Today at Salon, Daniel D’Addario seized on a New York magazine profile of Elisabeth Moss, in which the Golden Globe-winning actress declined to talk about her involvement in Scientology but complained that it’s “grossly misunderstood” by the media.
D’Addario rightly chastised Moss for wanting it both ways — she criticizes people for not knowing about Scientology, but won’t explain what it is. “Her willingness to slag off people’s genuine curiosity about a matter of serious consequence is as unflattering as Moss’s early-‘Mad Men’ fat suit,” he writes. (And ouch.)
But we wish writers like D’Addario would point out that it’s not just Lawrence Wright’s recent book, Going Clear, that has opened up a window on Scientology and its disturbing controversies.
In fact, there’s little that isn’t known about practically every step in the journey a Scientologist goes through in L. Ron Hubbard’s “Bridge to Total Freedom.” And those details have been well-established literally for decades, documented not only by former Scientologists but in court records and even directly from the church itself.
We wish the media would stop promoting the idea that the basics of Scientology were somehow wrapped in mystery. They aren’t. Even Moss’s own personal record in Scientology is available online, if you know where to look.
We’ll choose just one example. One of Scientology’s own magazines announced that Moss had completed a course called “Expanded Grade III” in 1999.
The grades are about midway on the Bridge, and where things get very pricey. (The lowest levels in the progression are inexpensive. It’s only after you’ve been in the church for some time that it becomes clear how costly it is as a pursuit.)
As part of a series detailing each level on the bridge, last year we worked with Claire Headley, a woman who was so trusted in her expertise on Hubbard’s “technology,” she worked at Scientology’s secretive International Base near Hemet, California, and she oversaw the auditing of Tom Cruise.
Here is a part of her description of how Expanded Grade III works…
“The focus of this grade is on one’s ability to experience change. Specifically, the theory is that all major life decisions are preceded by some event that one did not easily deal with. I don’t believe that’s a theory unique to Scientology. I’m sure there are parallels in psychology. For example, someone goes through a divorce and then makes a major career change and moves to a completely new area, let’s say. The focus of this grade is to address and handle the upsets or traumatic events that took place prior to those major life changes. The focus is on one’s ability to accept change and not dwell on past upsets.”
Sounds reasonable enough. We then looked at some of the specific questions and tasks that Moss would have encountered on this level…
“What does another want unchanged about you?”
“Walk over to this spot. Now decide you have to appear there.”
“Find something about this universe you can accept.”
“Can you recall a time when others failed to change some energy in this Universe?”
“Can you recall a time when you failed to change another’s body?”
“What change of yourself have you avoided?”
“What have you not changed about yourself?”
It all sounds simple enough, right?
So what’s it cost? According to a Scientology price list recently entered into evidence in a federal fraud lawsuit, you pay for Expanded Grade III by buying auditing in 12.5-hour packages, at $8,470 per package (or per “intensive”). Claire estimated that a typical cost for finishing the entire level would be about $15,000.
Also, we can conclude that by completing Expanded Grade III, Moss also finished Expanded Grade II. What’s on Expanded Grade II? One of the strangest interrogations in Scientology: the dreaded “Joburg Sec Check.”
Here are some sample questions from the “security check,” which a Scientologist on Expanded Grade II is required to answer while holding the sensors of an “E-meter” — a crude electronic device that Scientologists believe can tell if they aren’t being completely forthcoming.
6. Have you ever blackmailed anybody?
16. Have you ever told lies in Court?
20. Have you ever peddled Dope?
23. Have you ever raped anyone?
24. Have you ever been involved in an abortion?
27. Have you ever practised Homosexuality?
28. Have you ever had intercourse with a member of your family?
32. Have you ever slept with a member of a race of another colour?
37. Have you ever done any illicit Diamond buying?
38. Have you ever betrayed anyone for money?
43. Have you ever been a spy for an Organization?
44. Have you ever had anything to do with Communism or been a Communist?
45. Have you ever been a newspaper reporter?
46. Have you ever had intercourse while under the influence of drugs?
52. Have you ever had anything to do with a baby farm?
53. Have you ever been a spy for the Police?
57. Have you ever done anything your Mother would be ashamed to find out?
78. Do you feel Communism has some good points?
81. Do you know any Communist personally?
82. Have you ever injured Dianetics or Scientology?
86. Have you ever had unkind thoughts about LRH?
88. Have you ever had any unkind thoughts about Mary Sue?
94. Have you ever used Dianetics or Scientology to force sex upon someone?
95. Do you know of any plans to injure a Scientology Organization?
96. Are you upset about this Security Check?
This set of questions was put together by L. Ron Hubbard in 1961, 21 years before Elisabeth Moss was born, and we’ve personally interviewed many former Scientologists who say they were put through this interrogation when they reached Expanded Grade II.
There’s just no question that someone with Moss’s experience in Scientology would have been exposed to this and a lot more. Like L. Ron Hubbard’s theory that between lives, our souls are implanted by alien forces controlling Mars and Venus. Here, listen to Hubbard talk about it for yourself.
Yes, D’Addario is right. It sure would be interesting to see Elisabeth Moss talk about this stuff.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 10, 2014 at 16:00
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Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS (We read Scientology’s founding text) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
UP THE BRIDGE (Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN (Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING (Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44
PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer
