Chris Shelton: Leaving Scientology

[SPsince83]

Specialized language can be found anywhere. Wherever groups of humans with certain interests are, they use the specialized language that comes with that specific interest.

When I speak about a CRT, only a very small number of people here would understand what I'm talking about, but if I use that abbreviation in an electronics forum, not only would everybody fully understand what I mean, everybody would also immediately have their own, personal topic-related "universe" in mind:

"CRT, yeah, I know, Cathode Ray Tube! I still remember my old physics and electronics teachers and their lessons about CRT. I can almost smell the melting soldering tin in my own workshop, when I made my own CRT experiments. Now let me use anything I know, learned and experimented, to find out out what this MrNobody's "problem" with CRTs is and how to solve it."

'nuther example: I visit my new neurologist for the 1st time. She asks: "Why are you here?" and I reply "MS." Bang, within a few milliseconds, she has a whole set of questions to ask, tests to perform and potential treatments to suggest, on her "mental screen".

Last but not least example: "RPF." Of course, being a never-in, I have no personal experience with RPF - unlike many ESMBers who do. Of course I can "interpolate" - just like my neurologist re: MS - but that's not the same.

Why do I tell all this? Because when it's about getting rid of a certain "specialized language", it's not just about getting rid of certain words and meanings - it's about getting rid of the whole "mental universe" that comes with these words for those who are/have been affected.

[my obligatory EDIT:]

Your example about the dishes was actually a pretty good one. Instead of asking to "handle that", you could have just asked to "take care of that".

Nobody knows.

 

[Elronius of Marcabia]

The suggestion about jettisoning the language/nomenclature ASAP was very helpful for me when I got out. I forced myself to get rid of it on Jesse Prince's recommendation and it made a huge difference. I think that's bigger than people may realize. There are language centers in the brain, etc......yada, yada.....it's a binding point that's a hardwired thing.

I know, not very technical but you know what I mean, right?

 

[Glenda]

Excellent stuff Chris! Bloody good work!

Seriously wishing you great joy and peace and fun living a truly free life.

[video=youtube;7740UnlY4YQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=791&v=7740UnlY4YQ[/video]

 

[lotus]

The the $cientology practitionners

please listen Chris at 2.20m

Sometimes peoples come here and says we ESMB critics must respect their beliefs and their religion.

People told hundreds of times...they don't care what people believe in..a spaghetti cult or sci-fi cult...what they care is the dammage these cult and beliefs may do to people...

This is what they expose...the dammage to human rights , freedom, peace, dignity, mental health, right to have medical care, right for children to not being police polygraphed....right of children to be looked after properly, cease of slave work, prisons, mental torture with a polygraph...

This is the difference...one can take his phallus and raise it to a sacred object, adore it, and create a moonchild...franly, nobody's gives a f... But when the guru is using children or put women on drugs.. to practice his ''religious rituals and beliefs'' then it's a human rights issue. Some people have to be protected from those harming practices.

It's comforting that people, like here on ESMB, see the difference, and fight for the cease of any cult abuse on any human.

Then there is no law forbidding to laugh about Xenu and LRH travelling in DC8 and trains on Venus to attend his race cars.:confused2:
I mean..it's laughable because a child would do better and I personnaly like to laugh!

Sorry for my rant....

Chris - in term of recovering of $cientology indoctrination - your path is awesome.
You certainly walked it with courage , effort, and as a genuine truth seeker.

Best to you, keep your beautifull smile! and thank you for sharing those realizations of yours.

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

One thing the hit my mind was the absence of specific words in Scientologeese

like:

- love
- empathy
- compassion
- confidence
- trust
- sharing
- friendship
- loyalty

Scientology does have comparable words to those English words. Some examples:

- love
SCN VERSION: "ARC", particularly the "A" part. In Scn affinity is defined as the ability to occupy the same space. Examples of this include a registrar who refuses to leave your house.

- empathy
SCN VERSION: "TR-4". When a PC originates something deeply personal that is affecting them at the moment, the auditor shows empathy by saying "I understand how you feel but I am going to repeat the auditing command."

- confidence
SCN VERSION: "Certainty". The word "confidence" is a psych word which only implies that the person has a 1st dynamic feeling of sureness, whereas Scientology's word (certainty) is an all encompassing power that entitles a being to issue a never-ending stream of exhaustingly detailed control-freak orders to everyone and everything on all dynamics.

- friendship
SCN VERSION: "Comradeship". While the term "friendship" tends to be reasonable and allow others to dramatize without penalties, the Scientology concept of "never fear to hurt a comrade in a just cause" lets your friends know that you will viciously attack them if someone uplines thinks it's a good idea.

 

[scooter]

VERY nice summation of decompression, Chris!!!

It parallels the points on my journey "out" and I wish that this was around for me 6 years ago when I first peeped out of the cult window at the REAL world outside.

(It took a while before I even began to venture out of the back door.)

Being around this place has been a major source of catharsis for me personally as there's very little judgement and a hell of a lot of resources available to track down what the hell happened during my "lost" years.

Once again you've distilled the essence of something that "we" have all personally struggled with since exiting Hubbard's toxic universe.

 

[Student of Trinity]

I find the conversation about specialized language fascinating. As you probably know I rant about scientologese and the words I refuse to use, regularly. At the same time - all communities, specialties, and organizations have their own language shortcuts and jargon. So what makes one type of group mind/language part of an abusive and controlling relationship and while another is not? What makes one thought stopping and another not? Or is it impossible to avoid the thought stopping altogether?

One difference I see between, say, jargon in a medical application and jargon in scientology is the universal use of scientology for all life applications and experiences. Whereas medical jargon would be confined to a specific profession. I'm trying, for comparison, to think of other places in my life where I've learned and used a language subset.

Using jargon words is like wearing blinders. It stops thoughts, in the sense that it stops you from making associations between technical concepts and common sense.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. People sometimes speak of 'wearing blinders' as if it were as bad as being blind; but that's just because people don't know about horses any more. Blinders are little shields mounted onto a horse's harness, to block the horse's peripheral vision, so that it keeps its eyes on the road ahead.

If you're a surgeon or a mathematician or anything else highly technical like that, you're a human being with decades of experience in ordinary life, but your job is to deal in concepts that are far removed from ordinary experience. Thinking in jargon reminds your common sense to shut up, and stop distracting you, because you are not in Kansas any more. That's a good thing.

If you've decided that you don't believe in Scientology's technical concepts, however, then you do not want to keep focusing on them and ignoring common sense. In that case, you should certainly stop thinking in Scientologese, because whether for good or for ill, language does tend to guide thought.

 

[Intentionally Blank]

I don't think using jargon to reinforce a specific group is necessarily bad. Your example of the medical profession is a good example.

Like most technology, what you do with it makes it good or bad.



I can think of a few. Sports and their following fans (from the word 'fanatic'!) Not really evil per se, but can be overwhelming to some people. You could wind up dancing like a maniac half naked in the cold painted in your teams colors! Heaven forbid!

Other games, like video/computer games. They easily build up a jargon that only other players would understand when they talk about it. Again, not really that bad, but it can become an obsession.

This stuff can be powerful, which makes it dangerous. Especially to certain types of vulnerable people. In the hands of an unscrupulous person who understands these principles, it can be mortally treacherous. Cult leaders understand these things, instinctually or otherwise.

Ahhh ...... yes, sports and video games. Being a parental unit of boys who were teenagers I get it completely. I think it's more than obsession, though, in scientology or another abusive organization. It's completely defining life by the terms of the obsession.

When Mr/s Blanky and I were first together, possibly not married yet, there were scientology words that I knew were used incorrectly and that always annoyed and confused me when I heard them. For a long time I kept a list - which might still be in a computer file somewhere now that I think about it. I remember telling friends I was sure scn altered the meanings of words as part of the cult experience but I couldn't figure out what the purpose was of doing so. Now, of course, after exploring and reading about loaded language, thought stopping, confusion, and other control techniques it makes perfect sense.

So if I'm understanding the difference between, say, sports language and cult language, even if one was obsessed with sports and used the jargon to express non sports experiences, it still would not reach the level of abuse and damage cult language does unless and until it was used to alter one's personality and ability to navigate life with curiosity and freedom.

Good question. Thanks for making me put my cap on.



Although every specialty profession has its own language, there is a point where one isolates himself so much from those outside his profession or area that he can no longer explain his ideas or concepts in basic English. It's not necessary. Not everyone loses the ability to talk to others about what they do, but some do.

I think when a person's thoughts and actions are that segregated or isolated from the rest of society that he/she can't speak in English about it, he's definitely got a problem.

Mmm hmm..... that makes sense. The isolation creates walls - barriers of thought that don't allow for exploration. How do you think this isolation affects curiosity and one's ability to view experiences from multiple points of view?

One simply can't speak Scientologese in polite company. NOBODY will understand WTF you are saying and you will think it's because they are stupid wogs.

Au contraire my friend. Perhaps not at the same level one speaks it with fellow scientologists but it's invasive and insidious. Like those weeds taking over my yard. I have friends who took ONE course who use scientology words to an alarming extent. (handle, in present time, hat, the highly offensive pejorative use of introverted [I'm an introvert ], gradient....the list goes on)

Specialized language can be found anywhere. Wherever groups of humans with certain interests are, they use the specialized language that comes with that specific interest.

When I speak about a CRT, only a very small number of people here would understand what I'm talking about, but if I use that abbreviation in an electronics forum, not only would everybody fully understand what I mean, everybody would also immediately have their own, personal topic-related "universe" in mind:

"CRT, yeah, I know, Cathode Ray Tube! I still remember my old physics and electronics teachers and their lessons about CRT. I can almost smell the melting soldering tin in my own workshop, when I made my own CRT experiments. Now let me use anything I know, learned and experimented, to find out out what this MrNobody's "problem" with CRTs is and how to solve it."

'nuther example: I visit my new neurologist for the 1st time. She asks: "Why are you here?" and I reply "MS." Bang, within a few milliseconds, she has a whole set of questions to ask, tests to perform and potential treatments to suggest, on her "mental screen".

Last but not least example: "RPF." Of course, being a never-in, I have no personal experience with RPF - unlike many ESMBers who do. Of course I can "interpolate" - just like my neurologist re: MS - but that's not the same.

Why do I tell all this? Because when it's about getting rid of a certain "specialized language", it's not just about getting rid of certain words and meanings - it's about getting rid of the whole "mental universe" that comes with these words for those who are/have been affected.

[my obligatory EDIT:]

Your example about the dishes was actually a pretty good one. Instead of asking to "handle that", you could have just asked to "take care of that".

Yes!! I know!!! I never, ever, ever, ever(!) use the word 'handle' it makes me gag. And then I heard it come out of my mouth. I had a very Dobby the house elf moment and wanted to punish myself.

Nobody knows.

The Shadow knows.

 

[Intentionally Blank]

I too am fascinated by the language thing and how it can be used to be destructive/abusive/controlling, etc.

When I was mid doing the "big work" I would observe language used in various situations (well life is just one big lesson and I'm taking it!). Even families have "specialised language" - cute little words they use with each other, that often no one from outside that family have a clue of the meanings/context. This forms cohesion between family members and so forth.

I think the difference between cult installed language and the specialised languages of professions - or cultural family language - is the intense way the cult trains in (patterns in ) the cult language. You sit there for hours and hours "defining" scientology words and hence it goes deep.

I began to break the deep patterning by being around loads of foreign language people. Living in Shanghai you are surrounded by umpteen various languages. On any given average day I would have been hearing at least 10 to 15 different languages - English was not the prominent language. By default, I had to devalue language and begin to function on other things. Instinct. From there I started to realise how fucked up/loaded up I was with scientologese. It was automatically in every thought I had, I viewed every situation (I mean every) using scientology language. Man falls off bike = "he is PTS".

Also at that time I was trying to learn Chinese. I became aware of how vital patterning was, with word symbols, concepts, usage, etc. Chinese is a big language to tackle and it opened up a lot of new stuff for me. I had three languages running in my head - English, Chinese and scientologese. It was very confusing. But the cool thing was recognising this fact - and then seeing how the scientologese impacted on my thoughts, behaviour, etc.

I think you are in the right ball-park when you say "...and jargon in scientology is the universal use of scientology for all life applications and experiences." Scientology installed language encompasses viewing all human behaviour/emotions through the cult language filter, including ones own behaviour/emotions. One is constantly running an internal dialogue which goes something like "what tone am I in, what tone is this person in front of me in?". A person is automatically framing everything internally and externally with scientology concepts/language.

Just like it is difficult to think in a new language one is learning (with masses of translating goes on in the head), once the scientologese in heavily drilled in, it is almost impossible for a person to just think in "plain English" terms. Scientologese is designed to "make a scientologist, a tiger, a KSW-abiding-tech-using superior being". To achieve that all other language/concepts need to be replaced with pure scientologese concepts - for every life situation, every internal experience.

That is where the control and damage lies, imho. The person is genuinely not thinking their own thoughts, not experiencing their own internal responses. It is all tainted/replaced with scientologese.

Hoping this makes sense - written by the seat of my pants.

You always give me so much to think about

My standard response to a scientologese word or phrase is to sweetly say "I don't really understand, could you rephrase?" In your opinion -- helpful?

 

[Outethicsofficer]

And wasn't it a shocking day when you found yourself amidst people with real empathy, real unconditional love, real compassion, etc?

Made me weep to discover what I had become and to begin to experience the real world with all its glorious shades of colour. Such a cold hard world, the world of the true scientologist.

Yes Glenda to this^^...we knew the words but lost the feeling, the emotions that go along with living life. HE&R ( Human Emotion and Reaction for those not familiar with the term) is held in contempt within the church.

 

[Outethicsofficer]

Oh yes...he even saw fit to give us all a new Grammar and so on and on

 

[lotus]

Yes Glenda to this^^...we knew the words but lost the feeling, the emotions that go along with living life. HE&R ( Human Emotion and Reaction for those not familiar with the term) is held in contempt within the church.

** wal speaker


''attention to all''

Inspector general here,

The terminal holding auditor no 1 post in the hubtard misguidance center, is especting to report to the ethics handling office.

It has been reported to the master at arms, that staff HGCAuditor no 1, has violated the code of conduct while expressing human emotion and reactions toward a staff encountering a dev-t situation causing stat crash. A degraded being (inhabiting an elderly body in the form of a parent) terminally illed is not giving up to the degraded body and is causing an extreme amount of dev-t on post. The auditor went low tone in expressing sympahy toward the staff. This is endangering the organisation and caving terminals holding post into their reactive mind.

It is forbidden to express any sympathy to any terminal on this compound. Dropping bodies shall be handle in a way to never compromise production. Dispose of them quietly and without sorrow using 8C\tone40. Human emotions and reactions on post will be handled with ethics orders. People who violate this order will be ordered to the RPF for redemption of their criminal behavior toward mankind.

We are not in the field of taking care of the non valuable beings - we are in the field of making the able more able. Behave as an OT and never agree to reasonabulness.

 

[JustSheila]

Mmm hmm..... that makes sense. The isolation creates walls - barriers of thought that don't allow for exploration. How do you think this isolation affects curiosity and one's ability to view experiences from multiple points of view?

There are mathematicians and other geniuses who went quite insane in their mental worlds. The language of maths and physics facilitated that. IMHO, the less people with which we can relay ideas and concepts, the more we are at risk of losing our own sanity.

But it is also self-reflection that facilitates personal change and it is man's deepest thoughts that enabled the greatest scientific, philosophical and other discoveries.

When I studied learning and memory, the brain's capacity for funnelling thought into tiny, focused streams became very clear. It's important to retain the ability to come completely out of that focus and do it regularly to retain generalised concepts and other avenues of thought. Udarnik does this. As Glenda brought up, learning different languages broadened her learning scope. Most children learn languages easily, but our focused attention and use of one language afterwards makes this increasingly difficult as adults.

The brain builds these thought avenues on basic concepts. The ability to create new basic concepts decreases with age and with continual focused attention in one direction, on one thing. We must shift gears for mental balance and to retain perspective and the ability to learn other things or we just forget - or even lose the ability to explore these other thought avenues altogether.

That is the essence of how people become addicts. Narrowed attention, narrowed focus, narrowed field of thought or philosophy without coming out of it eventually makes us stupid in other areas where we have not exercised our brains.

Yes!! I know!!! I never, ever, ever, ever(!) use the word 'handle' it makes me gag. And then I heard it come out of my mouth. I had a very Dobby the house elf moment and wanted to punish myself.

LIKE! The Dobby the elf thing is so funny!

 

[Glenda]

Yes Glenda to this^^...we knew the words but lost the feeling, the emotions that go along with living life. HE&R ( Human Emotion and Reaction for those not familiar with the term) is held in contempt within the church.

Yep! Lost the capacity to feel authentic emotions and/or allow others to experience genuine human emotions. I remember learning how to feel authentic emotions again and how bewildering it all was. I was so completely judgmental of others who showed "too much emotion".

I remember when I started to "thaw out" and witnessed others crying or being angry, etc, how wonderful I found it. I remember someone apologising to me for crying and all I could say was "no, never apologise to me for being human, just cry."

It took time to get comfortable with my own emotional range. It took time to feel at ease with others emotional range. It took time to "master" real-life boundaries without a head-full of automatic cult-responses rattling in my head.

Here's to being human again.

 

[Gib]

The suggestion about jettisoning the language/nomenclature ASAP was very helpful for me when I got out. I forced myself to get rid of it on Jesse Prince's recommendation and it made a huge difference. I think that's bigger than people may realize. There are language centers in the brain, etc......yada, yada.....it's a binding point that's a hardwired thing.

I know, not very technical but you know what I mean, right?

I googled coercive persuasion, and it gave me this as a search result:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_control

At the very end, the write-up states this:

"In her 2004 book, Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control, neuroscientist and physiologist Kathleen Taylor put forth the theory that theneurological basis for reasoning and cognition in the brain and the self itself are changeable. She describes the physiology behind neurological pathways which include webs of neurons containing dendrites, axons, and synapses; and explains that certain brains with more rigid pathways will be less susceptible to new information or creative stimuli. She uses neurological science to demonstrate that brainwashed individuals have more rigid pathways, and that that rigidity can make it unlikely that the individual will rethink situations or be able to later reorganize these pathways.[SUP][72][/SUP] She explains that repetition is an integral part of brainwashing techniques because connections between neurons become stronger when exposed to incoming signals of frequency and intensity.[SUP][73][/SUP] She argues that people in their teenage years and early twenties are more susceptible to persuasion.Taylor explains that brain activity in the temporal lobe, the region responsible for artistic creativity, also causes spiritual experiences in a process known as lability.[SUP][73][/SUP][SUP][74][/SUP][SUP][75][/SUP][SUP][76]"

[/SUP]In noting the red, I immediately thought of Hubbard's "number of times over equals certainty". And also, since I did the TR's & Objectives co-audit a fews back, doing 12 hours of each process repetitively. But, then again, I made it out, as well as others.

Of course, the whole article is up in the air as far as who is right; does mind control exist, does brainwashing exist, etc.

Hubbard would have not known about neuro pathways and if he did, would have poo poo'ed it.

I still think it's hubbards use of Rhetoric as a partial missing ingredient on how he got us. :confused2:

 

[JustSheila]

That's interesting, Gib.

Hub may not have known about neural pathways, but he certainly knew and believed in people following subconscious commands and was an accomplished hypnotist. He knew exactly what he was doing.

 

[dchoiceisalwaysrs]

I googled coercive persuasion, and it gave me this as a search result:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_control



Of course, the whole article is up in the air as far as who is right; does mind control exist, does brainwashing exist, etc.

Hubbard would have not known about neuro pathways and if he did, would have poo poo'ed it.

I still think it's hubbards use of Rhetoric as a partial missing ingredient on how he got us. :confused2:

Yes. Rhetoric used on top of Authority. I see there can be value with considering an authority or even an Authority on any subject, however what is a liability is letting that be the only Authority.especially if one allows that Authority's view to reject/suppress other data or conclusions from other sources. This would include one's own assumptions/conclusions as sacrosanct. As a metaphor, there is great value in and pendulum constant re-positioning of at least doubt and certainty as well as other possible states of consciousness.

 

[Gib]

That's interesting, Gib.

Hub may not have known about neural pathways, but he certainly knew and believed in people following subconscious commands and was an accomplished hypnotist. He knew exactly what he was doing.

yes, I understand. But in the end, Hubbard did believe his own stuff, ask Sarge.

He knew what he was doing alright, that is saving mankind, and he thoroughly believed he was. And I think he thoroughly wanted to smash his name into history, and make men slaves. He wanted to be Xenu, but a good guy version, in his mind.

One has to admit to themselves that he did build an empire.

something to consider:

http://mfa.english.txstate.edu/tech/rhetoric/archive/docs/timeline.pdf

 

[Glenda]

You always give me so much to think about

My standard response to a scientologese word or phrase is to sweetly say "I don't really understand, could you rephrase?" In your opinion -- helpful?

Yes it is helpful. But only on a surface level. This stuff goes deep.

Anything which pokes a hole in the mentally imprisoning tunnel of mind control which the person is lost in, is helpful.

The true believer is highly skilled at protecting the walls of the tunnel around them. They don’t like the “light of the unpalatable truth” leaking into their tiny cult view of life and themselves.

To make a true believer really angry and confused, ask them “what if this whole thing is based on lies? What if the cornerstones are all fake? What if you wake up tomorrow morning to the startling revelation that none of it was about eternal freedom but instead it was about something dark, sinister and controlling? Do not answer these questions to me, answer them fully, for yourself. Think, think deep, for yourself. Listen to no one, except your own self. Go deep within and find your own answers.”

And leave this quote pinned to the fridge/bathroom mirror/car dashboard/computer/smart phone:

“Perhaps love is the process of my leading you gently back to yourself.”
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

 

[Gib]

Yes. Rhetoric used on top of Authority. I see there can be value with considering an authority or even an Authority on any subject, however what is a liability is letting that be the only Authority.especially if one allows that Authority's view to reject/suppress other data or conclusions from other sources. This would include one's own assumptions/conclusions as sacrosanct. As a metaphor, there is great value in and pendulum constant re-positioning of at least doubt and certainty as well as other possible states of consciousness.

yes,

All I'm say'in is Hubbard used Rhetoric, specifically ethos, to make hisself authority, source, 1965 KSW. Which is why he lied about his past, he had to create a character of Ethos to persaude. As one of the 3 means of persuasion.

If Hubbard told the truth about his past, nobody would listen to him.

For example, a person says on their resume, they did this and that, and puff up the results, stats, accomplishments. And if a potential employer does not do a background check, or due diligence, why they hire the person.

What I never did was a due diligence or background check on hubbard in 1987. It wasn't easy to do and I never knew to do it, and since he wrote lots of books, I believed him.