Here is a corrected translation of the MDR Interview.
Regards, Mark
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How does the saying go? who believes is not alone, and therefore there are many people searching for shelter in in churches and religious communities and sometimes fatally even in cults like Scientology. Only that joining such a community turns life completely upside down, with devastating consequences, sometimes.
Following the "pied piper" principle, Scientology tries to catch people and to bind them to themselves [SCN]. We'll talk to a man, who managed the difficult feat of getting out of Scientology.
[Movie fade-in]
Scientology has been active in Germany for around 40 years. The organization calls itself a church. Critics call it powerful psycho-cult. Their founder: the Science Fiction author L Ron Hubbard. During the '50's he invented his own story of creation, and with that, laid the groundwork the for a world-wide empire.
Scientology: Most of all, it is a clever business-idea. Defectors talk about pseudo-therapies, which ruined them both mentally and financially. Long auditing-sessions promise their members spiritual release. Hooked up to an E-Meter, (a kind of lie detector), all painful experiences are supposedly erased. A 12-hour-auditing package costs several thousand Euro.
He's the most well-known face of Scientology: Tom Cruise. The Hollywood-star tries to make the cult appear socially acceptable, but videos on the internet have presented him as a missionary with "conquer-the-world" fantasies.
[Fade-in Tom Cruise Video]
"You know that I am there for you, and I do care for you so very, very, very, much. So what do you say, do we clean this place up?"
Scientologists wanting to "clean up" -- that's a scary thought.
There was some good news for Scientology. At the end of 2007 Tom Cruise was awarded a Bambi Award, in the category "Courage" none the less. But despite intensive PR, Scientology remains a case for the German constitutional protection agency (Verfassungschutz) in many [German] states. Their number of members has stagnated. Scientology talks about 12000, the Verfassungschutz thinks the number is closer to 5000.
[End of Doku, fade-over to the interview]
[Interviewer]
A man who defected, a singer, now also an author, is our guest today: Mark Janicello - welcome once again.
You joined Scientology in '93 in New York and stayed with them for 10 years. How di it come to that?
[Mark Janicello]
I had big personal problems. I was in a crisis and I was urgently searching for answers for my life's problems and came to Scientology through a friend. That's how it started..
[Interviewer]
Did you experience all of what we've seen in the video, the so-called brain-washings and those mega-events?
[Mark Janicello]
Scientology sells itself as a science and when you think logically "Oh, a science, that's gotta work." Watching your video, I thought to myself, "Oh well, Been there, done that and thank God -- that's all behind me now."
[Interviewer]
Scientology demands a whole lot from their members: money, time, unconditional allegiance. Which arguments did they (SCN) use to convince you?
[Mark Janicello]
I wanted, ehm... They spoke to me about religious freedom and that was a big button for me; I'm American. I naively swallowed that, and then I started speaking out in public for freedom of religion/freedom of opinion. At the same time, they (SCN) made me feel extremely important to their cause. They needed someone who would stand up and say: OK, do we have freedom of religion or do we not have it?" I never advertised directly for Scientology, I only spoke about religious freedom. Now, in hindsight, I can see that my good ... my good will had been mis-used.
[Interviewer]
Once your membership in Scientology became public knowledge, you encountered a lot of skepticism in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, where you had been working.
[Mark Janicello]
LOL, yes... That's the understatement of all times, yes.
[Interviewer]
What did you experience?
[Mark Janicello]
I had to go on stage with death-threats. I had... People came with "Scientology Killos" T-shirts on. Of course, they wanted to fight back against the (SCN) Organization, and protest (against them), but I was standing in the middle of it all.
I lost more than 3 million Euros worth in contracts. I have... I was slandered in the press and.. and ... I became Persona Non-Grata ... basically over night.
As soon as it was known that I was a Scientologist and was speaking up for human rights -- NOT for Scientology --it was over. My career suffered a mortal blow, and it has never really recovered from that -- even to this day.
[Interviewer]
Scientology couldn't help you with that?
[Mark Janicello]
They did nothing for me. They just left me to die.
[Interviewer]
In 2003 you defected...
[Mark Janicello]
Yes.
[Interviewer]
From your point of view today, what is the most dangerous part of Scientology?
[Mark Janicello]
Instead of searching and finding my own answers, I handed this responsibility over to them. I put my destiny in their hands. They sell themselves like: "WE have the answers for every problem in every situation of life. WE are the only ones who have ALL the answers for ALL of life's problems." NOBODY has answers for every problem. Everyone has to find their own way. But they presented themselves like that... They presented themselves like a science - and that's what caught me. I thought, 2 + 2 gives me 4, each and every time"." But it's not true. Not at all.
[Interviewer]
Now you've written your autobiography, "Nackt im Rampenlicht", is this book's title...
[Mark Janicello]
Yes.
[Interviewer]
You told me you spent 6 months writing it. I think it wasn't easy to write that book.
[Mark Janicello]
It was the most difficult thing I've ever done. I had to process the enormous betrayal that I experienced, I had to work through... (I'm American, my German is kinda strange, I'm sorry,). I cried a lot because (through writing) I realized that I had only been SURVIVING. I never LIVED.
And now that I've written the book, I want to put the chapter Scientology behind me once and for all. After the promotion of this book, I never want to speak another word about Scientology ever again. That subject had defined my life for the past 15 years. I'm done with it and I don't want anything more to do with it..
[Interviewer]
How's the job situation going for you? What are your plans?
[Mark Janicello]
Ah, yes, well I'm working ... I'm working on a comeback. I've recorded a new Single, "Push It Now", which is in the book, together with Grammy-award-winning producer Georg Luksch. I've applied for several large productions. I work as an actor in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, where I live, I'm doing a lot of synchronization work, and I am also a painter. I've had 10 successful exhibitions.
[Interviewer]
Thank you very much for your visit today.
[Mark Janicello]
Thank you. Thank you very much.
___End_Of_Translation___
