Scientology: "This is how the church operates". Luca Poma interviewed by Affari
Saturday, May 22, 2010 4 P.M.
There exist hundreds of files containing sensitive information, from sexuality to health, about the followers of Scientology. There are also records about persons outside the organization who have in some way come into contact with the church founded by Ron Hubbard. But this is not all. Among the files are folders on people deemed dangerous by the church. This is what the Turin mobile squad found in the sect's secret archives which are stored on Via Bersezio: files on magistrates, policemen, journalists, and relatives of former followers. The contents are being examined by the prosecutor in the Piedmont capital. The subject of the suspected offense is the violation of the standards concerning the handling of sensitive data.
Files with sensitive data on sex, health, and politics, full of strange acronyms that are intelligible only to Scientology ministers, are stored together with the results of e-meter sessions, special examinations which supposedly enable Scientology to measure the spiritual state of patients.
Among the many well-known names is Luca Poma, the Piedmont journalist and writer, who for ten years was an influential exponent of Scientology. The movement cast him out in 2003 when he questioned some of the group's methods. Affaritaliani interviewed Luca Poma, who described the secrets of the Scientology sect.
Luca Poma, you were a member of the Church of Scientology for six years. The raid in Turin uncovered an archive of sensitive information which has been seized by the police. What is the significance of these thousands of records and what is going on?
There have always been never-yet confirmed rumors about "Department 20" of the Church of Scientology (which consists of 21 departments), the department that deals with public relations as well as the protection of the church's image. The truth is now coming to the surface. It has been discovered that its duties involve keeping records not only about followers, but also about the church's enemies, real or potential. There have always been rumors, but there had never been evidence. And now, as a result of the seizure, there is evidence and it is abundant.
The enemies, who are they?
Myself, for example. I spent time with the group, I did some courses on communication techniques and some spiritual assistance services. But I saw things that I did not like and I wrote an essay to state the things that occur inside the group. I considered the essay critical, but not antagonistic. It was not an attack. I described what I had seen. It's too bad that they do not tolerate criticism, even the constructive kind. I became catalogued as an antisocial and dangerous person. But I am finding out from the news that investigations were carried out on the Honorable Luciano Violante, on Father Luigi Ciotti, on a magistrate in Milan, and other troublesome persons. The method was always the same. They had to find the crimes of the enemies, to dig into the past and in the shadowy areas. Anything would do, as long as it would make them desist from attacking.
What did you see that wasn't right in the Church of Scientology?
I haven't criticized the doctrine, but only the business and financial structure. The church does not publish financial statements, as all non-profit organizations do. There is a Calvinist attention to money. There are weekly statistics for which the staff must make more money than in the previous week. And this can only be achieved by selling more services and more books to the public which, of course, always gets squeezed for more. There is a substantial inconsistency: they speak of donations, however there is a specific price list...
For example?
From 10 euros for books up to thousands of euros for courses. The myth that people spend millions is an exaggeration, but one might spend from a few hundred euros to 80 to 100 thousand euros for a complete package of services. It's a program of spiritual improvement that begins with lessons of a technical and practical sort and then continues on paths whose nature is more spiritual, almost psychotherapeutic, essentially a passage through all areas of your past involving pain and discomfort in order to clear the negative emotions. This method, which is also used by psychotherapists, allows you to work on the areas of life where there have been tensions. What I dispute is not the doctrine, but how could a price list of donations be created. A donation is and should be a spontaneous act. A church, if it defines itself as such, should perform acts of charity. Here instead, there are discounts on donations: 30% if you buy more services, but if you run out of money, the spiritual assistance comes to a halt.
And this led you to express your doubts ...
Yes, I told them that reform is needed, and for this I was classified as a potential enemy. When I asked for the destruction of my files, I received both written and verbal assurances about their destruction. And I believed this, until there was a raid in Turin and my folder was found. You can't imagine my astonishement when the police informed me. Moreover, and this is the funny part, the letter requesting the destruction of the folder was in my file...
How does a person enter the Church of Scientology? How many followers are there?
Mainly by word of mouth. Celebrities like Tom Cruise have made a lot of publicity. But you can also join just by walking in. In Turin, there are about a hundred followers, in Italy, 4 thousand, though they claim that they number in the tens of thousands. But there is a very high turnover in the ranks of Scientology, both among staff and the public.
In any case, going in to join is simple: for example, people take the personality test (200 questions). The result is a breakdown of the weak and the strong points and the things that need improvement, essentially the information contained in the files. Then there is a series of services, as in any foundation. This is why it should be called a foundation for personal improvement and not a church. The term is a distortion, but it affords them exemptions which a foundation could not have.
And what happens after a person is in?
When you begin, a file is created about you and it contains technical, financial, and spiritual information: reports of your confessions and your progress are recorded minute by minute during the encounter with their expert, the auditor, "a person who listens". The file also contains information on many ethical and moral problems that come up. It was suspected that this internal department (OSA - Organization of Special Affairs) which is responsible for protecting Scientology's good image and for vigilance to prevent dangers for the Church, monitors the files: this would be questionable even though it might be within the law. What is illicit is skimming the folders in search of information. They did this in my case.
What happened?
As soon as they see that a person is not totally devoted to their beliefs, they probe for the person's weaknesses. Sexual, political, and other orientations. And when they are asked to destroy their documentation, they don't. Quite the opposite. They use the documents to protect themselves. I understand a group trying to protect itself, but resorting to unlawful means to do so cannot be tolerated. Then there is also a moral aspect: it is appalling that a religious minister would knowingly lie by stating things that are not true.
And what is the purpose of these files?
OSA is an internal network with a high degree of autonomy, an actual church within the church. Summaries of the dossiers are sent to the Italian central management of Department 20, in Vimodrone, near Milan, and for the more delicate matters, I imagine also to the central headquarters in Los Angeles, in the USA. The relationship with the United States is, in fact, very close, the hierarchy is very rigid. At the local level, churches don't have much authority to make decisions.
Let's talk about names that are known. Which ones, for example?
A "mole" within the organization, who in the past was actually responsible for these investigations and who is now cooperating with the prosecutor, has named Father Luigi Ciotti, Luciano Violante, Judge Clementina Forleo. Also journalist
Massimo Numa (
La Stampa) and fellow journalists
Tommaso Cerno and Stefano Pitrelli from
L'Espresso,
Antonio Rossitto from
Panorama, and Martini, who manages the
Allarme Scientology website. All of them were given attention as soon as they voiced criticism. There are probably records on regional and national politicians, if they have been critical. There would also be files on people who have held top positions in the sect and then left. And me too, of course...
And how are these files used?
Not for public attacks, of course. The technique used is very intelligent. Leaks of information are deliberately engineered in such a way that personal details about a person are made known until that person's silence is obtained. An good example is a guy who had unusual sexual habits and dressed in women's clothing in private. No need to attack directly through lawyers. Instead, they post compromising photos and information on websites and blogs. As a result, the concerned person is terrified of the sources that are leaking this information and avoids other attacks against the church.
So it boils down to fear tactics...
Let's put it this way: information is the optimal weapon and can be used for legal actions. The more the church knows, the better it can defend itself. Not only in court. The sect does not like criticisms from outside. They have what I call a
Calimero complex: fear that everyone has a grudge against them. This indicates a deep-seated insecurity. In my case, for example, I was simply doubtful about some of their practices; I had no grudge against them. At least not until a few days ago, when I found out about this outrageous lie concerning the folders.
Scientology lives thanks to donations, as we've said. How is money collected?
Through two main channels: the first is the sale of courses and books. An organization of average size rakes in between 25 thousand and 30 thousand euros a week. The second, which dwarfs the first one, is the donations given for no service in return to support the IAS, which organizes weekly events in Italy to raise funds and manages to collect 250 to 300 thousand euros a week. All this money is then transferred to the United States, no one knows where.
What will you do now, as far as they're concerned?
I'm really disappointed. I'm trying again to get my documents back. If there are grounds to do so, I will register as an injured party in the prosecution.