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nexus100

Gold Meritorious Patron
It shouldn't be too surprising. Among other things the *2nd* half of 'Battlefield Earth' is about the eevil galactic bankers who are *really* the force behind the stoogey Psychlos.

Nobody seems to be in a rush to make the 2nd Half though :)

Zinj

I guess I'm just innocent enough to still be surprised by such things.
 

Megalomaniac

Silver Meritorious Patron
Hey Disco,

Good to hear from you!

I was new to Delphi back then, so you probably don't remember me. You checked me out a couple times though.
For the benefit of the general public, you might want to clarify what you mean by "checking out". :lol:

It's BS that they turned you away... you were good to them. Unlike you, I never went back in all these years, and probably never will.
They are in a tough spot. The only way they could let me in is to do a mass defection from CoS. I don't think they realize how many former students and esteemed graduates are fed up with Scientology. The facade will fall and that will be a good day. :thumbsup:
 

Free Being Me

Crusader
It shouldn't be too surprising. Among other things the *2nd* half of 'Battlefield Earth' is about the eevil galactic bankers who are *really* the force behind the stoogey Psychlos.

Nobody seems to be in a rush to make the 2nd Half though :)

Zinj

Could Terl, the main Psychlo character, be a typo for Terril? :whistling: :dieslaughing:
 

freet43

Patron with Honors
Hi Disco,

Nice to have you here.

So, I'm curious what years you were in, if you don't mind saying. (If you do mind, no problem....)

I'm just wondering, since I've got a connection to Delphi also.

While I was on staff in the 70s, our Mission holder, Martin Samuels got Delphi going. Some of my friends were amongst the initial staff, and I'd been wondering what happened to them.

Back in the 70s there was a Sheridan mission - that provided services to staff and others that wanted them.

I never heard what happened to Sheridan mission specifically, but assumed that it met it's demise when the rest of the successful COSMOD missions were destroyed by Miscavige's regime in the 80s.

I had a friend named Derrick in those days. He was a short, thin black man from the Carribean or some such. Is that the same Derrick? I'd been wondering where he is these days.

Marina
 

Disco

Patron
For the benefit of the general public, you might want to clarify what you mean by "checking out". :lol:

Yes we had a good laugh about that on the PM.

So while you're doing a course at Delphi, at certain points you have to go get a "check out" on the section you had just studied from a student who has previously passed the course. They will try to stump you on the definitions of words, take a look at your clay demos, etc. If you get a "flunk", you have to go back and restudy that section. I quite liked this system as it got us all involved in helping and getting to know each other, in what was otherwise just solo study. After all the checkouts, you were confident that you were going to pass the final exam 100%, which was expected.

As for the other sort of "checking out", well there was no shortage of cuties there, that's for sure. :coolwink: :yes: No sex was allowed though or you'd be expelled. It seemed like the staff spent about half of their time "roving" about the place and checking in all the nooks and crannies to make sure there was nobody in there foolin around. I realize they had a responsibility to the parents, kids, and the organization, but really.... they were absolutely obsessed.
 

Disco

Patron
Hi Disco,

Nice to have you here.

So, I'm curious what years you were in, if you don't mind saying. (If you do mind, no problem....)

I'm just wondering, since I've got a connection to Delphi also.

While I was on staff in the 70s, our Mission holder, Martin Samuels got Delphi going. Some of my friends were amongst the initial staff, and I'd been wondering what happened to them.

Back in the 70s there was a Sheridan mission - that provided services to staff and others that wanted them.

I never heard what happened to Sheridan mission specifically, but assumed that it met it's demise when the rest of the successful COSMOD missions were destroyed by Miscavige's regime in the 80s.

I had a friend named Derrick in those days. He was a short, thin black man from the Carribean or some such. Is that the same Derrick? I'd been wondering where he is these days.

Marina

I don't remember any Sheridan mission, or a Martin Samuels. There was a big staff meeting room in the main building, 2nd floor center I believe, which was one of the only places completely off-limits to students. I always assumed that some of the staff took scn courses in there, but this wasn't talked about, especially to non-scn students. I got a peek of a staff member in there on an e-meter once, but maybe they were just getting sec checked... they looked awfully nervous.

No, not the same Derrick. I don't recall ever hearing a word about him either. I also never heard of Martin Samuels. After a quick google, it's obvious why: http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/samuels1.html :no:

I can't see how it's not obvious to any remaining long-time Scientologists that FAR more than 2.5% of their brethren (especially the most famous and productive ones) have been declared over the years. Yet they have advanced mental abilities, including perfect memory. :confused2:
 

freet43

Patron with Honors
Yep. It appears that only about 2.5% of the old timers have NOT been declared....

but, you will find many old timers that are still practicing outside the church, openly or not.

Others that I knew and that have moved on, and perhaps are even antagonistic, seem to be none the worse for wear, regardless of the circumstances they experienced while on staff.

One for one, every single person that I'd been on staff with, including those that are still in (of whom there are quite a few) and those that are out....,and that I've had ability to "locate" somehow, are living successful lives.

I take that back- there is one person I know of that died from cancer in the last few years.... and someone else that passed from a heart attack a couple of decades ago. (That is a much lower percentage than the number of people I knew that had died that had graduated from high school or university with me).

Marina
 

Veda

Sponsor
I don't remember any Sheridan mission, or a Martin Samuels. There was a big staff meeting room in the main building, 2nd floor center I believe, which was one of the only places completely off-limits to students. I always assumed that some of the staff took scn courses in there, but this wasn't talked about, especially to non-scn students. I got a peek of a staff member in there on an e-meter once, but maybe they were just getting sec checked... they looked awfully nervous.

No, not the same Derrick. I don't recall ever hearing a word about him either. I also never heard of Martin Samuels. After a quick google, it's obvious why: http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/samuels1.html :no:

I can't see how it's not obvious to any remaining long-time Scientologists that FAR more than 2.5% of their brethren (especially the most famous and productive ones) have been declared over the years. Yet they have advanced mental abilities, including perfect memory. :confused2:

At the time that Delphi's founder Martin Samuels was officially "erased," I was corresponding with one Jay Nunley Ph.D. Nunley. It was a cordial exchange with Dr. Nunley, and then his letters changed in a way that, at first, was baffling.

Turns out the RTC had marched in and deposed Samuels, and asserted their authority over the Delphi administrators and staff. All Delphi personnel were summoned to a meeting, where they were told of how out-Tech and off-Source they had been, and of the changes to be made.

Later, I was informed by someone who had been a librarian at Delphi in Oregon about some of the events there. I wrote to Nunley asking questions and Nunley wrote back, explaining how wonderful things were at Delphi now, that he had VGIs on the new program, as did everyone there, and it was a relief to finally have LRH Tech back in, etc.

Nunley's mixture of VGIs and fear left an impression on me.

This, combined with my prior observing of the mass VGIs-frenzy amongst Scientologists after Hubbard's announcements about "Dianetic Clear http://www.forum.exscn.net/showpost.php?p=514438&postcount=94 ," and with my (as an currently off-lines "public") growing library of the writings of Aleister Crowley http://www.forum.exscn.net/showpost.php?p=510812&postcount=166 , was the beginning of the end of my association with the "Church" of Scientology.

Below are two old posts which contain some links that may be of interest, plus an excerpt from a 1986 interview with Martin Samuels:

From Larry Brennan:

"There was a real secret body of people directly run by Hubbard."

(Press "Control" and then "F" to find key words or dates, such as 1983.)

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showpost.php?p=90246&postcount=1

From a 1986 interview of Martin Samuels, former Mission Holder, and founder of the Delphian School, from the 'Reflections' chapter of the book, 'L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?' http://www.amazon.com/reader/0942637577?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=sib_dp_pt :

"Hubbard operated according to a couple of key patterns.

"The first pattern involved basically decent well intentioned people... no one was able to rise in the organization to a point of any real proximity to him, without being attacked and vilified...

"And of course the next person thinks he or she is immune. Of course, now Hubbard is dead, so we won't see that pattern particularly repeated, except inasmuch as we'll see the Church hierarchy emulate and carry that pattern forward.

"The next pattern: It's reap and rape. Hubbard would let the reins loose. He'd let people believe they really could get on with it... He'd let people believe they really could prosper to the full extent of their own ability, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

"And, with that kind of freedom, prosperity does occur, Inevitably, though, he'd come along and rape and pillage and rip off and take what had been produced. The most dramatic example of this was '82, '83, when he 'raped' his most decent people in management along with the mission holders, and looted the entire mission network.

"And look at this pattern... He surrounded himself with absolute hooligans as 'managers'; guys who beat the shit out of people. This man, who 'is this OT, the author of Science of Survival, completely able to predict human behavior', surrounded himself with ruthless people - like Miscavige - who got there because they emulated Hubbard's savagery. They emulated his total willingness to completely break, use, and discard another person.

"And then after their hands were so bloody - and the only reason their hands were bloody was that they were doing what Hubbard wanted - when it finally started to get to the point where it couldn't be tolerated by people anymore, Hubbard wiped them out. Then he said. 'My God! I didn't know!' Scapegoat. He even did that to his own wife, who went to jail in his place...

"But the thing that's amazing, and to me terrifying, is the characteristic of the mind, my mind, your mind, and apparently many other people's minds, where I could buy this horseshit, where I could participate in it."

Jesse Prince, Legal Declaration, 1999: http://lermanet.com/reference/Jesse2inWoller.htm

When NOTs was first released, accompanied by tremendous hype, promising "cause over life," a number of physically ill Scientology OTs went to Flag with hopes of doing this new OT auditing and becoming physically well. They were accepted and their money was also accepted, and they were given NOTs.

When they became not less but more ill, and began to be seen as a liability and an embarrassment (people in wheelchairs, sick people, ugly people, etc. are not welcome in Scientology), they were quietly taken off lines and told to go away - having become "bad PR," "downstats," plus also having committed the sin of "making the tech, and LRH, wrong," since NOTs MUST and DOES WORK, so they were seen as "out ethics," since they themselves (being "out ethics") must have been preventing NOTs from working.

Meanwhile, the rest of the NOTs pcs (or pre-OTs) were oblivious to the travails of the few "downstats," and giddy with expectation at doing this new super OT auditing that would not only make them "cause over life," guaranteeing health and extreme longevity, but even making - they thought - their bodies transparent. In fact, it was not unusual for an eager NOTs person to ask excitedly, "Is my body transparent yet!" (big grin).

The "Wheee!" factor was in full throttle, and sick downstats were not "needed or wanted," at least after their money ran out and they could no longer be wheeled in through the back door.

One such sick (with cancer) Scientology OT was Paolo Lionni, long associated with the Delphi School in Oregon, and co-author of the book 'Leipzig Connection'.

He was accepted as a pc (this around 1980) and then, when he did not respond as expected, was told to go away.

A few years later (early 1980s), I spoke to Delphi School founder Martin Samuels (by that time an ex-Scn) about Paolo (who was now dead), and Samuels described him as having been "treated shabbily" at Flag.

I thought back to the letters I had received from two staff members at Delphi, one an old friend who wrote that his friend, Paolo, had gone to Flag for NOTs, and the other, one of their resident PhD, Jay Nunley, who had written me enthusiastically - after my inquiry as to Paolo's situation - that Paolo had received yet another super fantastic, wonderful, etc. (whee!) rundown to prepare him for his return to another body so that he could continue on the Bridge. There was no mention of NOTs having failed from Nunley. That was a non-issue not to be discussed or even thought about.

By this time, Martin Samuels had been declared "SP," and instantly had become a non-person (never existed, not be discussed or thought about), and, when asked about him, Nunley avoided the topic, preferring instead to go on (with super enthusiasm, vaguely tinged with fear) about how IN-TECH and IN-ETHICS Delphi had become.

Nunley, and the staff at Delphi - being good Scientologists - had done the Scientological thing, and made an instant "reality adjustment," in "alignment" with the dictates from on high, and had "ensured their eternities," by staying with the program and "in-ethics" and, thus, staying on the all important "Bridge to Total Freedom."

By the way, welcome to ESMB.
 
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Disco

Patron
Veda, thank you for the welcome and the informative post.

Jay Nunley, very smart guy. I'm having trouble putting a face to the name, as he was always hard at work in his office. I went in there once to fix his computer (an archaic, even for the time, MiniMicro dumb terminal system). I remember his ergonomic setup with the keyboard at lap level and the anti-glare screen. He sure needed it, as he was responsible for the bulk of the curriculum.

The librarian you speak of was before my time, but they sure left their mark. That library was full of all sorts of interesting stuff. Looking back, I find it odd that there were so many titles which could be considered anti-groupthink and even anti-scn. Orwell, Ayn Rand, and Aldous Huxley were all required reading, and I read a lot more of them than was required.

The Leipzig Connection was also required reading, of course. I knew Paolo Lionni's son, Sylvan. He is a Delphi grad and a talented artist. I suppose I could include him in the "aloof" seniors I mentioned my first post. It makes sense, his father having been a founder and headmaster.

Here is another account of the "ding thing" episode and the departure of the librarian, and the demise of Paolo Lionni: http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009_02_06_archive.html

Your quote from Martin Samuels brings to mind another quote, from another ex-scn:

"There is a basic incompatibility between any organization and freedom of thought. Suppose Newton had founded a Church of Newtonian Physics and refused to show his formula to anyone who doubted the tenets of Newtonian Physics?"

William S. Burroughs, Ali's Smile: Naked Scientology
 

Disco

Patron
Was Paolo Lionni ever headmaster? I see it on the internet, but Alan Larson was "Founding Headmaster" and was still headmaster when I attended.
 

freet43

Patron with Honors
Thanks Veda for the info re: Martin, Delphi and Paolo.

Sorry to hear how Paolo died. The Co$ is simply appalling in it's behavior and treatment of people who had given so much.

Sweetness, Martin is very much alive. Last I heard, he was running a thriving contracting business in Northern California. What an amazing man, Martin is.

Hadn't heard Jay Nunley's name in eons.....is he still at Delphi?

As far as the library, initially most of the books there were donated by the staff, family and friends of Martin's missions. I had sent all my college books and my whole personal library - quite a few boxes. I wonder if they are still there.

Marina
 

exsomessenger

Patron Meritorious
do any of you remember the name of the art teacher there? dark hair I think he taught pottery and mby painting. He also took care of the horses. Just wondering. :coolwink:
 
wow.

anther big anti jewish thing.

thanx for the info.

that aside, what about delphi products? do students take SATs? how well do they perform? do they do well in college? in life? have any graduates distinguished themselves?
 

Boojuum

Silver Meritorious Patron
Philip Gale

I just read the article about Philip Gale's suicide--very touching story and insightful. I knew of the Gales and met them very briefly yet never got the full story of Phil's suicide. I remember wishing that I had the resources that they had so I could send my kids to Delphi.

I'm reminded of the truism from the Bible that "it rains on the rich and the poor." So true.

The only connections I can see between the cos and the suicide are pretty weak. The death of a child, young or old is a tragedy. I'll pin a lot of things on the cos but Philip Gale's problems seem to evolve from his own conclusions and decisions.
 

dexter gelfand

Patron Meritorious
The death of a child, young or old is a tragedy. I'll pin a lot of things on the cos but Philip Gale's problems seem to evolve from his own conclusions and decisions.

Very well and compassionately spoken, Boojum. It is very CoS to take any unfortunate life circumstance a person suffers and assert it as proof that their way of life is wrong, or that it happened because they acted badly.
Tragedy is tragedy, and nobody "deserves to suffer".

Love, Dex
 

Disco

Patron
The only connections I can see between the cos and the suicide are pretty weak. The death of a child, young or old is a tragedy. I'll pin a lot of things on the cos but Philip Gale's problems seem to evolve from his own conclusions and decisions.

I attended Delphi and knew Philip well as we were both computer nerds. He was a true genius / child prodigy IMO. I learned of his death from a mutual friend and ex-scn. He had been in touch with Philip before the suicide and, in his opinion, CoS was much to blame. He said Philip was often harassed by them, and that he felt alone in the world for a number of reasons, including the odd scn-enforced relationship (or lack thereof) with his mother.
 
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