Chris Shelton video channel: What is wrong with Scientology

[Veda]

"The art and science of asserting and maintaining dominion over the thoughts and loyalties of individuals, officers, bureaus, and masses... through mental healing."​

One of the things that woke me up was realizing that the "PTS/SP" and "Ethics" "techs" follow the "Brainwashing Manual" which was almost certainly written by Hubbard himself, given the vocabulary use, being all about creating a homogenous group living in a mental fishbowl by removal and quarantine of anyone who disagrees or protests or does anything but give their all to Hubbard, now Miscavige.

While I have mixed feelings about the Anderson Report, there's no denying that Anderson was spot on - almost prescient - regarding Hubbard's use of the "Brainwashing Manual" on Scientologists.

By 1965, the date of the issuing of the Anderson Report, Hubbard had only implemented - maybe - half the ideas and methods of that manual on Scientologists, while also gradually incorporating these into the doctrine.

It would be 1974 before full implementation would have occurred, yet, in the mid 1960s:

"One remarkable exhibit tendered to the Board was a series of extracts form the Brain-washing manual..."

This was almost 50 years ago. Amazing.

It would be over 20 years before the book 'Messiah or Madman?' would feature a chapter about the "Brainwashing Manual": http://www.xenu-directory.net/writings/brainwashing-corydon.html

And almost 15 years until the e-book 'Brainwashing Manual Parallels' appeared: http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/ambry1.html

In the first edition of 'Madman?' there is no mention of Anderson, nor any mention in 'Parallels'. They appear to have independently arrived at the same conclusions, regarding the "Brainwashing Manual, " as the Anderson Report.

I had looked over the Anderson Report with disdain as a Scientologist years ago, and only fairly recently examined it again, particularly the amazing reference to the "Brainwashing Manual" as the "blueprint" for Scientology.

 

[Intentionally Blank]

Chris, you said:

History has already proven that any group that cannot change or improve itself is a group that is not long for this world.

I was starkly reminded of studies around personality disorders within pathological relationships. One expert says (emphasis mine)

Each personality disorder has its own set of behaviors. Pathology is related to:

a. The inability to sustain positive change

b. The inability to grow to any authentic emotional or spiritual depth

c. The inability to develop deep insight about their negative behavior affects others

https://www.psychopathfree.com/archive/index.php/t-6240.html

Again we are reminded that abusers, whether they be individuals or organizations, exhibit the same dangerously pathological behaviors. Really excellent video. Can't wait for the next installment. You might become esmb's version of GOT

Blanky

 

[Panda Termint]

Chris/GP, Your videos are excellent, in my estimation, keep 'em coming.

 

[Pheryn]

Thanks for another awesome video, Chris! Can't wait to see the next one.

 

[betskand]

Chris, these 3 videos are invaluable and beautifully made. They must have taken a lot of work and fortunately you are a great speaker.

And...may I add...(I am entitled because of being too old to be of interest)...you are CYOOOT...

Betsy

 

[ThetanExterior]

Very well thought-out and presented. Keep em' coming.

 

[WildKat]

Just watched #3 and all I have to say is WOW!!!!

So well thought out and concisely stated. Just beautiful.

This one (#3) should probably have its own thread.

Thank you Chris!

 

[everfree]

Wow Veda, I was completely unaware of that section of the Anderson Report or the essays by Brian Ambry. Thanks so much! I will have to find the Appendix the page mentions but otherwise it appears I won't have to be go to the trouble of doing a writeup of parallels between the PTS/SP and Ethics techs and the Brainwashing Manaul after all - it had been on my "to do" list. Thanks again!

 

[everfree]

Appendix 16 mentioned above that substitutes "Scientology" for "Communism" in the "Brainwashing Manual" starts on Page 200:

http://www.antisectes.net/official-reports-the-anderson-report-state-of-victoria-australia.pdf

Example: "A continuous hope for prosperity must be indoctrinated into "the staff", "preclears" and "students "with many dreams and visions of glut[tony] and this hope must be counterplayed against the actuality of privation and the continuous threat of loss of all economic factors in case of disloyalty to "Scientology" in order to suppress the individual wills of the "preclears" and "students" and "staff members"."

 

[Free Being Me]

Coercive Mind Control Tactics
http://www.psychologicalharassment.com/coercive-mind-control-tactics.htm
PDF Download http://www.psychologicalharassment...._mind_control_tactics_letter_1200_Jan2009.pdf​

Terminology note:
"Today Mind control or brainwashing in academia is commonly referred to as coercive persuasion, coercive psychological systems or coercive influence. The short description below comes from Dr. Margaret Singer professor emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley the acknowledged leading authority in the world on mind control and cults.

a short overview

Coercion is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as:

1. To force to act or think in a certain manner
2. To dominate, restrain, or control by force
3. To bring about by force.

Coercive psychological systems are behavioral change programs which use psychological force in a coercive way to cause the learning and adoption of an ideology or designated set of beliefs, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors. The essential strategy used by the operators of these programs is to systematically select, sequence and coordinate many different types of coercive influence, anxiety and stress-producing tactics over continuous periods of time. In such a program the subject is forced to adapt in a series of tiny "invisible" steps. Each tiny step is designed to be sufficiently small so the subjects will not notice the changes in themselves or identify the coercive nature of the processes being used. The subjects of these tactics do not become aware of the hidden organizational purpose of the coercive psychological program until much later, if ever. These tactics are usually applied in a group setting by well intentioned but deceived "friends and allies" of the victim. This keeps the victim from putting up the ego defenses we normally maintain in known adversarial situations. The coercive psychological influence of these programs aim to overcome the individual's critical thinking abilities and free will - apart from any appeal to informed judgment. Victims gradually lose their ability to make independent decisions and exercise informed consent. Their critical thinking, defenses, cognitive processes, values, ideas, attitudes, conduct and ability to reason are undermined by a technological process rather than by meaningful free choice, rationality, or the inherent merit or value of the ideas or propositions being presented. How Do They Work?

The tactics used to create undue psychological and social influence, often by means involving anxiety and stress, fall into seven main categories.

TACTIC 1

Increase suggestibility and "soften up" the individual through specific hypnotic or other suggestibility-increasing techniques such as: Extended audio, visual, verbal, or tactile fixation drills, Excessive exact repetition of routine activities, Sleep restriction and/or Nutritional restriction.

TACTIC 2

Establish control over the person's social environment, time and sources of social support by a system of often-excessive rewards and punishments. Social isolation is promoted. Contact with family and friends is abridged, as is contact with persons who do not share group-approved attitudes. Economic and other dependence on the group is fostered.

TACTIC 3

Prohibit disconfirming information and non supporting opinions in group communication. Rules exist about permissible topics to discuss with outsiders. Communication is highly controlled. An "in-group" language is usually constructed.

TACTIC 4

Make the person re-evaluate the most central aspects of his or her experience of self and prior conduct in negative ways. Efforts are designed to destabilize and undermine the subject's basic consciousness, reality awareness, world view, emotional control and defense mechanisms. The subject is guided to reinterpret his or her life's history and adopt a new version of causality.

TACTIC 5

Create a sense of powerlessness by subjecting the person to intense and frequent actions and situations which undermine the person's confidence in himself and his judgment.

TACTIC 6

Create strong aversive emotional arousals in the subject by use of nonphysical punishments such as intense humiliation, loss of privilege, social isolation, social status changes, intense guilt, anxiety, manipulation and other techniques.

TACTIC 7

Intimidate the person with the force of group-sanctioned secular psychological threats. For example, it may be suggested or implied that failure to adopt the approved attitude, belief or consequent behavior will lead to severe punishment or dire consequences such as physical or mental illness, the reappearance of a prior physical illness, drug dependence, economic collapse, social failure, divorce, disintegration, failure to find a mate, etc.

These tactics of psychological force are applied to such a severe degree that the individual's capacity to make informed or free choices becomes inhibited. The victims become unable to make the normal, wise or balanced decisions which they most likely or normally would have made, had they not been unknowingly manipulated by these coordinated technical processes. The cumulative effect of these processes can be an even more effective form of undue influence than pain, torture, drugs or the use of physical force and physical and legal threats.

How does Coercive Psychological Persuasion Differ from Other Kinds of Influence? Coercive psychological systems are distinguished from benign social learning or peaceful persuasion by the specific conditions under which they are conducted. These conditions include the type and number of coercive psychological tactics used, the severity of environmental and interpersonal manipulation, and the amount of psychological force employed to suppress particular unwanted behaviors and to train desired behaviors.

Coercive force is traditionally visualized in physical terms. In this form it is easily definable, clear-cut and unambiguous. Coercive psychological force unfortunately has not been so easy to see and define. The law has been ahead of the physical sciences in that it has allowed that coercion need not involve physical force. It has recognized that an individual can be threatened and coerced psychologically by what he or she perceives to be dangerous, not necessarily by that which is dangerous.

Law has recognized that even the threatened action need not be physical. Threats of economic loss, social ostracism and ridicule, among other things, are all recognized by law, in varying contexts, as coercive psychological forces.

Why are Coercive Psychological Systems Harmful? Coercive psychological systems violate our most fundamental concepts of basic human rights. They violate rights of individuals that are guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and affirmed by many declarations of principle worldwide.

By confusing, intimidating and silencing their victims, those who profit from these systems evade exposure and prosecution for actions recognized as harmful and which are illegal in most countries such as: fraud, false imprisonment, undue influence, involuntary servitude, intentional infliction of emotional distress, outrageous conduct and other tortuous acts."

Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D

 

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NEW VIDEO!!

[video=youtube;Bl4hZFbkDOQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl4hZFbkDOQ[/video]

 

[WildKat]

These videos are awesome! Thank you Chris!

 

[WildKat]

Also wondering, will transcripts be available on this video series? I have some people (who aren't allowed to look at the internet) that I could mail them to.

 

[Dean Blair]

Chris, your videos are professional and I love the way you lay it out. Your demeanor really gets the points across in a clear an effective manner. I actually enjoy watching your videos and is as if I am watching a pro giving his viewpoint. After watching several of your videos I have concluded that you are my favorite speaker. I am so glad that you are an ex-Scientologist or you would have me buying the basics and signing up for an intensive. Keep up the good works.

 

[Purple Rain]

I just subscribed to this channel, thanks!! Speaking of which, and completely off topic, has anybody else noticed that Zhent's youtube account has been canceled because of copyright complaints by that horrible child abuser protecting cow of a woman, Jan Eastgate?

 

[sallydannce]

Great vid Chris! Excellent stuff! Thank you.

Hubbard wrote the Creed in 1954 mimicking both the US Constitution and the 1947 Universal Declaration of Human Rights wording. Grandiosity much Hubbard?!

Lately I've been really looking at the human rights violations in the area of disconnection. It can't be avoided that so many human rights are violated by policy/actions of scientology. Be that in 1959 or 2014. To adhere to the inflexible polices of scientology is to violate the human rights laws, all the while with scientology bleating (projection!) that anyone that dare speak out against scientology is either a mental health case, pervert or a religious bigot.

I can cite my own experiences with this, and discussion with a lawyer on the subject, when I was attempting to speak out on national NZ TV and the cult attempted to gag me. I plan to write about this in the next few days.

The staff contracts are riddled with human rights violations, eroding national laws and various other rights one has as a citizen of a nation that is ratified into the UN Codes.

How have so many human rights violations been allowed over the years without anyone taking a case to the human rights boys/girls? Every man, woman and child has equal rights before the law. This includes the level playing field of adherence to the UN human rights codes, ratified to and enacted into domestic laws.

I had less rights as a scientologist than the woman living next door and as I view this issue, there is no way any person can have less legal status in a nation than another - except where exact transparent due process is used to remove liberty. Due process, right to arbitration, etc, in essence, is a level playing field and this was one of the main reasons for the birth of the international codes. Yes there are nuances where access to certain legal actions are prohibitive (cost being one) but the basic human rights are level.

So how is scientology getting away with this? Does being a "religion" exempt not only tax requirements but also "contract out" citizens to the same legal status as every other man, woman and child of their sovereign nation?

It is not, in my understanding, possible to contract a citizen out of their internationally legally recognised human rights.

 

[programmer_guy]

I just finished watching part 4. Chris's work is excellent!
Is he getting some media professional(s) to assist in production of these presentations?
Really... it is THAT good! IMO, this is a professional quality presentation.

 

[Chris Shelton]

Also wondering, will transcripts be available on this video series? I have some people (who aren't allowed to look at the internet) that I could mail them to.

Transcripts of each are on my blog at http://mncriticalthinking.com. I put the transcript below each video.

 

[Chris Shelton]

I just finished watching part 4. Chris's work is excellent!
Is he getting some media professional(s) to assist in production of these presentations?
Really... it is THAT good! IMO, this is a professional quality presentation.

Thank you! Nope, no help. Everything you see is done by yours truly in my living room. Self-taught. I'm saving my pennies to upgrade some of my equipment so I can improve sound quality and lighting. I really appreciate your kind words about what I'm doing. I figured that presenting the information this way would be the most effective way to get it out, and from the feedback I'm getting, I think I was right.

 

[Boojuum]

These 4 videos are just incredible! Terrific job. Your presentation skills are excellent and the impact is very, very good. Please, keep them coming!!!