Disclaimer: Reading this material, with the provision of an honest and unbiased appraisal, may alter your viewpoint. No harm or insult is intended in expressing my opinions.
I my view, Scientology is what you get, when you cross a genius brain, the likes of, David Blaine, with the personality, of an ambitious but depraved grandiose vunerable covert narcissist, the likes of Adolf Hitler! Hubbards ‘works’, are anything, except, what they portray themselves as being, to their dwindling parishionership of still deluded subjects.
There is evidently, a startling contrast and divergence in the opinions of ex-scientologists, as to what Scientology really is, or can or cannot accomplish. as well as, the actual history of Hubbard and Scientology, which is also, hotly contested on posts and blogs, as this fascinating tale, can take many a different or even conspiratorial path, depending on who you choose to listen to, amongst the ex-scientology communities and forums. There is even a man who has changed this legal name to Lafayette Hubbard and believes himself, to be the re-incarnation of LRH and even he, has a small but passionate following.
Researchers in the field of Post Cult Counselling, seem to be better able to agree on facts and to co-operate in their efforts, as they have broken down the mechanisms of mind control, pretty definitively, over the last few decades. It can now, relatively easily be demonstrated, that the techniques employed, in all cults, hold some basic parallels, infact, these traits, can be used as a diagnostic tool in themselves. Scientology is no exception, other than, in the sheer, magnitude of materials and techniques, developed and employed to keep it’s subjects, transfixed, in a cult persona, (ie, the scientology personality, ones who has taken on the cult leaders views, beliefs, etc, as his or her own). A Scientologist is considered, one of the hardest, ‘nuts to crack’, (pardon the pun!) and Hubbard known as the master manipulator, even when compared to, other ‘masterful’ cult leaders, by those post cult counsellors experienced in undoing Hubbards bewitching practices.
Some ex-scientologists, still ‘believing in the Tech’, but disillusioned by current managements money grabbing and off-policy antics, continue to seek services outside of the Church’s official jurisdiction. Unfortunately, they haven’t yet come to a conclusive reality that, it’s only the brainwashing that works, not the ‘Tech’! Whilst others, quiety use what they still think they find useful, though they may be otherwise, disaffected. There are as many different views and experiences as there are ex-scientologists. The ex-scientology field, appears to also be, rife with trolls and/or OSA (Office of Special Affairs, scientologys secret service department) operatives, causing yet further discord, mis-information and side-taking. This creates a further, lack of co-ordinated, co-operative action between the different factions in the anti-scientology communities. These divisions may well, be contributory factors, as to why, scientology, is still a force to be reckoned with, in a global context. Not to take away, from the brave activists, who have given so much and endured the wrath of scientologys ruthless ‘seek and destroy’ policy against its critics, but a stable platform, from which to build a group of co-ordinated activists, expansive enough to ‘bring down’ a multi-million dollar, global movement with legal and financial clout is evidently lacking, as of yet. While the church, no matter how nuts, it may be, still operates under a somewhat co-ordinated system, with everyone parroting off the same hymn sheet (policy) and actions and plans executed towards common objectives. I’m not suggesting, we all become parrots, but steps could to be taken, to bring more agreement amongst ex-scientology factions, so that our actions can be better co-ordinated, if we are to become more effective, at getting our messages and warnings heard and acted upon.
Part of the solution may lay in deprogramming or post cult counselling, although education, should be enough for many, depending on how entangled in the scientology identity they had become.
More thorougly deprogrammed, (as opposed to reprogrammed), ex-scientologists, have come to the understanding that Hubbard’s works are nothing more than, the suggestive ramblings of a master manipulator, expert in hypnosis and the usage of loaded language, conversational hypnosis, trance induction, thought reform, etc, in fact, the entire array of subjective, brainwashing, (undue influence, mind control, covert manipulation or whichever, other term you prefer), toolkit. This is a point of contention, as I am well aware. If anyone, had suggested to me, that I had been a hypnotic subject, at any point, before I saw it for myself, I know for sure, how fervently, I would have opposed, such an absurd notion. Just a few, short years ago, I was telling my friends and family, with conviction, that scientology is the opposite of hypnosis and that it unhypnotises you, which is exactly what Hubbard wanted us to believe. I was under the impression, that I had a relatively good grasp on hypnosis as a scientologist, nothing could have been further from the truth.
Myself, and a few others, that I’ve noticed, are commonly, beating on about hypnosis, while, the majority, don’t seem to necessarily, consider it too much of a factor, (amongst many others), in the change of behaviour and thought patterns they experienced, when they were being ‘turned into’, scientologists. The suggested belief, that their own determinism, played a major role in their decisions and mindset, whilst in scientology, can, I believe, cause a major part of the cognitive dissonance that prevents an honest and open self dialogue and examination of the real genesis of their cult mindset. The problem, seems to lie, at least partly, in a lack of knowledge, of altered trance states and other concepts of hypnosis that are covertly in effect, whilst a completely alternative purpose is attributed to the practices. If you have ever wondered why cult doctrine can sound so confusing and often, contradictory, it’s because it needs to be, these complexities serve to deepen the trance and layers of thought stopping cliches, commonly, used in cult language.
We see, in the wider arena, an empirical increase in the use of cult methods, in religious, political, terrorist, corporate, etc, groups. Most of it may be pretty harmless, but with the alarming rate of ‘followers’, falling for new movements, it’s time to teach these understandings far and wide, to the world, if we are to ever consider ourselves as nations of free thinkers.
Cult hopping, I believe, is a symptom of, one still holding unsubstantiated beliefs, embedded during hypnotic altered states.
I will attempt to expound further on the prevalent role of hypnosis in the practices of scientology and cults generally, in future posts, along with, examples and explantions of what these basic covert hypnosis principals are and how they are applied in these groups.
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Sarbjit Sandhu
Sarbsblog 