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 Welcome to our ongoing project, where we blog a 1950 first edition of Scientology’s bible, Dianetics, with the help of ex-Scientologist, Bay Area lawyer, blogger, and author Vance Woodward. Go here for the first post in the series.
We’re finally getting near the middle of this book, Vance, and L. Ron Hubbard is pretty well unhinged at this point. Did you notice how, as we move into the chapter “Contagion of Aberration” that the word “unconscious” is suddenly showing up in quote marks? We’d earlier pointed out that in Hubbard’s 1950, people seemed to get knocked cold more frequently than they do now. But at this point in the book, people are also picking up engrams when they’re “unconscious” — which is to say, not unconscious at all. This kind of rule-changing is shot through the next couple of chapters. For instance, now Hubbard tells us that engrams are contagious, and can be spread around like they were the flu virus. Continue reading The Mother and Child Reunion: Another Dianetics Nightmare Advertisement
 Laura DeCrescenzo let us know there’s been an interesting break in her years-long lawsuit against the Church of Scientology. She’s suing because during the time she was a worker in the Sea Org — which prohibits its members from having children — she says she was forced to have an abortion, a claim that numerous other former Sea Org workers have also made. (See our previous story about her complex lawsuit.)
The church has argued back that DeCrescenzo took too long to bring her lawsuit after she left the Sea Org, and it has also fought every request to turn over her confidential “pc folders,” which contain detailed information about her time in the church. But now Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald M. Sohigian has put the case on hold until Scientology finally forks over those files, and he’s given the church a deadline of May 6. It’s potentially a huge new development in a case that has dragged on for years. Continue reading Scientology Ordered to Turn Over Confidential Files in Forced-Abortion Lawsuit
 Ah, the good old days… Claire, after the introductory Communication Course, there are apparently a number of different paths that a beginning Scientologist can take as they begin a trip up the Bridge to Total Freedom. For you, the next step was a course called “Overcoming the Ups and Downs of Life,” and you estimate its price at between $100 to $200. Can you set the scene for us? How did “Ups and Downs” unfold for you? Continue reading Early On, Scientology Turns You Into a Snitch
 Luke Catton It’s been stunning to see the Narconon drug rehab network emerge in the past year as perhaps Scientology’s single biggest crisis of the many that it faces. And key to that growing problem for the church has been Lucas Catton, formerly president of Scientology’s flagship rehab facility in Oklahoma, Narconon Arrowhead. Last year, Catton came forward to tell us about Narconon’s questionable business practices in the wake of several patient deaths that have led to criminal investigations and civil lawsuits. Earlier this month, in part because of Catton’s whistleblowing, the CEO of Narconon Arrowhead was stripped of his drug counselor certification. Like other former Scientologists who have written self-published memoirs, Catton was in a remarkable position to witness some of Narconon and Scientology’s worst behavior. And his book makes for some startling reading. Continue reading Former Executive’s Tell-All Adds to Scientology Rehab Program Meltdown Advertisement
 We hear that soon, NBC’s Rock Center is going to do yet another hard-hitting episode about Scientology and its drug rehab network, Narconon.
That will be four big programs by the NBC show in the last year: One on ex-church executives Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, an initial show about deaths at the Narconon facility in Oklahoma, the Paul Haggis/Lawrence Wright special, and now another look at Narconon’s woes. In the meantime, Disney-owned ABC can’t seem to get out of the gate. As we’ve pointed out before, ABC’s 20/20 and Nightline have recorded hours and hours of footage for shows that just end up getting spiked by the network’s lily-livered attorneys. (From CBS, all we hear are crickets.) But now ABC’s news division is really going to have a hard time living down the shame, as the network finally has taken a swing at Scientology and its leader David Miscavige — through its long-running soap opera, General Hospital. Continue reading ABC finally takes on Scientology…with General Hospital
 Last week, we asked Scientology historian Jon Atack about OT III, the most important step on L. Ron Hubbard’s “Bridge to Total Freedom.” That got us talking about Xenu the Galactic Overlord, and Atack confirmed for us that this wild space opera tale was always meant to be taken literally by church members (at least, those who had spent enough money to reach OT III). This week, we’re continuing our conversation as Jon helps us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet — a project we call “Scientology Mythbusting.”
Jon, recently we’ve come to the understanding that what is shocking for some people who reach OT III is not the content itself — many of them have been spending years “remembering” their own million-year-old space opera tales during “whole track” auditing. Instead, what surprises them is that everything they’ve experienced up to that point has come from their own experiences, memories, and self-discovery. OT III is the first time that Hubbard tells them to accept his version of galactic history. Why did he do this, do you think? Continue reading Xenu the The Movie Star! When Scientology Almost Revealed Its Secrets on the Big Screen
 In December, we debuted two videos by Tiziano Lugli, a Los Angeles music producer and filmmaker. They were short, witty looks at Scientology’s funny language as spoken by numerous ex-church members and a few actors.
There are no actors in Tiziano’s new video, which he is allowing us to premiere today. In “The Losing Game,” Lugli has asked ex-Scientologists to talk about what they lost after spending years in the church. You should recognize most of them, including Marc Headley (pictured, right), Jenna Miscavige Hill, Karen de la Carriere, Tory Christman, Michael Fairman, and Mike Rinder. We think you’ll see why Tiziano wanted to wait some time after his last videos to release “The Losing Game.” It packs a punch. Continue reading VIDEO: What Did You Lose in Scientology?
 Welcome to our ongoing project, where we blog a 1950 first edition of Scientology’s bible, Dianetics, with the help of ex-Scientologist, Bay Area lawyer, blogger, and author Vance Woodward. Go here for the first post in the series.
Vance, in the last chapter, Hubbard’s cryptic examples and use of passive voice led us to wonder if he wasn’t describing his own mental instability and physical ailments, masked as examples of unnamed patients. We couldn’t shake that feeling as he took us into this next chapter, “Prenatal Experience and Birth,” which has to be the most disturbing so far. Continue reading Your Life as Sperm or Egg: L. Ron Hubbard’s Mad Genius
 Hip, Hip, Hooray! Today is March 13, which every Scientologist considers the most important day of the year. It was on this day in 1911 that Lafayette Ronald Hubbard emerged into the world with plenty of prenatal engrams and a burning desire to change the world.
The Church of Scientology always puts on a great bash for LRH, and this year, for scheduling reasons, official celebrations won’t be held in Clearwater, Florida and Los Angeles for several more days. (If you happen to be going, we’d love to get some eyewitness reports.) Even though those events are a few days away, we think we know what they’re going to frost the cakes with this time around. Once again, church members have been told that Super Power is coming this year! Which is, of course, what they were told last year, and the year before that. But this time, they mean it! After the jump, we have evidence of the latest promises. So grab a party hat and a cold beverage and let’s toast the Commodore on his 102nd! Continue reading What Could L. Ron Hubbard Use on His 102nd Birthday? How About a Little SUPER POWER! Advertisement
 Last week, Claire Headley started us out on our journey to train as Scientologists. In 2005, Claire and her husband Marc escaped from Scientology’s International Base after many years as “Sea Org” workers. She spent years working with Scientology’s “tech,” and was trusted to oversee the auditing of Tom Cruise. This week, she helps us learn how to stare for a really long time
Claire, last week we took one of Scientology’s “personality tests” and found out we have all kinds of problems. So this week, we’re going to start our first course at the church. What’s it all about, and what does it cost? Continue reading Scientology Starts Out as Staring Contests
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Welcome to our ongoing project, where we blog a 1950 first edition of Scientology’s bible, Dianetics, with the help of ex-Scientologist, Bay Area lawyer, blogger, and author Vance Woodward. Go here for the first post in the series.
