I went to the London Scientology centre today to see what it was like......

[Dirty Den Watts]

As I said in a previous post of mine the other day, I have been thinking about visiting the London Scientology centre to see what it was like

While I was in Tottenham Court road today with my father for shopping, I decided to brave it and venture in


Deciding not to go with me, my father left me there and went home

I walked in and there was no one at the desk , but there were shelves lined with books by Ron Hubbard, all in different languages. The whole place was empty, I was the only one in there as I walked in. There were some video screens on the wall and I watched a little bit of a video about getting better in life. A man then appeared kept walking back and forth behind me, and he finally came up to me and introduced himself. He was stocky and looked Italian or similar. He asked if I got any thing out of the video and I just politely said it was a nice video, etc. He then asked me if I had any issues in life... depressed, insecure, etc. I said some times, but nothing major. He acted like a very keen sales man, but looked very pushy and kind of false at the same time. I can't explain it

He then asked if I had £4 pounds to spare to buy a little book... which I did... just to see what would happen next. I gave him £10 pounds and he went to the front of the centre to this man (a helper?) and asked the other guy to get the change. The other man then went out side to the street for about a minute , then came back with my change... which I found strange. The main Italian guy then asked me to put my personal details on a small form , which I gave a false second name and a fictional address, etc. He then started telling me how he wants me to succeed in life and to read this and that

Then he asked if I would like to watch a 40 minute video, up in a film room. He took me up a flight of stairs and sat me in this mini cinema . The projector wasn't working, so he asked me to follow him up a further flight of stairs to another film room. He then put the film on. I must have got through about 30 minutes of a film talking about obstacles in life , honesty, communication, etc... what not to do, what you should do and how you deal with it in a good way. The ideas and advice seemed really good, but those things can be done with out Scientology . Just takes decent human beings

When I got back down to the front entrance, he told me about their base in St Paul's (which is a ten minute walk from me) and booked me an appointment with a Maria. He asked if it was okay if I can take £30 pounds with me tomorrow... but also said I didn't have to do the things if I don't want to


I am contemplating whether to go to this 'appointment' tomorrow , just to see what it is like in there..... seeing as it is just a few minutes walk from me. I definitely won't be giving 30 pounds and I won't be joining



The experience today kind of weirded me out, definitely had a cult vibe to it



Any opinions would be great

 

[JackStraw]

While I understand curiosity, I strongly feel that you are playing with plutonium here.

I was in for 30+ years, both as "public" and on staff and it all began with a "Personality Test."

I strongly believe they have no idea they are doing it (brainwashing, very subtly) but they are VERY good at it!

I suggest you look around here more. Read others stories of their experience and learn, not from real life, but rather from others mistakes. This would be a much gentler education.

Jack

 

[TheOriginalBigBlue]

At least do the Complete Oh No, Ross & Carrie Scientology Course first...

https://rosscarriescientology.wordpress.com/

 

[ThetanExterior]

You say you're not going to join but you don't seem to realise they don't ask you to join. They ask you to buy a book, which you did, then come for a meeting, which you're contemplating, do a personality test, try a little study course .... drip, drip, drip.

At no point will they ask you if you would like to join this predatory cult.

If you're just doing this for kicks then you're playing with fire. If you're doing it to give us some information then you're wasting your time. Most of us here have had many years of being in Scientology. We know what it's about and what they do.

 

[TexasLurker]

Sounds like a bad idea.

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

You say you're not going to join but you don't seem to realise they don't ask you to join. They ask you to buy a book, which you did, then come for a meeting, which you're contemplating, do a personality test, try a little study course .... drip, drip, drip.

At no point will they ask you if you would like to join this predatory cult.

If you're just doing this for kicks then you're playing with fire. If you're doing it to give us some information then you're wasting your time. Most of us here have had many years of being in Scientology. We know what it's about and what they do.

Yeah, exactly!!

Your point is excellent. There are probably a LOT of people who just assume it's a "conscious decision" to join Scientology.

But that would only be true if, seeing quicksand directly ahead, one made a "conscious decision" to walk into it.

I guess both are a close version of the same "dwindling spiral".

CONCLUSION: The shit just looks so normal when you're not paying close attention! LOL

 

[Dirty Den Watts]

You say you're not going to join but you don't seem to realise they don't ask you to join. They ask you to buy a book, which you did, then come for a meeting, which you're contemplating, do a personality test, try a little study course .... drip, drip, drip.

At no point will they ask you if you would like to join this predatory cult.

If you're just doing this for kicks then you're playing with fire. If you're doing it to give us some information then you're wasting your time. Most of us here have had many years of being in Scientology. We know what it's about and what they do.

I went in there just to see for my self how it was and have no intention of giving them any more money. I know full well what they are and am not stupid enough to go further

I didn't go to that appointment today and am content with reading it up

There is no way in hell they would convince me to actually believe them, I would have probably have walked in the St Paul's Scientology church and walked straight back out when I refused to give them 30 pounds. The way they straight away ask you for money screams an actual fraud


If I ever walk in to the St Paul's church while passing, since I live round the corner, will be purely to mess about and say what it was like in there... but I will not be duped

My mind is too screwed up and fixed for that any way

Plus I gave the guy false information yesterday (apart from an alternative email) so they can't track me down, not that they would


Thanks for all your replies though, you all seem such nice people

 

[TheOriginalBigBlue]

The money thing is a little more involved than just pushing stats.

Scientology staff are heavily indoctrinated into a concept of "Exchange", whereby it is a spiritual crime to let someone else be "Out-Exchange". Out-exchange people complain (natter) and commit overts (non-survival acts) against Scientology. Of course this is open to interpretation but it can be as little as keeping your exchange in over the time and benefit you received for watching a free video to being in-exchange with Scientology because they are the only group with the workable technology and pure intention to save the planet. Doesn't matter if you are conscious of this or not - deep down you as a thetan are aware of it because you recognize them as the white hats from intergalactic wars long long ago.

Of course, any exchange of funds also requires a receipt or invoicing whereby they can collect your contact info for purposes of sending your junk mail and spam calls all the way to the grave or to conduct background checks at the earliest convenience.

 

[Dirty Den Watts]

That all just sounds .... sincerely strange and illogical

Thank fully I paid for that little book with cash and gave them all false information, save for the alternate email address , which doesn't have my name


So I on't be getting spammed or harassed by them lol


What ever do those people, including the celebrities , see in that 'religion' ?

​

 

[Enthetan]

What ever do those people, including the celebrities , see in that 'religion' ?

It feeds their egos. What is the primary draw of Scientology? The idea if you follow Hubbard, you will achieve god-like power.

 

[TheOriginalBigBlue]

///
What ever do those people, including the celebrities , see in that 'religion' ?

Aside from some basic communication drills which can be curious and fun and interacting with new people, the Communications Course has always been the main entry point because people go Ganzfeld for the first time while doing TRs and they interpret this as an out of body experience. This serves to confirm in their minds that Scientology does indeed have a workable technology of the spirit which can provide all the things they promise.

They are also introduced to the Study Tech on the Communications Course which herds them into a closed information loop. The next step is to gradually increase their knowldege and compliance with Ethics Tech. The initial selling point on this is that the Technology cannot work if Ethics are out.

This is probably the point where most people start to really consider themselves Scientologists. It is primarily a New Age Self Help front. To understand New Age go back to the origins of Theosophy. But organizationally it is classic Totalitarianism.

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?42491-TRs-and-The-Ganzfeld-Effect

 

[BrashJerk]

You're just going to feed them more money and are supporting their abuses.

 

[Vittorio]

The whole place was empty, I was the only one in there as I walked in.

Nothing new!

He was stocky and looked Italian or similar. He asked if I got any thing out of the video and I just politely said it was a nice video, etc. He then asked me if I had any issues in life... depressed, insecure, etc. I said some times, but nothing major. He acted like a very keen sales man, but looked very pushy and kind of false at the same time. I can't explain it

They are trained in a very robotic manner on how to 'handle people' and it seems to have worked because you purchased something.

He then asked if I had £4 pounds to spare to buy a little book... which I did... just to see what would happen next. I gave him £10 pounds and he went to the front of the centre to this man (a helper?) and asked the other guy to get the change. The other man then went out side to the street for about a minute , then came back with my change... which I found strange. The main Italian guy then asked me to put my personal details on a small form , which I gave a false second name and a fictional address, etc. He then started telling me how he wants me to succeed in life and to read this and that. Then he asked if I would like to watch a 40 minute video, up in a film room. He took me up a flight of stairs and sat me in this mini cinema . The projector wasn't working, so he asked me to follow him up a further flight of stairs to another film room. He then put the film on.

You'd think in today's day and age that they would have cash to hand or a projector that works. I've read a similar story about the the main "Org", that they need to go hunting for cash when they sell something. NEVER give them your card, they keep these details in their system.

When I got back down to the front entrance, he told me about their base in St Paul's (which is a ten minute walk from me) and booked me an appointment with a Maria. He asked if it was okay if I can take £30 pounds with me tomorrow...

30 pounds? They got a course in mind for you. Maria is there to sign you up, she's been doing it for about 17 years, apart from the couple of years she was taken of staff because her husband (Adrian Bennett?) was considered PTS to his parents who he long disconnected (they're probably anti-Scientology). Stay away. Maria's husband had given about 250,000 to the Church by the end of 2005, it must be over the 500,000 range now.

I am contemplating whether to go to this 'appointment' tomorrow , just to see what it is like in there..... seeing as it is just a few minutes walk from me. I definitely won't be giving 30 pounds and I won't be joining

Don't go again ever. That your considering it shows you have some interest and/or something is working.

 

[Irayam]

The projector wasn't working, so he asked me to follow him up a further flight of stairs to another film room.

This is probably standard tek.

I remember a similar incident whistling in my WOG days, a few weeks before I start my first $cientology course, the projector was not working. We were maybe 4 to 5 people waiting for the film to begin and 2 poor staffs were trying to fix the issue. After 5 minutes, a stupid WOG looked at the projector and suggest to the 2 poor staffs to plug the projector in the socket outlet...

Anyway, the little film was really creepy, with this $cientological flavor that we all know...

And, I don't know why, I did not run away...

Irayam

 

[Dirty Den Watts]

Nothing new!



They are trained in a very robotic manner on how to 'handle people' and it seems to have worked because you purchased something.



You'd think in today's day and age that they would have cash to hand or a projector that works. I've read a similar story about the the main "Org", that they need to go hunting for cash when they sell something. NEVER give them your card, they keep these details in their system.



30 pounds? They got a course in mind for you. Maria is there to sign you up, she's been doing it for about 17 years, apart from the couple of years she was taken of staff because her husband (Adrian Bennett?) was considered PTS to his parents who he long disconnected (they're probably anti-Scientology). Stay away. Maria's husband had given about 250,000 to the Church by the end of 2005, it must be over the 500,000 range now.




Don't go again ever. That your considering it shows you have some interest and/or something is working.

I have never had interest in ever joining the Scientology cult

I gave the 4 pounds for the little book, just to pretend I was listening to him and to see what would happen next, after reading some things on here


I was considering going to Maria's appointment just to see what they would do, and I was probably going to confront them (not aggressively and in a polite manner ) about the stuff said about Scientology

i didn't go to the appointment which was last Thursday

 

[Dirty Den Watts]

This is probably standard tek.

I remember a similar incident whistling in my WOG days, a few weeks before I start my first $cientology course, the projector was not working. We were maybe 4 to 5 people waiting for the film to begin and 2 poor staffs were trying to fix the issue. After 5 minutes, a stupid WOG looked at the projector and suggest to the 2 poor staffs to plug the projector in the socket outlet...

Anyway, the little film was really creepy, with this $cientological flavor that we all know...

And, I don't know why, I did not run away...

Irayam

I'm sorry to ask, but what is a WOG?


In what way was the film creepy, what was it about?



I found the whole incident strange

 

[TrevAnon]

WOG is a word that scilons use for anyone who isn't a scientologist. Derogatory, that is.

 

[Irayam]

I'm sorry to ask, but what is a WOG?


In what way was the film creepy, what was it about?



I found the whole incident strange

WOG is the acronym scientologists use for non-scientologists.

See Wikipedia: "The word "wog" is used by Scientologists to refer to non-Scientologists. Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard defined wog as a "common, everyday garden-variety humanoid ... He 'is' a body. [He] doesn't know he's there, etc. He isn't there as a spirit at all. He is not operating as a thetan."

As for the creepy feeling, I don't remember what was in the film, but all scientological films have this strange, creepy and non-professional aspect (for me, on this planet).

Irayam

 

[Knows]

Now to make up the damage for contributing to the evil cult of Scientology - you must get someone out!:wink2:

Seriously - give it a go.

Bait them into believing you that you are very interested in doing more Scientology and then talk to them about Leah Remini's show and tell them that one is not a bigot simply by exposing crimes within the religion - they don't know about because David Miscavige hides it from their view! Leah's Show has nothing to do with making money - she is actually following the condition formula set out by L Ron Hubbard.

Ask them "If High Ranking SP within upper management was hurting members behind your back - what would you do about it?

or...

say something like...

Debbie Cook, the Captain of Flag for 17 years tried to warn you.

Leah Remini is trying to warn you...she is actually doing what the tech says to do.

The Church is not expanding - look around here....it is empty.

Maybe there is something about the Church you need to know which would explain why it is empty!

 

[Enthetan]

I have never had interest in ever joining the Scientology cult

I gave the 4 pounds for the little book, just to pretend I was listening to him and to see what would happen next, after reading some things on here


I was considering going to Maria's appointment just to see what they would do, and I was probably going to confront them (not aggressively and in a polite manner ) about the stuff said about Scientology

i didn't go to the appointment which was last Thursday

Nobel-prize winning physicist Richard Feynman describes his experience with hypnosis. You should read about it.