Scientology - What makes it Dangerous to Everyone

Not Just Dangerous to Willing Scientologists


HOME PAGEThis is meant to be a Summary -- and also a test summary open to critique. Does this adequately explain what I'm trying to convey? Does it inspire someone to look deeper? Does it eradicate the idea that Scientology is "just a religion" or "just a bunch of morons" or "just an effective method of learning and study" or "just a way to get people off drugs and fight crime" or "just a way to solve problems in society"?   These last three points are what Scientology is currently impressing on global, national, and regional political leaders.

As this page is being developed further, much of the material is reliant on this web forum discussion, for which I gratefully credit Fintan Dunne and other contributors, as well as *ex-Scientologists* and other activists.

The People Versus Corporate Scientology

http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3924
a.k.a. http://www.breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3924
Videos which provide a lot of examples and evidence are avalable on this site and on these pages
http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39251#39251
YouTube videos require the Adobe Flash extension. You probably already have it.

In a nutshell, Scientology -- like other "modern" cults and even like non-cults like AA to a minor degree -- combines religion and psychology/psychiatry. However, it is much more, much worse, and what they say they are morphs depending on the conversation and even within conversations.  In other words, they are intentionally evasive about what they are, for some very important reasons.

On one hand, they insist that they are a religion and cite tax court cases and First Amendment cases to prove it

On the other hand, when asked about their beliefs in Xenu and creation of the universe and meaning of life, David Miscavige told Ted Koppel that (A) they don't use that anymore as part of the "Technology", or (b) that these specific stories about Hubbard travelling to the Van Allen Belt and the Xenu story or here and are just archetypal stories which are part of ALL religions. (The nine-part "ABC Nightline Koppel Miscavige" interview is currently searchable on YouTube.com.)
  


So setting aside religion, as Miscavige does (partially, evasively to Koppel), what remains?

"Helping" the human race, "healing" the human spirit, removing or freeing what they call Body Thetans. How?  Actually, by "hacking the soul" and by using what one ex-Member called "black psychology", after she did a lot of research into basic concepts of psychology/psychiatry.  (link below under discussion of their stated "one world religion" goals)

NOTE: To offer balance, here's Another Look at Scientology by an ex-member and critic
writes about cultic aspects and potential danger, from a less-than-hysterical perspective
Admittedly, the anti-Scn forum (usenet) people tend towards insults and "flame wars" rather than skilled and reasoned debate.
That's also true today.
However, since Bernie offers mostly snippets (and I don't have time to research the entire spectrum of old usenet posts), it is also possible that the Scn defenders online attempted to "bait" the anti-Scn people, but like in these videos, and the anti-Scn people allowed themselves to be driven to rage and to generalized prejudice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocw90W44Boc "What are your crimes?" Explanation of crime and criminality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvjzDgMmELY More Personal Insults
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G8OArPHyh8 Bull Baiting part 3 (aggressive, and profanity from both sides)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLLW9xEFMgI Bull Baiting part 1 ("you bumped into me" "that's assault")

Scientologists "help" low grade humans (which their "scripture" calls "raw meat" recruits, and describes as mindless "biological robots") via bastardized and abused Freudian psychological/psychiatric byproducts. Not the whole of psychiatry itself -- which they vehemently reject and seek to destroy -- but byproducts of the psych method, like unwitting hypnosis and unwitting transference (dependency) abuse.

Using hypnosis without consent of the patient and abusing transference is not only a violation of the American Psychological Association’s ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND CODE OF CONDUCT, it is also illegal. It is illegal to use psychiatry to scam patients out of sex, money, labor, or to put people into mental slavery.

"A very effective thought control technique could also be worked out from Scientology, which could be used to make individuals into willing slaves."
L Ron Hubbard

But don't plan on catching Scientologists doing this
. Copyright and trade secrets prevent outside inspection (or auditing them). Their hatred of psychiatry, which is a large part of the core foundation of their teachings, means that anyone objectively knowledgeable enough to evaluate their methods, and to authoritatively explain them to others, is their sworn enemy who Scientology aims to destroy en masse, on their claims that psychiatry seeks to destroy them, only due to psychiatry's jealously, fear, competition, and hatred of mankind and/or hatred of religion. (maybe partly true, professional institutional groups and govt agencies do engage in jealous antics from time to time, including FBI vs. CIA and Army vs. Marines, and some psychiatrists also despise or dismiss religion)

In this 2006/07 New Years Eve event, David Miscavige outlines how Scientology intends to destroy psychiatry using violent imagery including hand grenades and explosions
(the ultimate goal is replacing psychiatry with themselves, with their "Tech")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfu7Sr50N7U

These abuses are inflicted invisibly in the background, in stages, during the outward visible methods of Auditing and later exercises and drills, some of which directly mimic CIA interrogation and counter-intelligence methods.

The early stages of Auditing an inductee's past, which are recorded and kept for posterity (and it's official internal policy to use these records for blackmailing future critics for their "crimes") often FEEL quite pleasant and benign, relaxing. Mild Hypnosis is all these things. Likewise, Study Tech as an introductory stage probably does help people focus better, via both hypnosis and alleviating immediate past problems and worries.

Many of the counter-protester techniques shown in this post, http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39275#39275
--- and these techniques are also used on cult members who are caught or suspected of minor infractions, like having critical opinions of methods, the group, or of leaders, or of making minor mistakes in assigned tasks --- these methods resemble techniques used by the military and intelligence in Abu Gharaib and Guantanimo Bay. Yelling at prisoners, yelling orders, harassment, isolation, sleep deprivation, demeaning slurs, threats against individuals and their families, even physical violence. These are high-level counter-intelligence methods.  "Dear Alice" (below) is modeled on a CIA interrogation technique called Alice in Wonderland, whereby teams of interrogators create confusion/compliance in the trapped prisoner by shoutinga series of nonsense phrases.

Scientology teaches that Suppressive Persons, or Antisocials are a class comprising two and a half percent of earth's population, and are the cause of all illness, accidents and any bad condition. Scientology states that SPs are completely evil and irredeemable, "truly dangerous," committing crime continuously, "psychotic," and deserving of no civil rights.

Scientology also teaches, and Cruise knows, that the Antisocial Personality, the SP, is, as the Hubbard bulletin but not the online version says, the “Anti-Scientologist.” The opponents or critics of Scientology or any of its doctrines, policies or practices are the people that the organization identifies as Suppressive Persons.

from  http://suppressiveperson.org/spdl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=320
and summarized http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39294#39294
Cruise and Miscavige often tell naïve interviewers about their goal of "helping" to clear society of anti-social persons and behavior.  Sounds good?

For more serious "crimes", Scientology currently uses RPF (Rehabilitation Project Force) prisons, Re-Education Labor camps like Mao's China or Stalin's Gulag, for both adults and children. These prison terms can last for many years, sometimes until the person agrees to sign a "confession of crimes" that Scientology leaders accuse them of. (The language of these "crimes" is often done in such a manner as to make minor conflicts sound like actual criminal activities.)  Many of these "crimes" against Scientology are subjective, and consist of "conspiracy" or "conspiracy of thought and intention".
http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39277#39277

Some reports of the use of "vitamins" which sometimes include psychoactive substances.

OK, but no one has to join a religion, right?

WRONG.
They now claim 10 million or so members trained by "the Tech" to be politically-aggressive, and a highly aggressive and unethical legal attack team, all charged with spreading Scientology across the globe, without asking anyone's permission
(we are the authorities, per Tom Cruise), and by overturning anything that stands in their way (taking anything "out of the road", per Miscavige).
With this strategy, it matters less if people join them if our children end up being taught by "Way to Happiness" advisors.
If they were not lobbying politicians and trying to partner with govts, I would not be so concerned.

For chrissakes, they infiltrated IRS, courts, prosecutors, DAs, judges, and other public offices in the past. They destroyed files on their org, and copied sensitive information.  They also are big on sweeping background checks on enemies, including critics in the press and media, so they can improve and target smear campaigns.

From the videos on the link above and specifically those below, it's easy to see that they fully intend to seize controls of the reins of power by infiltrating governments and taking over government programs, and worse, that this is not mere megalomania, but that they are aggressively succeeding in doing so. One List of dozens of Scientology front groups.
http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39294#39294
http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39295#39295
http://breakfornews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=39303#39303


UNO,Merkel,Bush,Chavez,Sarkozy..& Scientology with the pope?
GOING GLOBAL 2005
"IAS sponsored crusade to reach into governments around the globe and indoctrinate them about us"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orv6jpEn5hY
http://www.Takeoverworld.info/vid/Scientology_global_2005.flv 20M  (needs standalone Flash Video player)
http://www.Takeoverworld.info/vid/Scientology_global_2005.avi 18M  (may need Divx codec)
http://www.Takeoverworld.info/vid/Scientology_global_2005.wmv 16M (needs Windows, or Windows extension for Macs or Linux)
Tom Cruise has already visited the United States Dept of Education and got programs implemented by leaders (see Tom Cruise awards video part 2 on Break for News or YouTube), visited the State Dept, and their techniques are being infiltrated into prisons, city services, drug rehab programs, and other public institutions.  They moved into the City of London financial district, with great hoopla from politicians and police about "partnerships".
Charles Manson was (informally?) treated by a Scientology in prison, and went off on his own path but there are strong indications he used the techniques.
(Some articles say a 'church member' brought Scientology in, others say it was an inmate holding sessions at which Manson received 150 hours of training in TR. An E-Meter was found at Spahn Ranch, and some Manson poetry uses church 'lingo'.  This sounds like someone doing research on the specifics.)
The Process Church was formed by two former Scientologists, and they lived within a 2-block proximity, but apparently at different time periods.  There are questions as to how likely or "tenuous" it was that they met or merged philosophies.
The Esalen Institute that both attended at different times definitely had CIA connections and people onboard.
The lawyer who was visited 40 times by Manson cultist and convicted murderer Charles 'Tex' Watson -- who had no money and no known outstanding legal issues -- the lawyer was a leading member of California's Young Republicans.  This raises all kinds of unaddressed questions about the Manson case.  Was the lawyer also a Scientologist, like Watson and Manson?
 
Totalitarian extremism is obvious from the internal David Miscavige ceremonies and from Tom Cruise talks.
L. Ron Hubbard, Jr., who changed his last name to deWolf, did a long interview with Penthouse mag.

Joining their side at times, they also have "Christian" ministers who employ or agree with Scientology, or use similar totalitarian methods, or at least see a practical benefit of siding with Scientology as an "abused minority religion".  It's a shield against scrutiny.

In the current phase, they are recruiting politicians to their cause, which includes use of their hypnosis and abuse-psych methods on prisoners and on people who are caught taking illegal drugs, as well as on children/students. That's the door, the opening, for government grants and for partnerships which are already developing, perhaps via "faith-based initiatives".

Given their past patterns and actions, if Scientology fails to get "faith-based" grant money -- which by the way some decent and normal Christian churches oppose the whole practice of government "help" for churches on Constitutional principles --
Scientology will let loose their lawyers to attack, until they too start to receive grants and most of all, LEGITIMACY.

All you anti-communists and far right Christians worried about UNESCO and an insidious One World Anti-Christ Religion combined with government? Well this is it. Scientology, even though it is simultaneously "a religion" and "not a religion, but a technology", it IS actively positioning itself to be a new Global Religious or "Spiritual" movement.

While Scientology does not formally ask anyone to abandon their religious beliefs, this article on Scientology Soul Hackers
Refund and Reparation - Essay: Scientology: Soul Hackers
http://www.carolineletkeman.org/writings/soulhackers.html
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=scientology+transference
or HERE (my mhtml copy)  or  HERE (PDF w format issues)  or at last resort  HERE  (my borrowed copy w minor edits of emphasis and clarifying obscure terminology)

... explains in more detail how Scientology replaces religion and why it is incompatible with religion, as well as detailing how their Auditing technology works. To the extent that it could be called a religion, the Source is the mind of L. Ron Hubbard and his beliefs --- not God --- and not only religious ideas, but also beliefs in such things as the proper emotional Tone that people are permitted to have, emotional and mental control methods which gradually block an inductee, as he is progressing through the process, from critically evaluating Scientology, and many other things.



http://www.lermanet.com/exit/confusion-technique.htm

CONFUSION-TECHNIQUE - Dear Alice technique of Hubbard, related to
The Alice in Wonderland confusion technique is found in this counterintelligence interrogation manual written in 1963
 

The Dark Art of Interrogation
From the Atlantic Monthly, October 2003

Iraq Tactics Have Long History With U.S. Interrogators
For Ideological Blinders
To explain how either "liberal" views towards freedom of religion, non-discrimination, multi-culturalism, or conversely, "conservative" views on freedom of religion, are leveraged by Scientology to promote their "religion" of power and greed.
.... to be continued
Another Look at Scientology (Bernie, an ex-Scientologist, was put off by hysterical, unthinking anti-cultists)
(think: Bush-haters vs. Bush worshippers, September 11 "TRUTHERS" vs. "SHEEPLE") (even if only almost-accurate, downplays "deception" vs. "buy-in", this may express the subjective and mindset of average Scientology members and their defensiveness ... or maybe it's a whitewash masquerading at a critique, but I think it's cool and helpful)

suggests: http://bernie.cncfamily.com/ars.htm

Quote:
Mind-Control vs. Indoctrination
The key to understand this web site is to realize the fundamental difference between the anti-cult approach of “cult mind-control” and that of “indoctrination”.

The “cult mind-control” line favored by anti-cult groups is a simplistic and dualistic approach, positioning on the one hand the evil cult leader and on the other hand the innocent victims – the first knowingly exploiting the second for money and power.

This approach has historically proven itself to lead to gross human right abuses such as kidnapping and deprogramming of cult members, discrimination towards minorities, and eventually tragedies on a large scale such as Jonestown and Waco.

In contrast, the concept of indoctrination does not demonize the cult leader by portraying him as an evil brainwasher but instead view him as a victim of the cultic illusion himself.

Nor does it de-humanize cult members by portraying them as mindless robots but view them instead as unconsciously helping to feed the cultic illusion for themselves and others.

It also is important to note that this approach does not dismiss the content of the group’s teaching, but puts emphasis instead on the context that brings the group to act in a cultish manner.


Quote:
Cultic Mindset
The “cultic mindset” is at the core of the whole cult/anti-cult issue, and therefore of Scientology as well. If only the public would understand this one concept, they would understand everything ex-members and anticultists attempt to say. They would also understand, paradoxically, where anticultists go wrong on that issue.

There is, however, no simple definition. If there was, there would not be a controversy in the first place. I can only attempt to describe here my own understanding of that phenomenon, understanding born out of firsthand experience and years of involvement on both sides of the issue.

At the basis of the cultic mindset is an illusion. An illusion is to believe in something that in reality does not exist, or more exactly does not exist in the way it appears to, like a mirage in the desert. What the mirage depicts is a reflection of something real, but it is only a reflection, and the illusion is to take that reflection for the reality.

Likewise, cults offer a reflection of something real. It has a great appeal for those who seek, who have a deep thirst for true meaning in life, wandering in the desert of our society that only offers them material satisfaction and a superficial, sclerosised, institutionalized, spirituality. The cultic illusion kicks in when the member fails to realize the illusory nature of what is being offered, and when the group itself offers it in such a context as to present it as the real thing, the one and only real thing.

The group’s teaching, and therefore the group’s very existence, becomes the most important, the most vital, thing in the life of the member. It holds his eternal future, saves him from eternal damnation, and represents the only hope for the planet, doomed without it in a relatively short term. This mentality is reinforced by the context in which the teaching is presented. The teaching has to be preserved at any cost, especially towards a hostile and ignorant society that will do its utmost to destroy it. The cultic mindset, the end-justifies-the-means mentality, the us-vs-them mentality, kicks in.

The basis of truth at the heart of the cultic illusion is an important aspect that, as we will see later, makes the difference with the anticult approach. It also is what makes Scientology such an inextricable controversy, because it is actually a mixture of truths and fallacies.


Quote:
Cultic mindset and Scientology
Critics claim that Scientology is all crap and non-sense and they explain the reason people believe in it through “brainwashing” and “mind-control”. It is impossible to understand what the cultic mindset it through such a prejudiced approach. In fact, as we will see later, it itself is extremely cultic.

Quite on the contrary, Scientology does contain valid aspects. This much better explains why people believe and stick to it. At the same time, it also helps to better understand the cultic mindset.


Faith Leap

Scientology is imparted in a context where cultic conclusions are being constantly repeated. The members don’t realize that, as they buy into the valid aspects of Scientology, they are also unconsciously buying into its cultic conclusions. Because the members end up accepting the valid aspects as great truths, they also unconsciously end up concluding that the cultic assertions must necessarily be true. They thus make a “faith leap” from one to the other. Truth and fallacies starts to become inextricably mixed, and the cultic mindset starts to set in.

[...]

The faith leap between “Scientology really does explain everything” to “Scientology is the only hope for Humanity” is not that a big leap to make anymore.

[...]

By emphasizing Scientology absoluteness and uniqueness, he plays on the members atavistic fears such as those related to the after-life and soul eternity.

He also plays on feelings of guilt, such as the member’s role in the planet’s future. The members become afraid even to consider alternatives. Questioning ends up being a crime that threatens the future of “every Man, Woman and Child on [this planet], and your own destiny for the next endless trillions of years”.

[...]

The whole process is reinforced by the members’ own need to believe. This prevents them from questioning the system deeply enough and quite on the contrary leads them to participate in its reinforcement.

It is important to note that this is something that they do to themselves and to others, not something done to them by an evil brainwasher.

[...]
part of CONCLUSION
Because the end result of the anticult theory as proven so dangerous, with kidnapping/deprogramming, hysterical mob reactions, witch hunts, and other gross human rights abuses, it is of utmost importance that the theory been debunked and scholars have done a tremendous job in this respect. It is not accepted as a justification for forcible deprogramming anymore, and groups like the FBI have now learned better than listen to anticult groups’ advices. Anticultists are still exploiting the ignorance of the public through a great amount of web site, the media, and social pressures, but as the public get more educated they learn to relativise the issue and to place it in a more realistic context.


MORE and rest of the CONCLUSION .... http://bernie.cncfamily.com/ars.htm
Positive aspects:  http://bernie.cncfamily.com/sc/posneg_positive.htm
Critical aspects:  http://bernie.cncfamily.com/sc/posneg_critical.htm

Does not explain or know about the TRANSFERENCE factor ... assuming that's accurate and it seems to be ...  which IS an EVIL BRAINWASHER effect, known and therefore apparently knowingly utilized by Hubbard and probably Miscavige.