Scientology: It Still Hurts

Today I stray from my usual style of posting, which focuses on Scientology in a general aspect. This post is much more personal to me.

I was ousted from the Church of Scientology on April 12th, 2012. A year later and I had not spoken to anyone in my family. Somewhere during that year I opened an e-mail account--separate from my normal one--and e-mailed my mother. I sent her a short message just to say, "I miss you." Her response was curt. She stated simply that she could not speak to me.

Edit to add: It is not a lot of money. Just a small sum. I was tempted to refuse it because I thought it was coming directly from my father, but I have the contact information for the agency.

Scientology and Emotion

I recorded a video and posted it to my YouTube account recently talking about some of the things Scientologists like to avoid discussing. One of the many things is that Scientologists tend to do awful things in the name of Scientology.

A common question that non-Scientologists ask and I am sure many ex-Scientologists ask themselves is: how could someone do such horrible things?

Scientology is built on a culture of fear. You spend your days in fear of being snitched on or caught doing something human. In the Sea Org this is especially true, because you are surrounded by other hardcore Scientologists. If you are caught saying or doing anything out of line you are immediately reported to the thought police.

The Estates Project Force

Please be sure to scroll to the end if you don't read the whole thing. I have included a video from a protester in Clearwater, FL. This Scientology organization is essentially the same in management structure as the one here in LA. I have included some screen shots of some EPFers for you from the video so you can see an example of the EPF.

The Estates Project Force (referred to as the EPF in the never-ending, acronym filled language of Scientology) is the boot camp that brings you into the Sea Org. It is supposed to prepare you for the paramilitary life of the Sea Org. You are not considered a "member" of this elite force until you graduate the EPF.

Typically the EPF is not supposed to take more than 30 days to do. They study a series of courses that teach you everything from Scientology policy to how to brush your teeth and tie a tie. The other half of the day is spend doing manual labor which includes cleaning restrooms, the streets, moving furniture, landscaping and so on. The morning consists of first cleaning your communal quarters until it can pass a white glove inspection, practicing close order drills, rolling and unrolling a fire hose for fire drills and receiving your projects for the day.

My First Friend

Well the time has come and passed to enjoy being so full it's uncomfortable to move, hard to breathe and your back hurts. Alternatively, you can spend your Thanksgiving evening waiting in line to buy electronics or stab someone or other madness for Black Friday.

I have too much to be thankful for; so much that words could never express it. I have been helped along my way and continue to be helped by so many people, to whom I am very grateful.

I figured I would share one story about one of the first people I met, outside of the world of Scientology that changed my life forever.

The First Disconnection

Chapter 2

My parents were introduced to Scientology through a front group named WISE. That is short for World Institute of Scientology Enterprises. They seek to recruit professionals who own their own practices into using Scientology Management Techniques to run their business.

These techniques are organizational techniques which Hubbard developed to manage his churches according to his specifications. WISE helps individual business adapt them to their own structure. These businesses are then required to pay royalties back to the church for using the techniques and furthermore are indoctrinated into Scientology. This eventually results in not only the business paying royalties, but also the individual paying for themselves to practice Scientology.

Trying to Find Myself

I have been through a whole hell of a lot of social and behavioral conditioning. Right now at this moment, now that I have been almost entirely removed from that environment for several months I feel lost. For two decades I had solid, if unsound, structure in my life. I was forcibly ejected from that environment and away from my immediate family when I had gone online to seek out help with the questions I had about the religion in which I had been raised.

I was taught how to do everything, from how to properly eat food to how to tie my shoes and brush my teeth and even how to speak to people. The difference between my childhood and others is: I was not taught any of this by my parents. I was taught by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology and the writer of the book Dianetics.