Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

[SHERA]

I wish they would do an episode on how those who have escaped were able to start their lives over with little to no education. How they got a job, new family structure, etc

[SHERA]

On 12/27/2016 at 1:20 PM, seattlechic said:

Is it worth it you think? I mean, the book?

@seattlechic  yeah I liked it. Now I want to read everyone's book who has left $ci.

[seattlechic]

OMG you guys.... this video is  a MUST see. These people are fucktards. 

 

http://tonyortega.org/2016/09/02/finally-i-am-myself-scientologists-talk-about-scientology-in-a-video-not-for-the-public/

[16strong]

30 minutes ago, seattlechic said:

OMG you guys.... this video is  a MUST see. These people are fucktards. 

 

http://tonyortega.org/2016/09/02/finally-i-am-myself-scientologists-talk-about-scientology-in-a-video-not-for-the-public/

So...many...quotes...so...much...comedy gold...can't...choose. But... "You're doing the R&D with LRH...as he's *doing* it! And that's the way I feel every time I go on course. I'm sitting with LRH." really takes the cake.

I mean really. These people are so steeped in scieno babble that they have zero idea that they are completely unintelligible. 

[Rachel333]

2 hours ago, Peas n carrots said:

Leah, damn that woman is amazing. I hope she expands doing this kind of work beyond $ci in the future into other groups who are being oppressed.

 

I would love to see someone do this type of thing with IBLP.

[seattlechic]

47 minutes ago, 16strong said:

So...many...quotes...so...much...comedy gold...can't...choose. But... "You're doing the R&D with LRH...as he's *doing* it! And that's the way I feel every time I go on course. I'm sitting with LRH." really takes the cake.

I mean really. These people are so steeped in scieno babble that they have zero idea that they are completely unintelligible. 

Inorite? After years of following these crazies, I have yet to figure out WTF they believe in. Shit, at least with other fundies it's obvious; but these  freakshows....

[nausicaa]

One thing I noticed is that a lot of those people have Australian accents. It seems several of the higher ups are Australian as well. Does the CoS do a lot of recruitment in Australia? 

[Palimpsest]

1 hour ago, seattlechic said:

OMG you guys.... this video is  a MUST see. These people are fucktards. 

 

http://tonyortega.org/2016/09/02/finally-i-am-myself-scientologists-talk-about-scientology-in-a-video-not-for-the-public/

They all come over as high as kites.  Going clear apparently means speeding without drugs.  They are speeding on self-hypnosis, IMO. 

The jargon! And the onomatopoeic sounds!  Whoossh, whomp, bammm, spritz, futzz!

That gobbledygook that Cruise spouted in the leaked video addressed to his "congregation" sounds less weird when you realize they all talk like that.  When high and within their own special club.

Sad.  Genuinely tragic.

I read the unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise by Andrew Morton a few years ago.  My recollection is not that wonderful, nor was the book, but it seemed to me that Miscavige and Cruise are in an unholy alliance of narcissistic bliss, reinforcement of their ugly sides, and utter corruption.

[quiversR4hunting]

@seattlechic Thank you? I think, for sharing that link. Wow, just wow. Those people system nothing at all!

And they are dumb, you can find your self in other (noncult) books, or a therapist or a life coach. Wow. These people are hooked and can't see straight. Just wow.

[Geechee Girl]

On 12/7/2016 at 7:03 PM, Peas n carrots said:

Oh guyyyzzz...look what I found in NYC today! The org that hooked Leah Remini and her family
 

Spoiler

I wanted to go in but I was worried no one would see me again!

I've been in there a few years ago. The lobby was welcoming, but the interrogation room are sterile. First, I was ushered into a theater to an orientation film. It showed how they provided disaster relief and community service around the world. Those aspects were appealing. However the propaganda took a turn when it touched upon addiction relief and they had the "cure" for emotional/mental ailments. In the interrogation interview room, my guy wasn't prepared for my timeshare sales background. He thought he had me with false rapport, and then went in for the sale. I agreed I wanted to read it, but I would not purchase it. He could not overcome my objection religious teachings should be handed out freely. Dude still tried to close me! He went into how maybe this wasn't for me, and I obviously wasn't ready to let go of this attachment to money!  Really? REALLY? 

[Mecca]

5 hours ago, nausicaa said:

One thing I noticed is that a lot of those people have Australian accents. It seems several of the higher ups are Australian as well. Does the CoS do a lot of recruitment in Australia? 

Yes, they do. There are many "churches" throughout Australia, and there is an Australian headquarters in Dundas. A few years ago it was discovered that CoS had a "re-education camp" set up in a home in the suburbs of Sydney. It was uncovered when someone escaped. The camp was actually a prison-like punishment camp where people were sent, a lot of the prisoners were minors as young as eight years old, when they, and I quote, "commit serious breaches of ecclesiastical rules." 

 

[pamplemousse]

6 hours ago, 16strong said:

So...many...quotes...so...much...comedy gold...can't...choose. But... "You're doing the R&D with LRH...as he's *doing* it! And that's the way I feel every time I go on course. I'm sitting with LRH." really takes the cake.

I mean really. These people are so steeped in scieno babble that they have zero idea that they are completely unintelligible. 

I wonder how steeped they really are. I seem to remember either hearing on Leah's show or reading somewhere else (sorry, can't remember which) that they use actors to make those videos. I take that to mean that they choose people who are in (my guess is Sea Org members or other $cientology "parishioners") to do them.  With the right coaching, they could pull off their lines enough to make viewers think, wow, this all really does work.

[DaisyD]

Mark Headley said that they do cast for certain things. I thought he said for the events, but they could easily do it for the promotional videos too.

[Peas n carrots]

Here is a quick list of $ci books -'in the past few years here has been an explosion

Bare Faced Messiah - Russell Miller
A Piece of Blue Sky - Jon Atack
The Scandal of $cientology (Paulette Cooper's book - out of print and hard to find)
The Unbreakable Miss Lovely - Tony Ortega
Blown For Good - Marc Headley
Inside $cientology - Janet Reitman
Going Clear - Lawrence Wright
Beyond Belief - Jenna Miscavige Hill
Troublemaker - Leah Remini
Ruthless - Ron Miscavige

I'm sure I'm missing a few - these are the books off the top of my head. Each sort of cover a different angle - Leah Remini for a celebrity angle, Going Clear for a comprehensive history, A Piece of Blue Sky for a more Hubbard specific history, Beyond Belief for growing up in $ci etc.

[seattlechic]

Thanks so much @Peas n carrots --- I think I am just missing a couple --- off to the library I go!

 

[MamaJunebug]

12 hours ago, DaisyD said:

Mark Headley said that they do cast for certain things. I thought he said for the events, but they could easily do it for the promotional videos too.

That makes a lot of sense. I've read that aspiring actors are a Scieno target group, since they *might* meet influentials if they come to the Celebrity Center, and there have been a few reports that early courses can help a person with acting techniques. Leah even said the courses helped prepare her for how to meet casting directors confidently and assertively. 

What baffled me was the lack of substance of *any* kind in their testimonies!  Coupled with that insanely driving beat in the background, the repetition of "it helped me do it! Phew!" and left me thinking, "WHAT helped you do WHICH? And who's Phew?"

But of course that's fine for the Scieno purpose,  because folks who see these are those who've already put money and time into the scam and want to think they're understanding what's being said. 

Question: what IS it with that driving beat in commercials, anyway? First noticed it years ago in supermarket radio ads. I'm guessing it's to make you keep tuned-in to the intrinsically boring message ("we have great values! Buy from us!"), kind of  the same way the unending clack of railroad cars gets into your head and lulls you toward sleepiness? Or something?

i notice it in lots of radio & tv ads, now. And promptly think less of the advertiser, but I'm probably not in their demographic so no big loss to them. ;-)

[louisa05]

Those people in the videos...that's how my sister-in-law talks about yoga. 

It occurs to me that she could easily become a scientologist. It hits all her favorite points--finding yourself, not traditional religion, pseudoscience, sense of superiority, need to evangelize it to others. 

 

[DaisyD]

I think the beat has a hypnotic quality. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that it's some kind of activation thing.

[MamaJunebug]

8 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

Those people in the videos...that's how my sister-in-law talks about yoga. 

It occurs to me that she could easily become a scientologist. It hits all her favorite points--finding yourself, not traditional religion, pseudoscience, sense of superiority, need to evangelize it to others. 

 

Scary!

But an important thought. 

1 minute ago, DaisyD said:

I think the beat has a hypnotic quality. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that it's some kind of activation thing.

Of course! Why not?

Visual Adverts have had subliminals in them since way back into the 1960s and maybe earlier. 

Good points. Thank you!

[louisa05]

1 minute ago, MamaJunebug said:

Scary!

But an important thought. 

Here is my confession of evil thought: They are not real active here. So maybe if she finds scientology, she would go away. My parents-in-law would no longer have to run her business and put up with her nonsense and we'd never have to see her. 

[nausicaa]

5 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

What baffled me was the lack of substance of *any* kind in their testimonies!  Coupled with that insanely driving beat in the background, the repetition of "it helped me do it! Phew!" and left me thinking, "WHAT helped you do WHICH? And who's Phew?

That was driving me crazy as well. Give me some metrics!!

Okay, so you're supercharged, you have all the answers now, you can take on the world. So now what exactly are you doing? Did you run for mayor, lose 50 lbs, and start a successful business?

It reminds me of people who constantly attend Tony Robbins style self-help seminars. They become addicted to the heady rush of the seminars, and never actually carry that energy over into improving their lives. There's no time to start that business or climb Mount Everest because they're too busy planning for the next seminar and posting inspirational quotes all over their social media.

I personally believe accomplishing goals is a lot more about having the humility to commit to the boring day-to-day stuff than about having some "revelation," from LRH or otherwise.

[Shiny]

I haven't been able to watch the latest episodes of Leah's show. A&E doesn't make them available like the first two were. Hoping I can catch up some where else. I did finish reading Troublemaker today. It is a quick and entertaining read. If your local library has it, I really recommend reading it. 

 

[PennySycamore]

@Shiny, do you have On Demand?  it's available that way if your cable or satellite service has A&E and On Demand.

[mirele]

On 12/30/2016 at 10:39 AM, louisa05 said:

Those people in the videos...that's how my sister-in-law talks about yoga. 

It occurs to me that she could easily become a scientologist. It hits all her favorite points--finding yourself, not traditional religion, pseudoscience, sense of superiority, need to evangelize it to others. 

 

She couldn't be a Scientologist and practice yoga at the same time. That's called "mixing practices." Mike Rinder has a great article on his blog from yesterday talking about this. See, Scientology likes to tell people it's an "applied religious philosophy" and you can practice it alongside Christianity, Judaism, etc. Rinder points out that before you start any course, you have to read "Keep Scientology Working" ("KSW"), a letter by Hubbard, and then another letter by Hubbard about "squirreling" or practicing non-standard Scientology. Whatever you think of Rinder (and I have serious mixed emotions), I highly recommend this article for the insight it gives into Scientology.

http://www.mikerindersblog.org/can-scientologists-be-christians-or-jews-too/

 

[louisa05]

28 minutes ago, mirele said:

She couldn't be a Scientologist and practice yoga at the same time. That's called "mixing practices." Mike Rinder has a great article on his blog from yesterday talking about this. See, Scientology likes to tell people it's an "applied religious philosophy" and you can practice it alongside Christianity, Judaism, etc. Rinder points out that before you start any course, you have to read "Keep Scientology Working" ("KSW"), a letter by Hubbard, and then another letter by Hubbard about "squirreling" or practicing non-standard Scientology. Whatever you think of Rinder (and I have serious mixed emotions), I highly recommend this article for the insight it gives into Scientology.

http://www.mikerindersblog.org/can-scientologists-be-christians-or-jews-too/

 

She moves on from one thing to the next quite frequently. I was not implying she would do both.