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Podcast: Ross and Carrie Audit Scientology (Part 1): Going Preclear

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Podcast: Ross and Carrie Audit Scientology (Part 1): Going Preclear.

http://ohnopodcast.com/investigatio...arrie-audit-scientology-part-1-going-preclear

* * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * *

Ross and Carrie Audit Scientology (Part 1): Going Preclear

Ross and Carrie stop by “Big Blue”, Scientology’s L.A. Ideal Org. They come for the free personality test, but stay for two additional tests and a sales pitch. Do they sign up for classes? Does Carrie need to fix her relationship before it’s broken? Is Ross 100% American? Find out in the first part of the investigation you’ve all been waiting for.

Be sure to check out our photos, by liking us on Facebook.

You can support this and all our investigations by going to maximumfun.org/donate, donating, choosing us as a show you love!

Plus, you can add our RSS feed!

* * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *
 

Victoria

Patron Meritorious
Fairly interesting. The guy took a course, (forget which one, it's early and I was falling back to sleep).
But he sees some helpful things in the tek.
Aint that just the way with those starter courses.
 

Victoria

Patron Meritorious
Also, the girl bought a five dollar Dianetics book, but she said it was $5.40 with tax.
Are they obligated to collect tax on these books, or does the extra change go into a cookie jar?
 

ThetanExterior

Gold Meritorious Patron
The Sea Org person asked the guy if he was "100% American". When he said he was and he asked why she'd asked she said they don't get many like him.:ohmy:

I think this is a damning indictment of their PR in their own country.
 

Boson Wog Stark

Patron Meritorious
Ross takes a class and it's a class of one, with a teacher who is available any hours he wants to do it. Since Ross and Carrie use their real names, I don't know if he's in the class of one because they know he'll do a podcast about it and don't want him affecting the dupe-ier raw meat in a class, or they simply can't get more than one person to do even their intro courses now.

I think they do a pretty good critical analysis of the course content and process from the beginning. Unfortunately, the people who get hooked into Scientology do not come in with a fraction of their foreknowledge of what it's really about, and instead are open to trying it, and thus susceptible to manipulation.

Most of the staff and Sea Org seem unhappy and robotic to them, and part of that is probably caused by sleep deprivation.

Because it is known who they are -- Carrie even told them she's a writer on the first day, but they are both easily searchable as having a podcast -- I do not think they are getting a representative treatment. Instead, they are getting some extra for their money, but also some special handling, too.

One thing they reveal is that Scientology is getting more paranoid than ever about new members, and the questions they are asked and all the things they make them sign should be a huge turnoff to anyone who goes in with even a small amount of skepticism.

Just the element that instead of explaining the wonders of Scientology, they have to screen each new member on bad things they've heard, and then try to crush those misconceptions. That should be a turnoff to a lot of people. It'd be like if someone wanted to become a Catholic, and they started off with asking them if they've heard any negative things about the Catholic Church.

The pair who do the podcast are quite witty, and I thought it was brilliant, when Carrie was urged to sign up for a course right away, telling them she wanted to sleep on it, and they tried to discourage her. And she ended up defending her decision with, "But you said on my personality test that I was too impulsive," or something to that effect. Initially, she just said she read or heard about a study that said people make better decisions after a night of sleep. Then they wanted a detailed explanation of that, probably to see if the evil psychs did that study. Of course, it meant nothing to them since Hubbard didn't say it, and it's important to get the hook set as quickly as possible.

Scientologists know that if they can get a person involved right away, there's a greater chance they'll stay for a course or two, at least. And that by letting someone sleep on it, they're libel to go on the Internet and never come in again. Even before the Internet, they probably lost half the people who said they wanted to think about it.

I think what they're doing is of some value, which is to note all the ways they attempt to manipulate you, but I don't know if they are ever going to get beyond the love bombing stage, to when the heavy regging begins, or pressure to take expensive courses. Other parts of the series will have Ross going through auditor training.

Ordinarily, I don't like the idea of anyone buying books or courses, even if it's just a goof. But I understand that if someone wants to get inside, beyond the personality test, they're going to have to do that.
 

Jump

Operating teatime
Also, the girl bought a five dollar Dianetics book, but she said it was $5.40 with tax.
Are they obligated to collect tax on these books, or does the extra change go into a cookie jar?


:lol: Good question. Last time I looked, they were a religion and didn't pay tax .. or were they a business that day .. or a self-help group.

Just trying to keep up :unsure:
 

Jump

Operating teatime
...

Just the element that instead of explaining the wonders of Scientology, they have to screen each new member on bad things they've heard, and then try to crush those misconceptions. That should be a turnoff to a lot of people. It'd be like if someone wanted to become a Catholic, and they started off with asking them if they've heard any negative things about the Catholic Church.

...


It's probably a $ci-chological technique to work up the tone scale or something.

I mean if they asked if you've heard anything good about scientology realisations would begin to form :yes:
 

Hypatia

Pagan
It's probably a $ci-chological technique to work up the tone scale or something.

I mean if they asked if you've heard anything good about scientology realisations would begin to form :yes:
IMO, it's an intel thing.
 

TheOriginalBigBlue

Gold Meritorious Patron
IMO, it's an intel thing.

LAO has always been the main gatekeeper for raw public at Big Blue. I imagine it was becoming increasingly awkward to have non-Sea Org staff screening people and coordinating with OSA and having physical access to the property. Security in itself could be one of the main reasons it converted to all SO. I would be interested to hear how this may have changed the intro experience.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Podcast: Ross and Carrie Audit Scientology (Part 2): We Stand Tall

Podcast: Ross and Carrie Audit Scientology (Part 2): We Stand Tall

http://ohnopodcast.com/investigatio...carrie-audit-scientology-part-2-we-stand-tall

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Ross continues taking his Personal Efficiency course, and Carrie visits the semi-exclusive Scientology New Year's party. Which one of them is accidentally sent into a Sea Org meeting? Who is given a free Church membership? What on Earth is an "upset"? And who the heck is Ross Blocker? The answers are within.

Be sure to check out our photos, by liking us on Facebook.

You can support this and all our investigations by going to maximumfun.org/donate, donating, choosing us as a show you love!

Plus, you can add our RSS feed!


* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
Just the element that instead of explaining the wonders of Scientology, they have to screen each new member on bad things they've heard, and then try to crush those misconceptions. That should be a turnoff to a lot of people. It'd be like if someone wanted to become a Catholic, and they started off with asking them if they've heard any negative things about the Catholic Church.

I think they're applying the FSM [Field Staff member] Drill, on how to hook new people:

  1. Contact [self-explanatory],
  2. Handle [deal with any bad PR etc that left the person with "wrong" ideas about Scientology that would prevent getting in deeper],
  3. Bring to understanding [the whole reg trip of showing the person how Scn can fix whatever they really want fixed -- their "ruin"].
Paul
 

ThetanExterior

Gold Meritorious Patron
I found this latest broadcast to be hugely entertaining. Especially when Carrie goes to the New Years' event.

After agreeing to go she was inundated with calls from different people all trying to confirm she was actually going. Eventually she had to stop answering calls because it got so bad.

At the event she said that the very few "public" who were there stuck out like sore thumbs and were largely treated with suspicion by the scientologists - "they could smell us" she said.

During the event she noticed that Miscavige didn't know how to pronounce the word "dyslexic". Apparently the word was in his speech several times and he mispronounced it every time.

When they left and went outside at the end of the event they saw huge numbers of sea org members smoking cigarettes as though their lives depended on it. None of them were speaking to each other. She said it was "sad".
 

Reasonable

Silver Meritorious Patron
I listened to part 1. While sounding very accurate I just wanted it to be funnier. But I do think the podcast will keep people out simply by removing the mystery.

I think the podcasts will get better as they get deeper in.

I hope they get some life repair or book one auditing. Then I can't wait until they are forced to write a success story.

And as much as I expect the auditing not to be groundbreaking, I think it would be hilarious if one of them has a major emotional breakthrough or an out of body experience or feels like they had a vivid past life experience.

I'd like to see how they would report that.

Are they going to clap and shout Hip Hip Hurrah to the LRH picture?

I hope they go to an event.

I do think they even though they go to these things as being less than neutral about the subject I do feel that they are honest about what they experience and if they saw benefit they would say so.

They said that they have enough for 7 podcasts.

They have a really good episode about the Long Island Medium, which is actually better than the Scientology episode.
 

Anonycat

Crusader
I found that online a while ago, and listened for a while to Part 1, and it was filled with banter, fluff, and was not funny. I had to stop.
 

Reasonable

Silver Meritorious Patron
I just listened to part 2. It was better than part one. They went to the New Years event and accidentally ended up in a Sea Org meeting. They shouted Hip Hip Hooray!" To the picture. Joined in a round of "We stand tall"

The best observation about their experience was that the exaggeration of all things Scientological was obvious to the podcastErs.

Someone told them that Hubbard was asked to work on the Manhatten Project.

They made jokes about what LRH considers to be research.

They also called bullshit on how if LRH read a book on something that he was now an expert.

When they were told that out of 100,000 suggestions only 20 were useful, the podcasters said "So he was an asshole who couldn't work with others"

To me the girl is funnier than the guy. It is good in that if you were on the fence of going into an Org this would keep you out.

They do a good job of making Scientologists look silly
 

Gib

Crusader
Also, the girl bought a five dollar Dianetics book, but she said it was $5.40 with tax.
Are they obligated to collect tax on these books, or does the extra change go into a cookie jar?

per the IRS agreement, tangible items such as books, lectures, bracelets, etc are taxed,

non tangible items such as courses and/or auditing/processing are not taxed as these are seen as public benefit, as the COS convinced the IRS.

Every year the COS, or individual orgs or missions where you bought tangible and non tangible items, why statements will be sent to a member delineating what is tax deductible and what is not.


If a member paid for things at the local org and at lets say Flag, both organizations will send tax statements at the end of the year.

So no, the 40 cents does not go into a cookie jar unaccounted for.

You have to remember this organization is actually being run by a bunch of lawyers, with DM as a spokesperson who is well rewarded, both hiding behind religious cloaking. And that is why the Carrie and Ross mentioned they had a ton of legal forms to sign, but Ross & Carrie don't quite realize it, as it is subtle, but yet they both go WTF.
 
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Gib

Crusader
I just listened to part 2. It was better than part one. They went to the New Years event and accidentally ended up in a Sea Org meeting. They shouted Hip Hip Hooray!" To the picture. Joined in a round of "We stand tall"

The best observation about their experience was that the exaggeration of all things Scientological was obvious to the podcastErs.

Someone told them that Hubbard was asked to work on the Manhatten Project.

They made jokes about what LRH considers to be research.

They also called bullshit on how if LRH read a book on something that he was now an expert.

When they were told that out of 100,000 suggestions only 20 were useful, the podcasters said "So he was an asshole who couldn't work with others"

To me the girl is funnier than the guy. It is good in that if you were on the fence of going into an Org this would keep you out.

They do a good job of making Scientologists look silly

I have listened to both, I find them quite good, myself being a more recent out but yet still UTR, I am totally tracking with them.

I think they have done a very valuable thing here and look forward to the future releases, I just hope it doesn't a fuk'in month inbetween, like what I am saying, trying to communicate, I would personally like just a few days between the releases if you will. Being experienced in scientology and the mystery sandwich gets kind of old, although I understand if one is producing a weekly TV series it adds excitement.
 

Anonycat

Crusader
I found that online a while ago, and listened for a while to Part 1, and it was filled with banter, fluff, and was not funny. I had to stop.

Gib, I saw the podcast link at its source. I listened, and thought it sucked. So, I did not post it here. Sorry I wasn't clear in my post.
 
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