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To introduce myself properly ...

Holly

Patron
Dear Members,

I have determined to spend more time here learning about others’ experiences past and current with the cult of scientology and any/all its branches. I will muddle through learning how to navigate this message board.
I thought I ought to be polite and give something of an introduction as I have no way of knowing who of you already know me since most of you do not use your real names.

Of course, I have a “story” as does everyone else, and I don’t mind telling it as things come up, but I’ll just give an outline here.

I was a 17-year-old kid in the Buffalo NY area when old friends of my family came through on their way back from St. Hill and recruited us into scientology. I immediately began working for the local franchise under John Imburgia (#2 Clear, who claims he was really #1) and Peter Imburgia. I stayed there about 3 years when all manner of abuses were going on and eventually, I decided I needed to join the sea org where things were more “on source.”

I went to L.A. and joined at USLO July 1, 1971, did my basics on the Bolivar, and spent the next couple years in data and programs bureaus as SO programs chief. I was then promoted to CO WUS, did four months’ training and apprenticing on the ship in the Canary’s (including enjoying the infamous “Rock Festival” and 10-day sail across to Bermuda and Bahamas), and assumed my position in PAC around early December 1974. I did that for three years before I was transferred to Flag with my husband, Carl Carlson where he began Tech Sec FSO, and I went to work under Jon Horwich in the Action Bureau as one of his mission ops.

Along the way, I did numerous missions, including another garrison to WUS, a two-month observation mission in South Africa, and one to reestablish the flag programs bureau and others.

Other positions I held were evaluator, and then personal secretary for evaluation and execution unit (PSEE), and CO FLB, and Africa programs chief, along with two separate RPF assignments. When my reprieve from the latter was rescinded and I was topped up with other reasons to disaffect, abuses of good people, abuses of my family, screwball alterations in “the tech,” the mission network debacle, I departed with my kids on Halloween of 1982. Sometime within my first year out, I connected the dots that everything nuts about the sea org and all my experiences were borne out of a crazy man’s delusions of grandeur and paranoia as was everything in the whole of scientology itself.

Knowing what my sister and her husband Gerry Armstrong had gone through, I stayed completely clear of anything to do with scientology for the next 23 or 24 years until, my kids were grown and gone, I decided it seemed safe enough to peek into XSO and I joined that. Some of you will know me a bit from there. It has been my wonderful pleasure to meet old acquaintances and make wonderful new friends since my connection with XSO.

I hope to find more of the same here.

Here’s to a great new year with best wishes especially to the new escapees, may they find peace and joy in the real world.

Holly Carlson
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Hi Holly!

Thanks for joining and telling your story. :thumbsup:

It's great to have you posting here :happydance:

Best wishes,
Mary McConnell
 

Div6

Crusader
Hi Holly,

Welcome to ESMB. I bet you have some great stories to tell! :drama:

Perhaps you know "Dart Smohen", who wrote up his adventures in "The Sea Project", which is available for download (for free) from www.paulsrabbit.com in pdf format?

In any case, take your time.
 

Mystic

Crusader
Hi Holly. Welcome to ESMB, a marvelous collection of some of the most audacious free beings on the planet.

I knew John Imburgia, and his brother. I also knew John McMaster. And as for the first "Clear", there were folks being declared "Clear" in the late 50s, with the cute little "clear bracelets" and all.

We finally learned it was all Hubbard hogwash.
 

dontscamme

Patron Meritorious
Sometime within my first year out, I connected the dots that everything nuts about the sea org and all my experiences were borne out of a crazy man’s delusions of grandeur and paranoia as was everything in the whole of scientology itself.

:welcome: Holly!

Thank you for the summary of your story. No doubt you have much more to contribute to this board.

I am very interested in stories from people who were in the CoS prior to DM's takeover, and who can attest to the fact that things were not so golden in the cult back when LRH was running things.
 

AngeloV

Gold Meritorious Patron
Welcome

Welcome, Holly. We are glad you are here. I've been out about the same length of time as you (out in 1980).

Hope to hear more of your stories.
 

Terril park

Sponsor
Dear Members,

I have determined to spend more time here learning about others’ experiences past and current with the cult of scientology and any/all its branches. I will muddle through learning how to navigate this message board.
I thought I ought to be polite and give something of an introduction as I have no way of knowing who of you already know me since most of you do not use your real names.

Of course, I have a “story” as does everyone else, and I don’t mind telling it as things come up, but I’ll just give an outline here.

I was a 17-year-old kid in the Buffalo NY area when old friends of my family came through on their way back from St. Hill and recruited us into scientology. I immediately began working for the local franchise under John Imburgia (#2 Clear, who claims he was really #1) and Peter Imburgia. I stayed there about 3 years when all manner of abuses were going on and eventually, I decided I needed to join the sea org where things were more “on source.”

I went to L.A. and joined at USLO July 1, 1971, did my basics on the Bolivar, and spent the next couple years in data and programs bureaus as SO programs chief. I was then promoted to CO WUS, did four months’ training and apprenticing on the ship in the Canary’s (including enjoying the infamous “Rock Festival” and 10-day sail across to Bermuda and Bahamas), and assumed my position in PAC around early December 1974. I did that for three years before I was transferred to Flag with my husband, Carl Carlson where he began Tech Sec FSO, and I went to work under Jon Horwich in the Action Bureau as one of his mission ops.

Along the way, I did numerous missions, including another garrison to WUS, a two-month observation mission in South Africa, and one to reestablish the flag programs bureau and others.

Other positions I held were evaluator, and then personal secretary for evaluation and execution unit (PSEE), and CO FLB, and Africa programs chief, along with two separate RPF assignments. When my reprieve from the latter was rescinded and I was topped up with other reasons to disaffect, abuses of good people, abuses of my family, screwball alterations in “the tech,” the mission network debacle, I departed with my kids on Halloween of 1982. Sometime within my first year out, I connected the dots that everything nuts about the sea org and all my experiences were borne out of a crazy man’s delusions of grandeur and paranoia as was everything in the whole of scientology itself.

Knowing what my sister and her husband Gerry Armstrong had gone through, I stayed completely clear of anything to do with scientology for the next 23 or 24 years until, my kids were grown and gone, I decided it seemed safe enough to peek into XSO and I joined that. Some of you will know me a bit from there. It has been my wonderful pleasure to meet old acquaintances and make wonderful new friends since my connection with XSO.

I hope to find more of the same here.

Here’s to a great new year with best wishes especially to the new escapees, may they find peace and joy in the real world.

Holly Carlson

Hi Holly,
Its been my opinion for some time that evaluator tech only
worked for a small window of time before succumbing to command intention, or limitations on the ability to evaluate PLs and reasons I may not have guessed at.

Any comments on that?
 

scooter

Gold Meritorious Patron
:welcome: Holly - glad you've made it here.

Would love to hear more stories whenever you have the time and the inclination. :drama:
 

Holly

Patron
Thank you all, it's nice to feel welcomed. Please be patient with me as I learn how to navigate this forum . . . and I promise I will answer any of your questions. In the meantime, please accept my personal thanks for all your warm welcomes.

I have lurked on and off for some while (often intimidated by the volume of material here!), even under another name I've long since fogotten the password for, but not in depth. I very much look forward to learning of the myriad experiences by so many who've been through the war too, and in perhaps most cases, during the toughest times, much tougher than mine.

Cheers, and Happy New Year . . .
 
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