jerryf25
Patron
June-Aug. 1976: student and PC at San Jose Mission
Sep. 1976 – Nov. 1979: Sea Org, Los Angeles
I first became aware of Scientology in 1976 while I was a music student at San Jose State University. Nancy Olsen, a disseminator from the San Jose mission, struck up a conversation with me on campus and I accepted her invitation to attend an introductory lecture.
After the lecture I began reading DMSMH and Fundamentals of Thought. I enrolled in the Comm Course for $25. During one of the TR drills I experienced myself perceiving the room from above my body. This made a big impression on me. I had already been sympathetic to reincarnation, but did not have a strong reality on having a non-physical existence.
I purchased a block of auditing at $50 per hour, which used up most of my savings. After the auditing I enrolled in the Student Hat course.
I liked Hubbard’s insights and the high morale that I saw in students and staff members. I was doing fine as a college music student at the time, but I had a notion that I had found something better than music. I dropped out of college and signed up with the Los Angeles Sea Org, wanting to be closer to source. My parents tried to warn me about Hubbard and Scn, but my mind was already made up.
In 1976 pay for EPF members was $5 per week, along with free substandard housing and food. This was just before the purchase of the Cedars complex. We were berthed in a multi-story house in L.A. on Alvarado, near the old LA Org. I recall seeing a lot of RPF members and I think we shared the building with them.
I stayed on the EPF for about 1 year. It took me so long probably because I had no prior Scn staff experience, limited auditing and no tech training beyond the comm course. My EPF work consisted mainly of:
* Cleaning
* Assisting with building renovations of the Cedars of Lebanon hospital
* Caring for the children of other Sea Org members
My EPF training period was interrupted for about a month when I was sent on a mission as a night watchman at the newly purchased complex in Hollywood. Escrow had not closed yet and there was a fence around the buildings. One night I temporarily lost my set of keys to the complex. I found the keys, but was replaced on the mission and returned to continue my EPF training.
After awhile, the EPF pay was raised to $8.60 per week. The low pay did not bother me while I was in the Sea Org. I did not feel exploited. I thought that I was making valued contributions to a humanitarian group.
We were told that Hubbard did not receive any of the church income. This turned out to be a lie, as I later learned that he directly controlled Scientology overseas accounts.
After graduating from the EPF I was assigned to the Cadet Estates Org (later renamed Child Care Org). By this time, the Sea Org orgs had begun moving into the complex.
Outbreaks of lice occurred periodically with the children. The childcare operation was illegal in that the adult-to-child ratio was too low. We always knew ahead of time when we would be inspected by government agencies. This allowed us time to give extra attention to cleaning, take some of the kids to a park or temporarily bring in extra adults to create the illusion of a legal adult-child ratio.
My posts while with the Child Care Org were governor, day care center nanny and briefly day center I/C. My last year I was briefly the Cadet Org Coordinator, which was under PAC Senior HCO.
After three years in the Sea Org, some rationality began to return to my mind. This resulted partly from developing a relationship with a woman who had joined the Sea Org during my third year. We eventually married while we were both still in the Sea Org. I became a step-parent to her four children. Trying to develop caring relationships with them helped me wake up to the irrationality of the Sea Org way of life. Sea Org schedules severely restricted the time that parents spend with their children. I realized I could not be an effective parent under those conditions.
Also, for the first time I began to question the church’s policy of charging high prices for auditing. If we were supposed to be a humanitarian group, how could we justify charging high prices for auditing and courses? I couldn’t justify it in my mind.
In the 1970s I believed in the goal of clearing the planet, but towards the end of my time in the SO I concluded that Hubbard’s technologies and policies were incapable of achieving that goal. A couple of reasons being the excessive price of auditing and auditor training that was too slow and complex.
I gave one week’s notice to my supervisor before leaving with my wife and children. A couple of staff members later came to my room and said they were there to collect my scientology books and policies. I handed them over without objecting, even though I had personally paid for my books.
Also, I was told that I would be sleeping separately from my wife. I obeyed and slept at the complex while she stayed in our apartment on Fountain Blvd. I think their intention was to find out whose idea it was to leave and to see if either one of us could be salvaged as staff members. Both of us wanted out. My parents picked us up and we left.
My transition was not easy, even though my parents were generous with their love and support after leaving Scientology.
Not until years after leaving the Sea Org did I realize that I had been a Scientology robot. While in the Sea Org, only what Hubbard decreed truly mattered.
After studying cults, deprogramming and various exposés on Scientology, I structured a Scientology recovery program for myself. I chose as a recovery goal to equal and surpass my pre-Scientology level of prosperity and contentment – a goal I have partially, but not fully achieved.
Last year I posted a version of the recovery program at alt.religion.scientology. A copy of it is posted at this forum. http://forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?t=105
I occasionally use bits and pieces of Hubbard’s concepts that I consider to be workable.
I consider Hubbard to be one of the major criminals of the 20th century, but I do not blame him or his church for any difficulties I have endured in life.
Jerry Fallenberg
Sep. 1976 – Nov. 1979: Sea Org, Los Angeles
I first became aware of Scientology in 1976 while I was a music student at San Jose State University. Nancy Olsen, a disseminator from the San Jose mission, struck up a conversation with me on campus and I accepted her invitation to attend an introductory lecture.
After the lecture I began reading DMSMH and Fundamentals of Thought. I enrolled in the Comm Course for $25. During one of the TR drills I experienced myself perceiving the room from above my body. This made a big impression on me. I had already been sympathetic to reincarnation, but did not have a strong reality on having a non-physical existence.
I purchased a block of auditing at $50 per hour, which used up most of my savings. After the auditing I enrolled in the Student Hat course.
I liked Hubbard’s insights and the high morale that I saw in students and staff members. I was doing fine as a college music student at the time, but I had a notion that I had found something better than music. I dropped out of college and signed up with the Los Angeles Sea Org, wanting to be closer to source. My parents tried to warn me about Hubbard and Scn, but my mind was already made up.
In 1976 pay for EPF members was $5 per week, along with free substandard housing and food. This was just before the purchase of the Cedars complex. We were berthed in a multi-story house in L.A. on Alvarado, near the old LA Org. I recall seeing a lot of RPF members and I think we shared the building with them.
I stayed on the EPF for about 1 year. It took me so long probably because I had no prior Scn staff experience, limited auditing and no tech training beyond the comm course. My EPF work consisted mainly of:
* Cleaning
* Assisting with building renovations of the Cedars of Lebanon hospital
* Caring for the children of other Sea Org members
My EPF training period was interrupted for about a month when I was sent on a mission as a night watchman at the newly purchased complex in Hollywood. Escrow had not closed yet and there was a fence around the buildings. One night I temporarily lost my set of keys to the complex. I found the keys, but was replaced on the mission and returned to continue my EPF training.
After awhile, the EPF pay was raised to $8.60 per week. The low pay did not bother me while I was in the Sea Org. I did not feel exploited. I thought that I was making valued contributions to a humanitarian group.
We were told that Hubbard did not receive any of the church income. This turned out to be a lie, as I later learned that he directly controlled Scientology overseas accounts.
After graduating from the EPF I was assigned to the Cadet Estates Org (later renamed Child Care Org). By this time, the Sea Org orgs had begun moving into the complex.
Outbreaks of lice occurred periodically with the children. The childcare operation was illegal in that the adult-to-child ratio was too low. We always knew ahead of time when we would be inspected by government agencies. This allowed us time to give extra attention to cleaning, take some of the kids to a park or temporarily bring in extra adults to create the illusion of a legal adult-child ratio.
My posts while with the Child Care Org were governor, day care center nanny and briefly day center I/C. My last year I was briefly the Cadet Org Coordinator, which was under PAC Senior HCO.
After three years in the Sea Org, some rationality began to return to my mind. This resulted partly from developing a relationship with a woman who had joined the Sea Org during my third year. We eventually married while we were both still in the Sea Org. I became a step-parent to her four children. Trying to develop caring relationships with them helped me wake up to the irrationality of the Sea Org way of life. Sea Org schedules severely restricted the time that parents spend with their children. I realized I could not be an effective parent under those conditions.
Also, for the first time I began to question the church’s policy of charging high prices for auditing. If we were supposed to be a humanitarian group, how could we justify charging high prices for auditing and courses? I couldn’t justify it in my mind.
In the 1970s I believed in the goal of clearing the planet, but towards the end of my time in the SO I concluded that Hubbard’s technologies and policies were incapable of achieving that goal. A couple of reasons being the excessive price of auditing and auditor training that was too slow and complex.
I gave one week’s notice to my supervisor before leaving with my wife and children. A couple of staff members later came to my room and said they were there to collect my scientology books and policies. I handed them over without objecting, even though I had personally paid for my books.
Also, I was told that I would be sleeping separately from my wife. I obeyed and slept at the complex while she stayed in our apartment on Fountain Blvd. I think their intention was to find out whose idea it was to leave and to see if either one of us could be salvaged as staff members. Both of us wanted out. My parents picked us up and we left.
My transition was not easy, even though my parents were generous with their love and support after leaving Scientology.
Not until years after leaving the Sea Org did I realize that I had been a Scientology robot. While in the Sea Org, only what Hubbard decreed truly mattered.
After studying cults, deprogramming and various exposés on Scientology, I structured a Scientology recovery program for myself. I chose as a recovery goal to equal and surpass my pre-Scientology level of prosperity and contentment – a goal I have partially, but not fully achieved.
Last year I posted a version of the recovery program at alt.religion.scientology. A copy of it is posted at this forum. http://forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?t=105
I occasionally use bits and pieces of Hubbard’s concepts that I consider to be workable.
I consider Hubbard to be one of the major criminals of the 20th century, but I do not blame him or his church for any difficulties I have endured in life.
Jerry Fallenberg