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Scientologists, "Ex" Scientologists, and susceptibility to conspiracy theories

Mick Wenlock

Admin Emeritus (retired)
Its insulting to assume all Scn are mindless robots who follow everything LRH or DM wrote or said to be the gospel truth. Many people left and are still blowing from the church no matter what DM does. As far as 911 ,DM or the church has not written or said anything regarding it as far as I know. The inference that just because a " conspiracy theory" is posted doesn't mean its connected to scn inculcation. In the age of 30 second sound bits the ignorant will defend their reasoning not with contradicting facts that consume time and effort but with " its a conspiracy theory" as they have been programed to by the major media out lets.

You are missing the entire point, IMHO. It is not that EVERY scientologist or ex falls for conspiracy theories but whether being a Scientologitst ((or having been one) makes one more susceptible to conspiracy theory thinking.

If someone is going to believe Hubbard's dreck about INvader Forces, Implant Stations, visiting heaven and Marcabian society then its not a big step to Icke's reptilian overlords, 9/11 twooferism and the tales of the Illuminati.

It's a credit to a lot of exes that they rehabilitate their cirtical thinking skills. its a shame that there are those who just have to have the whole 'conspiracy" in order to try to understand the world.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Many scientologists came to a point where they blindly trusted Hubbard, and bought alot of BS in the process. Then later after getting out they saw that blindly trusting an authority and accepting their view of the world was a huge mistake leading them down a horrible path. Some of them would be less able and willing to trust an "authority" in the future, doing more investigation and verification of what is communicated from any authority. That could lead one to uncovering lies, corruption, and actual conspiracies, and certainly being more open to looking at conspiracy theories which don't tend to see much mainstream media attention. True, that if one doesn't possess enough critical thinking skills it could lead one to buying into conspiracy theories that are false as well.
So the solution is to do whatever possible to improve ones ability at critical thinking, evaluating of evidence, ect. It doesn't seem that children in the American schools are taught too many of these skills and that in my opinion is a large part of the problem. They watch the news and are unable to pick up on when the reporters are biased one way or the other.
Some reporters, talk show hosts, ect., are exceptionally skilled at appearing to be neutral on an issue when they have a very definite bias that they are slipping into the reporting and discussion of the news.
Whether Ex-Scientologists are more susceptable to buy into false conspiracies, I don't know. But the survey results by themselves as presented in the thread clearly don't prove anything in that regard.
And even if they did, not ALL Ex'es are like that. So it is better to treat people as individuals rather than making a generalization about the whole group. It's a very diverse group here on ESMB and there are very few things that all of us would agree upon.
 
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La La Lou Lou

Crusader
One day at school the teacher brought in some newspapers, we had to look at an advert and actually work out what is said, not what it seemed to say. We had to see if there were any statements, we had to really analyse them. It was fantastic, it stayed with me forever. I don't think it was by most of the pupils though. Now I see 'Carlsberg is probably the best lager in the world' and I see what it actually means. It is not the best lager in the world, but we'd like you to think it could be. Scientology though doesn't do this kind of thing, it just lies.
 

FinallyFree

Gold Meritorious Patron
Many scientologists came to a point where they blindly trusted Hubbard, and bought alot of BS in the process. Then later after getting out they saw that blindly trusting an authority and accepting their view of the world was a huge mistake leading them down a horrible path. Some of them would be less able and willing to trust an "authority" in the future, doing more investigation and verification of what is communicated from any authority. That could lead one to uncovering lies, corruption, and actual conspiracies, and certainly being more open to looking at conspiracy theories which don't tend to see much mainstream media attention. True, that if one doesn't possess enough critical thinking skills it could lead one to buying into conspiracy theories that are false as well.
So the solution is to do whatever possible to improve ones ability at critical thinking, evaluating of evidence, ect. It doesn't seem that children in the American schools are taught too many of these skills and that in my opinion is a large part of the problem. They watch the news and are unable to pick up on when the reporters are biased one way or the other.
Some reporters, talk show hosts, ect., are exceptionally skilled at appearing to be neutral on an issue when they have a very definite bias that they are slipping into the reporting and discussion of the news.
Whether Ex-Scientologists are more susceptable to buy into false conspiracies, I don't know. But the survey results by themselves as presented in the thread clearly don't prove anything in that regard.
And even if they did, not ALL Ex'es are like that. So it is better to treat people as individuals rather than making a generalization about the whole group. It's a very diverse group here on ESMB and there are very few things that all of us would agree upon.

I agree with this post, I did blindly follow. That was a big change for me that I had to confront. I had to think for myself and make my own decisions. scientology definitely removes thought process.

How interesting, just yesterday I commented on a new headline to my 8 and 10 year old sons. I strongly disagreed with the headline which was stated as fact. We discussed the headline and then I went right in on a conversation about questioning authority and not just being complacent in what you are told to do, how things are ‘supposed to be’, what you are ‘supposed to do’ and ‘think’.

Pay attention to the lessons being taught to your children people. Ideas start getting installed at a very young age.
 
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