The Mind Benders

[SuperPowers]

I'm reading The Mind Benders, a book by Cyril Vosper.
It's is online at: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/vosper/prologue.html

Cyril Ronald Vosper (7 June 1935 – 4 May 2004) was a Scientologist and later a critic of Scientology. He wrote The Mind Benders, which was the first book on Scientology to be written by an ex-member and the first critical book on Scientology to be published (narrowly beating Inside Scientology by Robert Kaufman). -- Wiki

I tried to find references on Vosper and this book here at ESMB, I found anything.

A well-written testimony - highly recommended reading!

 

[DartSmohen]

I'm reading The Mind Benders, a book by Cyril Vosper.
It's is online at: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/vosper/prologue.html

Cyril Ronald Vosper (7 June 1935 – 4 May 2004) was a Scientologist and later a critic of Scientology. He wrote The Mind Benders, which was the first book on Scientology to be written by an ex-member and the first critical book on Scientology to be published (narrowly beating Inside Scientology by Robert Kaufman). -- Wiki

I tried to find references on Vosper and this book here at ESMB, I found anything.

A well-written testimony - highly recommended reading!

I knew Cyril well. In the 1950's I was a kid and he used to be engaged to process me. We ran many intensives of CCH's and Op Pro by Dup. The agreement was we did one hour of processing and one hour of cricket in our garden.

Cyril was a stalwart of the London HASI and he ended up marrying Roz De Lacey. (She is a "lifer" in and around St Hill lines. She must be in her 80's).

Cyril had a falling out with Hubbard (possibly over moves that Hubbard put on Cyril's wife - but I have no evidence of that).

Hubbard's convenient way of shoving him off lines was to declare him. So, when you give a person a wrong item you can expect a response, hence his book. I know the GO tried all sorts of dirty tricks to try and do him in, but Cyril simply ran rings around them.

Cyril was not a tall man, (bit taller than Davy the dwarf). He had a love of life and an infectious sense of humour. I remember being at a party at his flat in Duke St, London, when he found that someone had poured their glass of Gin & Tonic into the fish tank (in a drunken episode) {Most of the parties were fairly raucous}.

Cyril netted a dead specimen and held it in his hand and in a slurred way proceeded to try and run Op Pro by Dup in the fish. Everyone was in hysterics.

In later years I processed Cyril. Despite all that the cult had tried against him, he still had a love of the technology. He was never really critical of the staff he worked with, but of Hubbard (and Mary Sue) himself.

His book is a good read. He was always tongue-in-cheek about what had happened and he finally passed away some years ago. Despite being declared, his kids stayed in contact with him (to their mother's annoyance).

Cyril was a good guy and anyone who met him would remember him fondly.

Dart

 

[RogerB]

Yep, he was a man of integrity and one who also had a correct sense of justice.

In many ways, his book was an effort to get ethics in on the organization and Hubbard.

He and John MacMaster became pals when they were both out . . . and Cyril too became one of my "wards."

His effort to declare the condition and carry-ons of the church was such that, in being exposed for what they were, was an act of courage at the time and in the context of it being done in England next to the HQ of the organization.

Others had spoken out in other places, but none at the doorstep it it's HQ as he did at the time.

RogerB

 

[SuperPowers]

Thanks

for your very appreciated feedback Dart. I saw Cyril appearing in the video "Scientology: Secret Lives - L. Ron Hubbard" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCWRbgIkFJ8 ) which you might have seen already?

 

[SuperPowers]

Thanks Rog,

I've been in a similar position as Cyril where the loss of family and small kids where at stake. It's a very traumatic situation which causes scars for the rest of life. I can almost feel what he must have felt when he was abused the way he was.

Yep, he was a man of integrity and one who also had a correct sense of justice.

In many ways, his book was an effort to get ethics in on the organization and Hubbard.

He and John MacMaster became pals when they were both out . . . and Cyril too became one of my "wards."

His effort to declare the condition and carry-ons of the church was such that, in being exposed for what they were, was an act of courage at the time and in the context of it being done in England next to the HQ of the organization.

Others had spoken out in other places, but none at the doorstep it it's HQ as he did at the time.

RogerB