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UMike-My Story

UMike

Patron with Honors
I was "In" for about 3 years in Los Angeles, CA.
I joined Scientology at the San Fernando Valley Mission in North Hollywood in 1970's.

I sought them out-I was Not Recruited.

I was dabbling in lots of practices.
In many ways I was on a spiritual quest.
Being in my mid twenties I was looking for purpose in life. I was
delighted with the results of the Communication & HQS courses (Hubbard Qualified Scientologist) and my Life Repair
auditing.
I soon took out a loan for $6000.00 and began my path on to Clear and subsequently became an interned Dianetic Auditor. My wins on auditing were few and far in
between-but I figured the pay off was waiting for me at the end.

The mission was a small storefront whose clientele were middle and upper middle class professionals in the suburbs primarily in 18 to 40 yo range.
Lots of pretty girls and friendly faces.
This was my new religion where it was perfectly acceptable to smoke-drink and date the girls as well. Life was good.
We really didn't even know what an Org or the Sea Org was except by rumor.

I had nothing to lose as I was told my money would be
refunded if unhappy with any services.
The missions were known by some as franchises. This was part of
a 5 mission franchise chain in Southern California owned by a fellow named Carl
Barney. He made a fortune. During this time I also volunteered for staff in the Santa Barbara Venture.
Along with about 10 other guys we built the Santa Barbara mission from the
ground-up; 3 floors. We lived in and renovated an old hotel on De La Guerra for the summer long project. I
received no pay but was happy to be in Rons good graces for my efforts.
My brother was also on lines with me.

I attested to a well and "happy human being" having achieved "Dianetics Case Completion" I was actually depressed about the results. But I
continued into the grades when one day my brother and I were talking and
decided that the auditing results were unsatisfactory for both of us.


We applied for refunds and were denied. Our attorney threatened to sue and we won-they blinked-gave us full refunds ($6000.00 each) before the matter made it to court.

I then purchased a copy of Robert Kaufmans scandalous book "Inside Scientology"-it
was the very first book to expose OT3
and the clearing materials. I was so shocked and angry about all the space opera crap that I took the
book to Tom Snyders "Tomorrow Show" producer Bruce Mckay as they were doing a 2 part
show on the cult for syndicated late night TV in Burbank. I served as an unpaid consultant, pre-show.
Unknown to me at the time is that this was the first national prime time
expose on this organization.

I was also a "member" of what would years later morph into part of the LA Freezone.
We were critics who left but still had an interest in socializing, auditing etc.
In my particular case I picked up some extra money there by selling a E-meter
when I could get my hands on one, and resell it there.
We met at the home of a man named Leonard "Spook" Fussellman-an older Ex
associate of LRH. We were also sharing/creating various processes.

During this whole fiasco I was followed and a car was parked out front of my
apartment in North Hollywood..on and off for about 2-3 months with a goon staring at me through my living room
window. (why?) Intimidation was the goal imo. I recognized him as Carl Barneys 2nd in command, a robotic
OT type.

Looking back, I had no idea of the potential danger I was in.
They literally stole every single copy of
*Inside Scientology* (Kaufman) from the Los Angeles county library system. It was the first book to ever publish OT3 and the Clearing Course materials.

I thank my lucky stars my older brother "dragged" me out of this now nefarious cult. My life may have been forever changed-and for the worse changed had he not.

I have a Love Hate relationship with Scientology. Through it all I don't regret the experience. I advocate radical Reform. Restructure of management, pricing, elimination of Ethics Dept along with deceptive front groups..and much more.
Although I was one of the Lucky ones...I do not advocate anyone joining this organization in it's current form.

"Don't become friends with the elephant keeper unless you have space in your home for an elephant"


Umike
 
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jodie

Patron with Honors
Thanks for posting your story, UMike, I have always wondered (as a lurker on the newsgroups and forums, and having seen your posts amid all the noise and flames), what your background was. Appreciate you sharing with us.

You sure were lucky!

Two questions - you and your brother were not happy with the auditing results - did you ever try to get that addressed? You know, it is usual for the pc to go along and indicate they were not happy, and then some repair is prescribed. That is usually where the real trouble starts because they do not like it when you do not rave about your wins.

And then, you are always supposed to rave about your wins after a completion - did you rave? Or not? They would not have let you attest unless you were F/N VGIs?

Thanks again.

- jodie
 

UMike

Patron with Honors
Thanks for posting your story, UMike, I have always wondered (as a lurker on the newsgroups and forums, and having seen your posts amid all the noise and flames), what your background was. Appreciate you sharing with us.

You sure were lucky!

Two questions - you and your brother were not happy with the auditing results - did you ever try to get that addressed? You know, it is usual for the pc to go along and indicate they were not happy, and then some repair is prescribed. That is usually where the real trouble starts because they do not like it when you do not rave about your wins.

And then, you are always supposed to rave about your wins after a completion - did you rave? Or not? They would not have let you attest unless you were F/N VGIs?

Thanks again.

- jodie

Thank Jodie. Oh, they rushed me into after course muster and I performed like a trained seal with some VGI's-gushing praise for the tech. SCN auditing I liked very much, but they overran me on Dianetics big time.
I was quite confused because everything else worked quite well...

AFAIAC...there is no repair for my Dianetic auditing-it's just crap (for me anyway).
For my money---Dianetics looks wonderful on paper....and it ends right there...

UM
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
Hi, UMike,

I freaking hated Dianetics...I liked a lot of other processing, but hated Dn.

bleah.

Did you ever see Roland Rashleigh-Berry's post where he said that auditing (Getting it) was really tedious and boring? That cracked me up.

I don't mean to be deriding it. I do feel that there's some real worth there and there were times I had a great time with it. But not with Dn, though.

There're a lot of neat things to do and study in the world, other than Scn stuff....
 

UMike

Patron with Honors
Dianetics is just flat out stoopid.

Yeaa..all your headaches began when mommy accidentally smacked you in the head with a fly swatter when you were 3yo or some such Bull****. NOT.
 

Alan

Gold Meritorious Patron
AFAIAC...there is no repair for my Dianetic auditing-it's just crap (for me anyway).

Dianetics has degraded into running Mental Image Pictures.

The End Phenomena is: At cause over mental image pictures.

Often that is achieved in pulling overts or withholds.

Mental Image Pictures are just a substitute for the actual incident....an in your head video.

It is very degrading to a being to make them run MIP's as it makes the MIP's bigger than the being.

Alan
 
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jodie

Patron with Honors
Thank Jodie. Oh, they rushed me into after course muster and I performed like a trained seal with some VGI's-gushing praise for the tech. SCN auditing I liked very much, but they overran me on Dianetics big time.
I was quite confused because everything else worked quite well...

AFAIAC...there is no repair for my Dianetic auditing-it's just crap (for me anyway).
For my money---Dianetics looks wonderful on paper....and it ends right there...

UM

Hahaha!!!!! "Performed like a trained seal"!!! I love it!! Yes, that describes it exactly. What do they expect people to do when they force them to do the whole routine in order to complete?? I have no doubt that there are many genuine wins with individuals, but there must also be a lot of seal performances where people got nothing out of it, but simply in order to get on to the next level, where surely salvation must lie (pardon the pun), they perform - like trained seals! :D For some reason, this really made my day!)

Interesting that you got nothing out of Dianetics - I know many, many also who said it fell flat for them. Nice bit of theory - exploding volcanoes on the cover nothwithstanding - but not really effective, practically. Alan of course aced it in his post. Alan = :cool:

Thanks for the answer, and I continue to enjoy your posts. :)
- jodie
 
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UMike

Patron with Honors
Conversly
In many ways I was chasing the (SCN auditing) Life Repair dragon that worked so well- it was complete in less than 20 hours. On one afternoon in particular I experienced:

1.first hour--Major personal issue melted away
2.next hour-Significant cognition regarding spiritual enlightenment.
3.next hour...major life realization/insight gained.

My brother had a similar experience...around the same time..

bam-bam-bam--very fast...
I loved it and wanted more....all the claims were True!

I can assure you-if they were selling blue scientology blazers with a big "S' on it in the lobby I would have bought one...LOL
Scientology repetitive processing worked that well....on me...

I was a card carrying Scientologist in the beginning. You'd better not speak badly of it in my presence....


On the training side--I was tone matching, flowing affinity, granting you beingness-maintaining ARC-touch assists. get the picture...?
People enjoyed being around me---quite simply because it was likely I would do or say something to make you feel better about yourself...
Many of them wanted what I had so consequently I recruited a gaggle of friends and family...


UM
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
Dianetics is just flat out stoopid.

Yeaa..all your headaches began when mommy accidentally smacked you in the head with a fly swatter when you were 3yo or some such Bull****. NOT.


Actually, I"ve known people who've done very well with Dianetics. I think some people do well with it.

Just not everybody.

And there's nothing as unpleasant as grinding through a Dianetics session that isn't going anywhere.
 

UMike

Patron with Honors
Actually, I"ve known people who've done very well with Dianetics. I think some people do well with it.

Just not everybody.

And there's nothing as unpleasant as grinding through a Dianetics session that isn't going anywhere.


Yea. No doubt Claire. I would never deny anothers experience.
I gained some meaningful insights early on.
I just find that running every single *AESP quite absurd.

UM

*Attitudes, Emotions, Sensations & Pains
 

KMomma

Patron
Thanks for posting that UMike. I know that I've seen you around but don't remember reading anything about your time in.

I think it is safe to say that a lot of people had fun or met great people while in Scientology. A lot of people want to downplay that, but I think there is a reason why people join and stay in the CofS that isn't just brainwashing. Not to say that their staying is good, but it will help explain to that family who can't understand why their son is still in the CofS.
 

programmer_guy

True Ex-Scientologist
Alan said:
Dianetics has degraded into running Mental Image Pictures.

I'm a little confused by your statement. Isn't that what Dianetics is all about? Running down the chains of engrams?

Please explain.
 
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