OperatingSP
Patron with Honors
Very good post and thread from WWP:
https://forums.whyweprotest.net/com...gists-do-not-read-anything-study-tech.106777/
https://forums.whyweprotest.net/com...gists-do-not-read-anything-study-tech.106777/
Why some $cientologists do not read anything: Study Tech
- Thread starter OperatingSP
- Start date
Sindy
Crusader
I believe this to be completely factual.
programmer_guy
True Ex-Scientologist
Or, maybe, most current SO staff were raised in the cult... not like the old days.
How is the education for a child who is raised in the SO these days?
Is it crappy? Is it mediocre?
Sometimes people don't read because they can't read/understand so well.
Enthetan
Master of Disaster
To LRH, that was a feature, not a flaw.
LRH did not WANT people reading anything, other than the LRH references that they were forced to read on course.
He especially did not want people reading anything that might point out logical flaws in Scn.
Claire Swazey
Spokeshole, fence sitter
Another reason may be due to some of the stuff in the PTS/SP course PLs and bulletins wherein newspapers are criticized. That sure doesn't encourage much reading. I mean, if someone doesn't want to read the news and any "entheta", then what other kinds of stuff are they going to ignore?
Anonycat
Crusader
To me, you nailed a very good point. There were the media SPs, and there was the oasis of sanity. That's it.
spookles99
Patron
You might be right, but I also meant that some Scientologists develop an aversion to reading ANYTHING including Scientology stuff for fear of MUs. This can play out in a couple of ways, but for many it plays out as being a bad student / late student / blown student ... to being a student going through the ethics meat-grinder ... to being a staff member with an airtight excuse for never being on course.
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Claire Swazey
Spokeshole, fence sitter
I've heard various things on this. I've heard that Scn'ists don't read anything other than LRH. I found this to not always be the case. But I now think maybe those people said that because they were discouraged from reading other stuff. Or saw it happen to other people.
I can tell you that I once encountered some disapproval from staff when they found me reading a bunch of murder mysteries while I was waiting for this auditor I had (who was always in cram). I was waiting waiting waiting for this lady, every day, and I was going through stacks of novels. I raised some eyebrows and an offer to volunteer and help them out somewhere, to which I said "no thanks. I'll just sit here and read my novels."
I can tell you that I once encountered some disapproval from staff when they found me reading a bunch of murder mysteries while I was waiting for this auditor I had (who was always in cram). I was waiting waiting waiting for this lady, every day, and I was going through stacks of novels. I raised some eyebrows and an offer to volunteer and help them out somewhere, to which I said "no thanks. I'll just sit here and read my novels."
spookles99
Patron
Yes, absolutely that happens in every way. Scientologists will joking bust your chops for reading non LRH fiction (yes, joking and yes lame and annoying as hell). Some will seriously wonder why you are wasting your time on non-Scientology things when the world needs saving. And of course, there's the ever-present goal of keeping everybody so busy that they don't even have time to consider picking up some non-LRH words to read. NUTS!
spookles99
Patron
Oh, and I can easily imagine the situation that you described as unraveling with somebody giving you hell for reading entheta stuff just before session ... when of course the person giving you hell would be WAY more annoying and upsetting than the books, which you quite obviously did not find upsetting but rather enjoyed ... NUTS x 2!
degraded being
Sponsor
.
All knowledge outside "source" is devalued. Universities and academics are scorned. Scientists are scorned. What can be gained from reading all that crap.? Fiction? that seems to be ok, but is there any desire to read as a way of learning about life, and people in general. No need. They have source. No time. They are doing cult stuff and trying to keep up with the payments. No money. They are being forced to buy $3000 packages of LRH scientology cult books.
Do scientologists become know-alls who don't know anything?
All knowledge outside "source" is devalued. Universities and academics are scorned. Scientists are scorned. What can be gained from reading all that crap.? Fiction? that seems to be ok, but is there any desire to read as a way of learning about life, and people in general. No need. They have source. No time. They are doing cult stuff and trying to keep up with the payments. No money. They are being forced to buy $3000 packages of LRH scientology cult books.
Do scientologists become know-alls who don't know anything?
WildKat
Gold Meritorious Patron
I definitely saw that phenomenon with many Scn-ists I knew. "Oh, there's too many MU's I would have to clear - I don't want to read that!" All the joy of reading was sucked right out of them, lol!
One of the biggest factors that got me OUT of Scn was comments from my mate along the lines of "why do you wanna read THAT junk?" I was still reading other non-fiction books, including some interesting New Age stuff because I saw that Scn did NOT have all the answers. No one has all the answers and anyone that says they do, is probably in a cult.
I vowed right then and there that NO ONE was going to decide what I could and couldn't (or shouldn't) read.
One of the biggest factors that got me OUT of Scn was comments from my mate along the lines of "why do you wanna read THAT junk?" I was still reading other non-fiction books, including some interesting New Age stuff because I saw that Scn did NOT have all the answers. No one has all the answers and anyone that says they do, is probably in a cult.
I vowed right then and there that NO ONE was going to decide what I could and couldn't (or shouldn't) read.
spookles99
Patron
Exactly. Addiction makes people do abnormal things, that's for sure.
In my experience, Scientologists were voracious readers of all sorts of fiction until the mid 80's. It began to change after that, specially when TV's were outlawed in the Sea Org.
I don't think any current aversion (if there is) is due to Study Tech at all. Exhaustion and a mind set of 'no-external-influences' - probably.
I don't think any current aversion (if there is) is due to Study Tech at all. Exhaustion and a mind set of 'no-external-influences' - probably.
spookles99
Patron
Wow! Reading this makes me realize there are two types of (ex)Scientologists. Those that kind of tried it out but never bit (I think that'd be you) and who can justifiably brag that they never got sucked in. (Though I do admit I feel a twinge of something disagreeable about it ... jealousy?) And then there are those (including me), who plunged in headlong, believing, or wanting to believe, but in any event, having to now suck it up and just admit to having been plain WRONG! Ug. I screwed up.
Anyhow, what you said is right. You'd have trouble tempting a lot of scientologists to look up any random philosophical word in wikipedia for a variety of reasons, but a big one would be fear of drowning in MUs ...; enter unadulterated stupidity.
spookles99
Patron
Yes, maybe not Study Tech per se. Definitely not Study Tech per se. But what's being described here is definitely how it all plays out nowadays and for the last 20+ years. Study Tech = arduous crush-word-clearing = please don't give me any MUs or else I might have a fit.
Dave B.
Maximus Ultimus Mostimus
In my opinion $cientologists are basically cretins. They're going to build a new world based on one man's (demented) vision? Totally ignore all culture and cultural patrimony? Literature, Art, Music, Architecture? Or only acknowledge that which is deemed OK by their fearless leader. What a bland colorless, fascistic world that would be. Well worth fighting to the death against.
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