More interesting details; thank you. When you say she got sucked in, do you mean she bacame a believer? And if so, why the need to hound her? I always got the impression that a big part of it was to procure funds. What did they think they could get out of her? Not doubting your account or anything, and you may not even know the answers to these questions, but you have further piqued my curiosity.
(By the way, I am in no way trying to screw with their minds; only understand their beliefs and ways).
Before you go, educate yourself by checking out Operation Clambake: http://www.xenu.net . Better yet, don’t go. Do NOT “play chicken” with the CoS. They are powerful and dangerous.
I look at who’s following. Not exactly the great minds of our century.
Studies on cult members show that certain sorts of people are drawn to authoritarian-type organizations. It’s easier or more familiar for them to have someone else organizing their life for them. I am nothing like that. I am not even slightly interested in subjecting myself to their blandishments. I have been to timeshare presentations and that was plenty for me. Too, I don’t mess with organizations that can be pretty unpleasant if you upset them. I don’t think it’s the kind of thing one ought do for a lark.
When I walk down Yonge Street, I cross the road when I get to the Scientology building. Scientology has been in that building since the seventies, and I have never felt comfortable about going near it.
Sad note: on the ground floor, overshadowed by the Scientology sign, was the Brothers Restaurant. I always thought it was the Scientology restaurant and would never go in there. A while back there was an article in the paperwhen it closed; apparently it had nothing whatsoever to do with Scientology, other than that it happened to be in the same building. I wonder how many customers it lost because they were suspicious of it?
Ahhh yes. I know it well. The first time I was ever made aware of Scientology was by some aggressive jerkweed in front of that very building: probably circa 1980.
Thanks to one and all for replying to what must seem to some of you as a no-brainer.
Your responses have fallen in line with the inner voice that told me to not get involved. That being said, I would welcome more contributions on the subject if anyone is so inclined. Gotta get some sleep now, but will check for more replies tomorrow.
It’d be like asking to be brainwashed. And, despite how skeptical you may think you are, after enough times through the spin and rinse cycles, you are not going to be the same person.
Some of this info is a bit foggy as it all happened in the 70’s, but the gist is correct:
She was in a bad place - boyfriend just dumped her, she had lost her job and was working as an underpaid temp, and was going through some serious insecurity problems. She met some guy on the street and took the psychological test. She thought they were just going to give her some free therapy and maybe meet some new friends. (She was young and naive and had never heard of them before.)
In exchange for the sessions, they told her all she had to do was “volunteer” to do some tasks around the office, but her tasks became more and more labor intensive. When she said she wanted to stop, they wanted her to pay up to leave. They knew she had no money and charged her something like $5,000 in fees for the courses she had taken! (And this was a huge amount of money in the late 70’s!) This was news to her. She knew nothing about fees until they held it over her head. And because she said she wanted to leave, at one point they had her cleaning the steps in the building, on her knees, with a toothbrush! She went home crying every day. They treated her poorly, word spread she wanted to leave and people who had been her friends ignored her. Finally she stopped going. That is when the harassment began - they were relentless and she was afraid to answer her phone or her door. She would wake up in the middle of the night and sneak out to buy groceries.
During the time she was a member, she had been told to avoid contact with all her old friends (including me) and we all had lost contact with her - I tried to call and talk to her several times, but she was always brief and the conversations were short. She never once told me she was in Scientology (she probably knew how I would have reacted.)
Once I, and her other friends, realized what was happening, we did everything we could and helped her get out.
It took a few years for her to get over that experience.
I could give you more specific info, but that is her story in a nutshell.
DMark Your friend had become a Suppressive Person, an enemy of the Sceinos. Elrons “Fair Game” policy allows for harrassment of anyone they feel is against them.
No, so they don’t get a chance to go through your belongings to get personal information about you that they can use later to impress you with their “insight”.
Then stuff an old knapsack with a bunch of Jehovah’s Witnesses pamphlets, some Chick tracts and Christian Science things. And any other religious freebies you can find.
It’d be fun, but I think the questions we all really want answered would take years of membership and tons of money to find out. It’s not worth the trouble or risk to WOOKINPANUB. I’m curious too, but I can’t volunteer because I was rude to those stress test guys on the subway last week.
VCO3 had a similar thread on here not that long ago.
He has earned some ire around these parts. Several people suggested he try them out. Many folks said that even as a joke, even for someone you hated, that would be a cruel thing to suggest.
Xenu.net! Go there. I had a brief online run-in with them and it was so cerebrally freaky that although I had considered joining the pickets in Clearwater, my husband had a definite “no fucking way” stance.
I’m a female, when I asked a fairly innocuous question to a scieno online, I was accused of being a child molester, drug addict, thief, etc. It was very surreal. It was an immediate attack, very hostile and well, out of proportion to the question asked.
Please stay away wooki. I am certain you can see the test on xenu.net. Please do not give them your name, your number, your tag #, anything. Please.
