correct in saying that the e-meter was being used to diagnose.

The point I evidently failed to get across that I was trying to make is perhaps shown in this analogy.

An x-ray of a broken arm will not in itself promote or perform any healing on that arm. It is a diagnostic tool, not a healing tool.

That is what I am saying is analogous to the Scientology claims on the e-meter: it is not a healing tool, it is a (supposed) diagnostic tool.

And to be clear: I am NOT saying that the Scientology theory of the e-meter or the structure of the mind is valid. I don’t think it is. Describing Scientology theory does not mean I agree with it.

Agreed. I do not claim that they are reliable or indicate anything that Scientology theory says they indicate.